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Blog: FCAR
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Letter to Gov. Crist and Ed. Comm. Blomberg
Florida Coalition for Assessment Reform, Inc.
for further information:
Gloria Pipkin 850 265-6438
cell: 850 866-9537
or Bob Schaeffer 239 395-6773
for immediate release, Tuesday, May 28, 2007
ASSESSMENT REFORMERS SEEK "STRICT ACCOUNTABILITY" FOR FCAT; OPEN LETTER TO GOV.
CRIST, COMM. BLOMBERG CALLS FOR COMPREHENSIVE, PUBLIC REVIEW OF STATE TESTS IN
WAKE OF SCORING ERROR
The Florida Coalition for Assessment Reform (FCAR) today delivered to Florida
Governor Charlie Crist and Education Commissioner Jeanine Blomberg a set of
recommendations to implement "the administration's pledge of openness and
transparency in reviewing the FCAT in the wake of the recent disclosure of the
2006 Grade Three scoring error."
Commissioner Blomberg has indicated that a review will take place but has not
provided details about who will conduct the investigation, what topics it will
cover, when it will be completed, or whether the results will be made public.
In an open letter, FCAR said, "The powerful impact of the FCAT on our children,
our schools, and our communities demands strict accountability to the public"
and listed suggestions including:
- hearings around the state to determine the scope of questions Floridians want
addressed;
- inclusion of representatives from groups such as FCAR and the Florida League
of Women Voters in the FCAT review process;
- input from independent measurement experts as well as teachers, parents and
school counselors;
- investigation of all recent FCAT scores, not just the 2006 exam where the
state admits an error was made; and
- publication of relevant documents about how the FCAT is designed, constructed
and administered, including the exam's technical manual
FCAR is a non-profit, non-partisan, statewide organization with members in 50 of
Florida's school districts.
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The text of the FCAR letter to Gov. Crist and Commissioner Blomberg follows
- - - - -
FLORIDA COALITION FOR ASSESSMENT REFORM, INC
May 28, 2007
Dear Governor Crist and Commissioner Blomberg:
The Florida Coalition for Assessment Reform (FCAR) applauds the administration's
pledge of openness and transparency in reviewing the FCAT in the wake of the
recent disclosure of the 2006 Grade Three scoring error. The powerful impact of
the FCAT on our children, our schools, and our communities demands strict
accountability to the public.
In that spirit, we ask you to consider these comments and suggestions:
- The review process should begin with public hearings around the state, at
convenient times and places, to help determine the scope of questions Florida
parents, educators, and taxpayers want addressed.
- The audit team should include representatives from FCAR, as well as
representatives of the Florida League of Women Voters, which has recently
launched a study of the FCAT, and other concerned organizations throughout the
state
- The team should seek input from teachers, parents, school counselors, and
other child advocates, along with independent psychometricians.
- The investigation should go beyond the 2006 test, thoroughly examining the
validity, reliability, and fairness of the FCAT and its uses.
- As part of upholding a pledge of openness and transparency, all critical
documents about the FCAT (such as the technical manual) should be made available
online and in libraries so that everyone concerned can understand how the test
is designed, administered, and graded.
FCAR is a nonprofit organization with members and contacts in more than fifty
school districts. We are committed to open, broad-based, constructive assessment
that reflects the complexity of learning and respects the diversity of learners.
We look forward to hearing from you as you convene an external advisory group
this week, at which time we will be pleased to submit the names of testing
experts to review the data from 2006 and recommend a procedure for establishing
an annual review of the test.
Sincerely,
Gloria Pipkin, President
for the FCAR Board of Directors
850 265-6438
fcar@fcarweb.org -- www fcarweb.org
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