Polk County Public Schools
The Florida Department of Education website explains that "the State of Florida has, for some years, been committed to perfecting a workable system of accountability for the public schools. The Florida Statewide Assessment Program, begun in 1971, has been an important element in this accountability effort. The program was designed to assess students' academic strengths and weaknesses, particularly in the basic skills." The following tests are a part of the Florida Statewide Assessment Program.
Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test® 2.0 (FCAT 2.0)
The FCAT 2.0 measures student achievement of the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards. The transition from FCAT to FCAT 2.0 will be phased in, with 2011 FCAT 2.0 Reading and Mathematics being the first assessments to begin this transition. FCAT 2.0 Science will be administered to students for the first time in the spring of 2012.
FCAT Testing: (see Assessment Calendar above for specific grade levels)
Florida End-of-Course (EOC) Assessments
The Florida EOC Assessments are part of Florida's Next Generation Strategic Plan for the purpose of increasing student achievement and improving college and career readiness. EOCs will be computer-based, criterion-referenced assessments that measure the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards for specific high-school level courses, as outlined in the course description. The first assessment to begin the transition to end-of-course testing in Florida is the Algebra 1 EOC, which will be administered for the first time in May 2011.
According to the Inernational Baccalaureate website, "The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme is a challenging two-year curriculum, primarily aimed at students aged 16 to 19. It leads to a qualification that is widely recognized by the world’s leading universities."