FCAT Dependency Returns
No more vigorous opponent of Florida’s test-based education system exists among the state’s columnists than the Palm Beach Posts’ Jac Wilder VerSteeg. Yesterday, Wilder VerSteeg astutely pointed out that with last week’s move to release FCAT rankings marked a the return of the controversial test as the dominant force in ou classrooms.
Just when it seemed that Florida was starting to kick its FCAT dependency, the state Department of Education falls off the wagon.
On Monday, the department released a list of school districts ranked solely according to their FCAT scores. Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson said it was meant to provide “one user-friendly document” to help the public judge schools, and that Gov. Scott approved of the rankings.
