Comments on: Hammer The FCAT

By: Mr. G

Mr. G — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:16:20 +0000

Yes a big problem, we learn for a test instead of learning because it is important.

By: Breanne 3

Breanne 3 — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:41:22 +0000

Jeni- I like how you say “bye”
I do see how we NEED some type of test to see where we are at, but look at it this way. It’s a week gone due to FCAT, teachers prepare us 2 months in advance with stuff that isn’t EVEN ON FCAT? Then, after burning our brains for a week, we don’t get anything for it. We go back to our regular schedule and do difficult stuff. I personally don’t want to learn some things because I know it mostly won’t be on the FCAT now.

By: Jeni 5

Jeni 5 — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:47:51 +0000

Ok, so honesly, they need to test us somehow. It’s either going to be FCAT, or a final examine in every core subject, at least that’s how it used to be until we started having to do both. Now, I’d prefer FCAT since it’s way easier, but final exams are fine too. I just don’t like having to do both. I think the school board people should decide between FCAT and final exams, and stop making us do both.
This was sort of unrelated to the other topics.
Ok, bye.

By: Lauren Brads 3

Lauren Brads 3 — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 23:58:23 +0000

I understand what you mean, Kira. Because who doesn’t like the idea of hanging out with friends? I mean I love to!
However, think about all the other days that we have to get more homework and study for more tests just because FCAT took away time the teachers could’ve used to spread that stuff around more.
Furthermore, we don’t really have the whole day to just relax. We have to endure Fcat for several hours of the day.
To add on, FCAT might be easy for some people-and its definitly easy for me-but some kids don’t understand the material. So for the night of FCAT/ FCAT day, they are freaking out because they don’t know the answers to the test! Then they stress even more since they know that the grade of FCAT will stay with them forever and their teachers in future years can access those grades. This is the most common reason for kids to cheat on FCAT.

By: Kira period 5

Kira period 5 — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 12:47:02 +0000

I get that the Fcat may be beneficial to other more average schools, but at Windy Ridge it is just something most kids can blow through easily. I actually kind of like it because it gives us a break from all the work we usually have to do. We get four days (counting Monday afternoon) of no homework. Of course Fcat is testing students on things way lower than the average Windy Ridger, like I am in Geometry (10th grade math) and yet the math is 8th grade math. I do not believe it is of any real use to Windy Ridge, but it is a week I look forward to instead of dread.

By: Mr. G

Mr. G — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:08:19 +0000

I see what you mean, but Windy Ridge is not your average school. Let’s look at some
stats:

Reading Level 3+
State 54% of 8th grade students tested (21% level 4 or 5)
Orange County 51% (18% level 4 or 5)
Windy Ridge 85% (51% level 4 or 5)

Math Level 3+
State 66% of students (29% level 4 or 5)
Orange County 63% (28% level 4 or 5)
Windy Ridge 92% (71% level 4 or 5)

Science Level 3+
State 41% of students tested (10% level 4 or 5)
Orange County 38% (9% level 4 or 5)
Windy Ridge 84% (41% level 4 or 5)

Think about this; half of the 8th grade students in Florida can’t read on grade level and these numbers are better than they use to be. What do you think that does to their success rates in high school and life? We have to do something about this and we need some kind of controlled test to see if the changes we are making work. All schools are REQUIRED to improve these numbers every year! For Windy Ridge that might mean moving from a 4 to a 5, and focusing on the few students who test below grade level.

Many people would agree with you that the test is still too easy. If that is true why do so many students not test at or above grade level? There is a large movement in education to close failing schools and fire teachers who don’t show improvement in student scores. The cover of Newsweek magazine this week reads “We must fire bad teachers” written over and over again on a chalkboard.

By: Breanne 3

Breanne 3 — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:25:44 +0000

I agree with her because some/most of the stuff on FCAT is just pointless. It’s a test I could of passed in 6th grade. Its too easy and it leaves me with an exteme amount of time to sit their and do nothing. I do check my work and reread and retry stuff but I don’t think we all need 80 minutes to do that. Plus, the stuff on the test is not from some stuff I learned this year. Like slope and references. Which is good that it’s not on the test, but then again why did we learn it if it is not on FCAT?

By: Mr. G

Mr. G — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:42:55 +0000

Why do you agree?

You are ready for this!! Windy Ridge rocks the test!

By: Breanne 3

Breanne 3 — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:31:39 +0000

I agree with Lauren

By: Mr. G

Mr. G — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:03:37 +0000

I’ll agree that they are time consuming and intimidating. Plus you have a point that some students just don’t seem to do well on tests, but are they pointless?

Let’s say you are a parent who’s looking for a new home wouldn’t you want to have your kids attend “good” schools? Could FCAT scores help you decide?

As a tax payer would you want to know that your tax dollars are resulting in good educations for all children?

If you were superintendent of schools wouldn’t you want some means to verify all schools were meeting educational standards?

How could you do these things without some kind of test?