FCAT ...

I have taken the FCAT numerous times and still have no clue why I am taking it. I knew that we had to prepare ourselves for it all year long but what was the real purpose.

Students that have not passed the FCAT can pass the SAT. I have seen it. The test is so ridiculous for those who are learning passed that grade level. After taking several AP english classes, the flimzy FCAT type essay is a joke. You don't need that type of essay in college. Teachers will laugh at you if you turn in an FCAT type essay as a term paper. First of all they are almost 5 times as long and take more analytical perspective that a normal FCAT essay. To analyze a book for college, you will definetly use more than 5 paragraphs that have more than 5 sentences in each. Students in publics schools are get Fs on their papers for writing more than they should. I personally had a teacher that only taught FCAT style. By my senior year, I was suppose to be writing term papers, senior thesis, and rhetorical analytical papers, not FCAT. You don't realize how behind you are until you enter college and see that FCAT is POINTLESS. Not one of the papers that i have written for ENC or any other class even come close to FCAT. They should be preparing us for college which is much tougher than the FCAT. (but thats just me.... i thought the FCAT was way to easy and bored me to death but i do understand that the FCAT is challenging to others)

"No Student Left Behind" until they reach college and end up realizing that they haven't learned a thing and end up dropping out of school and never reaching their dreams. The overachievers are bored for 2 weeks straight. The average students struggle enough to pass. Those who are stuggle to begin with, get a complementary two week stay at hell! Money Money Money. Both videos made a lot of sense to me. The first one speaks the truth. FCAT is just another lie made by the government. The second video i payed more attention to it. The lady made a lot of sense and proved her point in a very diplomatic way. It must be extreamly difficult for teachers to teach their specific curriculm when they are forced to teach FCAT for the majority of the time. The only time they actually get to teach their intended subject is in the two months after the FCAT. Financial incentives should not be the ultimate reason for having this test but instead it should be for the knowledge and the well-being of their students. ... if only the govenment understood that too!