Benchmarks, DRA, and FAIR Testing

 

Coming up this week you will be hearing your child talk about beginning of the year assessments.  These are assessments that students take at certain intervals throughout the year.  Assessments like the Duval Interim Benchmarks. DRA, and FAIR help us track the learning gains the children are making. 

The September benchmark results will help me plan and target instruction to best assure all of the students are successful on the FCAT.

The material on the benchmark assessments are end of third grade material.  Obviously we don't expect students to score high on the first test.  Students who are more advanced readers may score fairly high, but the average reader will score between 20-60 percent accurate.  This is completely expected and normal. 

In the coming weeks I will also be assessing your student's reading level using the DRA (Diagnostic Reading Assessment).  This will help me assist your student in making the best selections form the classroom library, as well as at the public library and bookstores.

The first FAIR (Florida Assessment of Individual Reading) assessment will be Wednesday, September 19, 2012.  The FAIR test in third grade DOES NOT have a word list the children need to read.  

I know that testing can cause anxiety and frustration with students and parents.  Unfortunately it is neccesary and required that the children participate in these assessments.  I try to reassure studnets that these are just "snapshots" of performance on a given day.  Please partner with me in reassuring the students that assessment weeks are stressful but everything will be back to normal soon. 

The best thing the students can do is make sure to get plenty of rest.....

eat a good breakfast......

and keep a positive attitude