It could be even worse

Students and schools have a lot riding on the FCAT results. Some kids face retention, or remediation, depending how they do. Schools could end up being restructured, or having to offer families transfers out, if the scores aren't good enough.

It's a nail biter waiting for the numbers each year.

Expect this summer to be even more stressful.

The Department of Education has told superintendents that the results will come out even later than usual, with fourth through tenth grade scores expected no earlier than June 2, and school grades and AYP ratings coming no earlier than July 14.

Even those dates are ambitious, the DOE reports. If it weren't for the "extraordinary efforts" on the part of 13 school districts including Pasco and Pinellas, the scores could come out even later. Those districts have agreed to an aggressive test collection and pickup schedule in order to make the grading process move quicker.

What's going on? Florida is giving the test later this year (thanks for the delayed school start date, tourism industry), which puts the grading closer to that of other states. That makes it harder to get the work done quickly. The state also is taking steps to ensure it doesn't have a repeat of the scoring problems that plagued the 2006 third-grade reading test. (Add a week for that quality assurance effort.)

The upshot is that parents and educators will have even less time than usual to make key decisions about the coming school year. The test begins March 12. Good luck.

To read the DOE memo to superintendents, click here.

Comments

Oh, how wonderful was the "save our summers" sham? The tourism advocates claim that starting school later will be a huge boon for the industry and for state revenues. They offer nothing in actual data to support. In the first year of implementation, the state's economy just happens to go to pot. Oh, and then there are the issues of ACTUAL STUDENT INSTRUCTION that were ignored in the debate.

Thank you legislature (Margolis, Arza and Lynn especially) for this junk. School boards couldn't decide their own calendars and needed you to step in for the economic good of the entire state. Good job!

[Concerned]

Another punch in the gut for those kids who have trouble passing the FCAT! Great boost to the third grade kid who doesn't meet the reading standards and gets to find out over the summer that she/he gets to repeat 3rd grade -- how do the school offer any remediation or help over the summer -- it will be too late! And how uplifting for the high school kids trying to pass -- the counselors and teachers and parent and students who will have to scramble to re-do schedules to add more reading classes or remedial work. And LESS elective courses -- less time for kids to take classes that engage them and help to point out the importance of the basic ed classes. One more joy from the FCAT use fiasco.

It is another unintended consequence of the school calendar change mandated by the Legislature without any concern about the STUDENTS it would HURT. Oh well, Disney was happy and the economy was really helped by the change . . . right?