[Retiredcoach]

Being a soon to be retired teacher from Pennsylvania, I am curious as to how much faith the native Floridians place in their state's assessment tests. In Pa., we have what is known as the PSSA, and although schools are required by law to administer tests, the tests have no statistical validity. It is just a series of tests to satisfy "No Child Left Behind." As teachers, we would spend typically one month prior to the tests veering away from the curriculum teaching students how to take this test. What a "slight of hand" for those believing that their school is actually a better quality school based purely on these tests. You might think that I am showing "sour grapes", but our school district does quite well statewide... of course, we are a suburban and very affluent school district.

One of the key factors for many of those looking to move to Florida is a particular school's showing on the state assessment tests. Just curious, but does the native Floridian share my skepticism about your state's tests, also?

[BlueWillowPlate]

Well, I'm not a native, but we do have a kid who took the FCATs (and I do share your cynicism about the NCLB act). FWIW, our son (now a senior in high school) said the FCATs were pretty easy. (up until his junior year, he attended high school in Denver, Colorado).
The interesting thing has been that some of his classes in our small-town high school have been surprisingly rigorous; the school's resources may be limited but the teachers are earnest and industrious.

[AJ67]

The Problem here in Florida is that , The Schools are basically only teaching the kids about the FCAT and how to pass the FCAT, they really don't learn anything else but what is on it!

[VBmom]

I agree with AJ67. One of the main problems I see with the FCAT is that state funding is tied to it. The better the school's grade is (A,B,C,D,F) the more money that school gets. The schools whole focus is to score better on the test to get more money for the next school year.
My oldest is a senior this year. The seniors have already taken their last FCAT and are now being taught absolutly nothing. During the testing dates they are told not to even come to school! Most of the seniors past the last FCAT in 10th grade so this has happened to us 2 years in a row. Almost an entire week of schooling wasted.
Schools don't care if you actually learn something, just make sure our school gets an A.

[BlueWillowPlate]

If it makes y'all feel any better, the *exact* same thing is going on in Colorado.
A waste of time for everyone concerned.
It makes the politicians look like they're doing something, I s'pose.
But I have been impressed with our son's school other than the FCAT stuff.

[blissblessed1]

As a public school teacher here in Miami for over 14 years, inner city, I believe I have a lot to share and say,but I will try to summize. ( informal typing here please!) The FCAT has made "certain" teachers and schools more accountable. I have witnessed rampant apathy in the system. If you try to speak up you become a "problem" not a problem solver. However, the guidelines have given some of these unorganized teachers something they have to go by and be accountable for in certain ways. I agree with the benchmarks being a way to teach kids how to think about things, but not as an absolute marker. However, I work with the disadvantage sector, and it is challenging. It does take the enjoyment out of teaching and learning .

[Mrs.Bewitched]

Originally Posted by Retiredcoach

Being a soon to be retired teacher from Pennsylvania, I am curious as to how much faith the native Floridians place in their state's assessment tests. In Pa., we have what is known as the PSSA, and although schools are required by law to administer tests, the tests have no statistical validity. It is just a series of tests to satisfy "No Child Left Behind." As teachers, we would spend typically one month prior to the tests veering away from the curriculum teaching students how to take this test. What a "slight of hand" for those believing that their school is actually a better quality school based purely on these tests. You might think that I am showing "sour grapes", but our school district does quite well statewide... of course, we are a suburban and very affluent school district.

One of the key factors for many of those looking to move to Florida is a particular school's showing on the state assessment tests. Just curious, but does the native Floridian share my skepticism about your state's tests, also?

I am a FL teacher, and was a PA teacher. I too agree that they teach to the test, but feel they are forced to do so. However, at my school, even though we teach to the test, we still find creative ways for the children to learn the information (experiments, projects, yaddayadda) that will be on the test. It doesn't have to be all boring dribble. And I don't think this because I am biased-I teach first grade so do not have to deal with the FCAT, but I see what the higher grade teachers do, and I have a 6th grade son, so I have seen his schoolwork.

Also, I do believe the scores help to show that the children are learning and accomplishing much in their education. In my school from PA, the test scores from the students on the PSSAs were very, VERY poor, because of the area I was in (very inner-city, the "ghetto"). Our school was an "F", and we couldn't teach because we were too busy being guards and policemen. My school is an "A" school, based on the FCATs. However, you can tell just by the work the children have done, by the reading levels of the children-88% of my class is reading at or above grade level, with 1/2 of the 88% reading above.
So I do think that the test scores do help to show what the children are learning at each school.
And of course if we were an A one year-been an A for 4 straight years, it helps and makes teachers strive harder and be more creative to help keep that A. Keeps us working!

[blissblessed1]

I do implement as much creativity as possible, and it isn't always boring dibble. Unless you are a boring person. However, when you have people in and out of your room with a stop watch making sure you did not go over one activity for a minute too long, well, it does affect creativity! Also, our school deparmentalized 3rd gr. this year. I feel for the science/math teachers. Try to keep 55 projects going in a room, hurry and move back to class, hurry there and here, and so on. I have seen a rise and i have seen a decline, and a rise again.

[Mrs.Bewitched]

Originally Posted by blissblessed1

I do implement as much creativity as possible, and it isn't always boring dibble. Unless you are a boring person. However, when you have people in and out of your room with a stop watch making sure you did not go over one activity for a minute too long, well, it does affect creativity! Also, our school deparmentalized 3rd gr. this year. I feel for the science/math teachers. Try to keep 55 projects going in a room, hurry and move back to class, hurry there and here, and so on. I have seen a rise and i have seen a decline, and a rise again.

I guess a lot does depend on the principal's actions too. I have the best, best, best principal I have ever had and that is one of the reasons why I would never want to move away and leave my school, or go to a school closer to my house. She would never ever come into one of our rooms timing our activities! She is the one that told us not to teach guided reading...or go hard on any of the subjects for the first 3 weeks of school just to get our routines, rules, procedures and behaviors down. And I know other teachers at other schools who would have died to have had something like that.

Now maybe because that is because our scores have been so high for the past couple of years that she is giving the teachers the benefit of the doubt. If we dropped our scores-I couldn't say what would happen. But last year we were the only school mentioned due to the rising of our scores, so I guess she knows that if she starts hovering, it would make us feel pressured and nervous, and we are getting these A scores without all of that.

[shedav]

I agree here in WV we use to use the ACT which compared our kids to the rest of the country since each school is now graded (due to the no child left behind act) we have switched to the west test which compares them ONLY to other West Virginia students. I think it stinks because here environment means a lot. You live in poor area where parents not involved of course your grades are going to be lower regardless. My childrens school scores grade but then again there is alot of parent involvement. I want to know how my children are compared to the rest of the nation