By Jac Wilder VerSteeg, Context Florida Florida’s national ranking by Education Week has dropped precipitously, to No. 28. In 2013, Florida was ranked No. 6. When Florida’s public education system rose to…
Tag: FCAT
FCAT math: More than half of middle schoolers failed, but percentage is better than 2013
The FCAT math score showed some improvement over 2013 at most grade levels, except for third (49 percent, down 3) and fourth (55 percent, down 3). All grades were below the state…
FCAT reading scores show Escambia elementary schools the same, middle slightly up and high school down over 2013
The Florida Department of Education has posted the 2014 FCAT scores. Escambia County still remains below the state averages in reading for all grades. Elementary schools – third, fourth and fifth- had…
Global Learning Academy continues to slide
The third graders at Global Learning Academy fell further behind in reading. In all, 53 percent of the elementary schools had a drop in proficient readers. N.B. Cook had the largest percentage…
FCAT Gets Feisty
Tensions rose last night at the District School Advisory Council meeting. It’s no surprise that the topic was FCAT. While students and teachers struggle through the spring to not only to get…
No FCAT Letter Example For Schools
Yesterday IN requested a sample letter from the FDOE for its elementary school FCAT parental notifications. Here is what we were given: Here is a sample of what we provide to Local…
Sixty-Seven percent of African-American students passed at Cordova Park
We have learned that a letter similar to one we published from Suter Elementary was also sent home by Cordova Park. In checking FCAT scores in reading, we found that 67 percent…
Thomas barely holds on to Paul FCAT gains
Superintendent Malcolm Thomas dismisses the one point drop in FCAT reading scores for third graders in the Friday edition of the BP marketing solution, Pensacola News Journal. Thomas tells the PNJ that…
More insanity: Tie teacher’s comp to FCAT
According to the Miami Herald, there is a bill in the Florida Legislature that will tie half of teacher’s compensation to FCAT and final exams. If this passes, expect teachers to only…
More FCAT analysis
The FCAT statistics indicate that the test scores vary from class to class as the students move through the Escambia County Public School District. Teachers don’t have the same impact year to…
FCAT Tomfoolery
Dark chocolate supposedly boosts a person’s mood. Teachers are putting dark chocolate Kisses on students desks. Also some students are allowed to chew gum while taking the test because it will supposedly…
FCAT prep- is it working? No
We know that many of our public schools are spending hours of class time preparing for the FCAT tests. In the schools that have the lowest scores, they have replaced most reading,…
Some seniors may not graduate
At least 170 Escambia County high school seniors may not receive their diplomas this spring after failing portions of the 10th-grade Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test in their last stab at the exam…
Santa Rosa does well on FCAT, too
While 12 out of 38 elementary schools in Escambia County equaled or exceeded the state average for the percentage of students who did 4.0 or higher on FCAT writing test. Santa Rosa…
Looking deeper at FCAT scores
Superintendent Malcolm Thomas’ press release and the PNJ article on the FCAT are based on the percentage of students that did 3.5 or greater on the FCAT writing test. A higher standard…
Get away from FCAT overload
The Miami Herald reports that the Broward County School Board is fed up with FCAT overload and wants to scale back the relentless, one-size-fits-all FCAT preparation in their school system. They have…
FCAT problems continue
Jeb Bush leaves office and problems with the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test continue to crop up. This time the school scores/grades are delayed because of the problems with FCAT grading for third-graders…
State to rescore 2006 FCAT 3rd-grade reading tests
I can’t believe this didn’t make the daily newspaper today. Bill Kacsor of AP reports: The disclosure that part of Florida’s standardized assessment test was too easy last year overshadowed the release…
FCAT scores are out
Check out Florida DOE site: SCORES
FCAT scores are in for third graders
Escambia County – Math scores are up 1%; Reading down 4% Santa Rosa County – highest reading scores in the state; tied for second highest for math. Our favorite inner-city school –…