If you can't pass the FCAT, you're probably too retarded to operate a computer.

/but, paradoxically, well suited to posting as a FARK troll.

NorCalLos: D135: FTFA: "Why do so many people wanna take the FCAT high?"

When you fail you can say "it was the drugs and not my lack of intelligence/work ethic that caused my failure".
If you score fairly well, you can say "fark I'm smart, I passed that test with the huge handicap of being high".

/my strategy for the past 11 years
//it's a poorly constructed strategy with many flaws, but it's MY strategy dammit!

There was an article about this on Fark a while back. Apparently, it's quite common. Most people don't realize they're doing it. I'm currently wrapping up my bachelor's degree as a "re-entry" student. There are a few of these people at my university, though not a whole lot of them. My school is FULL of nerds.

cettin: This is actually a valid psychosocial thoery, it's called self-handicapping (new window)/i>

Likely stems from my inferiority complex. I would seek therapy if I wasn't completely afraid of being judged.

The problem is that too much weed makes you think others might think your story about taking tests high is cool.

CornDog in 2012: standardized test...in florida? You probably have to be high just to understand it

WINNAR!

I Twought I heard something...

What was it?

;)

Snarcoleptic_Hoosier: suid: Koolaider: You need to pass the FCAT to graduate.

If you can't pass one of these even while totally drunk or high (FCAT, CAHSEE), you _shouldn't_ graduate.

The CAHSEE (calif) is just a test of basic functional literacy. An average 8th-grader could ace it.

I don't remember what the Indiana one is, but I remember hearing that we didn't have to pass it. A substitute teacher confirmed it, and I was one of about 5 people who figured out you can answer however you like. Every answer is A.

/I'd like to see the results when adjusted for smartass test takers

It's called the ISTEP. Or it was when I was in school, not sure if it still is. We also had to pass it to graduate, at least that's what they told everyone. It was incredibly easy. I knew this guy, a total burnout that frequently did any drug he could get his hands on. He was drunk during the test one year, and he still passed it. I knew another guy that, when it came to the writing portion and we had to write about something of our choosing, he wrote about the first time he got high. He also passed.

suid: Koolaider: You need to pass the FCAT to graduate.

If you can't pass one of these even while totally drunk or high (FCAT, CAHSEE), you _shouldn't_ graduate.

The CAHSEE (calif) is just a test of basic functional literacy. An average 8th-grader could ace it.

While I agree that these are very basic tests (I teach high school math in California) it is a sad fact that many children don't pass them. My school only has about 100 students and is a very rural school and currently there is only one student who should have passed that hasn't (a junior that hasn't passed either the math or english portions). But when I worked in a much larger more urban school there were loads of students that couldn't pass it. The students that don't or "can't" pass the tests are students that would have dropped out in past years and gone into the work force at 16 or 17. These students have fallen behind from an early age, sometimes because of learning disabilities sometimes because of family problems sometimes because they just don't care and aren't interested. I do my best to prepare all of my students to pass these classes but when a student comes to me with no intention of passing a basic math class or intends to drop out after 10th grade there is little I can do except offer support and encouragement while I have them in my class.

LovingTeacher: These students have fallen behind from an early age, sometimes because of learning disabilities sometimes because of family problems sometimes because they just don't care and aren't interested.

Oh, I totally agree, LovingTeacher. The tragedy here is that for a lot of our jobs, a "full high school syllabus" (trigonometry, biology, 2nd language) etc. shouldn't be a prerequisite. There's plenty of work out there (and some good jobs, too) for people who have just the basic tools of functional literacy.

But by ramming everyone through a one-size-fits-all system, we have a bunch of students who are needlessly labelled "failures", and others who graduate a watered-down system, where we could have gotten both groups to graduate with _appropriate_ levels of education.

But that would fall afoul of the education activists, I suppose. (And it could very well lead to "ethnic tracking"). Sigh..

suid: LovingTeacher: These students have fallen behind from an early age, sometimes because of learning disabilities sometimes because of family problems sometimes because they just don't care and aren't interested.

Oh, I totally agree, LovingTeacher. The tragedy here is that for a lot of our jobs, a "full high school syllabus" (trigonometry, biology, 2nd language) etc. shouldn't be a prerequisite. There's plenty of work out there (and some good jobs, too) for people who have just the basic tools of functional literacy.

But by ramming everyone through a one-size-fits-all system, we have a bunch of students who are needlessly labelled "failures", and others who graduate a watered-down system, where we could have gotten both groups to graduate with _appropriate_ levels of education.

But that would fall afoul of the education activists, I suppose. (And it could very well lead to "ethnic tracking"). Sigh..

It is sad that vocational ed has been so removed from our school systems, there is no reason that a student shouldn't leave high school with the knowledge to get into a good apprenticeship program in many trades including computer programming. We just don't want to spend the money on these programs though and those in power all went to college and think that if it is good enough for them it is good enough for anyone. 20 years ago my brother would have dropped out of high school if he hadn't been able to take a couple of classes of Ag Mechanics every year and it has served him well in real life.

algrant33: It's not tied to grades or graduation.

Actually, I got a high enough score on me FCAT in 10th grade that I didn't have to take the HSCT Senior year.

/Graduated 2001

CornDog in 2012: standardized test...in florida? You probably have to be high just to understand it

I'll just leave this here: Link (new window)

My son's school started FCAT Prep in January. They held weekly meetings for the PARENTS, so the parents can help their child(ren) with FCAT Math review. It's a charter school so funding relies on them bringing their "grade" up.

You can only go up from an F right???

Flori'duh

To be fair, this is the Florida education system that we're talking about, so all things considered, getting high might indeed improve your test scores.