Editorial Number 13

William J. Floyd

I am extremely disappointed. How can this be? Apopka High School employs some of the finest teachers in the state. As a percentage of our teaching population, we rank very favorably with the rest of the state in the number of National Board Certified Teachers serving your children. Our staff is composed of veterans, a full third with advanced degrees—they know how to teach and how to reach children. They’re good at what they do. When Newsweek recognized us as being in the top 5% of the nation for the rigor of our academic programs, spirits were lifted. We were finally earning our rightful due. We felt good. My, how one little letter can change your outlook on the world.

You know what I’m talking about. Your Blue Darters have dropped a letter grade on the state grading system. That’s right; we have been labeled a “D” by the State of Florida. Unfortunately, we seem to have a lot of company. High schools across the state are suffering under the current grading system. In this latest round of testing 102 high schools dropped a letter grade. Now, this does not mean that the grading system is a bad thing. However, as in any well-meaning initiative, the devil lies in the details. Here are some issues that need a resolution to address this alarming trend:

· The 9^th grade and the 10^th grade versions of the FCAT are each actually two different types of test. Is this why the 9^th grade exam consistently shows that students learn at above average rates while the 10^th grade version shows that students learn at below average rates? These tests are not designed by the state of Florida; in fact, the State hires a different company to design each test. I find it a problem when one test returns above average results while the next shows students underperforming. This has happened across the entire state—9^th graders do well while 10^th graders don’t do well.

· Did you ever wonder why the lower grades do better on the FCAT than the upper grades? Why are so few elementary and middle schools earning “C's” “D's” and “F's” while high schools seem to be earning quite a few of them? Simple—it is harder for a 10^th grader to pass the FCAT. To meet the minimum 4^th grade standards, a student must answer approximately 40% of the questions correctly. To meet the 8^th grade standards, a student must answer approximately 50% of the questions correctly. To meet the 10^th grade FCAT standards, a student must answer approximately 65% of the questions correctly. This seems unfair considering that passing the 10^th grade test means the difference between earning a high school diploma or a certificate of completion.

· Did you know that the minimum score required to be considered competent on the 10^th grade FCAT exam is the same as the top third of scores in other states? In other words, the State is telling us that an average student in a Florida school is the same as an above average student elsewhere. This sounds good; after all, isn’t it nice to say that our kids are above average? But there are some unintended consequences inherent in such a strategy. Florida’s students are placed at a disadvantage when they compete for seats at colleges and universities, or if they wish to enter the military, simply because you must pass the FCAT to earn a high school diploma, and you must have a high school diploma to enter these worthy institutions. It’s a sad but true fact that some students who complete Florida schools are not qualified to take advantage of these opportunities when kids from other states with a lower test score, are.

· Did you know that the state of Florida continuously changes the grading formula? By my count, this is the 4^th change. They added a possible 100 points to the scoring system that determines what letter grade a school earns. But…they added 115 points to the range of scores designed to determine which category (“A,” “B,” “C,” etc.) a school falls into, thereby lowering the chance of earning a higher grade. The net result is that a school can increase its score by 110 points and still drop a letter grade because 115 additional points are now required to keep the same grade earned in the past.

· Did you know that if a student who speaks a language other than English is enrolled in our school for two years, our teachers are expected to teach that student enough English to meet the same standards as any other student on the FCAT examination by the end of that second year? In fact, if, after two years, these students have not learned enough English to pass the FCAT, the entire school gets docked a letter grade? Ask yourself—and be truthful; if, as a teenager, you moved to France and were asked to read and pass a test written in French—that two-thirds of native born French students couldn’t pass—would you be able to do it?

· Did you know that the state of Florida employs a grading system that supposedly can identify when a child guesses an answer on the FCAT? In fact, if the computer program used to grade the test determines that a child guessed an answer, that answer is marked wrong, even if the answer was right! How can anyone consciously adopt a system that penalizes children so harshly when so much rides on the results of this one, single test?

· Did you know that the FCAT changes every year? Some years, it has a heavy focus on algebraic thinking or reference and research (for example) while other years it might have very few questions on these important concepts. Our teachers never know what the focus will be and how best to prepare students for this high stakes exam.

· Did you know that the state of Florida is sending extra tax money as a reward to schools that earn “A’s?” Do you know who gets this money? The answer is twofold—those that are geographically advantaged and those who need a lower score to pass.

· Did you know that the value of your home is directly related to the grade your local school earns?

Well, we’ve been labeled. Now, don’t get me wrong. As the regular reader of my column will certainly note, I agree with the standards movement. I believe that students should meet minimum competencies and that their success, or lack thereof, should be measured and used to prescribe specific remedies. I just don’t agree with the system as it currently exists. Here are some simple fixes to remedy these inequities:

• Implement a consistent exam—one that follows the same format from year to year, is designed by the same company or entity, and that remains consistent in its content.
• Set the same passing standards for all students, regardless of grade level.
• The minimum standards required to pass should be brought into line with those of other states. Florida’s children should never be forced to compete for scarce scholarships, college placements, and other opportunities from a disadvantaged position.
• The grading system should be set in stone, not changed from year to year.
• Provide a system that is fair to all, regardless of national origin or geographic location.
• Spend tax money where it is needed the most.
• If a student answers a question correctly, give him or her credit for that answer. Don’t allow a fancy computer program to second guess a human being.
• Find a way to grade schools that does not impact housing values.

Give Florida schools the same targets as those in other states and I think you will find that we enjoy the services of some world-class educators. That includes your local school. I am proud of my staff. They’re top-notch and this grade will never convince me that they are not. Their work ethic, values, and love for your children and this community are beyond reproach. They have done their best to labor through a flawed system—a system that seems to be stacked against all high schools.

Well, the results of the FCAT and the State’s grading system will soon come home to roost. I guarantee that each of you will be impacted by the fallout. How? When you try to sell your home and find that it is now less desirable because of the school grade; when your teenager graduates with a certificate of completion despite meeting standards considered perfectly acceptable in other states; and, when you see the despair on your child’s face because the FCAT has removed his or her chance of ever chasing that special dream. Oh yes, my friend, on that day, the state grading system and the faulty examination upon which it is founded will become very personal indeed.