Hillsborough Students State's Best Writers

By MARILYN BROWN The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 9, 2008

TAMPA - Hillsborough school officials are celebrating the best average writing score for eighth-graders in the state on the essay portion of this year's Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.

Thursday's release of writing scores is round one of the state's annual rollout of test scores for public schools. Between now and mid-July, FCAT reading, math and science scores will be released, culminating in school grades and a passing or failing mark on a national report card.

Hillsborough's top average score of 4.6 out of 6 points returns the district to the top position for eighth-graders among Florida's 67 districts for the seventh time since 2000, said Max Hutto, supervisor of middle school language arts. The state average is 4.2.

"It's consistency," said Hutto, who said the district's solid writing program has focused on the same basic skills for at least a decade. A wealth of teacher training has paid off, he said: "They take the training we provide and make it their own."

Statewide average performance on the essay portion of the writing FCAT showed a slight increase in eighth grade, a slight decrease in grade 4 and flat in grade 10. In Hillsborough, the average performance dropped slightly in grades 4 and 10 and increased in grade 8.

The percentage of students who the state deems to be at grade level by combining both the essay and the multiple-choice test showed improvement, particularly at eighth grade.

"They've got so many scores, it's hard to figure it all out," said Sam Whitten, Hillsborough's supervisor of assessment. "It depends how you want to look at it. The bottom line is, kids are continuing to write well."

When parents get their children's test scores in the various subjects, they can see where their children improved and in some cases, whether they will move up a grade or graduate from high school.

State and district scores are trickier.

The tests and what they are used for keep changing.

Thursday's writing scores are one example: For more than a decade the writing test was simply an essay.

In 2006, a multiple-choice section was added. That multiple-choice section is gone as of 2009. It is supposed to return in 2012-13 - if the governor signs pending legislation.

"It's not dead; it's hibernating," is how Whiten describes the multiple-choice section.

That move will save money and give the state more time to figure out how to link or combine the essay and multiple-choice portions of FCAT. They don't combine well, said Tom Butler, press secretary for the state Department of Education, but he said he could not explain the intricate details. Basing the high stakes of high school graduation partly on FCAT writing will take more work, he said.

"There were concerns on being able to do that," he said.

The writing FCAT was also on the way to being added to 10th-grade FCAT reading and math scores as a graduation requirement, starting with this year's 10th-graders. That's also on hold.

As for money, the state will save about $2.5 million by removing multiple-choice items from the writing test, Butler said. That includes development, printing, machine scoring, field testing of items and adding repeat test administrations for students who didn't pass.

For the past two years, the state has combined the essay and multiple-choice sections of FCAT to measure whether students in grades 4, 8 and 10 are writing at grade level. That measure is still considered valid for that purpose, Butler said.

The bottom line: For the 2008-09 school year, students will be back to just writing essays and not answering multiple-choice questions related to identifying focus, organization and support. Their writing score also will be just the essay, the only part of FCAT writing that has been used to help determine school grades.

A grade of A or an improved mark means money and status for a school.

More changes are in store.

In recent years, most of the state-assigned school grades came from FCAT scores. That will still be the case in elementary and middle schools. Beginning in 2009-10, the tests will be later in the year and only half of a high school's grade is to be based on FCAT scores. High school graduation rates and advanced placement class participation are to be added. Details are still being worked out.

FCAT writing results, including previous years, are available online at: fcat.fldoe .org/results/default.asp.

Most parents can view their child's scores beginning at 6 a.m. Tuesday via the FCAT Parent Network at www.fcat parentnetwork.com, using the secure login and password provided by your school.

Reporter Marilyn Brown can be reached at (813) 259-8069 or mbrown@tampatrib.com.