Sunshine State Standards

The Sunshine State Standards have been created through a school improvement and accountability initiative to reform education in Florida's public schools. The goal of this initiative is to raise student achievement to world class levels. FCAT is designed specifically for Florida. It is based on the Sunshine State Standards, and measures how well students are progressing toward those academic standards at varying developmental levels.

Purpose of Standards

The Sunshine State Standards do not tell teachers how to teach. They are simply guidelines to assist teachers in designing instruction to meet student needs, and more importantly, to identify the essential knowledge and skills that students should learn and for which the state will hold schools accountable.

The FCAT reading test for grade eight is based on the language arts standards and benchmarks.

Structure of Standards

Strand

A. Reading

Standard

2. The student constructs meaning from a wide range of texts.

Benchmark

LA.A.2.3.1 The Student determines the main idea or essential message in a text and identifies relevant details, facts and patterns of organization.

The Sunshine State Standards are made-up of strands, standards and benchmarks, and follow a hierarchic structure.

A strand is the most general type of information. It is a label for a category of knowledge.

A standard is a description of general expectations in regards to the knowledge and skill development within a strand.

A benchmark is the most specific level of information. It is a statement of expectation about student knowledge and skill by the end of each developmental level.

Summary of Strands and Standards for Language Arts

Reading
1. The student uses the reading process effectively.
2. The student constructs meaning from a wide range of texts.
Writing
1. The student uses writing processes effectively.
2. The student writes to communicate ideas and information effectively.
Listening, Viewing and Speaking
1. The student uses listening strategies effectively.
2. The student uses viewing strategies effectively.
3. The student uses speaking strategies effectively.
Language
1. The student understands the nature of language.
2. The student understands the power of language.
Literature
1. The student understands the common features of a variety of literary forms.
2. The student responds critically to fiction, nonfiction, poetry and drama.

Content Assessed by FCAT Reading for Grade 8

MC = Multiple Choice SR = Short Response ER = Extended Response	I = Informational Text L = Literary Text
Grade 8	Item Types
Benchmarks	MC	SR	ER
LA.A.1.3.2 Uses a variety of strategies to analyze works and text, draw conclusions, use context and word structure clues, and recognize organizational patterns.	I & L	I & L
LA.A.2.2.7 Recognizes the use of comparison and contrast in a text.	I & L	I & L	I & L
LA.A.2.3.1 Determines the main idea or essential message in a text and identifies relevant details and facts and patterns of organization.	I & L	I & L	I & L
LA.A.2.3.2 Identifies the author's purpose and/or point of view in a variety of texts and uses the information to construct meaning.	I & L	I & L
LA.A.2.3.5 Locates, organizes, and interprets written information for a variety of purposes, including classroom research, collaborative decision making, and performing a school or real-world task.	I & L	I & L	I
LA.A.2.3.8 Checks the validity and accuracy of information obtained from research, in such ways as differentiating fact and opinion, identifying strong vs. weak arguments, and recognizing that personal values influence the conclusions an author draws.	I & L	I & L
LA.E.2.2.1 Recognizes cause-and-effect relationships in literary texts.	I & L	I & L
LA.E.2.3.1 Understands how character and plot development, point of view, and tone are used in various selections to support a central conflict or story line.	I & L	I & L	I & L

FCAT Express

8th Grade Reading