13,000 Fla. Seniors Fail Achievement Test

[CrimsonTide4]

13,000 Fla. Seniors Fail Achievement Test
1 hour, 57 minutes ago Add U.S. National - AP to My Yahoo!

NAPLES, Fla. - Nearly 13,000 high school seniors in Florida will not graduate as scheduled this year because they failed to pass a newly required state achievement test.


Some school boards around the state have voted to allow seniors who met all graduation requirements, aside from passing the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test, to participate in commencement ceremonies, although they won't receive a diploma.

But South Florida's black community leaders and legislators plan a protest this week, denouncing the FCAT as unfair to minority students. They want Gov. Jeb Bush to put aside the consequences for students who failed this year's test and re-examine the FCAT policies.

The protesters are calling for boycotts of the Florida Lottery, the state's citrus industry and its major theme parks, among other measures.

Bush administration officials have said they won't set aside the results and the governor has criticized the protesters, noting that scores have gone up since the test was started in 1998 and minority students have made some of the biggest gains.

"This is a time to celebrate, this is not a time to boycott," Bush said last week.

This is the first year that seniors have been required to pass the test, which measures reading, writing and math skills, before graduating. Those failing are roughly one of every 11 seniors.

Schradaath Charles is one of 27 seniors at Naples High who have met all the requirements necessary to receive a diploma — except passing the FCAT. Charles, 18, spoke almost no English when she came to the United States four years ago from her native Haiti.

With the new school board ruling, Charles can don a cap and gown, even though she won't get a diploma on graduation night.

"I'm really happy I get to walk with my friends," Charles said. "I'm not going to give up and I'm going to do everything I can to pass (the FCAT)."

Naples High counselor Bernardo Torres said he'd like to see the state implement a different FCAT scoring system, especially in reading, for students who are still learning English.

In Haines City, 82 seniors — more than 25 percent of the senior class — are being denied graduation because of the FCAT, principal Duane Collins said. Haines City has Polk County's highest percentage of students for whom English is a second language.

"It's easy to be upset over generalities. ... (But) the schools are not failing the kids," Collins said. "I'm just not sure we're being treated fairly with the grading system."

Seniors have had at least five opportunities to take the FCAT — once as sophomores, twice more as juniors and twice more as seniors. Those still seeking their diplomas after graduation day can continue taking the test indefinitely.

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On the Net:

FCAT site: http://www.firn.edu/doe/sas/fcat.htm

Florida Department of Education (news - web sites) site for seniors: http://www.12thgradeoptions.org/

[blackcoffee]

Ok, this is just ridiculous. 13,000 students?? I'm not upset that the students didn't pass the test, but that it is a requirement for graduation. When I came out of high school, these state achievement test were simply a measure to see how the school was performing, what they could do better, what the focus should be, etc...

To punish the children for an education system that is FAILING is unfair. What about those students who had high GPA's - just because they didn't pass this test, they can't walk?? What about the students who possibly had full rides to college - now they have to put that on hold??

In my opinion, too much attention is focused on testing and standards in this country. A true measurement of learning is not gained by administering a 'test.'

I'm also not the LEAST bit surprised that this is happening in Florida...good ole Jeb Bush is up to his dirty tricks once again.

[GiggyZ]

The FCAT is an example of my Florida tax dollars at work and the residents (not sure if only citizens vote in Florida since dogs and dead folks have managed to cast ballots) approved a consititutional class size reduction amendment last year.

We are failing our children.

[Im_just_me]

I know this young lady who had to move to Flordia from Alabama in the middle of her senior year. She had passed all of the Alabama Exit Exam's. When she moved to FL, they made her retake all the tests and she didn't pass them all. Now, she isn't going to be able to graduate. I feel so sorry for her. Even more so, I am disgusted with the Flordia School System. If 13,000 students are failing the same standardized tests, its not the students who have the problem, it's the test itself.

[librasoul22]

Only JEB would call 13,000 seniors being held back "a time to celebrate."

SO glad I am out of the FL public school system.

[btb87]

Originally posted by Im_just_me
If 13,000 students are failing the same standardized tests, its not the students who have the problem, it's the test itself.

But the "powers that be" don't see it this way. And this is very unfortunate. Florida also has something called "Gordon Rule" (in the college system) that some years ago, some legislator decided that Florida's college students couldn't write very well, so many of the classes (English, humanities, social/behavioral sciences) have a minimum writing requirement of 3000 words (6K for English).

My beef also is that Florida starts the FCAT early - my daughter will be changing schools, and I'm already a little nervous about that. She will be entering 3rd grade, and she'll have to take the FCAT next year. Here's the thing - if they don't pass the FCAT, they're left behind!

What also gets me is that on every lottery billboard you see, it says "12 billion towards education". Well, where are those lottery funds really going, especially if all I hear at work (I work at a community college) is that "funding has been cut"?

Sorry - I digress. . . that's another thread. . .

[Blackwatch]

I do not live in Fla. , but I do teach in the public schools system in Missouri, and I had to administer the state standardized test to some 8th grade "special ed" students (read: bad black kids) recently. I can tell you that none of them came close to passing. These kids, though they were in the "8th" grade taking an "8th" grade test, could not read the questions. I actually had to read every question and caption on the test for them. This was required by the state. These students could not answer %90 of the questions on the section that I read. Now, I am the first one to holla racism about the standardized testing process, but I can tell you, that these tests are not too hard for these kids to pass. In Fla. I can give a pass to the ESL students, but in other areas, I think Black folks are fooling ourselves if we think the only reason why are kids are failing in schools is racism. I don't wanna sound like that McWerter dude who wrote Loosing the Race but I think there is a serious cultural divide in Low income black homes and the educational system that hinders academic learning in the classroom setting. I read a study of midwest schools that did a survey of kids at suburban high schools that asked some really good questions. One finding stated that even with black kids at suburban high schools, the average number of books in their homes was almost %50 less than the number of books in white houses and %60 less than the number of books in Asian homes. And these black kids came from homes where there was at least one parent with a college degree. Now just imagine the discrepency when it comes to low-income black homes. I think this is a real problem, our kids are not reading and practicing critical thinking skills. This shows up in academic performance and standardized testing results. I am not saying the educational system doesn't need reforming, it surely does. But, I think it would be more feasible for black folks to really look at what type of students we are sending to the school, because we have a better chance of sending a more prepared child to school than waiting on an inherently unequal school system to change.
Blackwatch!!!!!!

[btb87]

Originally posted by btb87
My beef also is that Florida starts the FCAT early - my daughter will be changing schools, and I'm already a little nervous about that. She will be entering 3rd grade, and she'll have to take the FCAT next year. Here's the thing - if they don't pass the FCAT, they're left behind!

Some 11 months later, my daughter has switched schools, and taken the FCAT. Her very proud mother is extremely happy to report that she passed the FCAT, and actually scored a little higher than grade level (she's in 3rd and WILL BE going to the 4th grade) in both Reading and Math!

Sweetie, mommie is so very proud of you!

[msn4med1975]

Baby Bush is followinng his dumb brother. I remember when Texas went from a how are we doing to you gotta pass to WALk, not get your degree, to WALK across the stage. My graduating class of nearly 600 was down to 520 after the last results came in and we were the NERDY high school (has since become a magnet). People were failing by a point on each section, having to delay college and forfeit scholarships because the tests were just stupid. I'm glad that my neice hasn't failed any of her tests (even though there's no good reason to be stressing out elementary students) cause momma, grandma and auntie would have to paush and ask what's going on cause we know the child is doing her work and passing her ACTUAL classes.

[Cali_Keisha]

That is just sad. It really doesn't make sense if 13,000 people failed the test but had all requirements to graduate, someone must not be on their jobs with preparing them for it. I bet if Bush was to take the test his dumb azz wouldn't pass. They need to start giving test to the presidents. Anyways they are doing that in California also but they started it a year after I graduated, but the still have not put it in full effect because students are not passing, or so i've heared.

[Lizanabavi]

Unfortunately, I don't see the test going anywhere no time soon. I'm a teacher here in Florida, where I teach 3rd grade. I had five students in my class who failed the test. The state law is if they(the students) get a level 1, it is automatic retention.

I feel that some type of assessment needs to be in place to measure whether or not the students learn, but I don't agree that should be the determining factor -which is the way it is now.

Also too, the students in my class who failed did not get parental support at home; that is the most important factor. Far too often it is expected for us(teachers) to do everything; but there is only so much that we can do. If the student(s) came to our classroom's low, there is a chance that they may not improve.