Florida considers revisions of statewide assessment

Educators across Florida are taking a hard look at how much of a role the FCAT should play in children’s education as public confidence in the state-mandated test erodes. State Senator Don Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, said he plans to sponsor legislation next year that would allow schools to be graded on graduation rates and students’ performance on other exams besides the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Those tests would include the college entrance exams, the SAT and ACT. If a school performs poorly on the FCAT, it doesn’t receive state bonus money, about $100 per student, given to schools that maintain an A or improve by a letter grade. Read the article in The News-Press.