Back to the FCAT

I mentioned the FCAT in an earlier blog and decided to come back to it now. It was brought out recently that last year's third grade results may not be accurate. The state has said the grades given were higher than they should have been. This shows the problem with only using the FCAT to promote students. From what I understand, the FCAT was originally considered a tool to use to assess a student's progress, not to be used, by itself, as a method to determine promotion. That is exactly what it has become. In the elementary setting, a student can do terrible in school, but is promoted because he or she passed the FCAT. I hope this will be a wakeup call and will help to bring about the restructuring of the FCAT.