Welcome EJMS 8 th Grade Parent/Curriculum Night March 22, 2010

Who takes the CRCT?  Georgia law, as amended by the A+ Education Reform Act of 2000, requires that all students in grades one through eight take the CRCT in the content areas of reading, English/language arts, and mathematics. Students in grades three through eight are also assessed in science and social studies. The CRCT only assesses the content standards outlined in the GPS.

General Testing Info.  April is the testing window for EJMS  Testing begins at 8:15 and lasts for approximately 90 minutes with breaks between sub-sections

What can I do to make my child a successful test taker?  A full night’s sleep  A breakfast that has protein (eggs, cheese, peanut butter, meat, milk) and complex carbohydrates (whole grain breads, cereal, nuts)  Comfortable clothing and shoes (layers)  Stress-free mornings

MathematicsMathematics  Each week students have been given 20 questions for homework. These homework problems are the skills that students will need to take the CRCT. Students can study past homework problems to help them prepare for the test.  We will finish with all of our standards next week. Students have a checklist of all the standards for 8th grade mathematics.  After spring break, we will be working from the CRCT Practice books in order to prepare for the test.

Helpful Math Websites    &m=links&ft=Student%20Guides &m=links&ft=Student%20Guides &m=links&ft=Student%20Guides

Reading CRCT Topics Tested:  Comprehension –Elements of Plot –Characterization –Figurative Language –Organizational Structures –Author’s Purpose –Theme –Identification of Main Idea and Supporting Details  Vocabulary –Dictionary and Thesaurus Use –Context Clues –Prefixes, Suffixes, Root Words How to Prepare:  Read nightly (I recommend 30 minutes/night)  Reading Practice on StudyIsland –Login: –Password: lunch#  Take review/ warm-ups in class seriously.

Language Arts CRCT Topics Tested:  Conventions –Parts of Speech –Sentence Types –Sentence Structures –Fragments and Run-ons –Subject and Verb Agreement –Punctuation, Capitalization, Etc. How to Prepare:  Language Arts Practice on StudyIsland –Login: –Password: lunch#  In-class Review  For extra help, see me during connections or meet with me after school on Tuesdays or Wednesdays.

Promotion Criteria for 8 th Grade Students  Score at least an 800 on the Reading AND Math portions of the CRCT.  Grades 1-8: The student's classroom teacher (for grades 1-5) or middle school team (for grades 6-8) shall review the student's overall academic achievement, including results on the applicable CRCT(s), and make a recommendation as to whether a student who does not achieve grade level on the applicable CRCT or meet the local promotion criteria should be promoted or retained based on a determination that as a result of such promotion or retention, the student is likely to perform at grade level by the conclusion of the next school year. The decision as to whether the student will be promoted, retained or placed will be made in accordance with the regulations described above and as required by state law and State Board Rule.

What are the minimum achievement standards for each subject area?  Reading 800  Language Arts800  Mathematics800  Social Studies800  Science800

What does the number 800 mean?  The score from indicates that the student MEETS standard  A score above 849 indicates that the student EXCEEDS standard  A score 799 and below indicates that the student APPROACHES standard

What is a gateway test?  For 8 th grade students, the gateway tests are Reading and Math. The gateway test is designed to indicate which students need additional support in Reading and Math. If a child does not meet standard, then there are steps taken to remediate and possibly retain the student.

What if my child doesn’t meet standard on a gateway test?  Parents and guardians are notified in writing and by a phonecall  8 th grade students are offered remediation based on their area of difficulty  At the end of the tutoring period, students re-take only the test they did not pass

What happens if my child doesn’t score an 800?  Once score results are returned they will be carefully analyzed. Students who did not score 800 will receive intense support and remediation throughout the school day until the end of the school year in the area(s) of deficiency  Your child will be retested in the area (reading or math) where 800 was not met

If you think your child might not score 800 on the math and reading sections...  DO NOT make plans for June 8 or 9!! Retest for reading is June 8 Retest for math is June 9 Students who do not score 800 MUST take the retest or face retention!!

What happens if my child scores 800 or above on the test?  Students who score 800 or above will be accelerated and introduced to concepts that they will be exposed to in 9 th grade

IMPORTANT CRCT DATES  TUESDAY 4/20/2010=ENGLISH  WEDNESDAY 4/21/2010 = LANGUAGE ARTS  THURSDAY 4/22/2010 = MATH  FRIDAY 4/23/2010 = MAKE-UP SESSION  MONDAY 4/26/2010 = MAKE-UP SESSION  TUESDAY 4/27/2010 = SCIENCE  WEDNESDAY 4/28/2010 = SOCIAL STUDIES  THURSDAY 4/29/2010 = MAKE-UP SESSION

HELPFUL WEBSITES  STUDY ISLAND Log in: lunch Password: lunch number   =CI_TESTING_CRCT

Questions??