FCAT “anomalies”: Some officials concluding that results show results of reduced resources
The Orlando Sentinel and St. Pete Times are reporting that Florida Education Commissioner Eric Smith has concluded that the so-called “anomalous” FCAT results for fourth- and fifth-grade reading that have caused so much consternation among district officials are valid, and the FDOE is now preparing to issue school grades. The results show that the fraction of fourth- and fifth-graders who made learning gains in reading during the 2009-2010 school year declined significantly from the year before, and fewer elementary schools are likely to be awarded grades of “A” or “B”.
Both Smith and Pasco School Superintendent Heather Fiorentino speculated that budget cuts in the schools are responsible for the decline in learning gains. The Sentinel reported “Cuts in federal and state funding for reading programs could have hurt that progress, Smith said, though ‘we don’t at this point have any clear connections.’” The Times quoted Fiorentino saying “We’ve cut our resources. There is going to be an impact…It’s going to get harder as each year goes on.”
Not all district officials are convinced that the results are valid. The Florida Times-Union reported that Duval County School Superintendent Ed Pratt-Daniels hinted at possible legal action.
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August 5, 2010 at 12:16 pm
I have been complaining about this for years. The FCAT developmental scaled score is the least reliable statistic in the batch. It’s several statistical transforms away from the original test data. Because the stat comes from two years of FCAT tests based on different standards, the error accumulates over the years. After three years, the error reflected in a developmental score is 15%.
Why doesn’t a statistician point this out? Basing teacher salaries and school funding on inappropriate statistics may be politick, but it’s rotten policy!
It’s stuff like this that drives me crazy. Every legislator should be required to pass a college levy statistics course before he/she is allowed to vote on bills.