What Parents Need to Know

 TABS (Texas Assessment of Basic Skills)  TEAMS (Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills)  TAAS (Texas Assessment of Academic Skills)  TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills)  STAAR (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness)

 Criterion-reference test measuring the state mandated curriculum (TEKS)  Timed Test (Unlike TAKS)  Passing Standard set by raw score converted to a scale score  ‘Met Standard’ (“Cut Score”) established by State Board of Education in Austin

What does TEKS stand for?  TEKS is the acronym for the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills.  The TEKS represent the basic curriculum for each subject area at each grade level in Texas.

What is the purpose of TEKS?  The TEKS outline the "scope and sequence" of what students are supposed to learn at each grade level.  The TEKS indicate what students should learn and when they should Learn it. (C& I on district website)

How do the TEKS relate to STAAR reporting categories and the STAAR test ?  The STAAR reporting categories are drawn from the TEKS.  Not all TEKS are tested in the yearly STAAR test.  The STAAR test focuses on the TEKS that the state has deemed appropriate for pencil paper tests.

 Reporting Category 1: Understanding Across Genres The student will demonstrate an ability to understand a variety of written texts across reading genres.  Reporting Category 2: Understanding and Analysis of Literary Texts The student will demonstrate an ability to understand and analyze literary texts.  Reporting Category 3: Understanding and Analysis of Informational Texts The student will demonstrate an ability to understand and analyze informational texts.

See packet for a complete reading passage and questions that are appropriate for your child’s grade.

 Notice how long the passage is.  Building stamina is something we work on in class.

 Daily small group interventions  Regrouping based on student’s needs  Tutorials before school  Built in Enrichment Time

 Read and discuss a variety of materials with your child.  Help your child to understand the meaning of new words using context clues.  Ask who, what, when, where, and why questions to help your child understand the main idea, purpose, and implied meaning of what is read.

 READ 20 minutes per night  Increase READING to 30 minutes per night  Then Increase READING 45 minutes per night to build stamina!

 Reporting Category 1:Numbers, Operations, and Quantitative Reasoning The student will demonstrate an understanding of numbers, operations, and quantitative reasoning.  Reporting Category 2:Patterns, Relationships, and Algebraic Reasoning The student will demonstrate an understanding of patterns, relationships, and algebraic reasoning.  Reporting Category 3:Geometry and Spatial Reasoning The student will demonstrate an understanding of geometry and spatial reasoning.

 Reporting Category 4:Measurement The student will demonstrate an understanding of the concepts and uses of measurement.  Reporting Category 5:Probability and Statistics The student will demonstrate an understanding of probability and statistics.

See packet for a sample math problems and questions that are appropriate for 5th grade.

 Daily small group interventions  Regrouping based on student’s needs  Enrichment Time  Morning Tutorials

 When your child gets “stuck” on a problem, don’t just provide a solution.  Instead, suggest trying again or using another strategy to find the answer.  Let your child know that he/she can be successful in mathematics.  Be sure your child is fact proficient  that is, they know their math facts.

 Reporting Category 1: Matter and Energy The student will demonstrate an understanding of the properties of matter & energy and their interactions.  Reporting Category 2: Force, Motion and Energy The student will demonstrate an understanding of force, motion, and energy and their relationships.  Reporting Category 3: Earth and Space The student will demonstrate an understanding of components, cycles, patterns, and natural events of Earth and Space systems.

 Reporting Category 4: Organisms and Environments The student will demonstrate an understanding of the structures and functions of living organisms and their interdependence on each other and their environment.

 These skills will not be listed under a reporting category, but will be incorporated into 40% of the test questions in reporting categories 1-4 and will be identified along with content standards.  The student conducts classroom and outdoor investigations following home and school safety procedures and environmentally appropriate and ethical practices.  The student uses scientific methods during lab and outdoor investigations.  The student uses critical thinking and scientific problem solving to make informed decisions.  The student knows how to use a variety of tools and methods to conduct science inquiry.

See packet for a sample science problems and questions that are appropriate for 5th grade.

STAAR Modified STAAR Modified is an alternative assessment for students receiving Special Education services who need extensive modifications and accommodations to classroom instruction and assignments in order to show progress in the grade-level TEKS. Students must meet participation requirements for STAAR Modified. Test Format: * Reduced number of questions tested * Increased point size of text and graphics * Simplify complex sentence structure and non- subject vocabulary * 3 answer choices instead of 4 * Increased white space to eliminate distractions * ( Reading) a pre-reading text is provided to explain difficult concepts, introduce unfamiliar vocabulary and proper nouns. It’s read by the teacher before the selection is read. * ( Reading) Reading selections are segmented and questions associated with each section immediately follow Spring 2014 is the last year for STAAR Modified. Updates will be made as we await further information from the State.

 TEA has designated 5 th grade, 8 th grade, and high school as SSI years  5 th graders must pass math, reading, science, and social studies classes  5 th graders must pass math STAAR and reading STAAR  3 opportunities to pass math and/or reading STAAR

 No appointments on test days:  April 1 = math STAAR  April 2 = reading STAAR  April 23 = science STAAR  Good night’s sleep  Breakfast  Make a special effort to praise your child’s effort and hard work. Let them know you believe in them and love them unconditionally.

Thanks for attending our STAAR Parent Information Meeting!!!