BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — The Florida Department of Education’s decision to eliminate FSA testing in schools this year is hurting some students who hoped to turn their grades around.
What You Need To Know
- The Fla. Department of Education waived FSA testing this year due to COVID-19
- This decision has cost one Brevard student to lose admission into his choice school
- Get more Brevard County coverage here
One student in Brevard County’s hard work in getting into his choice school hasn’t been paying off.
Jeff Dubitsky’s 12-year-old son Chase was selected through a lottery into West Shore Junior/Senior high.
Tutoring was helping get his grades on track to meet the minimum requirements for admission, which includes having a C or above and scoring a 3 or above on the 6th grade Florida Standards Assessments (FSA) test
“He scored 80 percent in the practice test and that shows me that he was well on his way to passing the state test,” Dubitsky said.
Since the state cancelled those assessments, Brevard Public Schools modified their entrance requirements.
The district’s statement reads in part: “In light of the waiver for FSA testing, the district is reverting to the "appeals" process whereby historical test data is being reviewed to ensure students are meeting the threshold criteria.”
The new policy states they would now average the past two year’s scores and decide based on those. Just like that, Chase was out.
“They didn't give it to me because of some old test scores , even though I was improving, and that's not right,” Chase said.
Dubitsky says what hurts the most is seeing the future he envisioned for his son slipping through his fingers.
“My son had an opportunity he worked hard for that was taken away without conversation,” Dubitsky said.
Jeff has filed an appeal and is waiting to hear back on the next steps.
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