The FCAT tests are required for public schools here in Florida. Everything financial hinges on the results of the FCAT for each school in the state. A rated school? Here's your money! F rated school? Here's your new principal! Already parents and students are unhappy about the pressure to do well on the FCAT. Schools suspend teaching the usual fare in order to drill for the test so the school can receive a high rating. I understand that the people of Florida wanted a way to improve student learning and to have a better ranking in the US (Florida's school motto: Thank God for Mississippi, or we would be #50). State testing was instituted to help determine which schools were in dire need of a change. As everything government usually does, it backfired and the test became the ONLY thing that schools were trying to teach. Poor kids!
Now, 49 schools have been "caught" teaching the kids to memorize certain phrases and then write them for the state writing test. Obviously the teachers discovered certain catch phrases that would ensure a better score on the writing portion of the test. These phrases were colorful and creative but know what? MANY kids used the same phrase! Duh! How on earth did the school expect to run this by the testing folks when the catch phrases were so unique?
Read the whole story here:
Teaching Canned Phrases for FCAT Essays
OK I know the clipart image is lame. I couldn't find anything in a bit of a hurry!
