Florida elementary school gives kids Mountain Dew before standardized test...

[NYC_SKP]

Florida elementary school gives kids Mountain Dew before standardized test

An elementary school in Melbourne, Fla., is explaining to parents the reason behind feeding students there trail mix and a caffeinated soft drink prior to the children taking their annual comprehensive assessment tests.

According to a National Public Radio story, some parents questioned officials at Dr. W.J. Creel Elementary School after they found out that teachers made the soft drink Mountain Dew available to the students before they took part in the Florida Comprehensive Assessments Test (FCAT).

According to the story, Principal Kathryn Edward had read of a study that said keeping children's energy levels stable would allow them to perform better on standardized tests. Based on the study, children were given trail mix and and 3 tablespoons of Mountain Dew before taking the test.

The school says the practice has gone on for a decade, but this is the first time anyone has complained about it. No child was forced to drink the soft drink, they said.

http://blog.al.com/wire/2014/04/florida_elementary_school_give.html

The school has some of the highest test scores in the county, according to the story.

Original NPR story with transcript here: http://www.npr.org/2014/04/23/306102502/florida-school-offered-kids-caffeine-on-test-day?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=share&utm_medium=twitter

[NightWatcher]

1. a case of Redbull and some meth and the kids could finish highschool before lunch

[onehandle]

2. Sorry. If Fla. wants to regain the crazy crown from Georgia, they have to give them handguns too. nt

[JVS]

3. Mmmmm performance enhancing soft drinks.

[ck4829]

4. Goes to show that these aren't really about tests at all

Why not just give shoot them full of a stimulant cocktail, something like ritalin-methamphetamine-5 hour energy?

[NuclearDem]

5. For the Type I or Type II SAT?

[gollygee]

6. I don't know

I don't give my kids caffeinated drinks, or any kind of pop except on special occasions.

But the story said it was just 3 tablespoons of it. And schools are desperate to increase scores. Does it actually help or do they do it in hopes it'll help?

I guess I just don't think 3 tablespoons of pop, even highly caffeinated pop, is such a big deal. I'm much more bothered by the pressures the schools face that make them look to solutions like this.

[unblock]

7. 3 tablespoons? lol!

i have a tough time believing this is clinically significant.

the trail mix would have much more of an impact.