1. Parent Academy Topic: Curriculum and Instruction 1

2. Outcomes 2 1.Be familiar with student's areas of study for the year 2.How to help children with schoolwork 3.How to communicate with the teacher 4.How to ensure a successful parent-teacher conference.

3. Early Childhood Education 3 Palmdale School District offers free Preschool programs to income eligible families at the following school sites:  Chaparral  Mesquite  Site 18  Manzanita  Tamarisk  Yucca  Ocotillo  Tumbleweed  Palm Tree  Ocotillo  Highland High School  Tierra Bonita Elementary, Lancaster  First Christian Church, Lancaster  Vista San Gabriel Elementary, Wilsona

4. Early Childhood Education 4  Programs are available to eligible families for children from birth to 4 years old in center base and home base programs.  Parents can inquire and obtain more information regarding the various Preschool programs by contacting the Early Childhood Education office at (661) 273-4710.  Our office is located just north of the main District Office on the corner of P8 and 10 th Street East.

5. What subjects will my child study? 5 K-6 English Language Arts Mathematics Science Social Studies Physical Education 7-8 Add a 6 th period of an Exploratory or Support Class

6. What can I do to help my child with homework? 6  Make sure your child has a quiet, well-lit place to do homework.  Make sure that needed supplies are available (paper, pencils, etc.).  Help your child with time management.  Be positive about homework.  When your child does homework, you do homework. -US Dept. of Ed.

7. What can I do to help my child with homework? 7  When your child asks for help, provide guidance, not answers.  When the teacher asks that you play a role in homework, do it.  If homework is meant to be done by your child alone, stay away.  Stay informed.  Watch your child for signs of failure and frustration.  Reward progress in homework. -US Dept. of Ed.

8. How can I contact my child’s teacher? 8  Write a note- in your child’s school planner  Call the school and leave a message  E-mail the teacher

9. Ten Tips for a Successful Teacher Conference 9 1.Ask your child what he would like you to discuss with the teacher. 2. Take notes of what you would like to discuss. 3. Be on time or a few minutes early. 4. Begin with positive comments about the teacher or classroom. 5. Avoid long discussions that are not related to the purpose of the conference.

10. Ten Tips for a Successful Teacher Conference 10 6. Keep your emotions under control. 7.Take notes about the discussion and share with your child. 8. Thank the teacher for the conference. 9. Don’t stay longer than the time allowed for the conference. 10.Be open-minded to teacher’s suggestions. -Gisler and Eberts

11. 11  What skills will my student be expected to master this year?  How are grades determined in your classroom?  What can I do at home to complement what is happening in the classroom?  How can I know what homework has been assigned?  What if my child is a slow learner and falls behind, or is a fast learner and is bored?  What other programs are available for students who need more help? Possible questions for teachers

12. 12 English Language Arts www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/elacontentstnds.pdf Mathematics www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/mathstandard.pdf Science www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/sciencestnd.pdf Social Studies www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/histsocscistnd.pdf Physical Education www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/pestandards.pdf Where can I go to find the standards for my student’s grade level?

13. Partnership for 21 st Century Skills

14. What are Common Core State Standards? 14 The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state- led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers to ensure that all students in the United States receive a world-class education and are prepared to be a literate person in the twenty- first century regardless of their zip code.

15. Why Common Core State Standards? 15 - Consistent, clear understanding of what students need to learn -Relevance to the real world -Position our students to succeed in a future, global economy

16. 16 -California adopted the Common Core State Standards in August, 2010. -State assessments are scheduled to address the common core in 2014-15. -Common core assessments will be more rigorous than current STAR tests. When will we have Common Core State Standards?