Fcat

The job of a counselor at the school level changes a quite a bit from elementary, middle and high school students. But overall the services rendered to students are all the same. The job of the counselor is to assist and guide the students through to the next level. I believe that all counselors use the information obtained form the results of students FCAT scores the same way throughout thestate. And I will go into detail and explain how such is so.
First we start off with elementary school. As we all may or may not know, depending if we have kids in elementary, middle, or high school, third, 4th and 5th graders graders need to pass the FCAT to be promoted to the next grade. In the occasion that a student does not pass the FCAT certain counseling procedures have to take place or beimplemented. I found a table on the School Board of Broward county’s website that has the Promotion Criteria for elementary students which I have pasted below:
Promotion Criteria: Reading and Mathematics:
Grade & Subject Criteria #1: or Criteria #2:
3 At a level 2 or higher on the FCAT-SSS in Reading or At the percentile or higher specified by the DOE on FCATNRT
in reading comprehension 4 and 5Reading and
Math At a level 2 or higher on FCATSSS Reading At a level 2 or higher on FCATSSS
Mathematics or or At or above the 25th percentile
Now if the criteria is not met it is the Guidance Counselors job to take this information and use it to assist the student in getting to the level they need to be before the next school year. This I say because students take the Test in April and thescores come back just before school lets out for summer vacation. The counselor will get in contact with the parents of those students who did not pass the FCAT in 3rd grade and make sure that those students are given the opportunity to be promoted by meeting some “Good Cause” alternative promotion criteria. This is basically a loophole that the county has found to aid our students in passing to thenext grade level. Between the end of the school year and August, the school/counselor will work with hundreds of students during a summer reading program, give them an alternative test and complete portfolios to try to qualify the students for state-sanctioned "good cause exemptions." The district uses the state's criteria to determine if the student has met one of the good cause exemptions forpromotion to fourth grade.

Middle School
The promotion criteria for middle school is as follows:
Grade & Subject Passing
Classes Criteria #1: Or Criteria #2:
6 - 8
Reading

And

6 - 8
Math Pass a minimum
of *four subjects
plus meet criteria
#1

or
criteria #2 Level 2 or higher on
FCAT-SSS Reading

And

Level 2 or higher on
FCAT-SSS
Mathematics Or

or At or above the 25thpercentile
on the FCAT-NRT

At or above the 25th percentile
on the FCAT-NRT

Now in middle school the same “good cause exemption” exists to these students as well. Any

student who does not meet the reading and/or mathematics promotion criteria in the

previous matrix may be promoted if the student meets one of the following Good Cause

criteria, passes a minimum of four subjects*,and the Superintendent/Designee

approves in writing. All good cause decisions must be made and recorded by the end of

the school year, except in extenuating circumstances. With this being said in middle

school is when students score are used in conjunction of progression charts in placing

students in regular or advanced academic classes.

High School
Now High School is more myarea. In high school students take the FCAT in 9th, 10th, and 11th grade. In 9th grade they take the FCAT Reading and Math as a practice to the upcoming years test. In 10th grade is when students take the Reading and Math FCAT for graduation requirement. The y also take the FCAT Writing but is not a graduation requirement test. In 11th grade they take the Science but until last year but it was...