The Florida Standards Parent & Family Night Helping Students Succeed in College, Career & Life Miami Community Charter School Welcome 8 th Grade Parents! Tonights Objectives Parents and families will: Gain a deeper understanding of the Florida Standards; Know what subjects are going to be tested; How the tests will be administered Learn about upcoming test dates; Learn test accommodations for applicable students; Know the importance of passing these tests and courses; and Learn how they can support learning and school performance at home. A set of clear, consistent and strong academic standards that will help ensure Floridas students graduate high school ready for success in college, career and life. WHAT ARE THE FLORIDA STANDARDS? The Florida Standards will help make it possible for all students to get good jobs after graduation! The Florida Standards will Prepare students to succeed in college, the workforce and life. Ensure that every child, regardless of race, ethnicity or zip code is held to the same high standards and learns the same material. Provide educators with a clear, focused roadmap for what to teach in each grade level. Let's review! The Florida Standards are: A single set of clear standards for English language arts and mathematics; A tool to help teachers, students and parents set clear and realistic goals for success; and An important step in providing students with the high-quality education that will prepare them for success in college, careers and life. Focus on non-fiction and careful, focused reading. Discuss reading and write using evidence. Increase academic vocabulary. Use real-world examples to better understand concepts. English Language Arts (ELA) Mathematics Learn more in-depth math by focusing on fewer concepts. Focus on skill building, speed and accuracy. Use real-world examples to better understand concepts. 2016 MCCS Test Dates and Information MCCS Middle School ELA Test Dates TestGradeSessions/MinutesDates FSA ELA Writing Component 8 th (computer-based)1 session of 120 minutesTuesday, March 8, 2016 FSA ELA Reading Component 8 th (computer-based)2 sessions of 85 minutes each Monday, April 25, 2016 Tuesday, April 26, 2016 FSA ELA Writing + FSA ELA Reading = One Score Students must pass the writing and reading in order to pass the FSA! What will my students see on the ELA FSA Writing Component? Students will need to write a multi-paragraph essay in response to a writing situation using one of the two following types of writing: Argumentation The argumentative essay is a genre(type) of writing that requires the student to investigate a topic; collect, generate, and evaluate evidence; and establish a position on the topic in a brief manner. (Purdue University, 2014) Informative/Explanatory This is a genre (type) of writing that attempts to make the reader understand rather than to persuade him or her to accept a certain point of view. It provides information about causes, contexts, and consequences of processes, phenomena, states of affairs, objects, and terminology. What will my students see on the ELA FSA Reading Component? Reading portion, Language portion and Listening portion Please inform your children that they must have earbuds/headphones with them on the testing date for the listening portion. Questions types: Multiple Choice, Multi-Select, Open Response Want to help your child practice navigating the testing format? Students have been exposed to the training test items in their classes, and encouraged to practice the test items independently to improve level of comfort with the testing format. Log ontoto view the training test.www.FSAssessments.org/training-tests Testing Accommodations Testing Accommodations Additional Time and Small Group ALL of the Accommodations above are for students in the ESE/ELL Program. MCCS End-of-Course (EOC) Test Dates INFORM PARENTS OF EOC policy related to grading. TestGradeSessions/MinutesDates Algebra 18 th 2 sessions of at least 90 minutes each Monday, May 9, 2016 Tuesday, May 10, 2016 Biology8 th 1 session 160 minutes Monday, May 16, 2016 Geometry8 th Grade students enrolled in Geometry 2 sessions 90 minutes each May 11 & May 12, 2016 GRADING IN EOC COURSES 30% RULE The EOC assessments, Civics, Biology, US History, and Geometry constitute 30 percent of the students final course grade. Passing the assessment is vital to a student's Grade Point Average (GPA). This does not include Algebra 1. The Algebra 1 EOC MUST be passed to earn a high school diploma. MCCS Microsoft Certification Test TestGradeDates Microsoft Word 8By June 5 th, 2016 Microsoft PowerPoint Microsoft Excel Tips for Testing Days Make sure your children have eaten well on test days. Help your children by encouraging a good nights rest before exams. Make the morning of test days pleasant. Stress will impair your childrens ability to perform their best. Ensure that your children make it to school on-time and remain in school all day. Make sure your child attends all available tutoring. Post test dates in a visible area at home. Follow and monitor your childs academic and conduct progress. Dont underestimate your influence on your children. Taking an interest in what they are doing at school and helping them prepare for tests will certainly have a positive impact on them. 8 TH GRADE ACTIVITIES INFORMATION Prom - $30.00 May 26 th, 2016 Graduation (Includes cap/gown/ceremony) - $30.00 June 4 th, 2016 Orlando (Includes coach bus fare, park entry, 1 meal voucher, t-shirt) - $ May 13 th, 2016 Final payment for all activities is due Friday, March 11, Please pay in the form of cash or money order only. Contact Mrs. Santos at or call if you have any Middle School Graduation Requirements 3 Language Arts/Reading 3 Sciences 3 Math 3 Social Studies 1 Elective * If a student fails 3 core subjects in the school year the student will be retained in the same grade level. Thank you for attending! MCCS is a Title 1 School