There it says:
To be promoted to high school, your child must earn a minimum of 12 credit hours as follows:
Social Studies: 3 credits
Science: 3 credits
Language Arts: 3 credits
Math: 3 credits

How are credits awarded?Credits are awarded beginning the 2009/2010 school year as follows:
.5 or 1/2 credit per semester per course that a student has passed.

There are two (2) semesters in the school year.
The first semester = 1st 9 weeks, 2nd 9 weeks, plus end of semester exam.
The second semester = 3rd 9 weeks, 4th 9 weeks, plus end of semester (or year) exam.

To pass a semester’s course, a student must earn 6 points.
Points are awarded as follows:
For each of the nine weeks, taken separately:
A = 8 points
B = 6 points
C = 4 points
D = 2 points
F = 0 points

For semester exam grades:
A = 4 points
B = 3 points
C = 2 points
D = 1 point
F = 0 points

(In other words, nine week periods are weighted at 20% each, and the semester exams are weighted at 10% each, to total 50% at the end of each semester. At the end of the year, the total would add up to 100%, BUT credits are NO LONGER awarded by year. They are ONLY awarded by semester.)

What if my child received an F?
If your child received an F in any class this first nine weeks, they now have 0 points earned in that subject.

The can earn the 6 points they need to pass in the following ways for the rest of the semester:

0 + 8 + 0 = 1st nine weeks (F), 2nd nine weeks (A), Semester Exam (F or higher)
0 + 6 + 0 = 1st nine weeks (F), 2nd nine weeks (B or higher), Semester Exam (F or higher)
0 + 4 + 2 = 1st nine weeks (F), 2nd nine weeks (C or higher), Semester Exam (C or higher)
0 + 2 + 4 = 1st nine weeks (F), 2nd nine weeks (D or higher), Semester Exam (A minimum)
If your child receives another F in the same subject, they can not possibly pass this semester.

DO NOT COUNT ON THE SEMESTER EXAM TO BRING YOUR GRADE UP.
The semester exams in all subjects are HARD. They are hard to pass, so do not put yourself or your student in the position of having to rely on the semester exam to pass a course this semester. Use it as nice bonus points.
It is MUCH easier to earn a B during a 9 week period, than to earn a passing grade on the semester exams.

What if my child received a D?
If your child received a D in the first nine weeks, they now have 2 of the six points they need to pass this semester. This means they must earn an additional 4 points this semester.

They can do that in the following ways:
2 + 8 + 0: 1st nine weeks (D), 2nd nine weeks (A), Semester Exam (F or higher)
2 + 6 + 0: 1st nine weeks (D), 2nd nine weeks (B or higher), Semester Exam (F or higher)
2 + 4 + 0: 1st nine weeks (D), 2nd nine weeks (C or higher), Semester Exam (F or higher)
2 + 2 + 2: 1st nine weeks (D), 2nd nine weeks (D or higher), Semester Exam (C or higher)
2 + 0 + 4: 1st nine weeks (D), 2nd nine weeks (F or higher), Semester Exam (minimum A)

What about reading?
Reading is a subject tested by the state of Florida every year until 11th grade through the FCAT.
Reading scores on the FCAT will be used to determine if your child is eligible to participate in high school programs and courses. The higher your child scores on the Reading FCAT tests they take from now through 8th grade, the more options they will have availabe to them in high school (and in college).

The reading test is not a reflection of one’s joy for reading. It tests all of the many aspects of reading comprehension. The main focus on the reading test every year is “main idea”. As a student enters higher grade levels, the texts they are tested on become more prominently non-fiction texts. Although poetry, non-fiction, and environmental print such as schedules, or timetables, maps, etc. may also appear.

Just to clarify. Reading is a cornerstone in educational ability. The more a student reads every day (with understanding), the better they do in all subjects in school.

Math is also tested every year on the FCAT until the 11th grade.

Science will not be tested on the FCAT again until the 8th grade, and then the 11th grade (once every 3 years).
Social Studies is not tested on the FCAT at all at this time. (This may change at any time, by law.) HOWEVER, a student is required to pass Social Studies and earn a full 1 credit to be promoted to the next grade.

Language Arts is tested on the FCAT through the FCAT Writing Exam. The next FCAT writing exam after 5th grade, will occur in 8th grade. HOWEVER, a student is required to pass Language Arts and earn a full 1 credit to be promoted to the next grade.

The 10th grade Math and Reading FCAT exams must be passed in order for the student to be awarded a regular high school diploma.
Students may retake these exams in subsequent grades to attempt a passing level, if they failed them in tenth grade.
If students do not pass these exams, there are alternate methods available to show mastery of the material. Generally, these methods would be utilized for students with IEPs. This would be discussed in advance with the team that creates the Individualized Education Plan for the student.

Dept. of Education getting rid of summer retakes, discontinuing network that allows parents to check students’ scores

By Kelly Tyko (Contact)
Friday, November 14, 2008

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TREASURE COAST — High school students will have one less chance to take the 10th grade FCAT.

To save money, the state Department of Education is eliminating the summer retakes of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test and making other changes and cuts to the FCAT.

Students need to pass the reading and math sections of the 10th grade FCAT to graduate high school with a standard diploma.

“This is going to leave some students high and dry if they’ve not been able to successfully pass the FCAT on previous tries,” said Vernon Pickup-Crawford, a lobbyist for Treasure Coast and other Florida school districts.

Among the other changes, the department outlined in a memo to school officials the cancellation of computer-based makeup exams, and discontinuation of the online FCAT Parent Network that allows parents to look up their kids’ scores.

St. Lucie County School Superintendent Michael Lannon believes more cuts to the test should be considered.

“Given the state’s financial ongoing and not soon to end catastrophic circumstances, perhaps all testing should be temporarily curtailed,” Lannon wrote in an e-mail. “I’d rather have testing (cut) rather than teaching and other direct services to children cut out until we recover as a state.”

Earlier this year, the state decided to cut the multiple choice portion of the FCAT writing test at a cost-savings of $2.5 million and the norm-reference test — which compared Florida students to their peers across the nation.

The new rules also mean third-graders cannot use scores from the norm-referenced test as a way to get to fourth grade, if they failed the FCAT reading exam.

For many parents, the biggest change may be that next year they cannot look up their child’s FCAT score online. The state’s online score system debuted in 2006 and allowed parents with computer access to quickly look up results. Now, they’ll have to wait for paper reports to come home in backpacks.

“Being a concerned parent, I always went to that Web site to see if the results were up,” said parent Mickey Wich, of Jensen Beach. “I’m disappointed that’s been eliminated. Maybe they can do something about getting the paper results to us sooner.”

But the change that has the potential to hurt students most is eliminating the summer retake for high school students. Next year, students will have five, not six, chances to pass the 10th-grade FCAT reading and math exams needed for graduation.

While students who don’t pass the test can still walk with their peers at graduation ceremonies, they receive a certificate of completion instead of a diploma.

The Orlando Sentinel contributed to this report.

Your child is taking a benchmark pre-test, used solely to determine their current level of knowledge and mastery, in the following subjects:

Monday Reading

Tuesday Math

Wednesday Science

Thursday Writing

The scores they receive this week, will be their “benchmark” score for the year. Three (3) more benchmark testing periods are scheduled this academic year. The student is expected to show improvement from their starting benchmark score as the year progresses.

Please encourage your child to eat breakfast in the morning and to get an adequate amount of sleep each night. As always, do your best on every test; however, these tests should not be the cause of any anxiety whatsoever. The score will not negatively affect your child’s grade or report card in any way.

The schedule is as follows for 6th graders:

9:15-9:29 Homeroom
9:30-10:56 Benchmark Testing
11:00-11:33 Period 1
11:37-12:07 Lunch
12:11-12:44 Period 2
12:48-1:20 Period 3
1:24-1:56 Period 4
2:00-2:32 Period 5
2:36-3:08 Period 6
3:12-3:45 Period 7
3:45 Dismissal

7th graders receive their lunch from 11:00 to 11:30.
8th graders receive their lunch from 12:14-12:44.

Early in the year 2009, 6th graders will take only the reading and math FCAT tests.

Thank you, Mr. Lynch, Principal 2006-2008, and Mrs. Slover, Vice Principal 2007-present, for your administrative leadership. Thank you to all of the teachers and staff for your hard work and caring. Thanks too, to the parents and families who ensured their children arrived to school safe every day, prepared, with homework done, and with a spirit open to learning.
STUDENTS, in the end, no matter who your teacher is, where you attend school, or how much help you receive or don’t receive at home, it’s up to you, to give your best effort on test days and every day. You did just that! I’m very proud of you. Thank you for all of your hard work. Hawks, You SOAR!

St. Lucie County School District School grades as reported by www.tcpalm.com

Click luciefcat to view the school grades in 2007 and in 2008 for all schools in St. Lucie County.