FCAT Explorer. From the Florida Department of Education Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks Program Overview

FCAT Explorer

FCAT ExplorerFrom the Florida Department of

Education www.fcatexplorer.com

Reading Timeline: 10th Grade Benchmarks

Program Overview

FCAT Explorer

Fidelity with the Official FCAT

Strict adherence to the Sunshine State Standards and the DOE’s Test Item & Performance Task Specifications

Rigorous item development process

Items drafted by reading teachers and professional item writers

Items reviewed by instructional designers, testing specialists, bias reviewers, and professional editors


From the passage, The Greatest Gaucho

FCAT Explorer

Interactive program offers practice on the FCAT-tested benchmarks

Reinforces reading comprehension skills

Available at no cost to all Florida public schools

Accessible from any computer connected to the Internet



From the passage, Alternative Energy Sources

FCAT Explorer

Input from Exemplary Education Professionals

Highly-qualified classroom teachers

Recommended for expertise in subject area and grade level

National Board CertifiedRecipients of Teacher of

the Year awards Experienced as FCAT

Coach and/or Reading Coach

Masters Degrees


FCAT Explorer

Passages

and

Practice Items


FCAT Explorer

FCAT-like Practice

23 original reading

passages

Same types:

poems, articles, and

stories

Same average length

and readability level

as on the FCAT


PASSAGES

FCAT Explorer

FCAT-like Practice

PASSAGES

“Learn More” reference section provides practice using multiple resources

From the passage, The Big Cat

From the passage, The Erie Canal: Shaping a Nation

Charts, tables

Graphs, diagrams

Timelines, schedules

Maps

Bibliographies

Outlines

Supplementary articles & text


FCAT Explorer

Same average number of items per passage as on the FCAT

FCAT-like Practice

Rigorous item development processWritten by professional item writers

Reviewed, edited and approved by teachers

Revised as needed based on statistical item analysis

PRACTICE ITEMS

Number of items per skill based on teacher recommendation for “struggling readers”

No fewer than 5 items per skill

From 5 to 50 items per Benchmark


Same type, style, format, scope & cognitive level as on the FCAT

FCAT Explorer

FCAT-like Practice

From the passage, The Erie Canal: Shaping a Nation


PRACTICE ITEMS

249 FCAT-like

practice items:

122 Multiple-Choice

79 Short-Response

28 Extended-Response

20 Open-Response

Many items reflect

real-world

activities and

situations

FCAT Explorer

FCAT-like Practice

MULTIPLE CHOICE (MC)

Items clearly

support skill

Displays only plausible

choices

All answer choices are

parallel (e.g., grammatical

form)

One clearly best answer

Correct answer supported in

the text


FCAT Explorer

FCAT-like Practice

SIMULATED SRs & ERs

Short-Response: Compare two responses & select the high score

Extended-Response: Read one response & assign a score

Simulation strategies recommended by teachers

Based on classroom instructional practices

Requires student to compare or assess critical attributes


FCAT Explorer

FCAT-like Practice

OPEN RESPONSE SRs & ERs

Students compose

original answers

Compare student

answer to model

response

Read explanation of

attributes that earn

model response a

high scoreClick “Explanation” tab to see why Model earns high score


FCAT Explorer

Instructional Support


FCAT Explorer

1ST ATTEMPT

CORRECT

Congratulates

student

Displays Correct

Answer Explanation

(CAE)Identifies which

answer is correct

Explains attributes

that make each

answer correct or incorrect

Reinforces effective skill application



FCAT Explorer

Informs student that answer is incorrect

Encourages student to re-read text & gives hint about what to look for

1ST ATTEMPT

INCORRECT

Encourages student to strengthen this skill by reviewing “Skill Information” (skill definition & example)

Gives second chance to answer correctly



FCAT Explorer

2nd ATTEMPT CORRECT or INCORRECT

Correct answer:

Notifies student that selected answer is incorrect

Displays CAE

Instructional support for correct answer

Instructional support for incorrect answer

Incorrect answer:

Congratulates student

Displays CAE



FCAT Explorer Reading Timeline: 10th Grade Benchmarks

Special Features

FCAT Explorer

Features pre-test and

post-tests

Depending upon pre-

test results, program

sends student to a set

of remedial modules,

each of which teaches

one critical reading

skill


Special Learning Features

REMEDIAL INSTRUCTION MODULES

FCAT Explorer

REMEDIAL INSTRUCTION MODULES

1. Predicting Meaning

2. Meaning From Context

3. Using Word Parts

4. Main Idea

5. Methods of Organizing Text

6. Author’s Purpose

7. Validity & Reliability of Resources

8. Synthesis of Information



FCAT Explorer

VIEW QUESTIONS

Allows students

to preview item stems

(not answer choices)

Helps students

establish a

purpose for reading

Teacher-requested

feature Click “View Questions”



FCAT Explorer

Click linked (blue)

words in passage

Click “ear icon” to

hear word pronounced

Spelling &

part of speech

Definition

Spanish and Haitian Creole

translations

GLOSSARY Click the word portend to go to that Glossary entry



FCAT Explorer

Easy access

at any time

to Skills Review

Select skill to review:

AS-NEEDED REVIEW

Definition

Example



FCAT Explorer

Links directly to items answered incorrectly

Helps students

focus on skill

improvement

Displays

corresponding

Benchmark

CHALLENGE LIST



FCAT Explorer

Motivational Features


FCAT Explorer

TIMELINE


Displays animated

movement back and

forth across time

Movement engages

attention

Timeline helps

student gain sense of

events throughout

history


FCAT Explorer

HIGH-INTEREST PASSAGE TOPICS


Topics drawn from

other subject areas

in the Sunshine

State Standards

Passages reviewed

by 10th grade

teachers for

potential to interest

struggling 10th

grade students


FCAT Explorer

ANIMATED ILLUSTRATIONS


Reinforce important

ideas in the passage

Help pique curiosity

Help maintain attention

& endurance

Help students perceive

reading as an

interesting activity


FCAT Explorer Reading Timeline: 10th Grade Benchmarks

Educators’ Tools

FCAT Explorer

Educators’ Tools

Classroom Teacher’s Desk

District Administrator’s Desk

School Administrator’s Desk

Curriculum resources

Skills Location Map

Table of Benchmarks and Skills

Item Review

Letter to Parents

Information management tools

Sign-in names and passwords

Progress Reports

Messages to students


FCAT Explorer

Check progress on individuals or classes

View reading data by Benchmark, Skill, or Passage

Compare percentage correct before and after instructional support

Student Performance Reports

At the Classroom Teacher’s Desk


FCAT Explorer

The Parent & Family Guide

Accessible from the home page without a password

Available in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole

Helps parents, guardians, and mentors understand the Sunshine State Standards and the FCAT

Provides Everyday Activities to help parents reinforce Benchmarks and Skills


FCAT Explorer

Linked from the home page

Download this PowerPoint presentation

Download the School Administrator’s Desk Manual

Download the Teacher’s Desk Manual

Download several program-specific presentations

Visit the Educator Resources Page


FCAT Explorer

Toll-Free Help Desk

Accessible from the home page without a password

1-888-750-FCAT

1-888-750-3228

Weekdays

8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.


FCAT Explorer

School Principals:

Contact your District

Office and speak to the

“District Administrator”

for the FCAT Explorer

Teachers:

Contact your “School

Administrator” for the

FCAT Explorer

FCAT Explorer Home Page (www.fcatexplorer.com)

To get sign-in names & passwords


FCAT Explorer

Log on to the FCAT Explorer!

www.fcatexplorer.com


Documents

FCAT Explorer. From the Florida Department of Education Reading Timeline: 10 th Grade Benchmarks Program Overview