General Assessment FAQs (all grade levels)
Are state assessments (e.g. FSA and EOCs) still planned for the 2020-21 school year?
State Testing Schedule:
- April 2021: Grade 3 Reading. Grades 4-10 Writing.
- May 2021: Grades 4-10 Reading. Grades 3-8 Mathematics. Grades 5 and 8 Science. State EOC exams in Civics, U.S. History, Algebra 1, Geometry and Biology 1.
Will students attending school virtually (eSchool or Polk Virtual School) be provided a time and location to complete state assessments in person?
How will taking the spring 2021 assessments benefit my child?
How has the state/district adjusted its plan for assessment results in light of the pandemic and possible learning loss?
How does the Florida Department of Education’s (FDOE) Emergency Order (EO-2021-01) in February 2021 impact testing?
flexibility in scheduling tests. The emergency order established adjusted assessment data reporting timelines. Results for the grade 3 ELA FSA will be released no later than June 30, 2021, and all other assessment data will be released no later than July 31, 2021. The emergency order does not address any other aspect of state standardized testing.
How does the Florida Department of Education’s (FDOE) Emergency Order (EO-2021-02) in April 2021 impact testing?
What steps are being taken to keep students and staff safe during the upcoming spring assessments?
For students currently in virtual instruction (eSchool and Polk Virtual School), families are asked to remain in contact with their schools to determine the most efficient and safest method for in-person, on-campus testing. PCPS will continue to ensure the safest testing environments possible. The multi-layered health and wellness efforts include:
- Daily deep cleaning of testing locations
- Social distancing between test-takers
- Required face coverings/masks for students and adults
- No sharing of materials
Even after talking to the school and considering the enhanced testing protocols in place, what if I still am not comfortable sending my student to school to test?
Will schools still receive a letter grade as previous years?
A grade for a school will only be calculated by the FLDOE if the district requests for this to occur. For a school grade to be calculated, a school must meet the criteria set by the FLDOE.
Student-specific performance data will be provided to parents/guardians, as done each year. School and district aggregate data will be publicly available through the Florida Know Your Schools website.
Elementary Grades FAQs
How will the FSA be used for third grade promotion?
How will retention in other grade levels be determined? Can parents request retention or promotion?
Middle and High School FAQs
If my child does not take FSA how will their course selections in middle and high schools be affected?
In courses that have an End-of-Course (EOC) Assessment, how will grades be calculated if the EOC is not part of the course grade?
Do students still need to take the End-of-Course (EOC) Assessments?
Will the FSA English Language Arts and Algebra EOC be required for graduation for the class of 2021?
What about other end-of-year assessments including Advanced Placement (AP), Cambridge AICE, and International Baccalaureate (IB) exams?
How will diploma designations be determined for the class of 2021?
What changes to the Bright Futures Scholarship apply to the Class of 2021?
- Extension of Testing Deadline: Students working toward the Florida Academic or Medallion Scholars awards will have until December 1, 2021, to earn the minimum required SAT or ACT score specified for each scholarship award.
- Volunteer Hours: Students working toward qualifying for any of the four Bright Futures Scholarship awards
(Florida Academic Scholars, Florida Medallion Scholars, Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars, or the Florida Gold Seal CAPE Scholars) and who have not been able to complete the required number of volunteer service hours due to circumstances listed below, may still be found eligible for these awards through a transcript documentation process submitted by your student’s school counselor to the Florida Department of Education. The circumstances are:- Student had planned for, and intended to, complete the service hours prior to the student’s graduation but was unable to do so because the pandemic created a lack of access to volunteer opportunities will contact their school counselor and completed the appropriate form to verify the student’s hours.
- Student, due to health concerns, fell short of the volunteer service hours.