Testing

Well, it's that time of the year. Most of us are in the final stretch moving towards our finish line. A huge part of completing the year for both ourselves and students is those dreaded assessments. In Florida all of state mandated tests are over, but we are waiting with much anticipation to see those results. For some of the students this can be a deciding factor as to their promotion to the next grade. Since our scores come back so late in the school year most of us are collecting data along the way to have as evidence. I always keep portfolios to show growth and progress. One thing our district allows is the use of "alternate assessments" to help determine adequate yearly progress. This is always a help for kids who are not good standardized test takers. My class always does well in the reading sections of FCAT. I attribute that to the fantastic integration of History Alive materials. The curriculum lends itself so well to expository reading strategies and vocabulary development. Since the FCAT is sixty percent expository text I can knock out reading and social studies with one amazing curriculum. Of course, the performance assessment is built in too, with Act It Outs, debates, billboards,and group work. I really do feel like I am preparing my kids to succeed with all different types of tests.

How are you preparing your students?

How have TCI materials helped you?

Good luck crossing the finish line...see you on the other side!