What is the FCAT?
The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) is a standard-referenced assessment. The results provide a snapshot of where students stand, not in relation to each other, but in relation to their ability to reach educational standards that Floridians expect. These expectations are outlined in the Sunshine State Standards.
Who Takes the FCAT?
Initially, students took the FCAT reading tests in grades 4, 8 and 10, and the mathematics in grades 5, 8 and 10. In 1999, the Legislature expanded it to include grades 3-10 for both reading and mathematics.
Four things to know about FCAT
- FCAT is included in the School Accountability Report, which is used to assign school grades.
- FCAT is used for promotion and graduation purposes.
- FCAT is used to identify students in need of remediation in reading and math, to obtain feedback on curriculum and teaching strategies, and to gauge student progress.
- FCAT replaces the High School Competency Test (HSCT) as a graduation requirement.
Contents of FCAT Reading Tests
- 6–7 reading passages
- 40–45 multiple-choice questions
- 3–4 short response performance tasks
- 1–2 extended response performance tasks
Features of FCAT
The reading tests at grades 3, 5, 6, 7, and 9 consist of reading passages and multiple-choice questions only.
Although less than 20% of the test questions use the extended response and short response formats, a much greater percentage of the total score is based on these types of questions. The chart below shows the percent of questions and the percent of points on the FCAT.
| Subject & Grade | Question Formats | % of Questions | % of Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | Multiple Choice | 83% | 68% |
| 4, 8 & 10 | Short & Extended Response | 17% | 32% |
The FCAT reading test is different from typical tests because it requires students to analyze, synthesize and evaluate the information presented, and then apply strategies or procedures. This level of thinking goes beyond the recall of facts and basic comprehension typical of many standardized test questions.
To ensure that intended levels of cognitive tasks are represented on the FCAT, the Florida Department of Education adopted a simple, two-level classification system based on the taxonomy developed by Bloom.
FCAT Passages
The purpose of the FCAT reading test is to measure students' achievement in constructing meaning from a wide variety of texts. Two general categories of passages included on FCAT are informational texts and literary texts. Each FCAT reading test consists of 2–3 literary passages and 4–5 informational passages. The average number of words per passage is 700.
Informational text includes subject area texts, diaries, magazine articles, essays, newspaper articles, consumer materials, biographies, autobiographies, advertisements, "how to" instructions, and editorials.
Literary text includes short stories, literary essays, poems, historical fiction, fables, folk-tales, plays, and excerpts from novels.
The selections cover content areas such as mathematics, science, social studies, language arts, health, and physical education. At the 8th Grade level, 60% of the passages are informational and 40% are literary.
Multiple Choice Questions
FCAT multiple-choice questions always have four answer choices. Students are directed to choose the best answer. Each multiple-choice question is worth 1 point and should take approximately one minute per item to answer.
Sample question:
Which sentence BEST characterizes Garrett's attitude toward chores and homework?
- Chores are more important than homework.
- He should be paid for chores and homework.
- Homework and chores will not matter when he is famous.
- There is not enough time to do both chores and homework.
Short Response Performance Tasks
This symbol appears next to those questions that require a short written answer. Students typically require about 5 minutes to answer these questions, and are given only 8 lines to write on. Short responses are scored using a 2 point scoring rubric. A complete and correct answer is worth 2 points. A partial answer is worth 1 point.
Read this quote.
The class laughs; the teacher smiles and shakes her head again. The ball of paper sails in smooth. In my mind, the crowds go wild.
How does this quote reveal Garrett's nature and future plans? Use details and information from the story to support your answer.
The FCAT Rubric
A rubric is an established, written set of criteria for scoring students' responses. A general rubric is used as a guideline for specific score points across all responses. An item-specific rubric describes a top-score response and provides an example of a top-score response.
The short answer questions on the FCAT can be scored 2, 1, or 0.
- Score 2
- A score of two indicates that the student has a complete understanding of the reading concept embodied in the task. The student has provided a response that is accurate, complete, and fulfills all the requirements of the task. Necessary support and/or examples are included, and the information given is clearly text-based.
- Score 1
- A score of one indicates that the student has a partial understanding of the reading concept embodied in the task. The student has provided a response that may include information that is essentially correct and text-based, but the information is too general or too simplistic. Some of the support and/or examples may be incomplete or omitted.
- Score 0
- A score of zero indicates that the response is inaccurate, confused, and/or irrelevant, or the student has failed to respond to the task.
Extended Response Performance Tasks
This symbol appears next to those questions requiring longer written answers. Students typically require 10–15 minutes to answer these questions, and are given only 14 lines to write on. The extended responses are scored using a 4 point scoring rubric. A complete and correct answer to each of these questions is worth 4 points. A partial answer is worth 1, 2, or 3 points.
Sample question:
How do the adults' comments to Garrett contribute to the development of the story? Use details and information from the story to support your answer.
The FCAT Rubric
The extended response questions on the FCAT can be scored 4, 3, 2, 1 or 0.
- Score 4
- A score of four indicates that the student has a thorough understanding of the reading concept embodied in the task. The student has provided a response that is accurate, complete, and fulfills all the requirements of the task. Necessary support and/or examples are included, and the information is clearly text-based.
- Score 3
- A score of three indicates that the student has an understanding of the reading concept embodied in the task. The student has provided a response that is accurate and fulfills all the requirements of the task, but the required support and/or details are not complete or clearly text-based.
- Score 2
- A score of two indicates that the student has a partial understanding of the reading concept embodied in the task. The student has provided a response that may include information that is essentially correct and text-based, but the information is too general or too simplistic. Some of the support and/or examples and requirements of the task may be incomplete or omitted.
- Score 1
- A score of one indicates that the student has a very limited understanding of the reading concept embodied in the task. The response is incomplete, may exhibit many flaws, and may not address all requirements of the task.
- Score 0
- A score of zero indicates that the response is inaccurate, confused, and/or irrelevant, or the student has failed to respond to the task.
Tips for Scoring FCAT Responses
- Remember this is a test of reading comprehension, not a test of writing.
- The overriding question is "Does this response show that the student comprehends both the question and the reading passage?"
- Students are not required to restate the question. In fact, restating the question can use 2 to 3 lines of valuable space needed to provide sufficient details and explanation.
- Focus on what the student does right rather than errors, unless these errors indicate the student did not comprehend the reading task.
- Remember that students should provide explanation or interpretation in their own words, in addition to using key words or phrases from the article.
- For questions that have more than one part, consider the amount of information available in the passage for answering each part. If text-based information is limited for one part of the question, students will not be expected to provide equal support for that part.