If Your Child Struggled on the FCAT or Failed The FCAT You Have Options

As you review your child’s FCAT scores – you may be asking:

  1. If my child failed the FCAT do I have options?
  2. If my child failed the FCAT what private school should I send them to, to avoid retention/
  3. If my child passed the FCAT, but did not do well – how can I help them?
The FCAT is Florida’s high stakes test – it is also called the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Many smart kids struggle with the FCAT because:

- The test is very tricky – and many adults get the questions wrong
- The pressure is intense

We like to answer the questions from a personal perspective. If our child had just struggled on the FCAT:
  1. Would they be retaine?
  2. Would I send them to private school and which on?
  3. What could I do to make the differenc?
For 3rd graders – the issue is somewhat different and we recommend your reading If My Child Failed The 3rd Grade FCAT. For other the options include:
  1. The teacher having a portfolio that shows your child has mastered the material
  2. Passing 8 mini-benchmarks that show your child has mastered the material
  3. Passing a new standardized test – the BCAP – that Broward County has developed that will be given in late July
The simple answer to the retention question is: Yes, if you do nothing, your child will be retained.

For the first time ever – this test can be taken whether your child attended summer school or did not – private help is an option.

There are private options – and this may be your best option.

The private school options do exist. Specialized schools like Lighthouse Pointe Academy (LPA at North Broward Preparatory School), American Heritage Academy that is associated with American Heritage Schools, and Kentwood Preparatory Schools are 3 options and other private schools are also options.

We are big believers in public schools - -and recommend you consider what you can do to help your child be promoted to 4th grade.

The three steps you can take are to:
  1. Talk with your child’s teacher and find out where your child stands
  2. Find out about summer school and your other options – each county has some flexibility
  3. Consider private options
When considering FCAT Help, FCAT Tutoring or FCAT Programs, you may want to consider:
  1. Do they teach the way your child learns best – too often programs are logical and sequential – when the child is a right-brained learner – who learns best when they see and experience information
  2. Are they focused on passing the test, improving your child’s foundational skills, or both
  3. Do they have a track record of helping kids do extremely well on the test, in school, in life, or in all three areas
Mira Halpert M.Ed. and Mark Halpert offer private options for parents with smart struggling children at their 3D Learner Center in Boca Raton – for more information, visit their Private Options If Your Child Has Failed The 3rd Grade FCAT page, or call them at 561-361-7495.