Assistant Principals’ Meeting January 20, 2010 Preparing Students for FCAT Success Curriculum Development and School Improvement

Essential Instructional Practices Preparing Students for FCAT Reading Sunshine State Standards Grades 3-5 Grades 3-5 Focus on Main Idea, Plot, and Purpose Cluster Jen Irla and Kim Stansell-Towe Elementary Literacy SSS

LA.A LA LA The student reads text and determines the main idea or essential message, identifies relevant supporting details and facts, and arranges events in chronological order. New SSS

Essential Instructional Practices Teach students how to distinguish between main idea/essential message and supporting details.

Distinguishing Between Main Idea/Essential Message and Supporting Details Beginning sentence: The important thing is... Middle sentence(s): Key features/details Ending sentence: But the important thing is… First and last sentences are the same. During the 90-minute literacy block, model identifying main idea and supporting details through read-aloud/think-alouds and shared reading.During the 90-minute literacy block, model identifying main idea and supporting details through read-aloud/think-alouds and shared reading. Use short text pieces similar to those in the Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown to practice identifying main idea and supporting details.Use short text pieces similar to those in the Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown to practice identifying main idea and supporting details.

Distinguishing Between Main Idea/Essential Message and Supporting Details “The important thing about a spoon is that you eat with it. It’s like a little shovel, You hold it in your hand, You can put it in your mouth, It isn’t flat, It’s hollow and it spoons things up. But the important thing About a spoon is That you eat with it.” Sample text from the book:

Distinguishing Between Main Idea/Essential Message and Supporting Details Topic: Main Idea: Supporting Detail: spoon You eat with it. Use graphic organizers to separate main idea from details. like a little shovel can be held in the hand can be put in the mouth it’s not flat it’s hollow it spoons things up You eat with a spoon. like a little shovel can be held in the hand and mouth it’s not flat it’s hollow it spoons things up

Essential Test-Taking Strategies Teach students:  the importance of words in upper case letters in question stems.  how to refer back to text to locate stated or strongly implied answers

Essential Test-Taking Strategies Teach students:  how to rule out distractor answer choices and look for the BEST answer  how to skim and scan text to locate answers to questions

Skim and Scan Skimming means to read quickly to get the general idea. Scanning means to look quickly for one thing in particular. Got it! Teach students the difference between skim and scan and when each should be used.

Skim and Scan SKIMSCAN When looking at a table of contents to see what information a book contains When looking in a glossary of a book to determine the meaning of a term When looking at the headings and subheadings to determine what the text will be about When looking in an index to locate the pages where information could be found on a particular topic To read the first few paragraphs of a book to see if the characters are the same as in another book When looking in a phone book for a particular person’s phone number When looking through a book to determine whether or not one wants to read it When locating the area in an article where the answer to a particular question will be found (person, particular date) To refresh one’s memory about what an article is about When you think you know the answer and need to locate it directly in the text to confirm (multiple choice question) When you know the answer and need to locate text-based support and examples for your response (performance task questions)

Reading Performance Tasks Fourth Grade Only Two Types  Short Response (SR) -suggested completion time 5 minutes -worth up to two points -8 lines for responding  Extended Response (ER) -suggested completion time minutes -worth up to four points -14 lines for responding

Reading Performance Tasks Fourth Grade Only Tips for Students  Underline specific words that you can use in your answer (text-based).  Do not include an opening and conclusion in response. Be specific in the answer.  Use words from the question in the answer.

Reading Performance Tasks Fourth Grade Only Tips for Teachers  Make sure students understand the rubric and expectations of the task.  Model, model, model.  Individually conference with students to address specific weaknesses when answering short and extended responses.

Additional Resources Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) Website  Sample test materials  Scoring rubrics  Released tests  What every teacher should know about FCAT

FLDOE FCAT Publications

Available on Elementary Reading Webpage January 29, 2010 CONTACTS Kim Stansell-Towe or PX Jen Irla or PX 47688

Elementary Writing Information The Department of Curriculum Development & School Improvement

Testing Windows

EDW for Teachers MENU Click Run to enter student data

NEW!! Enter one whole number score

 Remain the same for 2 nd – 5 th grade  Revised for 1 st grade:  Narrative (Prompt #2)  Expository(Prompt #3) Directions and other information can be accessed on: Assessment’s Test Coordinator’s Palm Beach Writes webpage Curriculum’s Elementary Writing webpage Directions for Palm Beach Writes

Use this sheet only if needed

K and 1st

2 nd – 5 th

Optional-Scoring Checklists 1 st Grade Narrative2 nd – 5 th Grade (Any Prompt)

Optional-Writing Tracking Tool For any grade Graph scores Document compliments and teaching points NEW

FCAT Writing Resources FCAT Writing Resources PowerPoint Available on the Elementary Writing Webpage

Tutorial Support LINKS FOR: Focus Organization Support Conventions Prompts Motivation Websites Accessed in Learning Village

Test-Taking Unit STRUCTURE OF LESSONS: Warm-Up Lesson Connection Teach Active Engagement Link Mid-Workshop Share After-the-Workshop Share Homework Additional Resources Lesson Accessed through the Calendar in Learning Village

2010 FCAT Writing Resource Guide RESOURCES FOR: Writing Process Writing Prompts Scoring Minilessons Teacher and Student tools Available on the Elementary Writing Webpage

Nikki Jones K-5 Writing Program Planner PX Contact Information

Preparing Students for FCAT Mathematics Grades 3-5 Jean Giarrusso, K-12 Manager Mathematics Susanna Vondeck, K-5 Mathematics Program Planner

Where to Go to Find Everything You Need…

pbc#### district login on your computer

Learning Village Mathematics Main page

Jean Giarrusso K-12 Mathematics Manager Susanna Vondeck K-5 Mathematics Program Planner PX Contact Information

Preparing Students for FCAT Science Grade 5 Wendy Spielman, K-12 Science Manager Chad Phillips, K-5 Science Program Planner

Wendy Spielman K-12 Science Manager PX Chad Phillips K-5 Science Program Planner PX Contact Information