Is Florida Testing Students Too Much? Why There Is No Easy Answer

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — WPTV continues its deep dive into Florida’s test scores, just released by the state Department of Education, that show whether students are performing at grade level in a variety of subjects.

This was the second year that Florida has used a testing method to monitor student progress, measuring students’ progress three times a year.

Local school district leaders told WPTV education reporter Stephanie Susskind they really like it. But parents Susskind spoke with aren’t sure yet.

“I just don’t get it. I really don’t know how subtracting one test to add three, it doesn’t make sense to me. It doesn’t make sense,” said Sheena Romano, a mother of two from Palm Beach County.

Romano echoed the common sentiment among many parents Susskind spoke with Tuesday: There are too many tests in schools.

“The elementary school waits for iReady progress assessments three times a year. And then there’s the (Florida Assessment of Student Thinking) progress assessment. So can we eliminate one?” Romano said.

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In northern St. Lucie County, Dr. Jon Prince, the county superintendent, doesn’t deny it.

“Florida testing is rigorous,” Prince told Susskind. “I still say we have a little too many grades.”

But he supports a new style of progress testing, using the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST). This test is given at the beginning, middle and end of the school year to see what students are learning and what they should focus on.

“It’s a great blessing that we got these results immediately. So we know exactly where these kids are weak,” Prince said.

Florida education leaders tout this style of testing as a first in the nation. It replaces the high-stakes FSA exam, which was administered once at the end of the year.

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“We’re finding that there’s a lot more interface between parents and schools,” Prince said. “OK, my kid wasn’t doing so well. What can I do as a parent? And what can we do to work together and help them do better? So I think that’s helped not only the students’ learning, but also that interaction between parents, families and schools.”

While parents like Romano understand this perspective, they still believe there is too much testing pressure on today’s students.

“I think a good teacher, like a good parent, should be able to see progress. If you focus on the kids,” Romano said.

So why are these tests important? Not only do they measure student progress, but they are also used to determine school and district grades. They are expected to be released late this summer.