By Dr. Annette Weissman, Principal SIB Community School

For our friends and families up north, spring means the birds will return, the flowers will bloom, the weather will change. For the students, teachers, and parents, spring in Miami-Dade County means the FCATs are here. What exactly does that mean?

FCAT stands for Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. It is part of Florida’s overall plan to increase student achievement by implementing higher standards. The FCAT, administered to students in Grades 3-11, contains two basic components: criterion-referenced tests (CRT), measuring selected benchmarks in Mathematics, Reading, Science, and Writing from the Sunshine State Standards (SSS); and norm-referenced tests (NRT) in Reading and Mathematics, measuring individual student performance against national norms. In other words, the first component measures student knowledge of the curriculum taught throughout the year. That curriculum is based on the Sunshine State Standards which are skills and competencies that Florida students are expected to learn. The specific content has been defined by an extensive statewide committee. The second component measures student performance in comparison with students all over the country. Each student receives two sets of scores – the SSS scores and the NRT scores.

In February, fourth, eighth and tenth grade students take a writing test which is scored on a scale on 1 through 6. In March, students in grades 3 through 10 take tests in reading and mathematics, and fifth, eighth, and eleventh graders also take a science test. The results of the FCAT tests are used in several ways. First, a third grader must receive a score of 2 or better (on a scale of 1 to 5) on the FCAT Reading Test in order to be promoted to 4th grade. Second, in order to receive a standard high school diploma from a public school, students must pass the Reading and Mathematics Sunshine State Standards portions of the Grade 10 FCAT. Finally, Florida uses the results of the Writing Test and the FCAT SSS to grade schools on a scale of A to F. In the past, dollars have been attached to the letter grades so that a school receiving an A grade would be awarded a sum of money based on the number of students enrolled in the school. The state also defines how that money may be allocated.

Why are the FCATs such a hot topic? Since there is so much at stake for an individual student as well as the school, everyone is under a great deal of pressure to ensure that students perform well on the test. Schools have been accused of focusing too intensely on the test preparations and of neglecting some areas of the curriculum that are not presently tested such as social studies.

How can a school avoid such a label? How will it work at SIBCS? I believe that test preparation is really nothing more than sound teaching which begins on day one in kindergarten and continues every day in every classroom. When students are taught well each year, they are well prepared for the FCAT tested skills in grades 3 – 6. I will ensure that the students receive a well rounded, well balanced education every year. The fine arts, physical education, and bilingual instruction, will all be woven into the daily schedule in a way that supports classroom instruction. Learning will be engaging and meaningful, not robotic drill that negatively impacts student motivation. SIBCS will have strong parent and community involvement, outstanding educators, a challenging curriculum, and a state of the art facility. We will be ready to tackle the FCATs next March!