FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
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JIM HORNE
Commissioner of Education
F. PHILIP HANDY,
Chairman
T. WILLARD FAIR,
Vice Chairman
Members
LINDA J. EADS, ED.D.
CHARLES PATRICK GARCÍA
JULIA L. JOHNSON
WILLIAM L. PROCTOR, PH.D.
LINDA K. TAYLOR
MEMORANDUM
To:
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District School Superintendents
High School Principals
From:
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Jim Horne
Date:
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April 19, 2004
Subject:
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ASSISTANCE TO 12
th
GRADE STUDENTS WHO HAVE NOT EARNED
PASSING SCORES ON THE FCAT
We anticipate that the results for the 2004 Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT)
administered to 12
th
grade students in March will be sent to school districts in the next week. All
12th grade students who took the FCAT in March and did not earn a passing score should be
provided information regarding opportunities for assistance and support immediately upon
receiving their results.
To assist your staff in this effort, please find attached the following materials:
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Grade 12 FCAT Information for 2003-2004
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Sample Planning Checklist for 12
th
Grade Students Who Have Not Earned Passing
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Scores on the Grade 10 FCAT for 2003-2004
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•
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Education and Exit Options for Students Who Did Not Earn Passing Scores on the
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March 2004 FCAT from the School Principal in English and Spanish
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•
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Stay in the Loop
Student Information Sheet
We strongly recommend that your guidance counselors schedule a time to meet with each
student who took the FCAT in March to review his or her graduation plan and recent scores.
This is an important time for face-to-face interaction with these students to provide support and
immediate and appropriate information regarding their scores and the opportunities for
remediation and other options, such as the GED Exit Option and summer school. We strongly
urge you to provide a copy of
Stay in the Loop
to each student.
325 W. G
AINES
S
TREET
• S
UITE
1514 • T
ALLAHASSEE
, FL 32399-0400 • (850) 245-0505 • www.fldoe.org
District School Superintendent and High School Principals
April 19, 2004
Page Two
School staff can use the sample planning checklist to plan instruction and academic
interventions for students and to develop a continuing education plan that may include
continued remediation programs, such as summer school, tutoring, FCAT Explorer, adult
education, work study programs, mentoring, and thirteenth year study options.
On behalf of Florida’s students and families, I thank you for your immediate and effective
response to this challenge. I know that through your efforts and those of teachers and guidance
personnel, we will fulfill our commitment to ensuring that Florida’s students are prepared for a
successful future. In fact, we recently analyzed what happened to the students who did not
pass the exit test last year and found that a majority (58 percent) enrolled in post-secondary
programs at community colleges and vocational centers. Let’s continue to work together to help
all of our students succeed.
If you have questions or need additional information regarding K-12 education, please contact
Mary Jo Butler via email at maryjo.butler@fldoe.org or by telephone at (850) 245-0479 or Mike
Tremor via email at michael.tremor@fldoe.org or by telephone at (850) 245-0423. If you need
additional information regarding adult education programs, please contact Bob Wofford via
email at bob.wofford@fldoe.org or Marcia Maxwell via email at
marcia.maxwell@fldoe.org or by
telephone at (850) 245-9904.
JW:mjbo
Attachments
cc:
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Community College Presidents
Assistant Superintendents for Curriculum
Directors of Secondary Education
Student Services Coordinators
Guidance Supervisors
ESE Directors
Title I Coordinators
Dropout Prevention Coordinators
Adult and Community Education Directors
Technical Center Directors
