Comments on: 2009 Science FCAT

By: mark

mark — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:11:00 +0000

Umm on mah unofficial report on fcat math i got a 5

By: kmlise

kmlise — Sat, 30 May 2009 03:27:53 +0000

I think the scores ar pretty simple. The numbers you see like our 47 are the percent of kids that score a level 3 and above. The levels are just how many points you score total on the test with cut score ranges set for each level 1 - 5.

We talked to our principal today and even though we made big gains at every grade level and subject and improved our scores by 74% overall and have scores way above the state average, we will not make AYP and so are a “failed school” according to NCLB but will probably be and “A school” according to the state of Florida. Go Figure! The reality is that I am lucky to work at a fantastic school with highly professional staff who are like a family and who do their very best for the great kids we teach.

By: science teacher

science teacher — Sat, 30 May 2009 02:41:01 +0000

I totally agree with motivation being the biggest factor. I am a high school science teacher and no matter how much we prepare these students, they don’t take the test seriously. Many of them are absent on the day of the science exam because they know that it doesn’t count towards graduation. The students that earn 3’s or higher were already going to earn that regardless of preparation or studied hard. Most of these students are level 1 or 2 readers. For example, at my school 83% of the 10th graders were level 1 or 2. With the science test being mostly reading/comprehension and knowledge of facts, it would only be right if the reading and science scores were very close statistically. I’d like to know how the the raw scores are computed?????

By: kmlise

kmlise — Thu, 28 May 2009 22:26:41 +0000

thanks Brandon. The 63% is really an ouch! Our school was a little above average at 47 for elementary and 46 for MS (we are k-8). Our scores for MS are like last year 3rd in our district just below the science magnet (47) and the downtown school in the wealthy part of Ocala with lots of kids of professionals(61).

But with our title I population we will still not make AYP and are headed for reorganization next year. Too many minority groups that score low (and all it takes is one).

It is hard to tell what these scores reflect. Some of it is definitely lack of science knowledge. Some of it may reflect lack of reading skills as those are required to navigate the test successfully.

A few realities: It is a relatively new test and scores tend to go up as the system and the students accommodate themselves to it.

Most of the students in Middle School know that this test, which is given on the last FCAT testing day, does not count for them individually and may not care that it counts for their school, while math and reading do count towards their own personal promotion and towards what programs they get put into in the next year. There are intensive reading and math programs that pull kids who score 1 or 2 on the FCAT out of PE and vocational classes - sometimes these least motivated academically kids have only academics all day! So there is a motivation issue as well for performing well on this test.