Florida schools still don’t know what tests students will be taking when FCATs end, but district leaders are learning more about how schools themselves will be graded on them.

Florida Department of Education Commissioner Pam Stewart wants to put more emphasis on test scores and less on graduation rates.

"School grades are critical to home values and communities, so if I’m a parent, I’m paying attention to how school grades are created," said Lake County Schools Chief Academic Officer Dr. David Christiansen.

Florida’s final FCAT tests are being administered in reading, writing and math this spring. After that, students will take a new yet to be determined test based on common core objectives.

“We know from the specs it’s going to be 65 percent writing and it’s going to involve a lot more critical thinking for kids,” Christiansen said.

On Monday, School Board members learned what a transition year will mean for the district. Florida’s commissioner of education has proposed giving schools scores 1 to 100 after next year’s tests, but there would be no actual grades or funding consequences. Those would start in 2016 after a baseline was established.

Christiansen said one of the biggest changes in school grades would be at the high school level, where standardized test scores would make up 80 percent of school grades, instead of the 50 percent they do now.

“If they are eventually graduating and going on to college, that’s ultimately the bottom line. So I think it really needs to be looked at putting more emphasis on graduation rate for high schools,” Christiansen said.

Some people don't think there will be time for schools to prepare for these new tests once they are eventually announced.

Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, filed a bill last week to take a year off from testing.

Lake County school officials said they've altered their curriculum the past two years preparing, and whatever vendor is selected for the tests really shouldn't change anything.

Another effect of the state’s delay in selecting a new testing vendor has been school calendars. Districts usually are able to tell parents by now when school starts and breaks will be so they can plan vacations. But right now they said they are just stuck waiting. 

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