1. Parent Information Night.
Welcome to our
Lemm Annual
Parent Information Night.
We are glad you are here!
Please sign in and have a seat.
This test is hard! But working together, our students can be successful!

2. What is STAAR??? State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness
Over the course of their public school career, students will be tested in the core subject areas–reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies.
The number of tests taken each year will vary from two to four, depending on the grade level.
The STAAR tests for elementary and middle school grades will cover the same subjects and grades as the previous testing program, the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS).
At the high school level, 12 (EOC) assessments will replace grade-specific tests.
Tests will contain a greater number of items that have a higher cognitive complexity level.
Items will be developed to more closely match the cognitive complexity level evident in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills.

3. Why do our students take STAAR?
Response to requirements set forth by the 80th and 81st Texas legislatures
Focus on increasing postsecondary readiness of graduating high school students
Ensure Texas students are competitive with other students both nationally and internationally

4. Elementary Students Will Participate In The Following Assessments Under STAAR:
Grade 3
Math: Tuesday, April 22nd
Reading: Wednesday, April 23rd
Grade 4
Writing: Tuesday, April 1st and Wednesday, April 2nd
Grade 5
Math: Tuesday, April 1st
Reading: Wednesday, April 2nd
Science: Wednesday, April 23rd

5. This year’s goal: Making progress!
This year it is not just about performance (even though it is still important!) We not only want our students to pass, but we want to see them increase their scores from last year.
Meeting progress: increasing 3 points from last year’s raw score
Exceeding progress: increasing 6 points from last year’s raw score
Increasing more than 6 points……PRICELESS!
As teachers, we will be working with the students on setting goals to make progress from last year. Any encouragement from home would be greatly appreciated!

6. Student Performance:
Once students have taken a STAAR assessment they will receive a score indicating their performance. This report is called a CSR report. The CSR is a Confidential Student Report. It reports how your child did on each test and at what level he or she scored.
A great indicator as to how a student will perform is based on their 2nd grade reading level and their 5th grade math level.
Students will fall in to one of the three categories below:
Level III: Advanced Academic Performance (used to be called Commended)
Level II: Satisfactory Academic Performance
Level I: Unsatisfactory Academic Performance

9. Some pretty big challenges
Level of Difficulty
The STAAR is much more rigorous than previous state tests. It also contains more test questions at most grade levels.
Here’s a sample of a 3rd grade question testing the student’s problem solving skills… Look how many steps it takes to solve… that’s the rigor!
Mr. Garza has three kinds of animals on his farm. He has 6 dogs. He has twice as many cows as dogs. He has 3 times as many sheep as cows. How many sheep does Mr. Garza have on his farm?

10. Time Limits:
TEA established a four (4) hour time limit for both STAAR grades 3-8 assessments and STAAR EOC assessments. TEA notes that a four hour time limit should provide sufficient time for the majority of students to complete the test.
The rationale for time limits aligns Texas testing practices with other timed state and national assessments, i.e. SAT, ACT and AP examinations.
Extended time accommodations
for students with unique learning
needs will continue to be offered.

11. Impact on Grade Advancement:
The Student Success Initiative (SSI) requires that students in grades 5 and 8 pass both STAAR reading and math exams to be promoted to the next grade.
Any student scoring at Level I will be re-tested on May 13th and 14th
Any students scoring at Level I on the second administration will require a Grade Placement Committee meeting. Parents, teachers and Administration will meet to discuss an accelerated instruction plan before the final testing opportunity(which will take place in the summer).
These students will attend mandatory
summer tutoring sessions and
will have a third and final opportunity
to pass on June 24th and 25th.

12. What can you do to help? A lot!
Reviewing Goals - Help us to keep your child’s focus on their academic goals. These are written in their planners and on any quizzes and tests. Please review them often and talk with your child about what goals mean.
When they bring home weekly folders, sit with your child, look through their work and how they are achieving their goals. Be sure to celebrate those successes! Any assignments that fell short of their goals can be reworked to assure that they will do better the next time.

13. What can you do to help? Get your child to talk to you!
Read, read, read with your child!
Be sure to ask open ended questions such as:
Why do you think the character made that decision?
What do you think is going to happen and why?
How would the story be different if the character had made a different choice?
Remember the time this happened to you? How is that the same or different than this story?
The trick is to get them thinking and for them to be able to talk about what they are thinking and why.
Get your child to talk to you!
While doing homework, or working through the sample problems we gave you, get your child to tell you what the problem is all about and WHY they worked the problem that way. Have them repeat the question to you and double check the answer they chose reflects what they just read.
Again…the trick is to get them thinking and for them to be able to talk about what they are thinking and why.

14. What can you do to help? The weekend before the test.
Unfortunately, Easter holiday weekend falls before the first administration of the April testing for 3rd and 4th grade math and reading and 5th grade science. If the kids come back from a weekend of staying up late and crashing on too many chocolate bunnies, then they will not be able to do their best. Please try to keep things as normal and restful as possible over the holiday so they come back on Monday ready to go!

15. This is so important! Please…..
What can you do to help?
On the big day….
This is so important! Please…..
Wake up in plenty of time to have a special protein packed breakfast.
Sugared cereal, doughnuts, pop tarts, etc… will only cause them to mentally crash around mid morning.
Better options are bacon and eggs or a peanut butter sandwich.
If your morning schedule does not allow for this, remember the school breakfast starts at 7:50.
Make sure they get a good night’s sleep.
In bed by 8:00 would be perfect!

16. What can you do to help? The big day!
Get them to school on time! Nothing is worse that starting an important day feeling stressed.
If students arrive too late, they will be unable to take the test and will have to make it up later in the week.
Send them off with an amazing attitude.
They have all worked so hard this year. Now is not the time to be scared… it is the time to be excited to show off what they know!
Let them know how proud you are of all they have worked for this year and to give it their very best!

17. Thank you for being super parents!!
You are our heroes!!