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Testing for reform
End-of-course tests hold promise, but lawmakers must take deliberate approach.

February 15, 2010

No more pencils, no more books, no more teachers' dirty looks. And no more FCAT?

Not exactly. However, if a bill backed by a bipartisan group of state legislators gains steam, high-schoolers soon could say goodbye to the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. But they'd also say hello to new mathematics and science tests that they'd need to pass certain classes and earn course credit.

Lawmakers are still ironing out details. But a fresh take that promises to further reform the state's still subpar education system deserves a look. FCAT elevated standards, test scores and accountability. But not without its critics — and telling flaws.

Done right, end-of-course tests could be a promising tool.

Critics long have assailed Florida's annual test, which assesses student mastery of reading, writing, math and science. They say FCAT, first given in 1998, robs teachers of creativity, forcing them to focus on preparing students to pass the high-stakes test, which holds sway in third-grade promotion, high-school graduation and school accountability grades.

Similar criticism has sparked growing interest since 2002 in end-of-course tests.

Because those tests more narrowly measure how students comprehend content in specific courses, they better align with curriculum standards. That helps teachers zero in on course standards, and frees them to present the material in innovative ways.

And unlike FCAT, which tests a student's banked knowledge, end-of-course tests evaluate their understanding of concepts while still fresh.

The tests, proponents say, are better predictors of college preparedness. And they provide critical data for measuring classroom instruction efforts.

That's spurred 17 states to roll out end-of-course exams, according to the Center on Education Policy. Now, as part of a push to enhance state graduation requirements, the bill proposed last week by the House Pre-K-12 Policy Committee would supplant the FCAT ninth- and 10th-grade math exams with end-of-course tests in algebra I and geometry. It also would shelve the FCAT 11th-grade science exam for an end-of-course biology test. As funding trickles in, more end-of-course tests — such as an English/language-arts exam — would be developed.

A menu of subject-specific tests would resolve an FCAT lapse: that after 10th grade, students receive no statewide standardized gauge of their grasp of the three R's.

The Algebra I and geometry tests get field-tested this spring. Rep. John Legg, the House committee chair, says changes will "make us more competitive, both nationally and internationally, at a high-school level."

A worthy goal. Yet, in its pursuit, lawmakers should move deliberately and thoughtfully. The new tests must be rigorous, high-quality assessments that help students gauge their prowess and college prospects.

Counting the test as 30percent of the final course grade raises the bar — tests in some states count for only 15 percent of final grades. And as with FCAT, the state must continue to use the end-of-course test results to hold schools and school districts accountable for how well — or poorly — they do.

Nevertheless, lawmakers should avoid changes that essentially tack-on the end-of-course exams to FCAT. With college-aspiring students preparing for college-placement tests such as the SAT, there's legitimate concern over too much testing in schools.

Raising the bar means raising accountability and achievement. An extreme makeover involving end-of-course exams could help put students in the best light.