[TANaples]

Originally Posted by TriMT7

There's no comparison between the FCAT and the Regents --- literally. They are completely different exams that test different things. Regents are "end of course" exams, while the FCAT is a standardized test for different grade levels used to measure school progress.

I'm sure you knew that, though, having taken both so that you have a frame of reference from which to make your conclusion?

Do Florida kids have to take a SIX HOUR English test, given over two days, in order to get a HS diploma? Half the state would never pass that. How about a 3 hour test in American History? How about a 3 hour test in Earth Science? How about a 3 hour test for each year of a Foreign Language? Yes, every year of HS requires a specific test for a specific subject. So if they take 5 subjects in one year, they are taking 5 state tests that year.

This is nothing new in New York. I took all these tests starting in 1962. How long have the FCATS been around? Since NCLB?

No, I have never take the FCATS myself, but I have given them. They cannot measure the DEPTH of knowledge in any individual subject.

[jojajn]

Here is a list of the most popular cities determined by statistics and feedback of the people who live, work & play in these communities.

Relocate-America'sâ„¢ 2008 Top 100 Places to Live (http://top100.relocate-america.com/ - broken link)

[TriMT7]

..............

[Mike1306]

Originally Posted by Rachael84

Florida's top schools won't compare to average schools on Long Island. Also, a lot of people would much rather live really close to NYC than have warm weather year-round. That's just the way some people are.

Way to fight facts with opinion.

[Mike1306]

Originally Posted by TANaples

Do Florida kids have to take a SIX HOUR English test, given over two days, in order to get a HS diploma? Half the state would never pass that. How about a 3 hour test in American History? How about a 3 hour test in Earth Science? How about a 3 hour test for each year of a Foreign Language? Yes, every year of HS requires a specific test for a specific subject. So if they take 5 subjects in one year, they are taking 5 state tests that year.

This is nothing new in New York. I took all these tests starting in 1962. How long have the FCATS been around? Since NCLB?

No, I have never take the FCATS myself, but I have given them. They cannot measure the DEPTH of knowledge in any individual subject.

Funny but I went to school in NY and I didn't take all these tests to get my diploma.
I don't think it was even close to what you describe but that is OK, just keep exaggerating as if that proves your point.

[th3vault]

Originally Posted by jojajn

Here is a list of the most popular cities determined by statistics and feedback of the people who live, work & play in these communities.

Relocate-America'sâ„¢ 2008 Top 100 Places to Live (http://top100.relocate-america.com/ - broken link)

yay for SW FL, 3 of the 4 Florida cities on that list were in SW FL.

Can't wait till I'm done with Orlando and can go back to Fort Myers.

[Rachael84]

Originally Posted by Mike Peterson

Funny but I went to school in NY and I didn't take all these tests to get my diploma.
I don't think it was even close to what you describe but that is OK, just keep exaggerating as if that proves your point.

She's been a teacher's aide in both NY and FL. That isn't exaggerating; it's saying how it is.

You need to pass each regents test with a 65. It doesn't matter if a kid is special ed. If you don't pass them, you can't move onto the next grade. Can you tell me if any test in Florida does that for EACH year in HS for at least 3 out of 5 major subjects?

[TriMT7]

Originally Posted by Rachael84

She's been a teacher's aide in both NY and FL. That isn't exaggerating; it's saying how it is.

You need to pass each regents test with a 65. It doesn't matter if a kid is special ed. If you don't pass them, you can't move onto the next grade. Can you tell me if any test in Florida does that for EACH year in HS for at least 3 out of 5 major subjects?

What's your point? Having an end of year test automatically = good schools? Not saying New York doesn't have good schools, but the tired out meme and blanket statements regarding how "bad" schools are in Florida gets kind of old.

Again, the original point stands: Florida has numerous public schools in the Top 25 in the nation, and numerous others in the top 100. The system as a whole for high school education was ranked #19 in the nation by the survey. Not too shabby, and better than most other sunbelt meccas.

[Mike1306]

Originally Posted by Rachael84

She's been a teacher's aide in both NY and FL. That isn't exaggerating; it's saying how it is.

You need to pass each regents test with a 65. It doesn't matter if a kid is special ed. If you don't pass them, you can't move onto the next grade. Can you tell me if any test in Florida does that for EACH year in HS for at least 3 out of 5 major subjects?

It is not for every class, every year.
It is for regents classes of which NY students have to take 5 over the course of their 4 years.
That 5 regents classes is since 2003, before that it was I believe 2.
That is nowhere near the 5 a year she claimed.

They also just had a few years where they dropped the passing grade to 55 because too many students were failing.

It is also true that about 2/3 of students graduating from city high schools need to take remedial courses when they get to the city universities.

Seems to me these facts would fly in the face of your claims that Ny schools are so superior.

Edit: It was exaggerating.

[Rachael84]

I don't mean NY STATE, I mean Long Island. NYC schools are what drag down the state's numbers. NYC schools are pitiful for the most part. Long Island has the highest number of Intel winners. Florida had 1, but from a Prep school which doesn't really count. All of NY's were from NYC or Long Island public schools, all EIGHT of them. One from my school district too

Society for Science & The Public (http://www.societyforscience.org/sts/68sts/finalists.asp - broken link)

Also, this was just one year. Each year NY continues to have the highest number.