Thanks to the recent stampede of hurricanes through Florida, some schools may be able to obtain a "storm waiver":
State education officials said Tuesday that some hurricane-ravaged schools can appeal their grades next summer if students show unexpected declines on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. But the same consideration doesn't extend to the students themselves.
The Department of Education's decision came in response to an unprecedented quartet of hurricanes that forced all of Florida's 67 school districts to shut down for at least one day, and shuttered 17 districts for 10 days or more.
Department officials said they didn't want to okay requests from hard-hit districts to simply exempt FCAT grades, because that would imply lowered expectations....But at the same time, he said, DOE wanted to acknowledge that the hurricanes may have an impact on student performance.
"I believe this is a fair approach," he said...
To be eligible for a grade waiver, schools must have been shut down more than five days by a hurricane, have shown good or improved grades over the last three years, and drop at least a letter grade next year. They must also show obvious effects of hurricane damage, such as a high number of dislocated students or classes on double sessions.
One other solution: Change the FCAT to measure how well students know to board up houses, purify drinking water, and plot evacuation routes. You know, the skills children need to best function in Florida.
Posted by kswygert at October 20, 2004 04:33 PM