Florida has had it's portion of debates regarding the FCAT testing. Many parents and school board representatives disagree with the abundance of standardize testing, which starts from the third to the eleventh grade. This test is mandatory for those grade leveled students to advance to the next grade upon passing. A new FCAT is soon to be introduced to students within the upcoming months to years. Pilot testing new exams in 2013, even as it weathers continue criticism that students are being tested to much. The new exam will be replacing FCAT Spring of 2015. The new exam is expected to have comprehensive assessments. In both math and language arts, students are to take series of exams with the scores combined into one final mark for each subject. Both exams will include the normal pencil and paper, but the introduction of computer-base software, which will include lots of clicking, "dragging and dropping" shading in text, amongst other upgraded features of the exam.
"They are designed to be work worth doing rather than a distraction from good work," said Laura Slover, senior vice president of Achieve, the management partner for the new exams, in a statement.
The new test will come in increments to ensure a smooth transitions for students effectively. Although the state continues to face strong criticism for relying heavily on scores from one-day FCAT exams to make key education decisions, from student promotion to teacher evaluations. Until the day comes when the FCAT is not the topic of the dinner table, it is a very wise idea to continue to encourage your child to practice a couple of minutes a night on the http://fcatexplorer.com to help sharpen their skills.
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