Florida End Of Course (EOC) Exams RESOURCE LINK

http://fcat.fldoe.org/eoc/
Got Questions about the End Of Course Exams? (EOC) 
This is the FDOE webpage to guide you so you know what's up! Enjoy!

Saving another High School Diploma for someone!!

Going today to help save another high school diploma for someone! I swear....the weeks that lead up to students taking the Florida FCAT exam our IEP "teams" get geared up and start getting my parents all excited about an IEP meeting....and the bottom line reason for these meetings is to ask the couple of questions to the "IEP TEAM" and to get that student off the regular diploma track!...so they don't have to give that student the FCAT! I say....they need to change their ATTITUDE towards certain individuals that have a certain disability and have HIGHER EXPECTATIONS and continue to teach them to the Sunshine State Standards and do a better job of teaching ALL students with disabilities!!

What is with our Public School system today that they are so quick to put students on the SPECIAL DIPLOMA TRACK and have them take the ALTERNATE ASSESSMENT? I don't get it....why would anyone want to attend school for so many years and in the end they don't even get a HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA!? Who ARE these people sitting around our IEP "team" tables making life long academic decisions on behalf of our Children!

If you ask me.....that SPECIAL DIPLOMA is NOT so.......SPECIAL IF IT'S NOT A DIPLOMA AT ALL!! What parent wants to send their Children to school everyday and in the end they are working towards a NON HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA? I don't know many that would say yes to that! Our Children need a HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA!! Teach them to be able to get one!

Anyway....wish me luck in advocating for this very smart little guy that has been doing a wonderful job  academically. I am impressed with how well he has been doing in school. He has always shown us that he CAN DO IT!

Should my Child take the FCAT?

FCAT FCAT FCAT and what does it mean for our kiddo's? Sunshine State Standards being taught is so much more important with an opportunity to actually learn them, hopefully with the support our student needs, is more important than our kiddo's being able to pass this darn FCAT! If a student fails the FCAT what interventions are in place for your Child if they didn't pass it?  Always ask yourself...what would a 100% general education student receive if they didn't do well on the FCAT? Your son or daughter should receive those same interventions and support as well! Don't settle for the Special Diploma option till your Child has had at least an opportunity to 'fail the FCAT' and receive intensive interventions to be able to pass the next FCAT and the next FCAT and the next FCAT!  Intensive interventions is part of what students receive if they score low on FCAT.

Little Secret:
YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER WILL NOT BE THE FIRST TO FAIL THE FCAT.....MANY NON-ESE STUDENTS FAIL THE FCAT!

See the several articles posted on Tampabay.com blog gradebook
blog Gradebook and you decide if this FCAT is a test we all can feel confident in anymore.

See also this article:
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/gradebook/content/fcats-all-right-florida-department-education-suggests

....shhhhh it's FCAT TESTING!

Not a mouse was stirring not even a squeek was heard in the halls of our schools.....shhhhhhh it's FCAT testing time!

No homework night for everyone! Make sure everyone gets plenty of rest and eats a good breakfast says the phone link message across FCAT land...

I have an 8th grader and a 4th grader, both don't 'test well' as the past will tell. They can only do what they can do ~ the rest is all about where the dice lie in the end. They will be relieved to know it will be over and done with till this time again next year. Take a deep breath and breath in and R E L A X and do the best you can!

Here's to all the FCAT Floridians...GOD BLESS every last one of you and your teachers that have taught you well. Let's pray for our school children and their teachers, administrators and grounds keepers and let's not forget the wonderful lunch ladies that are there everyday with warm and hot food for our kiddo's! Eveyone is a part of my child's success!

Thank you!

Schools try to make progress while addressing special-needs students

The Gainesville school system is appealing the analyses of two special-needs students who were evaluated by the alternate assessment, Macken said. If the state Department of Education grants just one of the appeals, Gainesville Middle will be granted AYP status in the second determination to be made this fall.

Kathy Culver, Hall’s special education director, said she’s hopeful the state will adopt a third assessment for students with mild disabilities. She said the test is on the horizon and would more closely match the intellectual capability of that "2 percent group."
"We all want to be measured on what’s appropriate for us," she said.

*click link below to read full article:
Schools try to make progress while addressing special-needs students

FCAT or Alternate Assessment....which...

When is the best time to DECIDE which STATE ASSESSMENT TEST is best for your Child? Oh the decisions we have to make for our Children and their education. No one ever told us all this Special Education stuff would require us parents to make these kinds of decisions that will mean getting a REAL Diploma or a Special Diploma.

When is the best time to make the decision to go alternate or to take the regular FCAT?...THIS is the question of the day!

At my own daughters IEP when she was in KINDERGARTEN the 'IEP team' had the discussion: if she should be on the Regular Diploma track or the Special Ed Diploma track! Being the 'mom' to this little Kindergarten Child they all were referring to IF she should get a real diploma or not, I was having heat flashes of NO NO NO they aren't talking about MY GIRL not getting a high school diploma here are they?! I was mortified that such an IMPORTANT life changing decision could or should be even considered at such a young age! Why in Kindergarten..at 5 or 6 years old would my daughters IEP team think they knew enough about her to even know if she would be 'capable' or not of learning 'academics' like the other students in her Kindergarten class?

Well of course in Kindergarten no student is taking 'the FCAT'...so it wasn't a real issue at that point in time...but each year at her ANNUAL IEP the 4 QUESTIONS would be asked during the meeting and each year I felt that I had to STAND MY GROUND that yes she was capable of doing well in her ADAPTIVE SKILLS and WAS CAPABLE of things age appropriate. *Funny (actually very sad) how these "IEP TEAM" people sit around IEP table after IEP table facing parents that are raising wonderful Children and doing the best they can to help their Child acquire skills that will help them be as independent as possible...and yet without batting an eyelash...they can 'recommend' so easily that they will be on an ALTERNATE ASSESSMENT and earn a SPECIAL DIPLOMA...because why...are "they" really in a position to make that kind of MAJOR DECISION for a PERSON at such a young age? Do these kinds of decisions REALLY need to be made when a Child is just 5 & 6 years old?

I just wish that ALL STUDENTS were given a FAIR SHAKE at TAKING THE FCAT the 1st time and a 2nd time and as many times at it takes to give them a FAIR SHAKE! If a student FAILS the FCAT...they get INTENSIVE INTERVENTIONS to help them do better on the next State Exams. Schools should be teaching ALL STUDENTS TO READ AND WRITE AND DO MATH, and that includes students receiving special education services! They need MORE INTENSIVE INTERVENTIONS and extra help!

Do ALL STUDENTS PASS THE FCAT? NO.....do some students need extra help? Absolutely!! Are students that have an IEP and have an ELIGIBILITY to receive Special Ed Supports & Services really being PUSHED to learn to read and write? I think MORE CAN BE PROVIDED in the way of INTENSIVE INTERVENTIONS...the same interventions that are provided to students that don't pass the FCAT! It doesn't even have to be 'special ed'...it needs to be INTENSIVE...and what about RtI...?? (Response to Intervention) RtI is something that has been in place for a couple of years now....still haven't heard of anyone actually DOING IT for our students...and why is that?...no training...or no interest in understanding what RtI actually is and how it's suppose to work for those students AT RISK!

Alternate Assessment or FCAT...which is it?...if a student is on Alt. Ass...how many teachers and principals believe that because a student is on Alt. Ass that they can't be fully included in a General Education Classroom? I do know that if a student is on the Alt. Ass. that it's NOT a reason to not be educated in a General Education classroom!

If more students receiving Special Ed services were given the opportunity to receive INTENSIVE INTERVENTIONS in READING AND MATH EARLY and everyone did their part in helping students really learn academics EARLY...more students would be learning and passing State Exams and showing progress in all areas of academics.

Do I think the FCAT is a good thing?...yes and no....it does help with accountability...but when so many of 'our kiddo's' are put on the ALTERNATE ASSESSMENTS at such an early age...it doesn't help that student...it lowers the expectations for that student and it certainly lets teachers and schools 'off the hook' in providing INTENSIVE INTERVENTIONS to help them read and do math! I don't agree with putting so many on the Alt. Ass. at such a young age...everyone should be provided with HIGH EXPECTATIONS TO LEARN and be provided any and all the extra help that it takes to get ALL STUDENTS TO READ AND WRITE.

What are you comments on this? Would love to have a discussion on 'the expectations'...or lack of them...I expect my daughter to be taught to read...I expect her to need extra help, I expect she will be a good reader...someday...she needs INTENSIVE INTERVENTIONS...just like others that are below grade level and not passing the State exams to measure how she is doing and how 'the school is doing'.....ahh...how is the school doing...isn't that what it's really all about? ...and if we have YOUR Child take the State exam and it brings the 'school grade' down....oh well...just push to get em on the ALTERNATE ASSESMENT and then it won't matter anymore...the students on Alt. Ass. don't have anything to do with 'how the school is doing' anymore...that takes care of that problem!

Special Diploma....I hate how it looks and sounds...and what it stands for!! NOT MUCH!