Maybe we were all too fixated on the FCAT to notice, but the concept of end-of course exams has quickly taken root in Florida education policy. A few months ago, key state officials said they were looking at the idea (see this St. Petersburg Times story here) as a way to better measure student achievement in high schools. Now they're saying it's not a matter of if, but when.

In a teleconference this morning, Rep. Joe Pickens, R-Palatka and chairman of the House Schools and Learning Council, said end-of-course exams "will become a very major part of the accountability system in Florida." (Pickens, addressing a wide range of education issues during the call, also said rumors of the FCAT's demise are "greatly exaggerated.")

The chairman's comments echo statements made last week by Education Commissioner Eric J. Smith (see Palm Beach Post story here). They're also backed up by language in a bill that was unanimously approved by his committee yesterday. Among a host of other things, PCB SLC 08-01  would start the ball rolling on end-of-course exams, including allowing the commissioner to study their cost and impact on student achievement.

End-of-course exams are standardized exams. But unlike the FCAT, they'd be more directly tied to the courses high school students take.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter