State Assesment Tests

In the state of FL we have an FCAT (FL comprehension assesment test) we actually had it last week and earlier this week. Personally I hate these test to begin with.

These test in generally are used to see how well the students in the state work. But I only think one of the three test really acuratly test you. Which is the reading test becuase if you can read you can read and you can understand.Reading doesn't change. But on the other hand the math test tests you on a range of diffrent kinds of math. But in school your freshman year you only learn algerbra and in sophmore year they only thing they teach you geometry. Two things which are barley on the test. If they are going to test you they should test you on things you have learned not to long ago. It is ridiculos to give a student a test that is going to determine whether they graduate or not on stuff they haven't even learned yet or that they learned a long time ago and that is not fresh in their memory. Same with science they teach you biology your sophmore year and theres like 5 questions on it out of around 53 questions. The others you pretty much have to take an educated guess and hope you got it right.

The stupid thing is that these questions and test are made up by people at the head of the school department, that have no idea about what the schools are teaching us or probably don't even care cause there old and done with school. Also there was an incident last year in which all the teachers said that the reading test and math test wouldn't count. They told the students it was a "practice test" because thats what the state told them and that was what the truth was at the moment. But these official at the head of the school department in Tallahasse decided...well lets just make it count. Pretty much because they felt it was a "good" idea. Well thanks to them a lot of student in FL particulary at my school are in intensive reading and intensive math classes. Student who some are which are very smart, bright, intelligent students who pretty much decided not to do their best because it was a "practice test" so now they can't take all of there electives because there stuck in intensive reading and math courses instead of classes that may pretain to their future.

I think these test should be changed or the curiculum shoud change to accomodate the students so it is fair to pass the test. Also I think when they say they are going to have a practice test they should keep it that way. It is a very big deal to be held back as a senior just because you couldnt pass FCAT because what they are being taught is not in the test.