In the 1970s, Florida began administering statewide exams. In 1976, it became the first state in the United States with a high school graduation test. Since then, the Florida Legislature has revised and rewritten laws regarding standardized testing. The FCAT was introduced in 1998 to replace the High School Competency Test and the State Student Assessment Test.
The Florida Legislature requires students to learn the Sunshine State Standards (SSS) to continue public education. Skills and objectives of the SSS are included in the students' curriculum. The FCAT is one piece of evidence used to understand whether or not students learning the standards. The Florida Legislature collects data, including test scores from the FCAT, to track whether or not students increase their knowledge of the SSS over time. Annual progress of students, schools, districts and counties are tracked to ensure learning continues to increase.
According to the Florida Department of Education, 1.76 million students took the FCAT in 2009. Each year, public school students in grades three through 11 take the test between late February and mid-March. Private and parochial schools are not required to administer the FCAT, but many of these schools administer similar standardized tests.
The State of Florida has specific requirements for third- and 10th-grade test scores. In order to pass from third to fourth grade, a student must achieve Level 2 reading score on a scale from Level 1 to 5. To graduate with a standard high school diploma, a student must pass the Grade 10 FCAT in mathematics and reading. School districts may require that a student achieve specific scores in grades other than three and 10 in order to be promoted to the next grade.
In accordance with Florida's A+ Plan and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, schools and school districts have a monetary incentive to improve test scores from year to year. Each school's FCAT scores are averaged in order to produce a score for that school. Florida public schools receive a grade between A and F. Schools with a high grade receive more state aid than schools attaining lower grades. This incentive leads public schools to teach the Sunshine State Standards and strive for increased learning.