DATE:                        June 21, 2000

SUBJECT:     Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test: Writing Assessment Results

To improve statewide assessment in Florida and test higher-order thinking skills, the 1990 Florida Legislature mandated the assessment of student writing.  The Florida Writing Assessment Program was established in response to this legislative action.  Beginning in February 1993, all fourth graders in the state were tested in expository or narrative writing, while all eighth graders were tested in expository or persuasive writing.  Beginning in 1994, all tenth graders in the state were tested in expository or persuasive writing.  In 2000, the Florida Writing Assessment Program was incorporated into the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test (FCAT) and is now called the FCAT Writing Assessment.

Trained readers score all FCAT Writing Assessment papers.  The readers score the writing using a six-point scale of 1 to 6.  A score of 1 is the lowest score and a score of 6 is the highest score.  An "Unscorable", which receives a score of 0, is given to any paper that does not address or just rewords the prompt, is illegible, incomprehensible, or is left blank. 

Every year, different prompts (writing assignments) are used in the FCAT Writing Assessment.  Because different prompts are used, scores do not have the same meaning from one year to the next.  However, by comparing the annual differences between district and state averages from one year to the next, changes in the district=s writing performance can be observed.

This year (FY2000), 11,468 fourth grade, 10,550 eighth grade, and 10,373 tenth grade students took the Florida Writing Assessment.  Previous to this year, the state reported school and district results of just Standard Curriculum Students, which excluded both students who were in specific ESE programs and/or students who participated in the Limited English Proficient Program for two years or less.  Beginning this year, the state is reporting school, district, and state results based on all students tested (all curriculum groups).

This manner of reporting has produced results that are not comparable to previous years' results.  In order to provide a basis for comparison, the state has recalculated the FY1999 writing results to reflect the FY2000 reporting method.  Following the state's lead, the Department of Research, Evaluation, and Assessment has recalculated district and school results from FY1999 to reflect the FY2000 reporting method.

As can be seen in the attached table, the FCAT Writing Assessment results are as follows:

1. From FY1999 to FY2000, the mean writing scores for the SDPBC and the state increased.

2. From FY1999 to FY2000, the SDPBC elementary school and middle school mean writing score increases were about the same as the state's increases, while the SDPBC high school mean writing score increase was slightly less than the state's increase.

This initial analysis is only the first of many steps in using data for improving the performance and progress of all our students.  It is based solely on the paper reports received from the Florida Department of Education (FDOE).  Upon receipt of the data tape and other information from the FDOE, the Department of Research, Evaluation, and Assessment will conduct analyses that include the performance of various groups of students and strengths and weaknesses in writing instruction.  Other departments and all schools will also review the results and conduct their own analyses on these and other indicators related to writing performance.  As a result, there will be a better understanding of these findings and what changes need to be made to continually improve the achievement of all our students.

Also attached is a list of the FCAT Writing Assessment results for the schools in the School District of Palm Beach County.

Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test - Mean Writing Score
FY1999 and FY2000 - All Curriculum Groups in the SDPBC and State: Grade 4*

	All Curriculum Groups
	FY1999	FY2000
SDPBC	2.9	3.2
State	3.0	3.2
Difference	-0.1	0.0

Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test - Mean Writing Score
FY1999 and FY2000 - All Curriculum Groups in the SDPBC and State: Grade 8*

	All Curriculum Groups
	FY1999	FY2000
SDPBC	3.3	3.6
State	3.3	3.7
Difference	0.0	-0.1

Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test - Mean Writing Score
FY1999 and FY2000 - All Curriculum Groups in the SDPBC and State: Grade 10*

	All Curriculum Groups
	FY1999	FY 000
SDPBC	3.5	3.7
State	3.5	3.9
Difference	0.0	-0.2

Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test - Mean Writing Score FY1999 and FY2000 - All Curriculum Groups Grade 4*
School	FY1999	FY2000
Acreage Pines	2.8	3.0
Addison Mizner	3.0	3.3
Allamanda	2.6	2.9
Banyan Creek	3.2	3.0
Barton	2.4	2.8
Belle Glade	2.5	2.9
Belvedere	2.9	3.4
Berkshire	3.0	3.1
Binks Forest	N.A.	3.7
Boca Raton	2.7	3.1
C. O. T./Kirklane	2.9	3.2
Calusa	2.7	3.0
Citrus Cove	3.2	3.3
Coral Reef	N.A.	3.6
Coral Sunset	3.2	3.3
Crystal Lakes	3.0	3.2
Cypress Trails	2.9	3.2
D. D. Eisenhower	2.8	3.1
Del Prado	3.5	3.6
Egret Lake	2.9	3.0
Forest Hill	3.1	3.3
Forest Park	2.5	2.5
Galaxy	2.7	3.1
Glade View	2.5	3.1
Golden Grove	3.1	3.2
Gove	2.5	3.0
Greenacres	2.6	2.9
Grove Park	2.4	2.8
H. L. Johnson	3.2	3.3
Hagen Road	2.8	3.7
Hammock Pointe	3.1	3.1
Highland	3.0	3.4
Indian Pines	2.4	3.3
J. C. Mitchell	2.8	3.2
Jerry Thomas	3.0	3.6
Jupiter	2.4	3.3
Jupiter Farms	3.1	3.3
K. E. C./Canal Point	2.6	3.1
Lake Park	2.6	3.0
Lantana	2.5	2.9
Liberty Park	3.0	3.1
Lighthouse	3.6	3.9
Limestone Creek	3.4	3.6
Lincoln	2.5	2.7
Loxahatchee Groves	3.0	3.5
Manatee	3.4	3.5
Meadow Park	3.1	3.4
Melaleuca	2.8	3.0
Morikami	3.6	3.5
New Horizons	3.5	3.6
North Grade	2.4	3.2
North Palm Beach	2.7	2.9
Northboro	2.5	2.9
Northmore	2.5	2.9
Orchard View	2.7	3.2
Pahokee	2.9	3.4
Palm Beach Gardens	3.2	3.4
Palm Beach Public	3.1	3.4
Palm Springs	2.4	2.8
Palmetto	2.9	2.9
Panther Run	3.2	3.4
Partnership Academy	N.A.	2.3
Pine Grove	2.9	3.0
Pioneer Park	2.6	3.1
Plumosa	2.9	3.2
Poinciana	2.8	2.6
Rolling Green	2.5	3.1
Roosevelt	2.9	3.0
Rosenwald	2.6	3.0
S. D. Spady	2.7	3.1
Sandpiper Shores	2.8	3.4
Seminole Trails	3.1	2.9
South Olive	3.4	3.5
Starlight Cove	3.0	3.0
Timber Trace	3.1	3.4
U. B. K./Palmview	3.3	4.0
Verde	3.6	3.4
Washington	2.5	3.1
Waters Edge	3.2	3.3
Wellington	3.0	3.3
West Gate	2.6	3.3
West Riviera	2.4	3.0
Westward	2.9	2.8
Whispering Pines	2.9	3.1
Wynnebrook	2.7	2.8
District	2.9	3.2
State	3.0	3.2

Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test - Mean Writing Score
FY1999 and FY2000 - All Curriculum Groups Grade 8*

School	FY1999	FY2000
Bear Lakes	3.0	3.3
Boca Raton	3.2	3.6
Carver	3.1	3.3
Christa McAuliffe	3.2	3.5
Congress	3.1	3.4
Conniston	3.2	3.3
Crestwood	3.5	3.9
Delray Beach Academy	N.A.	2.5
Delray Full Service	2.1	2.7
Eagle Academy	N.A.	3.0
Eagles Landing	3.5	3.7
Gold Coast	2.8	3.1
Highridge	ND	3.2
Howell L. Watkins	3.0	3.5
Indian Ridge	ND	2.6
Jefferson Davis	3.1	3.5
John F. Kennedy	3.0	3.2
Jupiter	3.5	4.0
Lake Shore	2.8	3.2
Lake Worth	3.1	3.6
Lantana	3.3	3.5
Loggers Run	3.5	3.8
Middle School of the Arts	4.1	4.4
Okeeheelee	3.2	3.5
Omni	3.4	3.8
Pahokee Middle/Senior	2.7	3.2
R. J. Hendley	ND	2.4
Roosevelt	3.2	3.6
Sabal Palm	ND	2.0
Watson B. Duncan	3.6	4.1
Wellington Landings	3.6	3.9
Western Pines	3.4	3.6
Woodlands	3.2	3.5
District	3.3	3.6
State	3.3	3.7

Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test - Mean Writing Score
FY1999 and FY2000 - All Curriculum Groups Grade 10 *

School	FY1999	FY2000
Atlantic	3.6	3.7
A. W. Dreyfoos	4.2	4.6
Boca Raton	3.5	3.9
Delray Full Service	2.4	2.7
Forest Hill	3.3	3.4
Glades Central	2.8	3.2
Gold Coast	3.0	3.2
John I. Leonard	3.4	3.6
Jupiter	3.7	4.1
Lake Worth	3.6	3.5
North Tech. Ed. Ctr.	ND	3.5
Olympic Heights	3.9	4.0
Pahokee Middle/Senior	3.2	3.1
Palm Beach Gardens	3.3	3.7
Palm Beach Lakes	3.0	3.5
Royal Palm Beach	3.6	3.8
Sabal Palm	ND	2.3
Santaluces	3.2	3.4
School of Choice	2.2	2.1
South Area Alternative	3.0	3.1
South Tech. Prep.	N.A.	2.4
Spanish River	3.6	3.9
Suncoast	4.0	4.4
Truancy Interdiction	ND	2.6
Wellington	3.7	4.0
William T. Dwyer	3.5	4.0
District	3.5	3.7
State	3.5	3.9

* For years prior to FY1999, state data for "all curriculum groups" is not available. SDPBC values reflect data for "all curriculum groups" for FY1999 and FY2000. N.A. = Data is not available. ND = No data are reported when less than ten students were tested. If less than ten students were tested in FY1999 and FY2000, the school is not listed.

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