STAAR INFORMATION NIGHT Together we will TRIUMPH!

What is the STAAR test? ■STAAR stands for State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness. It is created by the State of Texas and based on the content our scholars have learned throughout the year. ■The topics on each test cover the standards (content) taught during the year that the state deems as essential for success in the current year and important for preparedness in the next grade level. ■The STAAR test focuses on the content most critical to success. ■The tests measure academic performance in math, reading, and writing (writing is 4 th only). ■There is a 4 hour time limit for each test.

Types of STAAR Tests ■Math –Multiple choice questions ■Reading –Passages with multiple choice questions afterwards ■Writing (4 th only) –Multiple choice questions: revising and editing parts of a passage –Expository composition (a non-fiction writing with the purpose to explain or describe)

Why is the STAAR test important? ■The STAAR test is important because it shows how much your scholar has learned and retained throughout the school year. ■It gets our scholars ready for future testing at they enter high school and get ready for college. ■It allows us to see how our scholars are doing compared to others in Uplift and the state. ■The results are used to determine our state ranking.

When is the STAAR test? ■Writing (4 th only) – March 28 th ■Math – May 9 th ■Reading – May 10 th ■We will have benchmark STAAR tests in both math and reading to see how our scholars are doing, these will be on April 14 th and April 15 th.

Reading Strategies ■When scholars get to each reading passage on the test, they should use the STARS strategy. At home, they can practice this with each passage they read for homework. ■S – See the title, illustrations, and graphs ■T – Underline the title and captions ■A – Ask questions: 1) Predict 2) Fiction or non-fiction? 3) What do I know about this topic? ■R – Read: 1) Read the questions 2) Read the passage and take notes ■S – Solve it: 1) Eliminate wrong choices 2) Answer questions 3) Prove Answers

Math Strategies ■When scholars work on math word problems on their tests and at home, they are encouraged to use CUBES. ■C – Circle important numbers ■U – Underline the question ■B – Box any key words ■E- Eliminate extra information ■S – Solve and check your work

Writing Strategies (4 th Grade) ■Scholars will have to write one expository composition. After scholars brainstorm, they should plan for their composition using the hamburger planner. ■Scholars can practice using the hamburger planner at home when they work on their writing homework. In addition, scholars go through the writing process in class so they get more practice for their upcoming STAAR test. ■The next slide shows the parts of the hamburger planner and an example of a hamburger planner. Scholars use this planner to create their composition.

Writing Strategies (4 th Grade)

Important tips for the night before and morning of each test ■Night before the test –Eat a balanced dinner –Get at least 8 hours of sleep ■Morning of the test –Eat a balanced breakfast before school or arrive at 7:30 to make sure there’s enough time to eat breakfast at school

We know your scholars will do amazing if they focus in class, practice their strategies while working on homework, and do their very best on the day of each test! We will now head to classrooms for some activities and to answer any questions!