Florida schools set up for failure

From the TCPalm.com, by Kelly Tyko

With a new, more challenging FCAT and tougher grading scale, more Treasure Coast students are expected to fail this year's Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test than in years past.

Starting Monday, students in grades three to 10 will take the reading section of the high-stakes, state-mandated exam. Students in grades three to eight will take a math FCAT and fifth- and eighth-graders also will be tested in science.

The new FCAT 2.0 is based on more rigorous standards and has higher passing scores. Local school officials say if the scores fall as anticipated, more students will require remedial classes and school grades across the state will plummet.

"This is a different test, it's a different set of expectations, it's a different level of rigor," St. Lucie County School District Associate Superintendent Owen Roberts said. "You cannot compare the results you got on the old FCAT to the results you're getting on the new FCAT 2.0."

FCAT scores affect whether third-grade students are promoted, high school students graduate and students are placed in remedial classes. Scores also affect school grades and teacher evaluations.

Last year, Florida switched to a revamped version of the math and reading FCAT exams dubbed FCAT 2.0. This year, students in fifth and eighth grade will take the new science FCAT 2.0. The new exams are multiple choice and aim to be tougher ones aligned with the state's new language arts and math standards.

In December, for the first time in a decade, the Florida Board of Education approved new benchmark standards with higher passing scores, which are effective with this spring's FCAT.

The new scoring system was needed to establish the test's cut scores, which divide test results into five levels and determine which ones equate to above-, below- or at-grade level performance.

Treasure Coast school superintendents say they think more students will fall below the new proficiency levels for reading and math.

Indian River County Schools Superintendent Fran Adams said the bar went up the most for third-graders.

With the new scores, third-graders must achieve at or above standard on the FCAT 2.0 to be promoted to fourth grade. Last year, 72 percent of third-graders achieved at that level. With the new scores, 57 percent of third-graders are projected to meet or exceed the standard.

Students in third grade who do not pass the test still can be promoted to fourth grade if they participate in district-funded summer school classes or if a teacher thinks the student's academic achievements meet the requirements for fourth grade.

Adams said district officials expect higher numbers of third-graders in the summer program and have made adjustments for staffing and materials.

"We are concerned there are going to be great numbers of students who are not proficient," Adams said. "We'll have to put more resources toward remedial classes."

St. Lucie County Schools Superintendent Michael Lannon said the higher standards are also expected to impact high school graduation rates, because passing the 10th-grade reading FCAT is a graduation requirement.

Last school year, 60 percent of 10th-grade students statewide passed the reading FCAT on their first attempt. Using last year's test data with the new scoring system, state data show that number drops to 52 percent.

The state estimates this means an additional 15,500 students would have to take remedial classes and retake the exam before graduating their senior year.

Students who take remedial courses could lose the ability to take elective classes, Lannon said.

"Parents need to pay very close attention to what's going to happen to their children," Lannon said. "There should be an outcry, but it should not be against higher standards. It should be (is the state) providing resources to meet these children's needs."

Florida has awarded a letter grade to each of its public schools for more than a decade. The grade for elementary and middle schools is based largely on student performance on the FCAT and includes a measure for improvement. High school grades also take into account graduation rates, college readiness and the number of students earning industry certification.

In February, the state board changed its school grading formula. School officials say with the changes, more schools statewide will likely earn lower grades.

"It's changing the rules in the middle of the game," Martin County Schools Superintendent Nancy Kline said in December, noting she and other superintendents would have preferred the new system be phased in. "I think the problem is the rollout is too quick. The implementation plan doesn't really exist and it's coming rapidly in the middle of the year."

Results from a state simulation using the new grading formula and 2011 scores, show the number of schools receiving a grade of F increases from 38 to 268 statewide. In the simulation, the number of A schools declines from 1,636 to 1,048 and the state's B schools from 684 to 541. The number of C schools increases from 537 to 861 and the number of D schools from 143 to 370.

School officials say they want parents to know that although FCAT scores and school grades might be lower this year, it doesn't mean students aren't learning.

"I don't want our parents to think that their child is learning less than they learned last year," Adams said. "It's all as a result of the new cut scores and the new formula."

Staff writer Colleen Wixon contributed to this report.

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