Florida education officials on Sept. 21 made public some of the state’s standardized-test questions, after years of clamoring for the release by some parents and state legislators.
Most questions from the 10th grade mathematics and reading portions of the 2004 Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test, or FCAT, were released at a press conference by Gov. Jeb Bush and Florida Commissioner of Education John Winn. They are also posted on the Internet.
Both officials had argued against the earlier dissemination of test questions. Mr. Winn had said many questions might be reused, and Gov. Bush had argued that crafting new questions would be too expensive. The state is requesting $3 million to devise new tests for the 2006-07 school year.
A court ruling in November 2003 denied parents’ access to state tests, saying they were not considered public documents. (“Florida Test Answers Still Off-Limits To Parents,” May 12, 2004)
