With all the numbers, it may be easy to forget the people behind them.
By DONNA WINCHESTER
Published August 29, 2004
On the next several pages, you'll see a lot of numbers. Behind those cold statistics are actual students who sat down to take all sorts of standardized tests.
One column will tell you the percent of children in each Pinellas County school who met high standards in reading, math and writing. Another will tell you the percent who made learning gains in reading and math. Another will tell you the percent of children in the lowest quadrant of their classes who made learning gains in reading.
Last but not least, several columns will list the only piece of data most people talk about: the school's letter grades for the six years the state has been administering the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.
Where do all these numbers and letters come from?
They can be traced back to the thousands of children who sit each February and March in classrooms throughout the district with a standardized test sheet in front of them and a No. 2 pencil in their hands.
Under the close supervision of teachers who serve as test proctors, the children fill in their answer sheets. The sheets are bundled up and under tight security are sent off to be graded.
Scores start trickling in at the end of April when the district learns how fourth-, eighth- and 10th-graders fared on the reading portion of the FCAT. In mid May, it learns how third- through 10th-graders scored in reading, math and science.
Finally, in mid June, nearly a month after school gets out for the summer, the school's letter grades are released.
Preparing for the tests, which begins as early as the first week of school, has become a statewide preoccupation. In Pinellas, teachers have taken FCAT preparation to a new level by concentrating their day-to-day teaching on "essential learnings" - items most likely to be included on the test.
School staff do their best to hide their apprehension from students as test time approaches, but the stress level at many schools is almost palpable.
It's no wonder teachers and administrators worry. Their school's reputation is on the line. No one wants his or her school to be known as an "F" school. They also realize that in the era of controlled choice, many parents look to a state's grade in choosing a school for their children. They fret that their schools will be underchosen if they don't perform well on the FCAT.
Additionally, schools get what the state calls "A+
money" if they improve their state grade by a letter or if they maintain an A. The money, based on a school's population, can mean as much as $150,000 for a middle school.
Students also have a lot on the line. Third-graders who are unable to pass the reading portion of the FCAT are not promoted to fourth grade, regardless of their classroom performance. High school students who can't pass the reading and math portions of the test by the end of their senior year receive a certificate of completion rather than a standard diploma.
But for all that's at stake, few parents understand the calculations behind the numbers. If you're interested in the bottom line, read on.
