83.33%	Yes
16.66%	No

Comment: YES. I have witnessed the focus being on the test rather on teaching useful education. Schools have to hit the test hard, or loose state/federal monies. from Gulf Breeze, FL by Don

Comment: The FCAT is a determination for how well a school is doing and their teaching practices. I believe this test will keep schools to higher standards they would normally have if there was no determination besides your child gettting to college and not achieving adequate grades. I also believe only those schools that maintain a high teaching standards should receive federal funding unless they accept a close monitoring system to help them achieve acceptable standards. from Niceville by NightHawk

Comment: too much school time is spent preparing the kids to take the fcat....not on their studies....more time needs to be spent on teaching them the subjects...not how to pass this test!! from Pensacola/Florida by Vickie

Comment: The state has impeded the teachers ability to teach and the students to learn. To much Jeb Bush is still lingering around Florida at the expense of learning, just to pass a test. What amazes me is 40 years ago many people in high school (including Bush) didnt have this baboon tactic interferring with them. Punishing...I say punishing students,teachers and schools on this pathetic issue is not teaching. Basically its a threat initiative.Except for those who made the rules. from Pensacola,FL by Flower

Comment: I think that they should get rid of the FCAT because it will put stress on the students that have to do the retakes and then they have to take the ACT to determine whether or not they should go to college from Milton by Kristina

Comment: I am a high school English teacher, and FCAT has sucked the life out of the curriculum and cast a shadow of anxiety over thousands of students. It is a waste of time designed to punish public schools; only politicians and ivory tower DOE drones could dream up such a travesty of miseducation. from Niceville / FL by Vikki

Comment: Teachers teach the test so the school looks good on paper and recives state and Fed. money BUT the kids are not taught the three Rs !!! from Pensacola/Fla. by William

Comment: I think that the FCAT is bias to some. If kids are getting good grades and passing required courses needed to graduate, then the FCAT should not play a part in anything. from Pensacola, Florida by LaTerra

Comment: Yes, the state should do away with the FCAT. I have a Granddaughter in 3rd grade and she has been doing nothing but FCAT homework since October. She brings home papers that state so many days to FCAT. We also had a friend whose daughter has to be home schooled because she got an alcer from the stress from FCAT. from Navarre, FL by Janet

Comment: YES I THINK THEY SHOULD DO AWAY WITH THE FCAT BECAUSE ONE BEING IN SCHOOL PASSING THE CLASS SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO MOVE ON. ONLY TEST ONE SHOULD HAVE TO TAKE TO RECIEVE THEIR DIPOLMA IS THE TEST THEY TOOK AWAY IN 2001 WHICH IS THE HSCT BECAUSE IT IS A MUCH BETTER TEST THAN THE FCAT. from PENSACOLA FL by ANGELA

Comment: I believe the FCAT should be done with because its set a standard that not every child is capable of reaching yet. For instance certain problems that are on the test children have not and will not learn until their in college. futhermore certain schools teaching methods are different from others.I believe that teachers should focus more on preparing them for college. from Pensacola/Florida by Kenneth

Comment: I think they should cause its just puttin more pressure on us because its pretty much sayin if we dont pass the fcat then we dont get to graduate its stupid... why cant we just take if out of the schools?? from Pace Florida by Virginia

Comment: I have never figured out why the weekly quiz, mid-term and final exam method of testing wasn't working. It seemed to work well the first 200 years or so of public education. from Crestview, FL by Doug

Comment: I feel that it too much emphasis is put on FCAT. It stresses staff & students and subject area assessments would serve the students better! from Pace, FL by Jenifer

Comment: The FCAT is a good tool, but I think the teachers should be accountable to teach the subjects they are paid to teach. If they do that, then the students should be able to pass any test. from Pensacola, FL by Harold

Comment: Standardized tests do not test critical thinking skills; our students are able to pass the FCAT with proper "instruction" (COACHING), but they can't apply the subject matter. FCAT IS A TRAVESTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! from Niceville, Fl by Sandy

Comment: This is just a way to promote the "slo" learners. Get it in class or try again next year. That is what school is all about. from Pensacola, Fl by Frank

Comment: no...just cut back to the "exit" exams...(to "graduate" elementary school, middle school, and to pass high school...) from p'cola fl by h

Comment: Waste of money!Students are tested in March before all skills are even taught. Teachers are stressed out to teach the test. from Pace by Sandra

Comment: What is the purpose of tests during the school year? If the student passes them all why should he/she have to pass another test at the end of the year? from Cantonment, Fl by Rod

Comment: I would prefer to see the state go to the Regents Testing program that was used when I was in high school (pre-historic times). The final testing, and only for high schoolers was only mandated if the student had a failing grade. Then they would be required to test and if they passed the Regents they could move on. from Pensacola by Rodric

Comment: This should have been done years ago when the teachers started teaching the test instead of education. Now they need to take R.I.view. If they can't teach get rid of them. from Pensacola/FL by Leonard

Comment: No, I do not think the FCAT exam should be removed! I do think if a school has to spend so much time on preparing for the test, it makes one wonder if the cirriculm is up to standards? Additionally, I think the FCAT should evaluate the students ability to perform in the required subject areas as well as evaluate the students ability to critically think through issues. from Pensacola, FL by John

Comment: FCAT is a racist test used by the man to make us look stoopid. from East Hill by Mike

Comment: I'm really not qualified to answer,since I don't have any children in school now.I was not allowed to voice my opinion on the school calandar either. I will, however vote NO on any tax increase for schools. That vote will count. from Baker by John

Comment: All this test truely creates is a fat paycheck for the company that develops and scores the tests. The engineers resoponsible for the moon exploration didn't have these tests. They only create anxiety and stress for the teachers and students. from Fort Walton Beach by Paul

Comment: Yes, let teachers get back to teaching. Right now they teach about the FCAT and dont teach the basics. I spoke to a student teacher who said that while she was in the class room all they did was prepare for the FCAT. When she asked the teacher when they actually teach the teacher said they dont. At that time the student teacher was reconsidering teaching because of that. We didnt have FCATS when I was in school and I was able to go to college and do well. We had tests throughout the year to see what our progress was and if we werent doing well we didnt pass, we had to repeat the grade. from Gulf Breeze, FL by Rachel

Comment: I feel that there is to much enphasis on the FCAT and not on a good education for the children. It puts to much stress on the kids. from Fort Walton Beach, fl by Terri

Comment: Yes get rid of it, children and parents have had enough to worry about. This test only makes our children anxious and teachers too busy to teach. from pensacola/fl by linda

Comment: I am a HS Jr @ WFHS and teachers can not get the full curriculm into a class because they have to devote so much time to FCAT from the beginning of the school year. from Cantonment by Forrestt

Comment: I think the teachers in all 3 counties should have to take the test & there scores made public. If the kids had books for each student to have, keep & use for each class, they might be able to learn, instead they have to share the books & arn't able to bring them home to study as we did!! from Milton,Fl. by LJ

Comment: yes they should do away with the FCAT. It put way to much pressure on children. All children do not learn the same. Just because one student doesnt do well on this test does not mean they do not know the material. from Jay, Fl by Karen

Comment: I am a student of the ninth grade, and in my opinion FCAT should be banned. Straight A's have been a goal of mine since sixth grade. Luckily I have accomplished that goal. Yet, I was put in remedial classes because of making a two on the FCAT. Now, does that seem fair to you? from Pace, FL by Paige

Comment: I believe they should GET RID of the Fcat because I’ve been doing Fcat since 2003 and it hasn’t helped with my education. We should just have semester and final exams so we can pass through school the right way. from Crestview,Fl by Dylan

Comment: As a teacher in Escambia County, the FCAT needs to be gone for good. We need to teach to mastery not to the test as we do now. Let's assess students on what they have mastered not if they have learned to take a test. No Child Left Behind...well it's leaving a lot children behind academically because we don't teach to mastery anymore. Go away FCAT!!!!!!!!!!!

Comment: Our schools need something to measure progress and keep students, parents, and teachers accountable so I believe we should keep the FCAT or replace it with some other comprehensive assessment. However, it should be administered closer to the end of the school year. Students have just over 1/2 of a year to learn an entire year's worth of content before the test is given. And, please get it straight, teachers do not teach to the test. They teach the skills outlined in the state standards. The FCAT tests the state standards. What teachers do is teach students how to record their answers: fill in bubbles, short response, extended response, charts, etc. from Destin by Michele

Comment: Of course not. We must have some way to determine if our students have mastered basic skills of reading, comprehension, writing, mathematics, etc. To ignore a statewide standard testing program is do doom Florida students to mediocrity. If you don't measure, you don't find your strengths and weaknesses, and don't have the information to construct the highest priority improvement programs. Every able child should pass if the parents and teachers are both doing their jobs. from Pensacola / FL by Rick

Comment: Do away with it, along with the Florida Bar exam for lawyers, medical boards for doctors, and accounting exams for CPA's. from Pensacola, Florida by David

Comment: One Test, one day should not determine a child future... FCAT stress student out.A student can complete 12 yrs. of school , and can be prevented from graduation due to the FCAT from Pensacola, Fl by ShaQuanna

Comment: This is in responce to the Idiot with the Radair gun,out in heavy traffic.If he gets run over,will the county have to pay his medical bills,or is the county going to be at fault if he causes a major wreck.since he has no athority to be doing this and he just might catch a beating,for causing someone to get into a bad car wreck.the local lawyers will make a example of this dude!!!! from pace by Robert

Comment: The teachers spend more time and energy teaching for the Fcat that it takes away from doing their job. from Pensacola,Fl by John

Comment: Being involved with the schools, you hear most students become nervous, teacher are up tight and worried. Once in elementary, once in middle school and once in high school should be plenty to evaluate a childs learning ability. They are forgetting to teach the kids the most important things that these kids need to know. Life is not about testing every year when you are in the real world. from Pensacola by B

Comment: Schools have gotten away from the basic reading, writing, math. All they teach now is fcat. Everything is focus on fcat scores, teachers, principals, and the superintendent. from PENSACOLA, FL by B

Comment: its the only way to tell if the kids are actully learning from Pensacola Fl by Adan