FCAT Parent Night

1. FCAT Parent Night Sorrento Elementary 2013

2. State Law • Beginning with the 2002-03 school year, if a student’s reading deficiency…is not remediated by the end of grade 3 as demonstrated by scoring at Level 2 or higher on the statewide assessment test (FCAT), the student must be retained.

3. State Law • No student may be assigned to a grade level based solely on age or other factors that constitute social promotion. • The school board may only exempt student mandatory retention…”for good cause”…or “alternative promotion”. • Lake County Student Progression Plan

4. Student Progression • Reading is the basic skill upon which all others are built. • Sometimes more time is needed. • Retention may set up the child for greater future success.

5. Why is Retention Sometimes Necessary? • Retention is the act of having a student repeat a grade to give them the extra time they need to build a stronger academic “foundation”. • If a student repeats a grade, it does not mean that the student has failed. It does not mean that teachers or parents are not working hard enough.

6. FCAT Facts • Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test 2.0 (FCAT) • Next Generation Sunshine State Standards • Grade Level Expectations • Grade 3: Reading, Math • School Grade: 4th-Reading, Math& Writing 5th-Reading, Math & Science

7. FCAT FACTS • Reading sessions on April 15 and 16 • Math sessions April 17 and 18 • Each session is 70 minutes long • Reading and Math have multiple choice questions

8. FCAT Levels • Level 1 – little success in meeting basic skills at that grade level • Level 2 – limited success with the challenging content • Level 3 – some success with the challenging content • Level 4 – successful with minimal difficulty on the challenging content • Level 5 – successful on the challenging content

9. Get Familiar • Teachers give practice tests to their students. Knowing the format and seeing the types of questions that will be asked can help build your child’s confidence. • Practice how to bubble in answers and how to limit stray marks. • Practice test taking strategies

10. What’s on the Reading FCAT • Informational • Magazine articles • How-to Articles • Advertisements • Biographies • Literary • Short Stories • Poems • Fables/Folktales • Narratives

11. Reading Vocabulary • Prefixes (un-, dis-, re-, etc.) • Suffixes (-ness, -ly, etc.) • Root words • Multiple Meaning Words • Antonyms • Synonyms • Relationships between words • Words in context • Figurative Language

12. Sample FCAT Reading Vocabulary Question Read these sentences from the story. His toes grabbed a long thin willow branch that hung out over the water. But the branch sagged under his weight. When the branch sagged, it • A. bent. • B. disappeared. • C. dripped. • D. grew.

13. Types of Reading Content tested on FCAT • Main Idea • Sequence/Chronological Order • Author’s Purpose/Perspective • Drawing Conclusions/Inferences • Text structures/Text Features • Themes

14. Sample FCAT Question: At the end of the story, where does the young bird land safely? • on the shore B. in the cattails C. in the farm pond D. on a willow branch

15. Sample FCAT Question: • Read the sentence from the article “Birds Do It! RECYCLE!” • Yarn is big on an oriole’s shopping list when nest building. • What is the author comparing an oriole to in the above sentence? • A. a bird that can write • B. a bird that collects paper • C. a person who lives in a house • D. a person who buys things at a store

16. What’s on the Math FCAT • Multiplication & related division concepts • Fractions – Equivalent • Describe & analyze 2D shapes (angles, symmetry) • Algebra (patterns, tables, graphs) • Data Analysis (construct & read tables, graphs, pictographs) • Numbers and Operations • Represent, compute, estimate and solve problems through hundred thousands • Geometry & Measurement • TIME: to nearest minute, quarter hour and elapsed time • All of these are written as word problems and require a high level of thought to compute.

17. Math FCAT Scores • Achievement Levels―The success a student has achieved on the FCAT 2.0 is described by Achievement Levels that range from 1 to 5, • Level 1 being the lowest and Level 5 being the highest. • To be considered on grade level, students must achieve Level 3 or higher. • Does not require a level 2 to meet promotion requirements

18. Sample question 1

19. Sample question 2

20. and the answer is …

21. Sample question 3

22. and the answer is…

23. Common math mistakes to avoid • Rushing Kids get it in their minds that those who finish the quickest are the best at math. • The test-writers know that doing half the steps will result in answer “A”, so the student stops halfway through the problem but finds his answer. • Not Making a Picture or Table to Help It doesn’t matter HOW students get the answer as long as it is right. • So, using a picture to help students “see” the solution will often help a student. • Answering the wrong question Test writers throw in extra numbers and information • Students need to make sure they are answering the actual question being asked.

24. HELP YOUR CHILD UNDERSTAND THESE VERY IMPORTANT TIPS • Pay attention - Stress that they will need to listen to the testing instructions very closely and follow the written directions exactly. • Don’t rush to finish - Make sure they use any extra time to check their answers and complete any questions they left blank.

25. HELP YOUR CHILD UNDERSTAND THESE VERY IMPORTANT TIPS • Skipping is OK - Remind your child that they don’t have to answer the questions in order. If they’re unsure about a question, tell them it’s OK to come back to it later. Students will have enough time if they maintain a consistent pace throughout the test. They should not get “bogged-down” on any one question. Encourage your child to answer every question.

26. HELP YOUR CHILD UNDERSTAND THESE VERY IMPORTANT TIPS • Find the best answer - It’s tempting for children to choose the first answer that looks right. Make sure they understand that several of the answers may seem right, but that they need to choose the one best answer. • Check reasonableness

27. HELP YOUR CHILD UNDERSTAND THESE VERY IMPORTANT TIPS • Aim High! - Encourage them to do their best and help them believe that they will do well. Send them to school with words of encouragement and make sure he/she is relaxed, confident, and positive.

28. Minimize the “Fear Factor” • Let your child know that it is normal to be nervous about the “unknown”, but the more he/she knows about the test the less nervous they will feel. • Help them understand that they can rely on what they have been taught throughout the year.

29. What You Can Do at Home • Sign your child’s agenda every day • Look over homework • FCAT Explorer • Study Multiplication Facts • Read to and with your child

30. Put them to bed • Sleepy children have a tough time succeeding academically. It is particularly important for your child to get a good night’s sleep the night before a big test. For most elementary school children, 10 hours of sleep every night is best.

31. Give them “brain food” • Give your child a healthy breakfast the morning of a big test and remember that good nutrition fuels brains year-round. Food high in fat or sugar doesn’t provide the nutrients children need to do their best.

32. More Information • Go to: • www.fldoe.org (State of FL Department of Education) • www.lake.k12.fl.us (Lake County Website) • www.fcatexplorer.com (State Prep)