Most students improve in writing, FCAT scores show

Additionally, there would not be the large discoonect between the multiple choice scores and the essay score if mechanics were a meaningful part of the essay. It is possible to score a pass on the essay with poor mechanics. This is no prize for our students, but allows others to boast. School is to benefit the students, or so it used to be before
the days of high stakes testing.

both sides wrote:

The focus is on composition and paragraph development as you can see from what you provided. I find no pride in a state which asks so little
of its students and lowers standards so it can brag.

HERE: Conventions refer to the punctuation, grammar, capitalization, spelling, and sentence structure. These conventions are basic writing skills included in Florida's Sunshine State Standards.

You must have missed this part.

I did not miss the point. You are certainly able to earn a passing score without using conventions well.
Again, I cite the major difference between looking only at conventions as in the now defunct multiple choice
portion as compared to the "everyone passes" essay portion. When you get a 90% pass rate, the standard is not particularly high. Recent changes to Writing testing were of benefit to the adults who can boast and allowed our students to know less.

please wrote:

I did not miss the point. You are certainly able to earn a passing score without using conventions well.
Again, I cite the major difference between looking only at conventions as in the now defunct multiple choice
portion as compared to the "everyone passes" essay portion. When you get a 90% pass rate, the standard is not particularly high. Recent changes to Writing testing were of benefit to the adults who can boast and allowed our students to know less.

CONTENT MUST be worth A LOT more than grammar and punctuation. I have seen many essays that looked beautiful (grammar and punctuation) that were total crap. I would MUCH rather have the content be there and then the grammar can be fixed. Just my point of view, but any decent English teacher would agree. I think we are showing MARKED improvement and that should be applauded!!! The bar has been raised and raised. I DO NOT want to LOWER standards by any means, but if you keep raising and raising the passing score - pretty soon everyone will have to score PERFECT to pass. That won't ever happen. Just allow the schools and students to feel proud of their hard work and accomplishments. Would you please?

I would prefer to have teachers show concern that our students are being asked to learn and demonstrate less.
I am not in any way saying teachers are not working hard. I am saying
some very odd things come from Tallahassee and get quietly accepted.
Rather than advocate for better and different policies, too many do cartwheels to keep up with the craziness. I think a better use of energy would be to demand better and
different.
I think people who speak out against the craziness that is happening should be the ones to boast. I have a problem with the public relations type releases of test scores to an uninformed public who tends to place more credit in the information than it may merit.
I think teachers are working very hard. I think they should speak up for children.

Save our schools wrote:

I would prefer to have teachers show concern that our students are being asked to learn and demonstrate less.
I am not in any way saying teachers are not working hard. I am saying
some very odd things come from Tallahassee and get quietly accepted.
Rather than advocate for better and different policies, too many do cartwheels to keep up with the craziness. I think a better use of energy would be to demand better and
different.
I think people who speak out against the craziness that is happening should be the ones to boast. I have a problem with the public relations type releases of test scores to an uninformed public who tends to place more credit in the information than it may merit.
I think teachers are working very hard. I think they should speak up for children.

All the teachers I know speak LOUDLY for children. I think it is also the PARENT'S job.

Wow amasin this if fantaztix I relly em glaad that peopel be lernin stuff

I consider my comments as speaking up for students. I cite easier graduation requirements and the exclusion of the multiple choice portion as lowering of standards.
I speak out against that in an advocacy stance. While I consider the dropout problem to be a major problem, I do not condone creating a lesser product as acceptable for competition in a global market. Instead, I float the idea of a greater diversity of diploma options.