Florida’s controversial Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) system is being retired and a new testing program, the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA), is being introduced from the 2014-2015 through 2017-2018 school years. This test is conducted by all public schools and charter schools, is in transition to an online format, and focuses on problem solving and critical thinking versus the FCAT system of multiple choice questions. High schoolers must pass the exam to graduate. During the transition period, some portions of the test may use the previous FCAT format while development of the FSA is completed.
The FSA, like the FCAT before it, will also provide a method for the state Department of Education to evaluate the effectiveness of schools and teachers.
Detailed information about the testing system is available to parents at the Florida Department of Education website, www.floe.org.
Florida does not require private schools to administer the FSA, however, private schools that have enrolled at least one Florida Tax Credit Scholarship student or one enrolled Personal Learning Scholarship Account student must administer one of 15 nationally norm-referenced tests identified by the Department of Education, or may apply to the Florida Department of Education to administer.
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