Smarter Balanced Testing: May 4 - 22

Common Core State Standards have replaced the California Content Standards measured by STAR testing.

The new state assessment under Common Core is called the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium.

Scholars in grades 3-8 will take the Smarter Balanced Assessment in May 2015. It is an online test that replac-

es the paper and pencil STAR test. Our scholars took the Smarter Balanced Field Test in spring 2014 along

with students from 21 states.

FEBRUARY 2015 FORTUNE SCHOOL

Common Core

Parent Newsletter

Smarter Balanced officials say,

“the bar has been raised.”

We want you to be aware that testing officials are estimating a decline in student proficiency rates under the

Smarter Balanced Assessment based on national results on the field test. Here is what people are saying . . .

November 17, 2014

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium test

has four achievement categories. Students must score

at Level 3 or higher to be considered proficient in the

skills and knowledge for their grades. According to

cut scores approved Friday night by the 22­ state

consortium, 41 percent of 11th graders will show

proficiency in English/language arts, and 33 percent

will do so in math. In elementary and middle school,

38 percent to 44 percent will meet the proficiency

mark in English/language arts, and 32 percent to 39

percent will do so in math.

Statements by Smarter Balanced officials previewed

the kinds of arguments state officials will likely have

to make, “Because the new content standards

set higher expectations for students and the

new tests are designed to assess student

performance against these higher expecta-

tions, the bar has been raised,” Joe Willhoft,

the group’s executive director, said in state-

ment on Monday. “It’s not surprising that few-

er students could score at Level 3 or higher.

However, over time, the performance of stu-

dents will improve.”

What is Fortune School

Doing to Prepare

Your Scholars?

Blending technology into student learning

using Chromebooks to access digital

curriculum and students work face to

face with their teachers

* * *

Providing teachers weekly grade-level

collaboration time to plan lessons,

strategies and assessments aligned to

the Common Core State Standards

* * *

Using our new student data system,

Illuminate to analyze student performance

to improve instruction and make student

grades available to parents in real time

* * *

Individualizing instruction in tutoring

and small groups through our daily

Response to Intervention (RTI) program

and during Intersessions

Resources for Parents

* For frequently asked questions on Common

Core visit scoe.net/castandards/

* Take a practice test for an idea of what your

child will see . . . www.smarterbalanced.org

* Visit the California State PTA online to find out

what your child will be learning at each grade

level in math and English Language Arts with the

new Common Core Standards . . . capta.org

* Check out the California Common Core

Standards Parent Handbook . . . ccsesa.org

* Information for “Students, Parents and

Guardians,” including resources for special

education students at www.cde.ca.gov

* The Council of the Great City Schools created

“parent roadmaps in mathematics’ to provide

guidance to parents about what their children

will be learning and how they can support that

learning in grades K-8. These parent roadmaps

for each grade level also provide three-year

snapshots showing how selected standards

progress from year to year so that students will

be college and career ready upon their

graduation from high school. . .cgcs.org

* The Council of the Great City Schools has

created a 3 minute video that sums up Common

Core . . . http:/youtu.be/5s0rRk9sER0

* Corestandards.org offers a list myths vs. facts

that may be useful to parents

PAGE 2 FORTUNE SCHOOL COMMON CORE PARENT NEWSLETTER

Fortune School

2890 Gateway Oaks Dr. #100

Sacramento, CA 95833

Questions? Phone - 916.924.8633

Fax - 916.924.8664

fortuneschool.us