Florida’s science FCAT scores were released today. For those who don’t know, the FCAT is the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test given annually to all Florida public school children in grades 3 through 11. The FCAT is supposed to measure what students have learned about reading, writing, mathematics and science. The test results are a big deal, because each year all schools receive a letter grade based on these results. Of course, schools strive for As and Bs, but can really feel the heat from both the State and their local communities if they get Ds or Fs. Things get real bad if a school fails several years in a row, leaving the door open for the State to come in and take over the running of the school or shutting it down.
The science FCAT has been given to students in grades 5, 8 and 11 since 2003. For the first couple of years, the test was given to 10th graders, but in 2005 it was moved up to 11th grade. Since 2003, the science FCAT scores were no big deal since they didn’t count towards the schools’ letter grades. However, last year they did for the first time. And the poor results crashed schools’ letter grades.
For easy comprehension of the scores, the FCAT results are divided up into five categories. Students who score in levels 1 and 2 can be considered failing or real close to it. Level 1 means: “This student has little success†with the content. Level 2 means: “This student has limited success†with the content. Every student, parent and teacher hopes for level 3 and above. Essentially, level 3 means a student has some understanding of the material, but might not excel in the subject. A student at level 3 is “on grade level.” Levels 4 and 5 are hit by those students who really mastered the material and know what the heck they are talking about.
The Florida Department of Education is singing a sunny tune about how the vast majority of reading, math and science scores are up. Yes, the scores are up. But a closer look at the science scores shows that a simple rounded number or two could account for the minuscule rise. Have a look at this snapshot (pdf file). Note at the bottom of the page in fine print where is says “Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding.”
Now compare 11th grade 2008 results with 2007 results. Level 1 is down one percent, Levels 2 and 3 are unchanged, Level 4 is up one percent and Level 5 is unchanged. Overall passing the test at Level 3 or higher popped up one percent from 2007 to 2008. Maybe. If the number wasn’t rounded. The percentage of those 11th graders at Levels 1 and 2, below grade level, is about 62 percent. More than half of these soon-to-be graduates simply don’t understand science, according to this test.
Fifth graders who passed (Levels 3 and above) also went up one percent. Those in eighth grade did better, climbing two percent.
The jumps in performance from 2006 to 2007 were much better. Progress seems to have slowed now, though.
Last year when FCAT results came out I talked about how the public was told that science scores in previous years suffered because so much focus was on reading, writing and math. The scores would improve now that science counts towards school grades. Doesn’t look to me like that happened. I didn’t buy it then, and I’m not buying it now. Adding to the problems I commented on in that post back then is the new requirement coming up this next year to have 30 consecutive minutes of physical activity in the elementary schools. I’m fine with physical activity, but so much of the elementary school day is taken up with mandatory instruction that this physical activity straw will break the schools’ backs. I’ve heard teachers lament that in order to add in this new 30 minutes, something else has to go. There are only so many minutes in a school day. What has to go to make room? Science and social studies.
What are your thoughts? (Other previous posts here about FCAT: Dropping the curriculum for FCAT and Take the science FCAT)
That’s easy! Creationism, religion, pseudoscience etc.!
I think one of the biggest issues is that teachers take time away from teaching their subject to teach HOW to take the FCAT and pass. So, what the FCAT is really testing is how effective a school is in preparing it’s students to take a test, NOT the students’ actual knowledge.
The other thing that is happening with the consequences of FCAT test scores is that schools who “fail”, and this applies to thousands of Florida schools, have more and more requirements for their time. For example my Middle school is now required to give “Benchmark exams” 3 times a year with 2 to 3 days taken from instructional time each time we test. Add those days to the district mandated tests that address benchmarks and we are loosing many weeks of instruction. Another words we are teaching less and testing more and more every year outside FCAT. The kids are very aware of this constant testing and by the time we get to the actual FCAT they are very tired of taking tests. I know I have less time for in depth instruction because of this and it is very frustrating. This is all the consequences of the terrible way that NCLB has been implemented. ;-(
How about moving the FCAT’s to a date much later in the year?
It seems to me that there is a lot of “cramming” that goes on prior to the testing and then not that much instruction happens after they are over.
The lack of instruction after the tests is what I am afraid of if there were no tests at all – so I think they are very important. Not perfect, I know, but very important.
FCAT Writes was Feb. 12th and reading and math were Mar. 12 & 13th – today is the last day of school or us – June 11th.
“for” us
How about testing the teachers? Or merit pay for teachers? Ooops, don’t even think about such suggestions — their union might break your legs.
How about a longer school d ay and/or longer school year?
We do want to get serious about education don’t we?
PatrickHenry – Most good teachers don’t mind merit pay, as long as you can find some reasonable way to measure “merit” that doesn’t (a) penalize a teacher for an unprepared student dropped into their class halfway through the year and (b) doesn’t leave much wiggle room for a motivated principle to massage the measurements to reward their favored employees.
I’ve long thought that you should give the FCAT (or equivalent subject matter test) twice a year – once at the beginning of the school year (or when a student enters a school) as a pre-test and once at the end of the year (or when a student leaves school) as a post-test. The difference in scores between the pre-test and post-test gives a pretty unambiguous per-student measure of how effective a teacher has *actually* been, without leaving room for favoritism or excuses.
merit pay has a very bad rep in Florida for good reasons. I saw some of our best teachers not get it last year while other people did get it. It was tied to test scores and there were all kinds of unintended consequences to that. I think it should be paid for education and professional development. Sarasota county is a good example of this. Your steps pay stop there if you quit taking classes or don’t get a masters degree or a certain number of hours towards one.
The difference in scores between the pre-test and post-test gives a pretty unambiguous per-student measure of how effective a teacher has *actually* been, without leaving room for favoritism or excuses.
MAP testing (Measures of Academic Progress) is being used in some places to give a more accurate picture of the knowledge gained by a student. The test is like the GRE – as you answer the questions right/wrong, the subsequent questions become more difficult/easier, to more accurately measure the student’s knowledge.
http://www.nwea.org/assessments/map.asp
dang it, sorry, that 1st paragraph should have ” “
I would think that test scores correlate more with the socio-economic
background of the students than with the actual quality of instruction.
I would not be surprised if one doesn’t find such a correlation also
if the criterion of success is improvement of test scores.
I am not saying that rich kids are brighter, but that some kids have
an environment which puts more emphasis on school achievements
than others and therefore perform better at tests.
RM:
To a degree that’s true, which is why I think a pretest/posttest approach would give you a much less ambiguous measure of knowledge improvement than a single test given once a year.
Merit pay based upon the FCAT test will simply further promote teaching the FCAT test. I have taught for 30 years in Florida and each year I refuse to teach for the test. My students have always done great on it. Using the FCAT as the curriculum is not good teaching. In science it is very unbalanced and incomplete. Students can score high on it and still not understand basic science concepts or comprehend higher science skills. I have taught hundreds of students who have pursued medical careers. I don’t want to be on an operating table one day and look up at a doctor who was a former student, knowing that I merely taught them the test.
The only value this test has is in possibly helping teachers who don’t know the material they are supposed to be teaching. It would ensure that students would at least get a few key bits of information. Teachers like that should not be teaching science in the first place so it is a moot point.
Ken –
I agree whole-heartedly. The FCAT test is a measurement of progress. It is not the curriculum itself. Teaching to a test is a waste of valuable time in the classroom, and is a disservice to students.
I HAVE SPENT SOOOO MUCH MONEY PREPARING MY CHILD SINCE 8TH GRADE TO TAKE THIS STUPID FCAT THAT OUR GOVERNOR COULD NOT EVEN PASS, NOT TO MENTION HALF OF THE TEACHERS BUT YOU SPEND A WHOLE YEAR MAKING THESE KIDS TAKE ALL THE HONOR CLASSES DOING WELL IN THEM WITH A’S AND B’S THEN YOU HIT THEM WITH THIS FCAT SOMETHING MOST OF THEM WILL NEVER USE IN LIFE CAUSING MANY TO FAIL LEAVING THEIR LIVES MEANINGLESS AND YOU SMART PEOPLE SIT BACK AND WONDER WHY THE DRUG EPIDEMIC AND CRIME RATE IS SO VERY HIGH IT’S BECAUSE YOU LET THEM GET TO 12TH GRADE SOMETHING THAT THEY HAVE WORKED SO VERY HARD FOR AND YOU SNATCH IT AWAY FROM THEM, YOU THE EDUCATION COMMISSION WHO MAKES THESE STUPID LAWS DO NOT HAVE TO ENFORCE THEM YOURSELVES,TAKE THE SENATE, STATE LEGISLATORS,GOVENORS, PRESIDENT, DOCTORS, LAWYERS AND NURSES AND SEE HOW MANY YOU CAN GET TO PASS THE FCAT, I HOPE GOD HAVE MERCY ON YOUR SOULS FOR RUING SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE’S LIVES AND GIVING THEM NO HOPE FOR THE FUTURE, YOU ALL SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT EDUCATION AND SEE HOW IT DROP OUT RATE HAS DECLINED, REMEMBER YOU HAVE KIDS AND GRAND KIDS, WHO MAY HAVE BEEN BLESSED TO HAVE HIGH ACADEMIC INTELLIGENCE BUT THERE ARE OTHERS WHO ARE NOT SO FORTUNATE WHO DO NOT HAVE THE FUNDS TO SEND THEIR KIDS TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS OR SUMMER SCHOOLS EVERY YEAR, AND OUT OF MY 50 YEARS I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF PAYING TO GO TO SUMMER SCHOOL, MAYBE THIS IS WHY YOU BROUGHT THIS FCAT ABOUT KNOWLINGLY IT WILL MAKE YOU ALL SO MUCH MONEY OFF THESE LESS FORTUNATE KIDS, IT’S SAD THAT YOU WILL USE THE SYSTEM AND OUR KIDS TO MAKE A PROFIT. THINK TWICE ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE CREATING FOR OUR KIDS. IT IS SO DISHEARTING TO SEE KIDS ON THEIR GRADUATION DAY RECEIVE A CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION WHEN MANY OF THEM ARE ON THE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY, MAKE GOOD GRADES AND SOME IDIOT CREATE A TEST BECAUSE HE LIVES A MISERALBLE LIFE AND CAN THROW HIS POWERS AROUND. THANKS MS. YOUNG
My son spent his school years in the Kansas City and surrounding areas (we moved a lot). We came to Florida almost a year ago. He is now in the 11th grade and for the first time took the FCAT. His NPR was 94 for Reading and 98 for Math. My first reaction (besides being so proud of him) was that Florida is failing its students, not the other way around. But then I remembered that my son has always scored very high on these exams. He’s just incredibally intelligent. And the reason I brag about it is because he is struggling with Narcolepsy. I remember the night before this big day he asked me to try to wake him up an hour early. He got up, ate breakfast, took a shower… he was so focused even though I knew he was also so tired. I couldn’t wait to ask him that night how the test went. He said it was easy, but still I had my doubts because I wondered how awake he really was.
Putting my son aside, I think the school does make an effort, but it all comes down to money. One of the things about where I raised my son was that we had state taxes. A good chunk of that went to the schools. When I came out here, I thought, “wow. How lucky I am that I don’t have to pay state taxes”. But when I see what all we are giving up as a state, I don’t feel so lucky. I think as a state, the people need to realize money isn’t going to fall from the sky. We get out of it what we put into it.