Versions of this opinion piece appeared in the April 2008 League of Women Voters of Orange County newsletter and in the January 18, 2008 Orlando Sentinel-
Geared to raise standards and improve accountability in public schools, FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test) arrived on the national wave of standards-based education reform in 1998 under Governor Lawton Chiles. During Governor Jeb Bush’s two terms and as required by federal No Child Left Behind legislation, FCAT’s role deepened.
Positives: Undoubtedly, Florida’s accountability system is reformative. FCAT’s Sunshine State Standards provide frameworks for improving achievement in reading, writing, math and science. Assessments create infrastructure for tracking each child’s academic progress and disaggregating data by race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, English proficiency, and learning exceptionality. Florida is a national leader in the use of technology in assessing student achievement and school performance.
Negatives: As educators, parents, students and others can attest, the intense focus on standardized testing has led to narrowing of the curriculum at the expense of the arts, social studies, civics, foreign language and physical education. School grades are primarily determined by FCAT scores and therefore do not reflect the broader educational profile of schools. Problems have been identified that indicate inaccurate portrayal of student achievement, particularly in eighth through tenth grade tests.
Reform corrects faults and introduces better practices. After ten years, 2008 is a sensible time for FCAT to undergo its own reform. Based on consultation with Orange County administrators, statewide efforts by superintendents to address specific problems identified with FCAT, and a 2006 report ,"The FCAT Project," from the Florida Forum on Progressive Policy, here are six suggested improvements:
1. Align 8th through 10th grade FCAT with national norm-referenced tests.
2. Reduce micro-management and cumbersome reporting in low-performing schools; undertake impartial cost/benefit analysis of Opportunity Scholarships.
3. Reformulate school grades to include FCAT, PSAT, SAT and ACT results, reductions in achievement gaps, Advanced Placement and eighth-grade algebra enrollment, access to the arts, social studies, civics, foreign language and physical education, facility condition, safety record, highly qualified/certified/experienced teacher ratios, and other quality measures.
4. Replace School Recognition Program (incentive bonuses) with targeted, needs-based investments.
5. Develop alternative assessments for English language learners and exceptional education students.
6. Align Sunshine State Standards with research-based, content-rich national academic standards for college and workplace readiness.
In schools serving low-income students, it cannot be dismissed that deficits in family resources threaten academic success. Remedies include pre-natal and preventive healthcare, high-quality Pre-kindergarten, funding for longer school days and school year, well-equipped libraries and community centers, additional capacity in career/technical programs, community colleges and universities, and plentiful mentors for children in need.
Public school principals and teachers deserve fair and rational accountability. And children’s best interests, not politics, must drive the decision-making.
How can citizens get involved? First, learn more about public education in our community and state. Orange County Public Schools and Florida Department of Education websites are good places to start. Second, become aware of trends in legislation affecting public education. Legislation, exemplified by school calendar change and physical education mandates, however well intended, can lack necessary funding, create unintended consequences or jeopardize local control. Therefore, advocate for rational legislation considered by educators to be in the best interest of student achievement and argue against unfunded mandates. Third, advocate for changes in the school grading formula so that it fully reflects the educational profiles of our public schools.
Anne Geiger represents Orange County School Board, District 6
8 months ago