F-TREND
Florida Test Reform Email News Digest
Your weekly source of news from the Florida Coalition for Assessment Reform (FCAR)
v. 5 no. 18 - May 27, 2007
Editors' Corner
FCAT bombshell
In the four years we've been publishing F-TREND, we've never seen FCAT news
as explosive as what came to light this week. FCAT reading, math, and
science scores in all grades in which they're administered were released
this week, but they were overshadowed by the Florida Department of
Education's admission--a year after the fact--that the 2006 grade 3 reading
FCAT scores were artificially inflated because the test was easier than
those in previous years.
What did the DOE know, and when did they know it?
When the 2007 scores for grade 3 FCAT were released two weeks ago, the
percentage of students scoring at or above levels deemed "proficient" on the
reading test dropped from 75% to 69% statewide, with 60 of 67 districts
showing declines after six years of steady improvement.
Superintendents and assessment coordinators in many districts began pressing
for answers, and one of the first responses from Jeanine Blomberg, acting
commissioner of education, was that last year's test might have been easier.
Shortly after, former commissioner of education John Winn acknowledged that
these concerns had arisen in 2006 when the grade reading scores came in,
but, according to Winn, the DOE and Harcourt, the test developer, were
unable to detect any significant differences in the tests using traditional
methods of statistical equating.
Common Item Equating
How do we know when a grade level test is easier or more difficult than one
previously administered? Bob Schaeffer, national education director for Fair
Test, resident of Sanibel, and member of FCAR, explained the procedure for
equating tests from year to year this way: "The process they appear to have
been using is called 'common item equating.' The way it works is that a set
of identical questions (often called a 'testlet') is included in the exams
for consecutive years. The rationale is that if average performance on these
common items increases by a certain percentage, it is likely that student
mastery of whatever it is the test measures has also improved by a similar
proportion.
Unfortunately, that assumption holds only if the items are embedded in
exactly the same place in the test year after year--item order can
significantly alter performance." As Bob noted, there have been published
reports that the placement of the "testlet" items for the 2006 test varied
wasn't the same as the previous test.
Life-altering decisions made on the basis of a single flawed and fallible
test
A constant theme running through all of FCAR's advocacy efforts over the
last seven years has been that a single test is not a fair and reliable
measure of any child's strengths and needs. The latest FCAT debacle only
deepens our conviction. Even when there was strong evidence that
something was rotten in FCATland, the politicians and bureaucrats kept us in
the dark during an election year when the FCAT was a major issue.
Redressing the wrongs of FCAT, assessing the assessors, and supporting
constructive assessment
The Florida Coalition for Assessment Reform will shortly propose a plan for
digging deep into the flawed FCATs, assessing the assessors, and
holding the State accountable to Florida children and families. FCAR's
mission statement remains a worthy goal: open, broad-based, constructive
assessment that reflects the complexity of learning and respects the
diversity of learners.
Gloria Pipkin
John L. Perry
May 26, 2007
News/Commentary
This section contains links to news and commentary about
the Florida Department of Education's admission that the 2006 grade 3 FCAT
reading scores were inflated. ~EDs
http://www.miamiherald.com/416/story/116003.html
2006 FCAT Scores Raise Concerns About Test
By Nirvi Shah and Hanna Sampson
Miami Herald May 23, 2007
http://www.sptimes.com/2007/05/23/State/State_admits_FCAT_sco.shtml
State admits FCAT scoring error from last year
By Ron Matus
St. Petersburg Times
May 23, 2007
http://www.tcpalm.com/tcp/schools/article/0,2820,TCP_24434_5551350,00.html
Last year's reading test may have been too easy for third-graders
By Colleen Wixon
Stuart News
May 24, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/yno6eu
FCAT tests flawed, face rescoring
By Linda Trimble and Janette Neuwahl
Daytona Beach News-Journal
May 24, 2007
http://www.sptimes.com/2007/05/24/State/FCAT_fiasco__Scores_w.shtml
FCAT fiasco: Scores wrong
Hundreds of thousands of third-graders' tests will be reviewed.
By Ron Matus
St. Petersburg Times
May 24, 2007
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/052407/met_172352432.shtml
State must recalculate reading tests taken by third-graders in 2006
By Deirdre Conner
The Times-Union [Jacksonville]
May 24, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/ys8gmn
State admits scoring error in 2006 FCAT
Third-grade reading results inflated on last year's exam
By Joe Callahan
Ocala Star-Banner
May 24, 2007
http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGB85J0P22F.html
Flaw Mars '06 FCAT Scores
By Marilyn Brown
The Tampa Tribune
May 24, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/23a2d4
State to rescore last year's FCAT exams for third grade, saying they were
flawed
By Jean-Paul Renaud
South Florida Sun-Sentinel {Fort Lauderdale]
May 24, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/yorehf
In 2006, a set of tests was scored incorrectly, drawing critics' scorn
By Anna Scott and Tiffany Lankes
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
May 24, 2007
http://www.miamiherald.com/467/story/117991.html
Despite mistakes, FCAT isn't going away
A problem with the FCAT won't deter the state's testing program, something
education officials say they can't do without.
By Nirvi Shah and Tania deLuzuriaga
Miami Herald
May 25, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/2jk9xg
FCAT Error Has Officials Concerned
Too-easy test for third-graders may affect some schools' status, retention
and next year's goals.
By Andrew Dunn
The Ledger [Lakeland]
May 25, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/3xspes
Senate panel to probe 'botched' 2006 FCAT
By Laura Green
Palm Beach Post
May 25, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/2erheo
FCAT mistake fuels critics, upsets parents
Dave Weber
Orlando Sentinel
May 26, 2007
http://www.miamiherald.com/467/story/119359.html
Senate seeks to probe FCAT
The state suspected something was up with FCAT scores last year, but didn't
find the problem until a year later.
By Nirvi Shah
Miami Herald
May 26, 2007
COMMENTARY
http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007705240358
Where to for the FCAT and accountability?
By Jim Warford
Tallahassee Democrat
May 24, 2007
http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007705240361
FCATalyst
Test problem creates opportunity
Tallahassee Democrat
May 24, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/2nc98c
Push is on to rewrite FCAT history
By Frank Cerabino
Palm Beach Post
May 25, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/2crsvu
FCAT credibility gone as make-or-break test
Palm Beach Post
May 26, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/2dce6j
So can 3rd-graders read or not?
Daytona Beach News-Journal
May 24, 2007
Take Action
Help document the impact of high stakes tests on students' and others' lives.
We are looking for teachers, parents, guidance counselors, school nurses, or
anyone else who has firsthand experiences that can help us document as
richly as possible the experience of high stakes testing in schools.
If you have stories you can share with us, we ask you to participate in a
very short and completely anonymous survey. It should take about ten
minutes--perhaps more if you have a lot to say.
Interested school personnel please go to:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=351423260023
Interested parents please go to:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=246153266525
If you know of anyone else who may have pertinent experience to contribute
please direct them to these websites.
Thank you for your help.
Peter Johnston (Professor, State University of New York at Albany)
Kathy Champeau (Reading Specialist, Wisconsin State Reading Association).
Sign a Petition Calling for the
Dismantling of NCLB
http://www.petitiononline.com/1teacher/petition.html
By a unanimous vote, the Board of Directors of the Florida Coalition for
Assessment Reform has signed on as an organizational partner of the Educator
Roundtable.
News
State releases free pre-kindergarten ratings
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/local_news/epaper/2007/05/15/0515prek.html
By Sonja Isger
Palm Beach Post
May 15, 2007
The testing monster
creeps into pre-K. ~EDs
This morning the state released the
scores from its first round of testing children who attended Florida's free
pre-kindergarten. The numbers are the first glimpse into how well the
program prepares children for kindergarten, though critics throughout the
state and the country have warned the results will not be very telling
because of the way the test was conducted and the sketchiness of testing a
5-year-old's knowledge.
Florida school officials call for
audit of FCAT
http://tinyurl.com/2jsvuk
By Laura Green
Palm Beach Post
May 20, 2007
District superintendents and testing coordinators deserve
credit for calling for an outside review of the FCAT. Their determination to
address the anomalies in grade 3 reading scores in 2006 and 2007 testing was
a critical factor in moving the bureaucrats to act. ~EDs
A growing number of superintendents, district testing experts and others are
calling for an independent review of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment
Test after third-grade reading scores, released two weeks ago, showed the
first decline in the test's history. Nearly every school district in the
state watched scores fall after record improvement in 2006, shocking both
state and district officials
Jeb Bush has few regrets on education
The ex-governor likes his legacy, including FCAT, he says in an upcoming
magazine article.
http://tinyurl.com/2cjah6
By Dave Weber
Orlando Sentinel Staff Writer
May 20, 2007
The legacy of the "Education Governor" has taken some hits
since this article was published. ~EDs
Former Gov. Jeb Bush says he wishes he had done a better job of convincing
educators and parents that the FCAT exam and other education reforms were
necessary and would improve Florida schools. In an interview being published
this week, he defends the policies he championed and speaks proudly of
students' gains in reading and math. But he conceded that he could have done
more to get critics on board.
Fine arts programs fall under the axe of FCAT
http://www.my.highschooljournalism.org/fl/miami/fvshs/article.cfm?eid=8749&aid=133471
By Nastassia Alayeto
The Viper Vibe [Felix Varela Senior High School, Miami, FL]
May 20, 2007
A Miami-Dade
student journalist protests the loss of the orchestra program at her school,
which is being cut because it doesn't "contribute to the FCAT, and
supposedly provide[s] no support for the exam." ~EDs
The arts have been hailed as the ultimate mode of expression and ability
since the beginning of history, but oftentimes go unappreciated in modern
society - especially in a high school setting fraught with pop music, mp3s
and cell phones. Orchestra especially, recognized as "classical" music that
clashes with the "ghetto" image of teenagers today, suffers tremendously
from this lack of appreciation, and now they're going to pay for our
depreciation. Next year the orchestra program will literally cease to exist.
3rd grade no walk in park
After failing FCAT reading test, some students could be held back a year
http://tinyurl.com/ypvukn
By Michael Stewart
Pensacola News-Journal
May 21, 2007
More than 3000
Escambia third graders--19% of the total--are in danger of retention due to
FCAT reading scores. ~EDs
Think graduating from high school is tough? Try third grade. Nearly one of
every five third-graders in Escambia County public schools faces the
prospect of repeating the grade. Why? In Florida, third-graders who score at
the lowest level on the reading portion of the Florida Comprehensive
Assessment Test won't be promoted unless they meet special exemption
requirements or take a summer reading class and pass another exam.
Big drop in
FCAT scores spurs review
http://www.miamiherald.com/416/story/115487.html
By Nirvi Shah
Miami Herald
May 22, 2007
After an unexpected plunge in third-grade FCAT reading scores this year, the
state Department of Education is taking a hard look at the test along with
last year's. And depending on what the results show, the state
superintendents association said Tuesday the group may ask for an
additional, independent review of the tests. Last year, a record 75 percent
of third-graders' scores showed they could read at grade level or better.
Then this year, the percentage slipped to about where it was in 2005 -- 69
percent. State officials attributed the change to a particularly smart group
of third-graders last year.
Although they were
overshadowed by the revelations about the botched 2006 grade 3 FCAT reading
scores, 2007 scores in reading, math, and science for grades 4-10 were also
released on May 23. Links to an assortment of stories about state and
district scores are included below. ~EDs
http://www.jacksonville.com/apnews/stories/052307/D8PAAKU02.shtml
Last year's problem overshadows rising 2007 FCAT scores
By Bill Kaczor
Associated Press
May 23, 2007
ALACHUA
http://tinyurl.com/yq9hpk
County exceeds state FCAT goals in many areas
By Diane Chun
Gainesville Sun
May 24, 2007
BROWARD
http://www.miamiherald.com/467/story/116841.html
FCAT scores hold steady in Broward
With a few exceptions, test results released Wednesday were relatively flat
in Broward compared to last year.
By Hannah Sampson and Nirvi Shah
Miami Herald
May 24, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/ywlnh4
Officials worry about 'plateauing' as Broward FCAT scores yield mixed
results
By Douane D. James and Akilah Johnson
Sun-Sentinel [Fort Lauderdale]
May 24 2007
COLLIER
http://www.bonitanews.com/news/2007/may/23/collier_below_state_fcat_average_makes_gains_local/
Collier below state FCAT average; makes gains locally
Bonita Daily News
May 23, 2007
ESCAMBIA
http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070524/NEWS01/705240323/1006/
FCAT results in
Science scores low in first year they will count
By Michael Stewart
Pensacola News-Journal
May 24, 2007
INDIAN RIVER
http://www1.tcpalm.com/tcp/local_news/article/0,2545,TCP_16736_5551301,00.html
Most FCAT scores rise, but reading a concern in Indian River County
By Colleen Wixon
May 24, 2007
LEE
http://www.bonitanews.com/news/2007/may/23/lee_fcat_scores_slightly_below_state_scores/
Lee FCAT scores slightly below state scores
By Matt Clark
Bonita Daily News
May 23, 2007
OKALOOSA/SANTA ROSA
http://www.nwfdailynews.com/article/5367
Okaloosa and Santa Rosa among best in state in FCAT
By Rachel Kyler
Northwest Florida Daily News
May 23, 2007
OSCEOLA
http://tinyurl.com/2hrmo6
County FCAT: Better, but miles to go
Results of the state yardstick for measuring schoolchildren's progress fall
short again.
By Claudia Zequeira
Orlando Sentinel
May 27, 2007
PASCO
http://www.sptimes.com/2007/05/24/Pasco/FCAT_numbers_exhibit_.shtml
FCAT numbers exhibit slow, steady progress
By Jeffrey S. Solochek
St. Petersburg Times
May 24, 2007
POLK
http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070524/NEWS/705240512/1004
Polk FCAT Scores Show Improvement
Reading and math numbers are up except for 6th-, 9th-graders.
By Andrew Dunn
The Ledger [Lakeland]
May 24, 2007
SARASOTA
http://tinyurl.com/2dj8ss
FCAT scores improve for local students
By Tiffany Lankes
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
May 23, 2007
VOLUSIA
http://tinyurl.com/ywm5zk
Volusia scores rise this year
By Linda Trimble
Daytona Beach News-Journal
May 24, 2007
Commentary
Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test: It's for educators to find answers to
lower scores
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2007/may/19/editorial_florida_comprehensive_assessment_test/
Naples Daily News
May 19, 2007
"Although these scores have been available for two weeks, we delayed
commenting until we made absolutely sure that we had the correct data."
Maybe the staff of Naples Daily News should have waited a
bit longer before concluding that FCAT data is unassailable. ~EDs
Blogs
Bloggers were abuzz over the FCAT fiasco of botched grade 3 reading scores
in 2006 and other FCAT news.
http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2007/05/fcat_fiasco_sco.html
The Buzz--Florida Politics
FCAT fiasco--scores wrong
St. Petersburg Times
http://www.flascience.org/wp/?p=214
Florida Citizens for Science
Why are science FCAT scores low?
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/columnists/mayo/blog/2007/05/fcat_fiasco.html
Mayo on the Side
By Michael Mayo
FCAT Fiasco
May 24, 2007
http://www.flapolitics.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1792
FLA Politics
By Tampabay Democrat
Russell Schweiss, Loyal Bushie, Defends FCAT Fiasco
May 25, 2007
http://sweetnsaur.blogspot.com/2007/05/state-fcat-fiasco-scores-wrong-state.html
Sweet N' Sour
State: FCAT blunder overlooked
May 26, 2007
http://flwetlands.wordpress.com/2007/05/26/push-is-on-to-rewrite-fcat-history/
A Cracker Boy Looks at Florida
By Bill
Push is on to rewrite FCAT history
May 26, 2007
New On The FCAR Web Site
Acting commissioner of education Jeanine Blomberg's statement "Regarding Variations in Third Grade FCAT Reading Results," released on May 23, 2007, is on the FCAR web site at http://fcarweb.org/docs/DOE_3rd_Grade_Explanation.mht .
On the Web
"What Every Parent, Teacher, and
Community Member Needs to Know About No Child Left Behind" by Elizabeth
Jaeger, a California teacher, is available online (thanks to the Oakland
Education Association) at
http://oaklandea.org/front_page_docs/may_07/NCLB%20Jaeger.pdf .
You may also order multiple hard copies from Susan Ohanian, for the cost of
postage. Email her at susano@gmavt.com
for details.
FCAR News
Congratulations are in order for two
FCAR directors:
* Barbara Barry, Orange County school counselor, Florida school counselor of
the year in 2001, and national school counselor the following year, has been
named chair of the League of Women Voters of Florida education committee to
study the effects of the FCAT. If you have ideas, input, or contacts for
Barb, email her at barrydmin@aol.com
.
* Longtime FCAR director Laurin MacLeish has retired from teaching after
many years of weaving her magic with kindergarteners and (for the last four
years) prekindergarteners. Former New York Times education writer Mike
Winerip spent two days in Laurin's classroom a few years ago and declared
her the best K teacher in the state. When Winerip learned that Laurin was
retiring, he wrote this tribute: "...in all my travels as a reporter I never
observed a better teacher. Your love for the kids, your energy, your
humanity, your commitment, your work ethic---breathtaking. The column I did
on you was one of my very best, because you are such great material. Thank
you, thank you, thank you for all you've done for children and for public
education. I know, these finals days there will be many tears, blue and
pink. You are not replaceable." If you'd like to add your own thanks and
congratulations to Laurin, email her at
kndrqueen1@aol.com . You can read Winerip's Times column at
http://performanceassessment.org/articles/pa_model.html .
Notable Quotes
''I've met parents who won't send their kids to public school because of the pressures of the FCAT. It's a sin to put that kind of pressure on an eight-year-old.'' ~Robin Bartleman, Broward school board member, quoted by Beth Reinhard in the Miami Herald, May 19, 2007
"It [DOE announcement that 2006 grade 3 FCAT reading scores were inflated] opens up a can of worms because when you think about it...if there were problems with third grade, are there problems with other grades?" ~Owen Roberts, director of St. Lucie County's testing and accountability department
"Teaching to the test is like holding a match to a thermostat: The gauge reads warmer, but the room is not. Worse, over time the room gets colder. Similarly, as scores rise, students often learn less-less in tested subjects as content narrows to focus on boosting scores, and less in untested subjects that get shorter shrift. In addition, the tests ignore too much important learning, particularly higher-level thinking skills such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation, to say nothing of creativity." ~Monty Neill, executive director of Fair Test, in a letter to the editor of Education Week, May 16, 2007 ("What We Gain in Scores, We're Losing in Learning")
In Memoriam
Ann Christine "Chris" Kennedy, a
teacher at Forest Hills Elementary in Tampa, a friend and colleague of
F-TREND editor John Perry, and an FCAR member since 2003, died on Monday,
May 21, 2007, after having taught the previous Friday.
Chris will be remembered by
colleagues and friends for her kind, thoughtful nature and her commitment to
children.
http://www.macdonaldfuneral.com/obituary.aspx?MemberId=28190
Telling the Truth about Testing:
A Challenge to Teachers and Parents
Please share your experiences with the
FCAT and help us educate Florida citizens about the ways in which FCAT
cannibalizes the curriculum, hampers creative teaching, penalizes poor
test-takers, traumatizes children, and turns schools into giant test prep
centers. School children across the country are speaking out against test abuse.
Let's stand with them. Because of the repressive atmosphere created by high
stakes testing, we will protect your anonymity if your job is at stake.
Send your items, stories, anecdotes,
etc. to Gloria Pipkin at gpipkin@knology.net or
send hard copies to
Florida Coalition for Assessment Reform
Telling the Truth about Testing
310 Michigan Avenue
Lynn Haven, FL 32444-1428
Support FCAR
Support open, broad-based assessment of learning -- contribute to FCAR.
Use PayPal to make secure donations online at https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=marbleface%40bellsouth.net&no_shipping=0&no_note=1&tax=0¤cy_code=USD or send a check or money order payable to FCAR to:
Florida Coalition for Assessment Reform
8680 S.E. Eagle Avenue
Hobe Sound, FL 33455
F-TREND is a project of the Florida Coalition for Assessment Reform (www.fcarweb.org).
John L. Perry and Gloria Pipkin, editors
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