- May 5, 2024
-
-
Loading
Loading
A website shows formats for upcoming tests.
Volusia County schools will not get another “C” grade, but that’s because the grading system for the current year has changed to a percentage by the state. Next December, when the reports for the 2014-2015 year are received, all counties in Florida will receive a percentage, rather than a letter, grade.
Alicia Parker, assistant director of program accountability and testing for Volusia County Schools, expressed concerns about public misunderstanding about the new grading system at the Volusia County School Board meeting on Jan. 27.
In the past, she told the board, a score of 525 out of 800 earned an “A” grade, which was 66%. In December, instead of getting an “A” grade, the school will get a grade of 66%.
Parker fears that parents will see a grade of 66% and compare it to the old days when 90% was an “A,” 80% was a “B,” etc.
She suggested that the board have an informational campaign to explain the new grading system.
In a phone interview after the meeting, Parker explained that the new testing system is more complex than the old days. For example, different questions have different weights, more points are given for close answers and fewer points are given for answers that are far off. FCAT was scored the same way.
In the new format, a score of 495, formerly a “B,” will be 61%. A score of 435, formerly a “C,” will be 54%.
Another change is that graduation rates will be factored in for grades for counties and high schools, and each school will get a report card showing such factors such as attendance, as well as the grade.
Parker said whenever she talks to parents and students, she always emphasizes that they should go to the website, fsassessments.org and click on “training tests.”
On this website, a person can go to any grade and any subject to get sample tests so they can see the format of the questions that will be on the tests this March and April. Some are multiple choice but require two answers, some require clicking and dragging, etc. There are also questions that include sound.
“The more you know about something the less you have to be afraid or nervous about,” she said.
But she said it’s the teaching, and not the testing methods, that is important. She said she always emphasizes to teachers to teach to the new Florida Standards and the testing will take care of itself.
There has been a lot of consternation about Volusia County schools getting a “C” grade. This first happened in 2012, when FCAT adopted higher standards. Parker said the county has always been strong in science and improvements in reading will be necessary to score higher.
“We’re doing our best,” she said.
On Feb. 10, the Jeb Bush Foundation is having a summit in Tallahassee, where legislators and school leaders will discuss the state of education, standards and testing in schools. She said discussions could lead to changes made in the upcoming legislative session.
