To the obvious delight of these FL teachers, Governor Jeb Bush
leads the way.
By Mary Ellen Flannery, Palm Beach Post
Staff Writer
Sunday, February 10, 2002
Fourth-grader Nicole Carver sat at her desk Wednesday, about an hour before she and her Wynnebrook Elementary classmates wrote one final practice essay, and sang along to the school's spring anthem, "It's test time, it's test time."
Yes, it is that time of year again in Palm Beach County and all over Florida. The state's fourth-, eighth-, and 10th-graders sit down Tuesday for the first part of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test: the writing exam. In early March, third- through 10th-graders will sharpen their pencils for the reading and math sections.
"I've been singing that song since kindergarten," Carver whispered. "That's kindergarten, and first grade, second grade, third grade, fourth grade -- I know all the words by heart."
And that's not all she knows.
Carver and her classmates have been preparing for the FCAT for years -- and certainly all of the 108 days that they've spent in teacher Caron Martin's classroom this year.
"When I get those FCATs in my hands and start walking into this room, I know they're (the papers) going to start shaking," Martin told her students, mocking the voice of a scared FCAT paper. "Oh no! Not Portable 17! They're too good! They're going to knock me out of the park! The other FCATs will laugh at me!"
"Ms. Martin, those tests are going to say, 'Retreat!' " predicted a confident Stewart Folmer.
This is the ninth year Florida students have taken a statewide writing exam -- it used to be called the Florida Writes! -- and writing scores have soared to all-time highs.
Last year, about 91 percent of all students in Palm Beach County scored a 3 out of a possible 6 to pass the test. Statewide, 90 percent passed.
Scores have been so terrific that state officials considered raising the passing score this year to a 4, but backed off when parents and teachers complained about the midstream switch. In the revamped scoring system, which the state Cabinet approved in December, schools will get extra credit for students who score a 4 or better.
This is the first change in the FCAT writing test in years, and it's hard to predict how it will affect school scores. Part of the reason students have been so successful on the writing test is it's the one test that hasn't changed over the years, principals said. Students know exactly what to expect: one essay and 45 minutes to write it.
Fourth-graders get either a narrative or expository essay. If it's narrative, they might have to write about the day they shrank to the size of a mouse. If it's expository, they might explain what they want to be when they grow up. Eighth- and 10th-graders also could get a persuasive essay: Why should every home have a pet?
Preparation for the test started years ago. By second grade, most students are writing essays, speaking fluently about main ideas and supporting details, and taking Palm Beach Writes, the district's practice exam styled after the FCAT.
Some schools start even younger. At Lake Park Elementary, even the 5-year-olds know the difference between a 1 and a 6 score, Assistant Principal Champ Bogue said. A kindergartner's perfect score is a sentence with a capital letter and period, and a picture that matches.
At this point, with just days to go before the test, students and teachers are just polishing the details. Remember the judges and make your essay interesting for them, Martin said. Start the essay with a "grabber" and finish it with a "twist," she said -- as she led her students in a sweaty rendition of that very same song.
Use interesting words!
"Don't write 'the cat ran,' write 'the feline sprinted!' " Martin encouraged.
"Yeah, you'll give the judge a nightmare -- 'The cat ran,' 'The cat ran,' 'The cat ran,' 'The cat ran,' " said fourth-grader Matthew Moses, mimicking a near bored-to-death writing judge.
Use similes!
"The sand was as hot as the surface of the sun!" Martin shouted.
Wynnebrook Principal Jeff Pegg said, "Fourth-graders, we've given you all the tools you need to be successful," including planning sheets, lists of "said-o-nyms" (why use "said" when you can write "barked"?), and Arnold Schwarzenegger transitions, which are the strongest around, like "first and foremost," or "last but not least."
"Maybe we can get Arnold here for the FCAT," suggested Matthew.
At Wynnebrook, it seems students don't need to call on the pumped-up Austrian for help. In their last practice test, 90 percent of the 200 fourth-graders scored a 3, and nearly 60 percent scored a 3.5 -- including Nicole, who wrote a narrative-style essay about finding a box with sea horse earrings.
"I was so happy I jumped up and down like a rabbit!" she wrote.
In Martin's class, the average score on expository essays soared from 1.7 in August to 3.6. ("Dang!" whispered one student.) On narratives, which are considered a little harder because the students can't rely on a regular format, Martin's students jumped from 1.7 to 3.3 on average.
But FCAT still makes students and teachers nervous because the stakes are so high. Scores are used to grade schools and money is attached to those grades. For individual students, their scores can mean the difference between graduating to fifth grade.
So, during these last few days, before the magic pencils are sharpened, teachers like Martin are working on one important 50-cent word: apprehension.
"My Dad was asking me, 'Are you ready?' And I said, 'Um, um, um, um, yeah...' " said fourth-grader Amber Baird.
"Do you still need all those um's?" Martin asked.
"No!"
mary_ellen_flannery@pbpost.com