1. WEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FCAT PARENT NIGHT SEPTEMBER 27, 2012 FCAT Information

2. Just the Facts….. The FCAT is an assessment that will be given in 3rd grade to test your child’s knowledge in the areas of Reading and Mathematics. Your child will have multiple choice questions in both Reading and Mathematics.

3. Just the Facts….. 2 nd grade will take a practice FCAT in April. Students will be tested on Reading and Math. Each testing session is 45 minutes. Students will have a 45 minute session each day. (Monday-Thursday) Friday will be a make up day.

4. Just the Facts….. Your child’s score on the FCAT will fall on a 5 point scale. Level 5 being the highest and Level 1 being the lowest. If a child in the 3rd grade scores a level 1, they will be RETAINED for the next school year. Promotion is based on your child’s FCAT scores and classroom grades.

5. Just the Facts….. Your child’s score on the practice FCAT will also fall on a 5 point scale. Level 5 being the highest and Level 1 being the lowest. The practice tests will not be sent home, but rather a letter with your child’s score. There are no retentions in 2 nd grade due to a student’s score on the practice FCAT.

6. What is asked… Students will be asked more often to:  use reasonable prior knowledge, such as grade-appropriate vocabulary  make reasonable inferences that are not explicitly text-based  analyze information across a pair of texts, such as making comparisons of main ideas

7. How can you help… Make sure your child attends school regularly and is on time. The more effort your child puts into learning, the more likely he or she will perform well on tests. Meet with your child’s teacher to discuss his or her progress. Ask the teacher to suggest ways to help prepare your child for the test.

8. How can you help… Encourage your child, especially when he or she does well. A positive outlook keeps them doing their best. Provide a quiet, comfortable place for studying at home. Make sure your child is well rested on school days, especially on test days.

9. How can you help… Provide books and magazines for your child. By reading new material your child will learn new vocabulary that might appear on tests. Read books and magazines with your child. Ask questions about what they read. Reading and questioning will help your child do better on tests.

10. Resources Get the log-in Info from teacher ThinkCentral http://www.thinkcentral.com Old Released FCAT tests { Good for sample questions and practice} http://fcat.fldoe.org/ Compass Learning http://compasslearning.com