FCAT Day

The dreaded standardized tests in Florida began today. The FCAT (Florida’s Comprehensive Assesment Test) is a yearly test for certain public school grades. Since Peanut is in the fourth grade, she is taking the Reading and Math sections. Today was one session of the Reading, tomorrow is another and Thursday is two sessions of Math.

This year, the test does not mean go on to fifth grade or not based on passing or not like it did last year. There still is a lot of pressure though. Schools get graded based on each student’s FCAT’s scores. That means that schools may or may not get bonuses. The test itself and the whole grading system – judge a child’s school year on one standardized test – is not a good way to determine how well a student does in school.

My biggest concern with the FCAT is that teachers have to “teach to the test” all school year. A lot of the creativity, especially in writing is gone. There is a formula that is needed to pass the writing portion of the FCAT (that was held last month). So children have to use that specific way of writing each and every time they write.

I am hoping that these standardized tests and the reason behind these tests in public schools, No Child Left Behind, is gone by the wayside soon.