Florida lawmakers will meet later this month to go over a report that is raising more questions than answers about the state’s new standardized test. Educators aren’t convinced by a study finding the Florida Standards Assessment Valid.
A report commissioned by the legislature to review the Florida Standards Assessment found the test can be used for teacher evaluations and school grades, but should not be the only determinant for graduation and promotions. The FSA got off to a rough start this year. Technical glitches plagued the administration of the exam, and critics say the state rushed to roll it out. Now Leon County Superintendent Jackie Pons, is promising his teachers won’t be punished for poor student performance on the state’s new standardized exam:
“Let’s not affect our teachers in a negative way because on an assessment we know was not reliable," Pons said. But Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewart says the state will use the test to evaluate teachers, and issue school grades.
“We are pleased with this information and are using it right now to move forward with this 2015-16 school year," she said while announcing the study's findings.
Florida had been slated to use a different test, but furor over the Common Core, tanked that. The state backed out of a testing consortium, and hired an outside vendor to create the Florida Standards Assessment. But the review found too many of the tests questions don’t fit Florida’s standards. Many of the test questions have their roots in Utah, Florida used that state’s exam to craft its own.
“Our students didn’t go to school in Utah. Our students went to school here in Florida, where they were taught based on Florida Standards that were approved by the Florida legislature," said Sen. Sen Bill Montford, a Tallahassee Democrat who also heads the Florida Association of District School Superintendents. He says results of the exam should not be used to grade teachers and schools.
“It’s not fine for students, it’s not fine for teachers, it’s not fine for parents or superintendents.”
Montford is also concerned with part of the review that found many of the items students were tested on, didn’t match the state standards. In the 10th grade English-Language Arts exam, a third of the questions were either partially matched or didn’t match Florida’s own standards. And that’s a problem for High School Principal Shelley Bell, who wonders if that’s what caused some students to not pass the test.
“If the state would pull out the partial standard match and the nonstandard match out of the assessment, say these are not valid questions…I’d be really curious to know because I guarantee the passage rate for kids would go up significantly. Because if you’re taught it, you’ll know a little bit about it," Bell said.
Students are required to take the 10th grade ELA in order to graduate. Retakes are slated to start in October, and school administrators are skeptical whether that leaves enough time for the test to be revised. Meanwhile, Sen. John Legg, R-Lutz ,has issued a warning to superintendents like Leon’s Jackie Pons, who may be considering ignoring the test results when they do teacher evaluations:
“I read some of Superintendent Pons’ statements and I think he’s jumping the gun a little bit. He’s leaping without looking and I’d caution him not to violate the law of Florida and put the funding of Leon County in jeopardy," Legg said.
He says he too is concerned about the results of the test review. But believes there are more nuances in the report that need consideration. And he plans to take it up in a September 17 committee hearing.
“We need to take those recommendations and move forward to ensure students are not adversely impacted but that we have accountability," he said.
Meanwhile state education leaders and teachers are meeting to set the passing levels for the exam, and crunch numbers that will eventually result in grades for schools, and evaluations of teachers.
