Fla. suspends reading exam for youngest students

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida has suspended use of a standardized exam that measures reading comprehension among the state's youngest students.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, the state suspended the Florida Assessments for Instruction in Reading on Monday, also known as the FAIR test, for students in kindergarten through second grade.

Instead, teachers will observe students through a less-formal measurement than sitting for an online test.

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That's a victory for testing opponents, who say that students take too many tests -- and that state exams play too large a role in educational decisions.

The FAIR test is not tied to high-stakes educational decisions, such as promotion from third grade or high school graduation. Instead, it is used to measure progress.

The new Florida Standards Assessment will be used for those decisions, replacing the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, also known as the FCAT. Students in grades 3-11 will take the FSA exams this school year.

Suspension of the test was announced to superintendents in a memo from Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewart, according to the Times.

Statewide attention has turned to standardized tests thanks, in part, to a now-reversed Lee County School Board decision to "opt out" of state exams.

Officials rescinded their original vote after learning that they could lose state funding, and prevent students from earning a high school diploma, among other consequences.

The focus on standardized testing has fueled backlash, one that some educators say is overdue.