FCAT: the standardized test that comes once a year. FCAT: the assessment that students dread with utmost disgust. FCAT: the test that is here to stay. Nevertheless, it  underwent many changes.
Of the bottom 25 percent of Palmetto students who took the FCAT mathematics test, 65 percent passed. However, because only 44 percent of that group passed the FCAT reading, officials automatically lowered Palmetto’s grade.
“The way FCAT works doesn’t really give you a flavor of what the school achieves on a yearly basis,” Principal Howard Wiener said.
Traditionally, the scores received by students on the FCAT reading, science and mathematics tests solely determined Palmetto’s overall grade. Now, officials take more information into consideration.
The school also receives credit for the number of students enrolled in Honors and Advanced Placement classes, students’ passing rates and decreases in student drop-out rates.
“It’s about time officials realize that schools are comprised of things other than FCAT,” junior Piero Trinchero said. “Giving Palmetto a grade with respect to our school as a whole will create balance and equality.”
But the 2011 FCAT testing modifications do not stop there. Instead of the usual FCAT math portion, state officials will require freshmen to take an online Algebra I examination that will count toward 30 percent of their grade.
Furthermore, students planning to take this year’s FCAT will receive the new-and-improved version that was created to meet students’ “more rigorous grade-level expectations.” Officials named this updated test “FCAT 2.0.”
“I don’t believe the new testing policy is fair,” sophomore Michael Garcia said. “There’s nothing wrong with the way it has been in the past. It just doesn’t make sense.”
Regardless of the testing version, the well-known annual assessment has been an integral part of Palmetto’s mathematics and science curricula.
In some classes, teachers gear lesson plans directly toward teaching information that will provide assistance in passing the FCAT test. Of the countless reasons behind “teaching toward the test,” a couple include trying to help students pass and allowing them to graduate.
“Students need to show their ability on the FCAT,” Andrea Spivak,  English Department Head, said. “If a student does not pass the FCAT, he or she will have to relinquish a desired elective. Ultimately, students need to pass this high-stakes test in order to graduate.”
Palmetto currently offers countless Honors and Advanced Placement courses, maintains high passing rates, offers dozens of student clubs and interest groups, contains a leading student body, employs hundreds of dedicated teachers and enrolls thousands of eager students.
“All the great things Palmetto offers are being overshadowed by the way the school recieves its score,” senior Fatima Somarriba said. “It really isn’t a fair reflection of the entire school.”