I'd like to represent the people who took that test. First, I'd like to say that the FCAT is a waste of students' time. The test is not, in fact, standardized. The 8 different forms are not just in a different order - they are completely different questions! Hence, two scores are really not fairly comparable.

The test is very easy anyway. The 10th grade test contains no more than basic Algebra I and a little Geometry. Parts are actually insulting. Plus, 80 minutes are given for a test which should take 30. The hardest part about the test is figuring out what the questions actually mean, as most of them are extremely vague and poorly written.

Now for the part about the calculators. First of all, they don't even bother standardizing that. Two different calculators were used - only one of which didn't work. (My school used the ones that worked.) They are lousy five functions anyway. Honestly, you don't need a calculator on this test. All they help with are big multiplication and division problems - but more than enough time is given to do them by hand.

The problem with the calculators was that they gave wrong answers when a repeated operation was typed rapidly. The first number was used twice. For example: 2 * 7 * 3 yielded 84 instead of 42 : )

Obviously, on a problem like that, any student should notice the error. However, for a problem like 2 * 33 * 21, a student may not notice that the answer is twice what it should be. (Try throwing in a decimal or two.) Keep in mind this is a timed test. Besides, the most a student would probably do is type it in again, get the answer again, and assume he was mistaken and the calculator was right.

It gets better. For some stupid reason, the state of Florida has decided that absolutely everything relies on this one stupid test. School funding is divided according to average scores on the FCAT. A student can and will be removed from most magnet programs if he fails the FCAT. The list goes on...

And the plot still thickens. The blockheads in the state board of educators claimed that the test is still valid. According to them, the students all should have noticed the error. Why, then, didn't the board or the test writers notice? Students are given these calculators with the assumption that they work. They did not and the board didn't want to admit fault.

I learned this morning that the board may back down. In which case, we all get to miss another day of school to take it. This is all truly a waste of time that could easily have been avoided by taking one hour to have some teachers take the test ahead of time. Who knows? Maybe some of the typos and vague questions would have disappeared too. In light of what happened, the only fair solution is to do a full retest.

In a sad way, this is all really for the best. Hopefully, someone will realize that so much weight shouldn't be put on one meaningless test so easily invalidated.

I thank you all for reading this. As funny as it may seem, a lot rides on this. The test itself is meaningless and maybe this will go to prove it. Those of you who still take standardized tests that mean something, enjoy it while you can...

The questions weren't vague... no matter how much you read into them you eventually figured out they only wanted that simple answer the 'vague' initial question asked for.
All of the questions were an insult.
The entire calculator thing is irrelavent, since an abacus would have sufficed for everything.
I got in trouble for laughing out loud at a few of the questions during the test ;/

I admit they weren't as vague this year. Did you take it two years ago (the first year after the pilot)? It was just annoying. (I'm referring now to the 8th grade test.) Half the questions had three or four possible answers. My point was simply that determining what they actually want is generally harder than actually doing the problems.

I remember taking that pilot....how annoying. We just played computer games the whole time. Of course no one told me it didn't count until afterwards.

Those of us in the technological balck hole known as Idaho have to take standardized tests too. Our state is even too lazy to make up our own!!! We take the Iowa Standard Basics Test. But (the year after I have to take it for the last time!) my schooldistrict decides to make their own. Can't wait to see what a joke those are!!!


CASIO SUCKS BIG HONKING...uh, you get the idea ;-)


Mark Hazard

We have SOL's ([very low] Standards of [what there is no reason to be] Learning), and, like in Florida, there is just this one test. Also, like it apparently is in Florida, this test is incredibly easy (however, 40+% of kids still manage to fail, somehow). One lesson in Algebra: "How to solve equations of the form x + b = c". The next day: "How to solve equations of the form ax = c". Then, finally, on the third day: "How to solve equations of the form ax + b = c". Remember, you have to learn stuff you should have already learned very slowly, one step at a time.
And the history stuff is pointless: one question that only exaggerates a little bit: "What was Andrew Jackson's secretary's wife's maiden name?"

Don't worry, Iowa tests are pretty standardized. PA kids take them from 3rd grade to 8th, I'm pretty sure. I did, anyway. They weren't really a joke, as there were mostly more questions than an average student could answer in the given time. The only thing on those tests that were jokes were the questions they asked about stories and stuff. Read a page of text and get asked stuff like "What would be a good title for this story?" and nonsense like that, with vague options that really could be any of them. Who knows, I never really found out results of that test anyway, nor did I care.

~ferich

I remember those tests, "Read the story about a box, and tell what you think is in the box." I ended up making up these really screwed up stories (I was reading parts of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy between the testing days). Ahh, memories...

Man, you guys think you have it bad......imagine living here in Alabama, whose education spending 3rd to last in the nation (ahead of South Carolina and Mississippi).

We take the SAT (Standford Achievement Test, 9th edition). It tests in various categores, and they give us the OLSAT to measure our 'ability'.

There are two math portions, but calculators are not allowed on the portion on which it'd be worth using a calc, so it's not really an issue.

Of course, the state just made a new exit exam (the old one was on the 8th grade level). I don't really feel like explaining, 'cept my class (class of 2003) I think has to pass the entire test, which is made up of five parts....anywho..

ASimPerson---thinks he's rambled on enough

Stupid old Jeb "My daddy and brother got to be governor, I want to be governor too! Wahhh!" Bush- he desperately wants to change education in Florida, for the worse. (Case in point: vouchers? We give money to rich people at the expense of poorer kids' education?)

Hmm the FCAT sounds a whole lot like the TAAS here in texas.The only difference is that there is pretty much no geometry and calcs are outlawed on the test,but the test itself is so easy close to no one fails the TAAS.And on the English part has grammer and spelling mistakes within the right answers themselves.People that make these tests are so stupid.

(Well, this IS related to TI calcs!)

If you start with 2 ^ 2 and keep raising it to the power of 2, (not with the squared key), it will eventually display 65535.999, which any ASM programmer will tell you is incorrect.

BONUS WEBSITE: http://195.67.128.26/

I think anyone could tell you that 65535.999 is incorrect for a power of 2!

What calculator are you using? My 83 gives 65536

Your calculator probably rounded it, since it's .999.

well, my 86 says 65536, and its on float...
does the calc have to be on a special mode for this to happen, or is it only on certain calcs?

akshay

I'm guessing that a calculator reset should fix this problem. That still doesn't explain the CAUSE though...

TI Math Explorer, the blue calc used by elementry schools to teach fractions. (read the subject)

We have here, a bunch of buggy bluecalx.

is anybody surprised by the fact that they are Casios? :P

Not all TI calcs are bug free, but at least they aren't as dumb as that

No

I have an old solar powered Casio calculator is in my desk collecting dust. I pulled it out and tryed 2*2*2 quickly and got 81! Is it possible that all Casio calculators have processors so slow they can not keep up with keypad input? Maybe it is.

Hopefully you meant 3*3*3...

Yes, I did. Oops.

2*2*2 would've been funnier, though

Yes, it would have. I did try 2*2*2 and it gave a different incorrect answer 3 times in a row. And yes, I did type it in correctly.

I did 2*2*2 and my stupid casio gave me 2...

I pulled out my old Casio and, although it was correct most of the time, there were many egregious errors.

I have a Casio xfx-115w, a twin power powerful scientific that has a two line display, and 3*3*3=27. Sometimes, it does give errors, usually when I try to do regressions(Not a joke, it is a powerful scientific!).