Storm/test scores/test results

My Mother tracked word of Tropical Storm Fay today as she had a big meeting scheduled for Friday morning – where state officials receive – privately – what she’s already received – privately – the scores for the most recent rounds of SAT testing for Florida high school students. At this meeting Mom was to release her analysis, analysis that would go public – along with the aggregate scores – next week. (Flooded area around the Fort Pierce (FL) city hall pictured above.)

A similar sequence of events – without the storm – took place several weeks ago, when Mom helped unveil – and explain – the state’s sagging ACT scores. More Florida high school students take the ACT than in almost any other state and so the test reaches further down into “the pool” – more less prepared students are taking the tests – and so Florida’s average ACT scores are among the lowest in the country. What’s still unclear is why a few states in which similarly large percentages of students take these tests – Alabama and Michigan – have their students performing better.

Mom’s report notes that the percentage of racial-ethnic minority students taking the test in Florida – where it’s more than half of the test-takers – is larger than almost any other state. Mom points out informally – but not in her report – that Florida in particular has some of its least prepared high school students taking the test because students who flunk the “FCAT” – a test students must pass to graduate in Florida – can override this if they take and do OK on the ACT.

To read Mom’s ACT report, click here: http://www.fldoe.org/evaluation/pdf/act_2008.pdf

(Mom also notes that the College Board – for which she has volunteered – continues to lose “market share” to the ACT across the country and in Florida – which was traditionally an SAT test – in part because students and parents perceive the ACT as easier and students don’t want to have to write an essay, which is mandatory on the SAT. ACT test takers can also cancel their scores as they leave the test – if they don’t think they do well, no one ever has to see their scores. This is pressuring the College Board to offer this option for SAT test-takers also.)

You’ll recall that the state of KY paid for all KY HS juniors to take the ACT this spring, and Vincent did OK on it. He also took the SAT in Copenhagen in June, when – jet lagged and slightly confused about the instructions - he didn’t do so well (including on the required essay – not a good sign since he wants to be a writer). (More information on this later.) (An SAT state (gold) vs. ACT state (blue) map below.)

I suspect Mom will have to cancel the meeting she went to a lot of trouble to set up while she was still out sick – with departmental head honchos and College Board people from out of town – as almost all of the area schools have canceled classes tomorrow. Fay does not have strong winds but it is moving very slowly and is criss crossing the state for a second or third time. It first came ashore around Naples on the Gulf/west coast but it has crawled up, left, and then headed back to the Atlantic/east coast and – moving slowly – has dumped lots of rain on the Atlantic side, causing widespread flooding. It will dump a lot of rain near Tallahassee starting tonight and into Saturday morning. (A Fay map and picture of a man from the outlying Tallahassee town of Havana picking up sandbags in Tallahassee to reinforce his property below.)

A non-hurricane flooded St. Marks, one of our favorite local Gulf towns, eventually forcing several businesses – including Posey’s too close – still nothing like the massive destruction – and loss of life – going back to Kate and then to all of the Florida/Gulf hurricanes in 2005 and 2006.

P.S. Mom’s recovery from her early June knee replacement surgery has continued. During the past few weeks she’s been to see her surgeon and to her next-to-last weekly physical therapy visit. Both Dr. Fahey and her P.T. have pushed her to try to be able to straighten out her leg. Mom set up an appointment to see the doctor six months after her surgery – presumably partly to consider setting up knee surgery on her other knee. Before my sister and Stephanie finished up their time working with Mother, post-surgery, she set it up so a woman from church (for pay) would stop at Mom’s house every two weeks to clean and take out her garbage and recycling, and this has gotten underway. We appreciate what this woman (on the house) and one of our neighbors (yard) to help make it possible for Mom to stay in her house and go back to work. Keep up the good work with the recovery, Mom! (By the way, Mom’s meeting/presentation Friday AM is apparently ON.)P.P.S. Tonight we learned that doctors have confirmed that Stephanie’s stepbrother’s brain tumors are indeed cancerous and he is to proceed with radiation and chemotherapy. Doctors continue to puzzle over Stephanie’s stepfather’s unusual abdominal symptoms. They have ruled out several things and are honing in on some other possibilities. A blocked artery and a condition that builds up acid and sends it into the esophagus are both possibilities. Both Nancy and Bob have been losing weight mysteriously. Please pray for Bob, Nancy, Bobby, Martha, and all the folks caught up in the Florida flooding/storm.

-- Perry