FCAT Starts With Writing Assessment

Students in grades four, eight and 10 will face the first round of assessment testing for the 2008-09 school year this week, with the writing portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test being given Tuesday.

While these students will face the actual FCAT testing, other grades often take mock tests during the same time to get practice in writing.

The Fred Wild Elementary monthly parent newsletter, for instance, states that third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students will take the FCAT Writing Test, but Assistant Principal Harvey Wilder said only the fourth-graders will take the actual FCAT.

Often, the other teachers also give writing assignments during the official testing period in order to give their students practice in writing to prompts, he said.

"We just put a big emphasis on writing that day," Wilder said. Students are encouraged to get a good night's sleep and no homework is given the day before any FCAT testing.

Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum Becky Fleck said other schools also give practice tests to grades that are not taking the FCAT.

Sebring Middle School administers a mock writing assessment test to its sixth- and seventh-graders in preparation for the real test in eighth-grade, she said. A team of teachers grades all the papers, which gives feedback to the students and teachers.

Formerly known as Writing+, the writing test is now called Florida Writes! Another change is that the tests this year will no longer have 44 multiple-choice questions, which have been eliminated due to budget constraints.

Also due to budget cuts, the state's parent network is no longer in existence. The Web site had provided parents with early access to their child's scores.

Parents will probably receive the scores with their child's report card, Fleck said. Scores will likely be released in late May.

When tested on Tuesday, each student will receive a writing folder containing one writing prompt (topic) with two lined pages for the written response. Students are given 45 minutes to read their prompt, plan and write their response.

The writing makeup testing will take place Wednesday and Thursday.

According to the Florida Department of Education, the test results can assist identifying strengths and weaknesses.

The reading, math and science FCAT testing will be held March 10-19.