Preliminary results of the 2012 Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) writing proficiency have shown a dramatic drop when compared to last year, leading the State Board of Education to call an emergency meeting tomorrow.
Scoring of the 2012 FCAT writing assessment was changed this year with two raters – “3.5” and “4.0” – used to score each test rather then one.
The preliminary results show, at the Grade 4 level, 27 percent of students scored at the threshold level of “4.0” or above, compared to 81 percent last year. For Grade 8 students, 33 percent scored at or above the “4.0” threshold, compared to 82 percent in 2011.
Similar results were obtained for Grade 10 students: 38 percent scored at or above the “4.0” threshold as against 80 percent last year.
A statement advising of tomorrow’s meeting on the Florida Department of Education’s website said:
“Based on preliminary results of the 2012 writing assessment, applying the 4.0 threshold in addition to the heightened scoring rules may have unforeseen adverse impacts upon school grades, warranting emergency review by the State Board of Education.”
The results of students’ writing proficiency will have implications for school districts, parents, students and tax-payers.
