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SUPERINTENDENTS REQUEST STATE REVIEW OF FCAT ANOMALIES MIAMI – School district superintendents across Florida are calling for a review of Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) data after significant anomalies were noted in the results for the 2009-2010 school year. As support grew, the Florida Association of District School Superintendents scheduled an emergency executive board meeting this morning and endorsed the position. “We are particularly concerned about the effect these anomalies may have on school performance grades, No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and other school placement decisions,” said Alberto Carvalho, Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools. “We are asking that the State’s Department of Education have a third party examine these results before releasing the final data to individual school districts.” The superintendents of Broward, Duval, Hillsborough, Leon and Miami-Dade counties made the initial request in a letter to Florida Commissioner of Education Eric J. Smith. The data in question is used to calculate school performance grades as well as NCLB AYP designations, all of which have serious impact on schools, teachers, parents and the community. “The statistical anomalies we’re seeing require that we take a pause, identify the problem, and properly correct it prior to releasing school grades,” said State Rep. Erik Fresen, District 111. The State’s School Performance Grading System includes student learning gains in reading and mathematics and student learning gains in the lowest 25 percent in reading and mathematics. These student gains represent 50 percent of the total points earned on the School Performance Grades and as such, any irregularities with this data may have serious consequences for the School Performance Grade and AYP designation of a school. Student gains drive decisions on the reassignment of principals and instructional staff. For example, under Differentiated Accountability intervention models (Transformational or Turnaround), requirements indicate that teachers in reading and mathematics may be “retained only if at least 65 percent of their students achieved learning gains on average over a three year period.” # # # 10-JS/203/GC |
