Testing troubles at Lee County schools

Published: Updated:

ESTERO, Fla.-I think that’s awful. I don’t understand what’s going on with the state.”

Michelle Edge is reacting to the news that her son’s state mandated testing, has been delayed for another day.
“Ready to get it over with, get on with life.”
Michelle’s son is a 9th grader at Estero High.
Tuesday, 8th and 9th graders there, were supposed to start testing, for the computer based Florida Standards Assessment. The assessment took the place of the FCAT.
But the new online testing system, didn’t work. Many students couldn’t log in.
Estero High was the only school affected in Lee County, but not the only one in the state.
Since testing began Monday, 36 school districts have reported technical glitches.
13 schools had to stop testing in Charlotte County.

Mark Castellano is with the Lee County Teacher’s Union. He says he is not surprised.

He says for years, teachers have been telling the state this all online testing wasn’t going to work.

“You are talking about a statewide mandated test that means hundreds of thousands of kids going online at the same moment, the same time,” said Castellano.
He says districts don’t have the right equipment yet.
“The infrastructure is simply not in place. They have not provided the resources to do that. Infrastructure takes money. Takes plan, design,” said Castellano.

In district high schools, out of the eight schools scheduled to administer the 9th grade FSA, only Estero High reported trouble. All paper-based tests for grades 4 to 7 were completed as scheduled.

Monday, the district postponed all computer-based 10th grade FSAs scheduled for Tuesday.

There have been no reported problems in Collier County.

The Department of Education said it had thought it fixed all glitches overnight.

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