Education board lowers FCAT writing standards after scores plummet

[WillowTree]

During an emergency meeting Tuesday, the State Board of Education voted unanimously to lower the standard score for the writing portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test from 4.0 to 3.0.

The standard for the writing section, which is graded on a scale of 0.0 at the lower end to 6.0 at the high end, was raised last year from 3.5. Subsequently, papers were graded much more rigorously this year, with reviewers no longer taking a lax view of spelling and grammatical errors. The changes led to a steep drop in scores. For example, last year 81 percent of fourth graders earned a 4.0 but that fell to 27 percent this year.

Board members originally wanted to reduce the standard to 3.5, but even that standard would only have left only 48 percent of fourth graders with a passing score. Eighty-one percent of fourth graders received a 3.0 or better.

LobbyTools subscribers: View a chart comparing the score levels earned on the 2012 FCAT Writing exam.
Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson said his department, which issued advisories to school districts last summer, should have done a better job of driving home what the changes in scoring would mean to teachers and schools.

“There should have been more follow-up on the change in rigor ... and the impact on schools,” Robinson said.



Education board lowers FCAT writing standards after scores plummet | The Florida Current






So we have to pay these teachers and their unions to do what? not to teach but "lower the standards"

 

[WillowTree]

We will have thousands of TM's in the world.

 

[Ravi]

Be sure to write Rick Scott and thank him for making Floriduh the laughing stock of the nation.

 

[WillowTree]

Be sure to write Rick Scott and thank him for making Floriduh the laughing stock of the nation.

Have you written obama?

 

[gallantwarrior]

We can't have the little illiterate brats feeling badly about having been cheated of an education, can we?

 

[konradv]

They raised the passing mark AND graded the papers more strictly, at the same time. What's to be expected than more will fail? It's not like FL kids suddenly got dumber. They were using a different measuring stick.

 

[Seawytch]

What happens when you cut $2.1 billion from educations spending in your state?

How Florida Schools Are Coping With Budget Cuts

Apparently they aren't coping very well. Who would have though?

 

[gallantwarrior]

If the so- called educators were doing their jobs, there would be no need to fiddle with either parameter.

 

[Toro]

There is another thread on this.

The reason why they are lowering marking standards is because they so dramatically raised them, 3/4s of the kids failed.

My son wrote this test. He said it was no harder than past years.

BTW, they are reverting back to the standards implemented by Jeb Bush's government.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

If the so- called educators were doing their jobs, there would be no need to fiddle with either parameter.

That will never happen as long as teachers unions protect bad teachers in the same manner normal people protect their children.

 

[LordBrownTrout]

They should be making the tests more difficult.

 

[konradv]

They should be making the tests more difficult.

I agree that standards should be high and grading strict. However, you can't change both at the same time and not expect a higher level of failure. It's much more telling to see how much grades have changed, given a consistent standard over time.

 

[rightwinger]

I guess when you elect Republican governors your only recourse is to lower your educational standards

 

[iamwhatiseem]

I guess when you elect Republican governors your only recourse is to lower your educational standards

We can guess that you would guess that.

 

[bodecea]

During an emergency meeting Tuesday, the State Board of Education voted unanimously to lower the standard score for the writing portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test from 4.0 to 3.0.

The standard for the writing section, which is graded on a scale of 0.0 at the lower end to 6.0 at the high end, was raised last year from 3.5. Subsequently, papers were graded much more rigorously this year, with reviewers no longer taking a lax view of spelling and grammatical errors. The changes led to a steep drop in scores. For example, last year 81 percent of fourth graders earned a 4.0 but that fell to 27 percent this year.

Board members originally wanted to reduce the standard to 3.5, but even that standard would only have left only 48 percent of fourth graders with a passing score. Eighty-one percent of fourth graders received a 3.0 or better.

LobbyTools subscribers: View a chart comparing the score levels earned on the 2012 FCAT Writing exam.
Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson said his department, which issued advisories to school districts last summer, should have done a better job of driving home what the changes in scoring would mean to teachers and schools.

“There should have been more follow-up on the change in rigor ... and the impact on schools,” Robinson said.



Education board lowers FCAT writing standards after scores plummet | The Florida Current





So we have to pay these teachers and their unions to do what? not to teach but "lower the standards"

I have friends and relatives who are teachers and they say this is going on everywhere. They talk the talk of "rigorous" standards, but they are really dumbing things down lower and lower due to administrative and parential pressure to make sure the little darlings' self esteem isn't crushed.


Don't blame the teachers, Willow...they would LOVE to push higher standards and fail more students who refuse to do the work. But they are forced to let it slide. I have one friend locally who was given a class of students who were KNOWN for years to be slackers and almost all of them refused to do any work. About 75% of the class had F's because of it. The Assistant Principal barged in, pointed to the grades and demanded to know what my friend was going to do about all those F's. This is what is happening, Willow.

 

[NYcarbineer]

Be sure to write Rick Scott and thank him for making Floriduh the laughing stock of the nation.

Have you written obama?

Obama isn't running Florida, the Republicans are.

Think before you post, for god's sake.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Be sure to write Rick Scott and thank him for making Floriduh the laughing stock of the nation.

Have you written obama?

Obama isn't running Florida, the Republicans are.

Think before you post, for god's sake.

Yes all of the state senators and the governor himself visits every classroom in Fla. every morning to plan what to teach everyday....just like all states.

 

[Douger]

Mission accomplished. Obedient workers and fodder for the slaughter machine.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Mission accomplished. Obedient workers and fodder for the slaughter machine.

Just where exactly is this Utopia you live in anyway?

 

[LogikAndReazon]

If only Teachers and their Unions were showered with more tax dollars, the kiddies would learn better..............lol