One of the reasons many people are against the FCAT is that they believe it is causing teachers to "teach to the test." In other words, opponents of the test argue that teachers spend a lot of time teaching test material rather than covering a broader range of topics.
Many opponents believe that the FCAT is unfair to minorities, who statistically fail the test more often than white students. The FCAT is only administered in English, which is a hurdle for many Florida students who are still learning the language. In 2002, only 17 percent of African American students and 29 percent of Hispanic students in Sarasota county passed the writing portion of the FCAT, while 97 percent of white students passed.
People who are opposed to the FCAT argue that the test doesn't provide an accurate account of how much a student has learned and grown during his time in Florida schools, but rather how well a student can take a test. While proponents of the test claim that the test is monitored for statistical viability and is a reliable indicator of a student's learned knowledge, opponents worry that bad test takers, or those students facing struggles at home, suffer at the hand of the FCAT.
As with many publicly funded expenditures, opponents feel that too much money is spent on a test that does not seem to be doing its job. Approximately $4.2 million is spent on the FCAT each year, money that many feel is better spent on learning materials or on hiring teachers to reduce class sizes.
All students must pass the FCAT to graduate, which is one reason many people may oppose the test. Many opponents argue that one test is not a good assessment of how much a student has learned, and that plenty of honor roll students, and even students who have done exceedingly well on other standardized tests, such as the SAT and ACT, are being held back because they struggle passing the FCAT. In 2006, 10 percent of Polk County students failed to pass the FCAT in time to graduate high school.