Florida Suspends FAIR Testing in Elementary Schools

Susan Bowles’ stand against the Florida Assessments for Instruction in Reading, or FAIR test, seems to have paid off.

The Florida Department of Education announced Monday it is suspending the online exam for kids in kindergarten through the second grade effective immediately. The test is meant to gauge students’ reading abilities.

Bowles, an Alachua County kindergarten teacher, made headlines earlier this month when she refused to administer the test to her students. She said the new online version demands one-on-one administration and can take up to 50 minutes a student to give. Since FAIR testing was required three times a year, she estimated that giving the exam would eat up the equivalent of six weeks’ worth of instruction time.

“I cannot in good conscience submit to administering this test three times a year, losing six weeks of instruction,” Bowles said of her refusal.

Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewart wrote to school district superintendents across the state Monday saying the test had been suspended, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

Instead of FAIR, Stewart said teachers can observe students’ abilities in a less formal setting.

Concerns about standardized testing have made headlines in recent weeks. The Lee County School Board even opted out of all state-mandated tests for a time before back tracking its decision in fear of losing funding. Gov. Rick Scott has said he wants a committee to look into all the tests the state requires.

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See Also:

• Florida Teacher Refuses to Give Standardized Tests
• Gov. Rick Scott Takes Aim at Standardized Tests
• Lee County Goes Rogue on Common Core
• Should Bay Area Schools Opt Out of Standardized Tests?