FCAT. The acronym can arouse thoughts of long and seemingly pointless test days for Florida students. However, high-school students may be glad to hear that the math and science sections of the test could be phased out in the near future.
The state is field-testing end-of-course exams in Algebra I and geometry in 2010. These tests would replace FCAT Math. They would pertain specifically to their course, and teachers would no longer have to waste time preparing students for the annual Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.
Rather than fitting curriculum to an assessment test, the assessment would be fitted to the curriculum. It makes so much sense that the state would have to be insane not to put it in place. State officials deserve praise for fearlessly reacting to modern education trends. These are the kinds of changes that can improve education in Florida.
Fourteen states have already made the switch, and 12 other states are developing end-of-course exams.
Students would have to pass their respective exams rather than passing FCAT Math to graduate. The state is also developing a U.S. History exam as well as a biology exam that would replace the FCAT Science. There are no plans to replace Reading and Writing.
This is the best move the state of Florida has made in education in a while. Not only would preparation days for FCAT be put to better use, but end-of-course exams may even replace final exams, eliminating the days it takes to actually complete the FCAT.
Math teachers often complain about having to review old material and waste time they are already lacking. With the new exams, courses could progress more smoothly. Teachers could include more of the material, which benefits students when they take nationwide standardized tests like the SAT and ACT. They wouldn’t have to waste time in the middle of March reviewing old skills.
Also, high school students entering the Florida education system later would not be at a disadvantage for lacking FCAT curriculum. Every year, new training would begin not for FCAT, but for success in a course.
There are obstacles in the plan, however. The exams would have to be taken electronically, and many school districts do not have the computers to support the new plan. But this could also affect a positive change. The state would be forced to provide computers to all the schools that do not have enough. If some schools have not been brought fully into the digital age, it’s about time.
The plan would cost about $1.5 million a year and would require yearly budget allocations. If people complain about the quality of the education system, though, they must also be willing to sacrifice for its improvement.
End-of-course exams are a welcome innovation to the Florida education system. Rather than reacting to budget crises and negative perceptions, the state is being proactive. Therein lies the key to establishing Florida’s education system as one of the best in the country.