FCAT's role in student preparation for the real world is debated

If teachers are allowed to teach, teach, teach, then FCAT tests would not be needed because after teaching they would know if the students had learned, so they could pass, or fail. The results of the FCAT show improvements in the State, but it only show what the students are taught to take the FCAT...it does not show that the students have been taught reading, writing, math and whatever other subjects they are taking. Anywone can study to take a test, pass it, but it does not mean they know the subject matter. Do away with FCAT and go back to basic teaching methods, grading, passing and failing of students. If the FCAT is so great, why do so many first year college students have to take the remedial classes of reading, writing and math...???

Florida Public Schools suck balls anyway. I would like to see our state spit at our school boards and outsource our public education system. Obviously a bunch of doped up parents trying to run a school (school board) is not working.

Coming from an education family I must say that the fcat is a complete joke and waste of time and resources. Let the teachers do what they do best and stop wasting there time teaching children how to take a test. Our children are groing up to be morons because of this state. Let me see " we spend the least amount per child in the U.S. per student but fcats are up " wow we are the best!!!!

I have always been of the opinion that a test is not a true measure of a student's knowledge.
Having some teaching experience in a Technical Institute, I have seen first hand, students fail tests but in a one on one converstion they are knowlegeable of the subject.
Bottom line is that some students don't fare well in a test environment even though they know the subject matter and so they are left to fall along the wayside because they couldn't pass a test by the age old standard.
With all of the technology we have today, I would think that a true means of testing a student's would have obsoleted the age old room full of students taking a test.

Dr. Johnson is correct. Students learn at different rates. This test does not take that into account. The FCAT is not a valid or reliable test. I have yet to see any evidence to suggest otherwise. This test is about one thing- money. Follow the money trail and you see why this is not going away soon.

If creating anxiety is a preparation for life after school, the test succeeds well for administrators, parents, teachers and more importantly, kids. Students come into school at different levels and leave at different levels. This test does nothing to bridge that gap. In fact, no test ever will.

The FCAT is a joke. Someone, guess.. is making a lot of money while making kids in Florida unprepared for the real world. How can you have a test for the entire school year prior to the school year's completion?

I think we had better asked Neil or Jeb.

FCAT is baloney.

source: someone who got taken out of an dual enrollment science class in high school to 'practice' how to take a scranton test.

keep in mind half the practice was learning how to correctly bubble in the answers using a correct #2 pencil

why dont we call the FCAT what it is.

another attempt by republicans to privatize education.

kids should be learning more science and more physical education. after you are done with school you better know how to eat and exercise right or you will blow up like a balloon

source: someone who blew up like a balloon after high school then figured out how to eat and exercise

That test is a piece of s...that doesn't prove anything. Besides school are getting to the point that the only thing important prepare students for the FCAT. Is sad, but knowing buracracy is going to take a few years more until they understand and they remove it.

If the FCAT is such a valid measure of educational growth, why does Floriduh continue to rank 49th in education. This test is about Bush's brother, who runs a testing company, getting rich off this non-sense. Does anyone in thier right mind believe the DOE, or politicians giva a hoot about these kids. There in it for the buck and they don't take prisoners. Education in America has been taken out of the hands of teachers, and placed in the hands of scum bag politicians and uninvolved, ignorant parents. Look out American kids, you'll be working for the Emerging Market countries.

moe green wrote:

why dont we call the FCAT what it is.

another attempt by republicans to privatize education

Basically, yes. Under Herr Jeb, the plan was (1) set the schools up to fail,(2) point to the failure as being the fault of public school teachers,(3) make private school vouchers law,(4) make education no longer free and/or religious-based.

The FCAT needs to go.

Forget the FCAT. The state uses it to dole out money to the school districts. Then it is in reverse to what you may think. If they fail money is taken away and the students have less money for their education. I wonder where the 13 monkey brain trust was found to help educate our children? Now we know that the 13 monkey brain trust runs our education system and our water system. If this continues we will end up with a real life PLANET OF THE APES.

If the students want to prepare for the real world, get a job and pay taxes. Welcome to Reality.

"I don't really think he knows how to study, to be honest with you, because they've done it all for him," Martin said.

Lady, you have failed your child. If your son is going to college next year and you are JUST NOW realizing that he cannot study you have evidently done nothing to help him prepare.

moe green wrote:

why dont we call the FCAT what it is.
another attempt by republicans to privatize education.
kids should be learning more science and more physical education. after you are done with school you better know how to eat and exercise right or you will blow up like a balloon
source: someone who blew up like a balloon after high school then figured out how to eat and exercise

I am a Republican who is against vouchers and privatizing education period. The people who come up with this crap are the ones who are trying to appease certain minority groups by promising to give them a private education. I pay for my kids education to guarantee they get the best. Letting everyone have it for free just diminishes the quality of a private education.

My kids have no problem taking the FCAT or the SAT. The people who whine about the FCAT are the ones who can't pass it. All minorities do is complain that they need socialist benefits so they can continue to bankrupt our country. This is the agenda of the communist movement.

moe green wrote:

FCAT is
keep in mind half the practice was learning how to correctly bubble in the answers using a correct #2 pencil

That'll maybe help them if they want to work for the county. When I first moved down here I took "the placement test" for the county. PEOPLE HAD TO ASK THE COORDINATOR HOW TO FILL IN THEIR NAME AND SS#. She had to take time to go over it....In my opinion, if you can't fill out your name, YOU DON'T GET THE JOB. But as we know, that's not the case here in south florida.

In high school we were always talking about how to study, watching films on how to study -- WE STUDIED FOR TESTS IN THE 10 MINS OF HOMEROOM. Whatever happened, happened....If you come out a dummy, it's your own fault. The student who complains about not having time to read TKAM and the Odyssey -- The first is actually pretty good so you should read it, and the 2nd -- WAY TOO LONG AND WORDY and boring anyway; watch all the movies based on it instead. And I know -- GO READ THEM ON YOUR OWN IF YOU WANT TO! You don't need anybody's permission.(Or, wait 10 years before reading them so you can actually appreciate them.)

"The FCAT debuted roughly a decade ago to measure whether students can read, write and do math at grade level."

OK, I thought that was the point of going to school all year. So they spend all this time on this stupid test for something that was already being done. And spending all this time is taking time away from ACTUALLY LEARNING.
Great job, Florida.
Parents need to spend time with their children, studying. I think a lot of parents would be amazed if they examined their kids textbooks, to discover how LITTLE our kids are really being taught.

moe green wrote:

why dont we call the FCAT what it is.
another attempt by republicans to privatize education.
kids should be learning more science and more physical education. after you are done with school you better know how to eat and exercise right or you will blow up like a balloon
source: someone who blew up like a balloon after high school then figured out how to eat and exercise

Moe,

You win the award!!! The FCAT is all about privatizing education. Privatization of education and tax cuts are the mantra for the Republican party. These innovative ideas solve every problem for them.

the FCATS are good to see where you are and need to be in school. that's it. you can get all A's and fail the FCAT and you fail the grade. you fail all your classes but pass the FCAT you get promoted. college's look at all things not just FCATS. Is there a reason that FL. is the only ones who do this??? They need to do away with it all together!!!!!!

This young lady Caty Jusevic got it all together!! FCRAP only teaches to the test and nothing else. Until such time parents realize that there is plenty and I mean plenty of $$$ at stake nothing will change.
Every students needs to know how to function in the real world and Florida has done a lousy job of it. Most of not all Business/Vocational and Career Education has been scrapped because we have to teach to FCRAP! These kids cannot balance a checkbook, make change let alone know how to make a major purchase or make everyday business decisions.
College and test taking it not the only answer to a productive and rich life. Air Conditioning contractors, auto repair folks just to name a few make upward of 65-75 per hour. More than teachers and the have steady employment.
I was a teacher in Florida for over 15 years in Business/Vocational.Career Tech and was told that my job was done away with because students needed to take an additional math and english class so they can pass FCRAP and the school can get additional funding.
This is why Florida ranks 49 in education and a high school graduate has a very hard time getting into an out of state school.
Anyone ever realize why there are so many students not ready for college and they have to take remedial classes, because they are teaching to FCRAP not real life and world situations.
I cashed it in and moved out of state where Business/Career Vocational Ed is valued and my students get a well rounded education and are not test takers.
Ask youselves why Florida loses 4000-5000 teacher per year to other states, salary is one and the other is that we cannot teach our curriculum.
FCRAP was just a way for Jebby Bush to make little brother Neil rich because he has the contracts to gtrade FCRAP!!!