Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Come You Know What or High Water!!!

Today is the first day of our wonderful State's highstakes test, the FCAT. All kidding (which wasn't much considering I just typed one sentence) aside, I would ask that you pray for my students as they take the FCAT this week and next. Their highstakes is the right to choose their own electives in High School or have the State choose it for them in the guise of remedial reading and math courses. For us, funding or the lack thereof is the carrot of choice.

This year the State has instituted a new protocol should we suffer an interruption in testing due to severe storms. I thought I'd share it with you so that you could see how serious Florida takes high-stakes testing. You might want to adopt this policy for your State, family, or business.

Severe Weather Testing Protocols During FCAT Testing

Should a severe weather situation occur during testing, please remain calm. To display any kind of anxiety would be a testing irregularity and must be reported.

Please do not look out the window to watch for approaching tornadoes.You must monitor the students at all times. To do otherwise would be a testing irregularity and must be reported.

Should students notice an approaching tornado and begin to cry, please make every effort to protect their testing materials from the flow of tears and sinus drainage.Should a flying object come through your window during testing, please make every effort to ensure that it does not land on a testing booklet or an answer sheet. Please make sure to soften the landing of the flying object so that it will not disturb the students while testing.

Should shards of glass from a broken window come flying into the room,have the students use their bodies to shield their testing materials so that they will not be damaged. Have plenty of gauze on hand to ensure that no one accidentally bleeds on the answer documents. Damaged answersheets will not scan properly.

Should gale force winds ensue, please have everyone stuff their testbooklets and answer sheets into their shirts being very careful not to bend them because bent answer documents will not scan properly.If any student gets sucked into the vortex of the funnel cloud, please make sure they mark at least one answer before departing and of course make sure they leave their answer sheets and test booklets behind.

You will have to account for those. Should a funnel cloud pick you, the test administrator, up and take you flying over the rainbow, you will still be required to account for all of your testing materials when you land so please take extra precautions. Remember, once you have checked them out, they should never leave your hands.

When rescue workers arrive to dig you out of the rubble, please make sure that they do not, at any time, look at or handle the testing materials. Once you have been treated for your injuries, you will still be responsible for checking your materials back in. Search dogs will not be allowed to sift through the rubble for lost tests. Unless of course they have been through standardized test training.

Please do not pray should a severe weather situation arise. Your priority is to actively monitor the test and a student might mark in the wrong section if you are praying instead of monitoring. I'm sure God will put war, world hunger, crime, and the presidential primaries on hold until after testing is over. He knows how important this test is.

Comments:
You had me going at first. Having learned recently how important this testing stuff is - I don't doubt much of your post!
 
I did actually pray for your students! :)
 
Terri - Ah Terri, you're becoming like "Brooks" from the movie "Shawshank Redemption," as in becoming "institutionalized" when it comes to schools and testing. Hang in there. :)

Judy - Thanks and thanks for them as well.
 
This comment has been removed by the author.
 
I'm with Terri ... at first I thought this was actually from the State! It's not too difficult to imagine the state issuing something just about that stupid.
 
Greg - You don't know, in fact, here is an example.
Every kid, teacher, and parent are aware that we give this little test called the "FCAT."

This year the "State" passed a law banning using "FCAT" in any kind of after school or Saturday help to prepare for the test. We can't stress out the kids.
 
I knew it was not really from any government institution when you mentioned prayer...or God. We can't talk about those things...
 
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