STAAR Parent Night2015

What is STAAR?State of Texas Assessment of Academic

Readiness

It tests skills that the state expects all students to master before going on to the next grade level.

4th Grade Tests• Writing- March 30th and 31st

• Math- April 21st

• Reading- April 22nd

• Each test has a 4 hour time limit unless accommodations are in place for extra time.

What we do to prepare:

• We teach and practice the skills tested all year

• Benchmark tests help us determine what skills may need more practice, which students need reteaching for a particular skill, and who needs extra small group help with the teacher.

• Incentives: Goal setting and rewards

What you can do?

Go over papers in Tuesday Folders and have them correct items missed. Go over and check it with them.

Have them read every night. We need to build up their stamina.

Practice and know math facts

Go to TEA website for sample questions:www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/staar/

Writing Test

• March 30th – Narrative plus revising and editing multiple choice questions

• March 31st- Expository plus revising and editing multiple choice questions

• Composition 40%• Revising and Editing 60%

Narrative vs Expository• Narrative- a story about a personal experience• Example prompt: Write about a time you

overcame a challenge.

• Expository- explanation/ informative/ descriptive

• Example prompt: Write about a place that is special to you. Describe the place and explain what makes it special.

Revising sample question:

3. Devin wants to add a sentence to tell more about the idea he has expressed in sentence 15. Which of these could BEST follow and support sentence 15?

A People everywhere enjoy playing and watching basketball. B This was in the beginning of the 1900s that this happened. C It had a higher top to support the ankle. D Basketball had been invented in 1891.

Editing Sample Questions:6. What change, if any, should be made in sentence 5?

F Change took to take G Insert a comma after pen H Change there to their J No change should be made.

7. What is the correct way to write sentences 11 and 12? A While the people went upstairs, Oliver was left to sleep downstairs in the basement. B The people went upstairs, and Oliver was left. To sleep downstairs in the basement. C The people went upstairs, Oliver was left to sleep downstairs in the basement. D Sentences 11 and 12 are written correctly in the story.

8. What change, if any, should be made in sentence 20? F Change Olivers to Oliver’s G Change stood up to standed up H Change on his head to they were on his head

J No change should be made.

How compositions are graded:• First and foremost, did they address the

prompt and write the correct composition!!!• Voice• Organization• Sentence fluency• Conventions• Word choice• Ideas

Reading Test: April 22nd

• Challenging because it is LONG (6-7 passages)• Higher level thinking questions– No word for word answers found– They have to look for clues to infer answers

• Close to 50 questions• Types of passages include: fiction/nonfiction,

poem, play, procedural, media, paired passages to compare/ contrast

Math Test: April 21st

• More than 50 questions• Challenging, multi-step questions• The answer choices will be very tricky• They will put answer choices that are from

step one or two of solving the problem. • The questions have a lot of extra information

Math Test: April 21st

Things to help your student with:

• Multiplication facts• Division facts

• Subtracting across zeros • Two digit by two digit multiplication

• Long division

Remind your student to:

Slow down–Check their workRule out silly answersTake a deep breath because they will do great!

Sample Problem

There will be a lot of multi-step problems.

Sample Problem

Students willneed to

recallConcepts taught

in August.

Sample Problem

Morning of Test:• Make sure your student eats a good, healthy breakfast-

no sugary cereals, donuts, etc.

• Please be on time to school because we get started right away with procedures and have to log our start time.

• DON’T SCHEDULE ANY DOCTOR/DENTIST APPTS. ON TESTING DAYS!

• Don’t stress your child out about the test!!!

Night Before the Test!

• This IS NOT the night to have sleep over or play xbox all night!! Please make sure your child gets plenty of rest and is not up late the night before the big test!