FCAT Parent Night

1. FCAT Parent Night Mater Academy Charter School 4th Grade Mrs. M. Gonzalez

2. Tonight’s Agenda • Introduction • Title 1 Parent Compact • FCAT 2.0 • Writing • Reading • Math • Helpful Resources • Closing Remarks

3. What is the FCAT? The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) is a test given to all Florida students as part of Florida’s overall plan to increase student achievement, by implementing higher standards for public school students. The Grade 4 FCAT has three sections: Reading, Writing, and Math. All public school students in Grades 3 through 10 are required to take the FCAT .

4. Why do students take the FCAT? The FCAT was designed to measure achievement of the Sunshine State Standards. The skills and competencies outlined in the Standards were embedded in the material of the student’s core classes. The FCAT 2.0 measures achievement of the educational standards. The best understanding of a student’s academic achievement comes from looking at multiple pieces of evidence (including FCAT scores) collected over time.

5. When is the FCAT? FCAT Reading and Math Weeks of: April 14 – April 30, 2014 FCAT Writing: February 25- 26, 2014

9. FCAT Writing Content • Focus The student demonstrates a main idea or theme & stays on topic. • Organization The student follows a plan that includes an introduction, effective transitional devices, & a conclusion. • Support The studentincludes use of specific details & precise word choice to explain, clarify, or define meaning. • Conventions The student demonstrates knowledge of the basic skills of punctuation, capitalization, spelling, usage, & sentence structure.

11. Let’s Talk About Expository! Why the new name?

12. FCAT 2.0 ReadingTest Design • Students are given 120 minutes for the Reading portion of the test. • The test has 50 – 55 Multiple Choice questions. • 60% of the passages are Literary Text • 40% of the passages are Informational Text • Passages can range from 100-700 words. The average passage is 500 words

13. FCAT 2.0 Test Design (Continuation) Reading FCAT Consists of: Vocabulary (15% - 25%) Application (25%-35%) Literary Analysis (25% - 35%) Informational Text (15% - 25%)

14. Helping your child prepare for FCAT… • Read with your child on a daily basis. • Ask your child questions about what they are reading… use the FCAT task cards. • When your child comes across a word they do not understand, have them use context clues to figure out a possible meaning. If they need help, probe them to think of an answer without giving it away. • Check your child’s homework. Show them any mistakes and explain why they possibly selected the wrong answer. • Model how to correctly complete any incorrect work. • If your child is easily distracted, work with them to keep them on task for extended periods of time.

15. How Mater helps your child prepare for FCAT… • FCAT Tutoring • In-Class Interventions • Pull-Out Program • Technology Programs (Home and School) • Reading Plus • Success Maker • Achieve 3000

16. FCAT 2.0 Reading How would you do?

17. FCAT Sample Question Galvin loves to draw animals in his notebook. He hardly ever makes a blunder when he draws. However, when he does, he uses his eraser to fix the problem. Read following sentence from the story. He hardly ever makes a blunder when he draws. What is the meaning of the word blunder?A. scratch B. mistake C. picture D. marker Explanation: The context shows that a blunder is a problem. The clues also tell the reader that a blunder can be erased. A blunder must be a mistake.

18. FCAT Sample Question What most likelyhappened next in the story? • Ron went swimming at the beach. • Ron’s dad called the park ranger. • Ron’s dad scared the alligator away. • Ron took the alligator home. Explanation: The passage informs that alligators found near people must be moved, and the ranger finds it a new home. That leads to believe that dad called the ranger to take care of the gator.

19. FCAT Math

20. What is on the FCAT Math test? The FCAT math test consists of multiple choice questions solving problems in the areas of • number sense • measurement • geometry • Algebra • data analysis Grade 4 sample questions: http://fcat.fldoe.org/fcat2/pdf/sample/1112/math/FL530621_Gr4_Math_TB_WT_r3g.pdf

21. Let’s try to solve these problems: 1. According to one source, Americans eat between 59 and 65 quarts of popcorn per person in a year. Which of the following is the best estimate of the number of quarts of popcorn eaten by an American family of 4 in one year? A. 150 B. 200 C. 250 300 2. Mr. Clark hired workers to construct an in-ground pool in his backyard. For which of the following situations might the workers have used the area formula when constructing the pool? A. determining the amount of water needed to fill the pool B. determining the amount of fencing to put around the pool C. determining the amount of ground the bottom of the pool will cover D. determining the amount of dirt that will need to be dug for the pool

22. One more problem… Mr. Dennis has 112 art students. He gave each student 150 dried beans to use for a project. What is the total number of dried beans Mr. Dennis gave his students? A. 267 B. 1,680 C. 5,600 ★ D. 16,800

23. Helpful Resources Reading Plus www.readingplus.com/users Site Code: 7700mater KidBiz www.kidbiz3000.com Our Class Website at www.materelementary.com **Click on the FCAT link FCAT Sample Questions http://fcat.fldoe.org/fcat2/fcatitem.asp

24. Your Attendance Tonight was Important!