Review reveals FCAT temporary workers hired to grade essay questions lack degrees in subject area they scored
Following settlement of a suit brought by two Florida state senators to gain access to information regarding the qualifications of test scorers on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT), a review has revealed that some of the temporary workers hired to grade essay questions on the tests lack degrees or college course work related to the subjects they were scoring. The finding was confirmed by Florida Education Commissioner John Winn, who downplays its significance. Mr. Winn insists he is confident none of the tests was incorrectly scored and refuses to back off prior comments that the senators set out to discredit the FCAT. "Even on political fishing expeditions sometimes you catch a few fish," he says. "So, I think a few fish were caught here. Fortunately, they weren't big ones." Walter "Skip" Campbell, one of the senators who brought the suit, disagrees and denies that he and state senator Les Miller of Tampa are on political fishing trip. "There were no checks and balances," he says. "It's our interpretation we caught a whale. ... Privatization certainly again has failed the citizens of Florida."
Mr. Winn has given assurances that, starting with next year's tests, CTB/McGraw-Hill, the company with a contract to administer the FCAT, will be monitored to make sure graders have degrees or college course work related to the subjects they are grading. He also points out that the state will develop guidelines to ensure there's no misunderstanding about acceptable background for each subject. CTB/McGraw-Hill spokeswoman Kelley Carpenter says the company supports the state's goals and will continue working with the education department "to further clarify hiring practices." Both Ms. Carpenter and Mr. Winn maintain that other screening plus training and stringent monitoring ensure that the graders scored the test correctly. However, a review by aides to the senators of about half of the more than 2,500 job applications found that graders are as likely to be janitors, homemakers, and store clerks as they are to have professional careers. Their review to date reveals that 674 graders appear to have no experience as educators or a degree directly related to the subjects they are grading. Applications from the other 581 graders indicate they had an education background, teaching experience, or related skills, but 353 provided no documentation to support these claims. Sen. Campbell says some scorers have degrees in non-FCAT subjects as physical education or hospitality, and many come from foreign schools. He also questions their English skills.
St. Petersburg TimesBy Associated Press
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Editor's Note: For background on the settlement of the senator's FCAT scorers' suit, see the link below.]
[NSBA School Law pages on settlement]