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About the School Grades

• Florida uses School Grades to measure the overall performance of a school each year on the FCAT.
• Each school is assigned a letter grade (A-F) based on three criteria: the overall performance on the FCAT, the percentage of eligible students who took the test, and whether or not students made progress in reading and math.
• The School Grades are calculated by adding points earned from each of the performance criteria listed above.

Testing in Florida: An Overview

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Grade 11

Source: FL Dept. of Education, 2008-2009

About the Tests

• In 2008-2009 Florida used the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) to test students in grades 3 through 10 in reading and math; in grades 4, 8 and 10 in writing; and in grades 5, 8 and 11 in science.
• The FCAT is a standards-based test, which means it measures how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of Florida.
• Students must pass the grade 10 FCAT in order to graduate.
• The FCAT has 5 achievement levels, with level 1 being the lowest and level 5 the highest.
• Florida considers scores of level 3 and higher to be on or above grade level. The goal is for all students to score at or above level 3.

Testing in Florida: An Overview

See Florida's state standards

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About the Tests

• In 2008-2009 Florida used the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) Writing to test students in grades 4, 8 and 10.
  
• The Writing is a standards-based test, which means it measures how well students are mastering specific skills needed to progress through school.
• The FCAT Writing exam is scored on a scale of 1 to 6. The state considers a score of 3.5 and above to meet state standards.

Testing in Florida: An Overview