This is the last year of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, better known as the FCAT, and Florida’s education commissioner has finally recommended a company to replace the test. The recommendation comes just as the FCAT is being retired.
The FCAT has been on its way out for a while. For a few years, Florida has been transitioning to new standards in English Language Arts and math.
These are the Common Core standards that most states in the country are adopting. New standards mean schools need a new tool to see if students are learning what they’re supposed to. And this week, Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewart recommended the American Institutes for Research be the company to replace the FCAT.
The company will receive $220 million over the next six years to administer the test. There’s no name for the test yet, but it will still be based on the new standards.