More Than 364,000
4th, 5th And 8th Graders Will Sit For The
Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) From February 15 -- 22
Kaplan's Guides To The FCAT Reveals What to Expect, How Kids Can Excel

The week of February 15 through 22 will be a telling one for Florida students in grades 4, 5 and 8 as they sit for the FCAT. The exams debuted in 1998, and this year's students and their parents continue to grapple with what the tests cover, how they measure students' skills, what the consequences of a weak performance may be, and how performance can be improved. Statistics in 1999 showed that 48% of Florida's 4th graders, 61% of the 5th graders, and 51% of the 8th graders had little or limited success on the exam. To help parents ease their anxiety about this exam, Kaplan/Simon & Schuster published the Parent's Guide to the FCAT 4th Grade Reading, 5th Grade Math: A Complete Guide to Understanding the Test and Preparing Your Child for a Successful Test -Taking Experience (ISBN 0-684-86962-4, 64 pages, $5.95). In addition, to help 8th graders understand their exam in language they can relate to, Kaplan/Simon & Schuster published The No-Stress Guide to the 8th Grade FCAT: Expert Tips to Help Boost Your Score (ISBN 0-684-87089-4, 99 pages, $8.00). Both books are available wherever books are sold.

The Parent's Guide to the FCAT 4th Grade Reading, 5th Grade Math is the only guide to contain all of the essential facts and expert advice parents need to help their children prepare for the test, including:

Strategies to build problem-solving and reading comprehension skills measured by the test

Advice on how to help their children develop test-taking skills and how to answer the types of questions they will encounter

Practice questions with answers and explanations

Explanations on how the scores are determined, how to interpret a child's scores, and what action steps parents may want to consider based on the scores

The No-Stress Guide to the 8th Grade FCAT combines Kaplan's 60-plus years in standardized test preparation with a humorous and entertaining storyline that offers students a comprehensive overview of the FCAT in an easy-to-follow format that includes:

Review of all the Reading, Writing, and Mathematics objectives covered on the FCAT.

Effective test-taking strategies including time management, methods for tackling tough problems, and more.

Practice for every type of question found on the FCAT

A humorous theme designed to make important lessons memorable

About the Authors: Cynthia Brantley Johnson is the author of several educational books for young people, including Word Smart Junior and Writing Smart Junior, both of which received the prestigious Parents' Choice Gold Award in 1995, and were included in Curriculum Administrator magazine's list of "Top 100" educational products for 1996. Drew Johnson is the author of Kidding Around Austin!, a travel activity book for children visiting Austin, Texas, and co-author of Kaplan Learning Power, a guide to improving study skills. Drew is currently an education writer and editor, creating workbook, textbook, and Web-based educational materials for students of all ages.

Kaplan, Inc. (kaplan.com) is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Its divisions include Test Preparation and Admissions; SCORE! Learning Corporation, offering after-school programs for kids and resources for parents and kids through eSCORE.com (www.escore.com); Kaplan Professional educational programs for adults; and KaplanCollege.com, a distance learning division which includes Concord University School of Law. Kaplan is the majority shareholder in BrassRing Inc. (BrassRing.com), which combines recruiting, career development and hiring management services for employers and employees. Kaplan is a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company. 

Press Contact: pubrel@kaplan.com, (212) 492-5965