FCAT Explorer

From the Florida Department of Education Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks Program Overview

FCAT Explorer Fidelity with the Official FCAT Strict adherence to the Sunshine State Standards and the DOE’s Test Item & Performance Task Specifications Rigorous item development process Items drafted by reading teachers and professional item writers Items reviewed by instructional designers, testing specialists, bias reviewers, and professional editors Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks From the passage, The Greatest Gaucho

FCAT Explorer Interactive program offers practice on the FCAT - tested benchmarks Reinforces reading comprehension skills Available at no cost to all Florida public schools Accessible from any computer connected to the Internet Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks From the passage, Alternative Energy Sources

FCAT Explorer Input from Exemplary Education Professionals Highly-qualified classroom teachers Recommended for expertise in subject area and grade level National Board Certified Recipients of Teacher of the Year awards Experienced as FCAT Coach and/or Reading Coach Masters Degrees Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks

FCAT Explorer Passages and Practice Items Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks

FCAT Explorer FCAT-like Practice 23 original reading passages Same types: poems, articles, and stories Same average length and readability level as on the FCAT Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks PASSAGES

FCAT Explorer FCAT-like Practice PASSAGES “Learn More” reference section provides practice using multiple resources From the passage, The Big Cat From the passage, The Erie Canal: Shaping a Nation Charts, tables Graphs, diagrams Timelines, schedules Maps Bibliographies Outlines Supplementary articles & text Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks

FCAT Explorer Same average number of items per passage as on the FCAT FCAT-like Practice Rigorous item development process Written by professional item writers Reviewed, edited and approved by teachers Revised as needed based on statistical item analysis PRACTICE ITEMS Number of items per skill based on teacher recommendation for “struggling readers” No fewer than 5 items per skill From 5 to 50 items per Benchmark Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks Same type, style, format, scope & cognitive level as on the FCAT

FCAT Explorer FCAT-like Practice From the passage, The Erie Canal: Shaping a Nation Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks PRACTICE ITEMS 249 FCAT-like practice items: 122 Multiple-Choice 79 Short-Response 28 Extended- Response 20 Open-Response Many items reflect real-world activities and situations

FCAT Explorer FCAT-like Practice MULTIPLE CHOICE (MC) Items clearly support skill Displays only plausible choices All answer choices are parallel (e.g., grammatical form) One clearly best answer Correct answer supported in the text Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks

FCAT Explorer FCAT-like Practice SIMULATED SRs & ERs Short-Response: Compare two responses & select the high score Extended-Response: Read one response & assign a score Simulation strategies recommended by teachers Based on classroom instructional practices Requires student to compare or assess critical attributes Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks

FCAT Explorer FCAT-like Practice OPEN RESPONSE SRs & ERs Students compose original answers Compare student answer to model response Read explanation of attributes that earn model response a high score Click “Explanation” tab to see why Model earns high score Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks

FCAT Explorer Instructional Support Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks

FCAT Explorer 1 ST ATTEMPT CORRECT Congratulates student Displays Correct Answer Explanation (CAE) Identifies which answer is correct Explains attributes that make each answer correct or incorrect Reinforces effective skill application Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks Instructional Support

FCAT Explorer Informs student that answer is incorrect Encourages student to re-read text & gives hint about what to look for 1 ST ATTEMPT INCORRECT Encourages student to strengthen this skill by reviewing “Skill Information” (skill definition & example) Gives second chance to answer correctly Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks Instructional Support

FCAT Explorer 2 nd ATTEMPT CORRECT or INCORRECT Correct answer: Notifies student that selected answer is incorrect Displays CAE Instructional support for correct answer Instructional support for incorrect answer Incorrect answer: Congratulates student Displays CAE Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks Instructional Support

FCAT Explorer Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks Special Features

FCAT Explorer Features pre-test and post-tests Depending upon pre- test results, program sends student to a set of remedial modules, each of which teaches one critical reading skill Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks Special Learning Features REMEDIAL INSTRUCTION MODULES

FCAT Explorer REMEDIAL INSTRUCTION MODULES 1.Predicting Meaning 2.Meaning From Context 3.Using Word Parts 4.Main Idea 5.Methods of Organizing Text 6.Author’s Purpose 7.Validity & Reliability of Resources 8.Synthesis of Information Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks Special Learning Features

FCAT Explorer VIEW QUESTIONS Allows students to preview item stems (not answer choices) Helps students establish a purpose for reading Teacher-requested feature Click “View Questions” Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks Special Learning Features

FCAT Explorer Click linked (blue) words in passage Click “ear icon” to hear word pronounced Spelling & part of speech Definition Spanish and Haitian Creole translations GLOSSARY Click the word portend to go to that Glossary entry Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks Special Learning Features

FCAT Explorer Easy access at any time to Skills Review Select skill to review: AS-NEEDED REVIEW Definition Example Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks Special Learning Features

FCAT Explorer Links directly to items answered incorrectly Helps students focus on skill improvement Displays corresponding Benchmark CHALLENGE LIST Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks Special Learning Features

FCAT Explorer Motivational Features Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks

FCAT Explorer TIMELINE Motivational Features Displays animated movement back and forth across time Movement engages attention Timeline helps student gain sense of events throughout history Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks

FCAT Explorer HIGH-INTEREST PASSAGE TOPICS Motivational Features Topics drawn from other subject areas in the Sunshine State Standards Passages reviewed by 10 th grade teachers for potential to interest struggling 10 th grade students Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks

FCAT Explorer ANIMATED ILLUSTRATIONS Motivational Features Reinforce important ideas in the passage Help pique curiosity Help maintain attention & endurance Help students perceive reading as an interesting activity Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks

FCAT Explorer Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks Educators’ Tools

FCAT Explorer Educators’ Tools Classroom Teacher’s Desk District Administrator’s Desk School Administrator’s Desk Curriculum resources Skills Location Map Table of Benchmarks and Skills Item Review Letter to Parents Information management tools Sign-in names and passwords Progress Reports Messages to students Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks

FCAT Explorer Check progress on individuals or classes View reading data by Benchmark, Skill, or Passage Compare percentage correct before and after instructional support Student Performance Reports At the Classroom Teacher’s Desk Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks

FCAT Explorer The Parent & Family Guide Accessible from the home page without a password Available in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole Helps parents, guardians, and mentors understand the Sunshine State Standards and the FCAT Provides Everyday Activities to help parents reinforce Benchmarks and Skills Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks

FCAT Explorer Linked from the home page Download this PowerPoint presentation Download the School Administrator’s Desk Manual Download the Teacher’s Desk Manual Download several program- specific presentations Visit the Educator Resources Page Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks

FCAT Explorer Toll-Free Help Desk Accessible from the home page without a password FCAT Weekdays 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks

FCAT Explorer School Principals: Contact your District Office and speak to the “District Administrator” for the FCAT Explorer Teachers: Contact your “School Administrator” for the FCAT Explorer FCAT Explorer Home Page ( To get sign-in names & passwords Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks

FCAT Explorer Log on to the FCAT Explorer! Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks