Passing Notes Stream http://www.passingnotes.net/index.php Sun, 20 May 2012 22:54:11 -0400 0 http://www.passingnotes.net/index.php http://www.passingnotes.net/index.php?showtopic=1624 http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=40673a...mp;e=c0ba0b3d7a

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Florida Moms: Where's the Truth in FCAT Scores?

Orlando, Florida… FundEducationNow.org, a leading parent-driven statewide education advocacy group, issued the following comments today regarding the Florida Department of Education’s release of the 2012 FCAT 2.0 Grades 9 and 10 Reading and FCAT Writes scores:

“As mothers of Florida public school children, we bear witness to the suffering caused by FCAT. Today’s scores mean that 50% of the sophomore class is at risk of being denied a high school diploma and a chance for a brighter future,” said Linda Kobert, co-founder, FundEducationNow.org.

“FCAT should be a tiny, diagnostic portion of a child’s school year. Whether scores are good or bad, parents should question whether they are true. The fact remains that this is a critically flawed and inappropriately high-stakes process. If parents and teachers are forbidden from seeing the test and the student’s actual work, where’s the proof of a 4 or 5 or 1?” asked Kathleen Oropeza, co-founder, FundEducationNow.org.

“FCAT Writes proves that scores can be changed by simply dialing into an emergency phone call. Where is the truth? Put in perspective – politicians have cut $4B from our classrooms to feed billions to the Pearson testing machine. We demand transparency and an open inspection of every aspect of the FCAT testing process and its extraordinary cost,” said Christine Bramuchi, co-founder FundEducationNow.org.

Founded in 2009, FundEducationNow.org is a non partisan group of citizen-advocates founded by authentic Florida parents. To schedule an interview or receive more information, contact: Kathleen Oropeza, kathleeno@cfl.rr.com; 407.234.8948


]]> Chris Spiliotis Chris Spiliotis Sat, 19 May 2012 09:49:48 -0400 Sat, 19 May 2012 09:49:48 -0400 1624 http://www.passingnotes.net/index.php?showtopic=1623 Read the article and leave a comment on npr.org.
http://stateimpact.npr.org/florida/2012/05...an-improvement/

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Half Of 9th And 10th Graders Failed FCAT 2.0 Reading, But Commissioner Says That’s An Improvement

By Gina Jordan
May 18, 2012

Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson had some explaining to do. Under new standards set forth in FCAT 2.0, about half of Florida’s 9th and 10th graders failed the reading portion of the annual assessment test.

In a teleconference with reporters, Robinson said the unspectacular scores are not surprising since standards are being raised. More is being expected of students as they transition into full implementation of national Common Core State Standards within a few years. “We were very clear that there would be a downtrend in the percentage of students who passed,” said Robinson.

Robinson said he’s not happy that just half of those students passed. “The question is are we happy with the progress that we’re making, are we happy with the level of investment…to make sure that next year and the year after that students are moving in the right direction? Remember, when Florida changed its standards approximately ten years ago, you saw a down slope,” said Robinson. “In the intermediate years, you also found changes. There was a downward trend and then it moved forward.”

So, while the scores are not impressive, they do show improvement. “If you look at last year’s score for 3 and above in grade 9, it was 48 percent. So, it’s higher this year than last year. In grade 10, 39 percent of the students were level 3 or above (in 2011). This year for grade 10, it’s 50 percent,” said Robinson. “Let’s remember this is higher than what we had last year; not as high as what we would like.”

FCAT 2.0 is evaluated this way:

•Level 5: Students demonstrate mastery of the most challenging content of the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards.

•Level 4: Students demonstrate an above satisfactory level of success with the challenging content of the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards.

•Level 3: Students demonstrate a satisfactory level of success with the challenging content of the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards.

•Level 2: Students demonstrate a below satisfactory level of success with the challenging content of the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards.

•Level 1: Students demonstrate an inadequate level of success with the challenging content of the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards.

The parent advocacy group FundEducationNow.org is not impressed with the explanations so far. In a group statement, co-founder Linda Kobert said, “As mothers of Florida public school children, we bear witness to the suffering caused by FCAT. Today’s scores mean that 50% of the sophomore class is at risk of being denied a high school diploma and a chance for a brighter future.”

Students must pass the reading portion of the test in order to graduate, although they can also graduate by showing reading proficiency on the SAT or ACT college entry exams. Students have four additional chances to retake the FCAT reading exam.

Fund Education Now co-founder Kathleen Oropeza calls the test critically flawed. “FCAT should be a tiny, diagnostic portion of a child’s school year. Whether scores are good or bad, parents should question whether they are true,” said Oropeza. “If parents and teachers are forbidden from seeing the test and the student’s actual work, where’s the proof of a 4 or 5 or 1?”

Commissioner Robinson plans to send a letter to parents explaining the changes in the FCAT between last year and this year. It will be sent home with student score reports.


]]> Chris Spiliotis Chris Spiliotis Sat, 19 May 2012 08:34:03 -0400 Sat, 19 May 2012 08:34:03 -0400 1623 http://www.passingnotes.net/index.php?showtopic=1622 Follow the link to read the White Paper release by the Central Florida School Boards Association.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer...H1NXU_blog.html

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How standardized tests are affecting public schools

By Valerie Strauss
Posted at 06:00 AM ET, 05/18/2012


Florida’s standardized testing program is being misused and has “severely impacted student learning,” according to a new white paper that says that school districts in the state are required to give as many as 62 tests a year to students.

The white paper, called “The Ramifications of Standardized Testing on our Public Schools,” was just released by the Central Florida School Board Coalition, a group of top officials from 10 school districts.

While the specifics are about Florida, the general conclusions about the negative impact of state standardized programs are relevant across the country — not only because other states have their own version but because some looked to Florida as a model as they developed their own school accountability systems.

The white paper that follows is long but worth your time. It points out in great detail the negative effects on students and teachers of Florida’s testing program, and shows convincingly that the testing program is being used in ways that it was never intended.

Here’s the white paper. Read it. ...


]]> Chris Spiliotis Chris Spiliotis Sat, 19 May 2012 07:37:08 -0400 Sat, 19 May 2012 07:37:08 -0400 1622 http://www.passingnotes.net/index.php?showtopic=1621 Read the entire article and post a comment on palmbeachpost.com.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/schools/...te-2355818.html

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Huge drop in FCAT writing scores leaves state reevaluating way to grade schools

By ALLISON ROSS-FERRELLI
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Updated: 5:50 p.m. Monday, May 14, 2012

A dramatic dive in student scores on this year's writing FCAT has the state scrambling to figure out how to keep schools' all-important A-to-F grades from plummeting.

One option the State Board of Education is expected to consider Tuesday : lowering the bar.

Preliminary results from the 2012 standardized writing test show that only 27 percent of fourth-graders statewide received a passing score of 4 or higher, compared to 81 percent in 2011. Similar results were seen in grades eight and 10, the other two grades that take the writing FCAT.

The state this year toughened the way it grades the writing portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, placing increased emphasis on grammar, punctuation, spelling and the ability to use supporting details to make a logical argument.

It also added in a second reviewer, averaging the two reviewers' grades to come up with students' test scores.

The state Department of Education said it believes the decline in scores is likely attributed to some of these changes, said Marc Baron, chief of performance accountability for the Palm Beach County School District.

Still, he said, "the magnitude of this decline is unprecedented and unexpected."

"The substantial decline ... does not reflect a change in the quality of instruction nor in the writing proficiency of students," Baron wrote in a memo released to the media. ...


]]> Chris Spiliotis Chris Spiliotis Mon, 14 May 2012 18:32:25 -0400 Mon, 14 May 2012 18:32:25 -0400 1621 http://www.passingnotes.net/index.php?showtopic=1620 Read the entire article and post a comment on orlandosentinel.com.
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-0...-brian-binggeli

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FCAT writing scores are a 'disaster

By Leslie Postal, Orlando Sentinel
2:14 p.m. EST, May 14, 2012


Scores on Florida's writing test dropped dramatically this year, with student essays earning such poor marks that one superintendent called them a "disaster" and many educators demanded that the state study what happened.

The State Board of Education has called an emergency meeting for Tuesday to consider a plan to mitigate the impact of the low scores on Florida's annual A-to-F school grades. The state released the preliminary results from the writing section of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test this morning.

The percentage of fourth graders scoring an acceptable score — a 4 on the 6-point grading scale — dropped from 81 percent last year to 27 percent this year. The scores for eighth and 10th graders fell about the same on the test that requires students to write an essay on an assigned topic.

The Central Florida Public School Boards Coalition, meeting in Orlando this morning, said the state should not make a hasty decision and should instead take time to figure out why the scores are so low this year.

Seminole Superintendent Bill Vogel said he relayed that message in a telephone conversation with Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson this morning and planned to call him again to share the coalition's view.

He said the scores undermine the credibility of the state's school accountability system, which "may not recover" if the marks are left to stand.

"The results are a disaster," he said.

Volusia Superintendent Margaret Smith agreed. "How can all of a sudden our students get that dumb over the summer and score at this level?" she said. ...

]]> Chris Spiliotis Chris Spiliotis Mon, 14 May 2012 18:02:08 -0400 Mon, 14 May 2012 18:02:08 -0400 1620