Saturday, February 26, 2000

Fla. Calculators Gave Wrong Answers

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.--Students using state-issued calculators during crucial achievement tests got incorrect answers when math problems were entered too quickly.

School officials in Palm Beach County reported problems with Casio HS-10 calculators during the recent Florida Comprehensive Assessment Tests. And teachers in other counties got wrong answers when asked by The Palm Beach Post to test some equations.

"Three times three times three. Oh no, I got 81," said Carol Ann Whitehorse, a guidance counselor at Bay High School in Panama City. "This is really funny. This is funny in a bad way." Casio officials in Trenton, N.J., said they would investigate. About 17,500 middle and high school students used the state-issued calculators during the FCAT. Students are not allowed to use their own calculators.

Some Palm Beach County math teachers said they discovered the problem before the test and warned students. State education officials don't believe overall test scores will be affected. The test scores are used to determine state funding for schools.

http://www.latimes.com/wires/20000226/tCB00V0501.html

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), February 26, 2000

Answers

When the folks from the Palm Beach County "complained" to the FLA dept of edewekashun, the State said it would not have any effect on the outcome of the tests.

The Palm Beach folks were stunned speechless.

-- Perry (perry@ofuzzy1.com), February 27, 2000.