Welcome to
FCAT Parent Night
2013-2014
 Florida Comprehensive
Assessment Test
 Designed to measure student
achievement based on the Next
Generation Sunshine State
standards (NGSSS)
 It measures what students know in
Reading, Math, Writing, and
Science
 All students in grades 3rd -5th, including
English Language Learner (ELL) and
exceptional student education (ESE)
students enrolled in the school.
 Accommodations are provided to
eligible ELL and ESE students.
 To measure the skills that students have
acquired throughout the years.
 The test helps teachers determine the level
of success with the Next Generation
Sunshine State Standards (NGSSS).
 Gr. 3
Reading and math
 Gr.4
Reading, math and writing
 Gr. 5
Reading, math and science
 To define what students should know and be
able to do
 To identify clear expectations for students,
parents, and teachers
 Standards define what we want to achieve
Grade
3rd
4th
5th
Subject
Areas
Reading
Math
Dates
Writing
Reading
Math
Reading
Math
Science
Feb. 25-26
April 21-25
April 21-25
April 21-25
April 28-May 7
April 21-25
April 21-25
April 21-25
 Students write an essay in response to a prompt.
 Students will have 60 minutes to complete their
prompt.
 Writing prompts may be:
Expository:
Writing to inform, clarify, explain, define, or
instruct.
Narrative:
Writing to recount a personal or fictional
experience or to tell a story based on a real or
imagined event.
 Expository
 Write to explain
 Narrative
 Tell a story about
your most
why you think a
embarrassing
certain pet would
moment.
be good for your
classroom.
 Tell what happens
after you go
 Explain why it is
through a door
important to eat
that is always
healthy foods.
locked.
 Papers are scored using a 1-6 rubric based
on the following areas:
 Focus: clearly maintains a main idea, theme
or unifying point.
 Organization: structured (sequence, cause
and effect, compare and contrast, etc.)
 Support: quality of details used to explain,
clarify, or define. The quality depends on
word choice, depth, relevance, etc.
 Conventions: use of punctuation, spelling,
capitalization, and sentence structure.
mally
esses
. No
nizational
rn.
orting
may be
e.
uent errors
nctuation,
ing,
alization,
entence
ture.
2
3
4
5
6
Slightly related
to topic. Offers
little relevant
information
and few
supporting
ideas or
examples.
Word choice
may be limited.
Frequent errors
in writing
conventions.
Generally on
topic but may
include loosely
related
information.
Paper may lack
completeness.
Some
supporting
ideas may not
be developed
with specifics
and details.
Limited word
choice.
Generally on
topic but may
include loosely
related
information.
It’s organized.
Demonstrates
completeness.
Some
supporting
ideas may
contain details,
while others
may not be
developed.
Adequate word
choice.
Knowledge of
conventions is
visible.
Demonstrates
consistent
awareness of
topic with
supporting
ideas. Great
organizational
pattern.
Demonstrates
sense of
completeness.
Word choice is
adequate. Most
sentences are
complete,
although a few
fragments may
occur. Very few
errors in
subject/verb
Stays on to
and has
logical
organizatio
pattern
(beginning
middle,
conclusion
Ample
supporting
ideas. The
writing
demonstra
sense of
completene
and mature
word choic
Subject/ver
and verb/n
forms are
 Read!
 Be a writer yourself (model)
 Share some of your work (previous or
current)
 Remind your child to make connections
to real experiences or use their
imagination
 Make positive remarks and suggestions
 Show excitement as you read
 Remember to be the coach and not the
writer!
 Consists of approx. 50-55 multiple
choice questions
 Broken up into 2 sessions ( Approx. 70
minutes each). Students will have a
break during each session.
 Reading questions are based on the
Next Generation Sunshine State
Standards
Students will be asked more often to:
 use and build from prior knowledge, such
as grade-appropriate vocabulary.
 make inferences that require higher
order thinking.
 analyze information across a pair of texts,
such as making comparisons of main
ideas.
 Categories /Strands
 1. Vocabulary
 2. Reading Application
 3. Literary Analysis: Fiction and
Nonfiction
 4. Informational Text/Research
Process
 Vocabulary
 Approx. 15-25% of
points






Context clues
Analyze words in text
Multiple meanings
Base words
Antonyms
Synonyms
 Reading Application
Approx. 25-35 % of
points
 Author's purpose
 Chronological order,
conclusions,
inferences, main idea,
details, cause and
effect
 Text structure
 Compare and
contrast
 Literary Analysis:
Fiction and Nonfiction
(Approx. 25-35 % of
points )
 Character point of
view and
development
 Plot development;
Problem/resolution
 Descriptive language,
figurative language
 Informational Text




and Reference and
Research (Approx.
15-25 % of points )
Locate
Interpret
Organize information
Text features
 Types of Literary Text
 Types of Informational Text
 Fiction
 Short stories
 Poetry
 Historical fiction
 Fables and folktales
 Legends
 Myths
 Fantasy
 Drama
 Excerpts from novels








 Nonfiction
 Biographical and
autobiographical sketches
 Diaries, memoirs, journals, letters
 Essays (e.g., personal and classical
narratives)




Primary Sources/Nonfiction
Historical documents (e.g., Bill of
Rights)
Secondary Sources/Nonfiction
Magazine articles
Newspaper articles
Editorials
Encyclopedia articles
Functional Materials
Embedded in text (e.g., tables,
charts, maps, graphs, illustrations,
photographs, captions, text boxes)
How-to articles
Brochures, fliers, advertisements
Schedules
Website pages
 Grade
Literary Text
Inf. Text
3
60%
40%
4
50%
50%
5
50%
50%
 The complexity of questions will vary:
 Low: recall and recognition of
previously learned concepts.
 Moderate: requires basic reasoning or
problem solving with more than a
single step process.
 High: requires heavy demand on
student thinking. Students must engage
in abstract reasoning, planning,
analysis, judgment, and creative
thought. Students think in multiple
steps.

 Grade
 3rd
 4th
 5th
Low
25–35%
20–30%
15–25%
Moderate
High
50–70%
50–70%
50–70%
5–15%
10–20%
15–25%
 Create a reading routine
 Read to them (expression), with them (to
model reading rate) and have them read
to you (independent reading)!
 Ask your child to retell what they have read
and to predict what will happen next
 Make connections between reading and
writing
 Divided into two sessions.
 Students will have approximately 70
minutes
 Approx. 50-55 questions
 ***5th graders math portion will be
computerized
 Computer-based practice tests for
Math called ePATS are available at
www.FLAssessments.com/ePAT
 * Number Sense: operations,
problems, statistics, base 10 and
fractions
 *Geometry and Measurement
 *Operations, problems, statistics,
expressions and statistics
 Rigorous questions may include:
 Equivalent forms using whole numbers, decimals,






fractions and percent.
Operations involving addition, subtraction and
multiplication
Word problems including estimating, length, weight,
perimeter, area, capacity, volume, time, temperature
and angles.
Spatial relationships, symmetry, reflections, congruency
and similarity
Graphing, diagrams and symbolic expressions
Generating, collecting, organizing and analyzing data
Multiple steps and higher order thinking
 About ¾ of Florida State Parks allow
pets. Which decimal equals ¾?
0
.25
.50
.75
 +--------+---------+---------+---------+
0
½
 A. .12
 B.
.25
 C. .50
 D. .75
1.0
1
 Kim’s family is driving from Georgia to
Florida. They want to know how much
time their trip will take. Which tool would
be best for them to use?
A
B
C
D
Thermometer
Ruler
Measuring cup
Clock
 Sandra’s garden is in the shape of a
trapezoid, which has only one pair of
parallel sides. Which could be the shape
of her garden?
 A
 B
 C
 D
 Mary and Tim were playing tennis. They
started with 6 tennis balls. Three of the
tennis balls went over the fence. If b
represents the number of balls Mary threw
back over the fence, which expression
represents the situation?
 A. (6-3) + b
 B.
6-(3+b)
 C.
6+(3-b)
 D.
(6+3)-b
 The table shows the outcomes for a game
in which you use a spinner with 3 equal
parts colored blue, green, and pink and
toss a cube labeled 1, 2 or 3. How many
possible outcomes are there?
Color
1
2
Blue
Green
Pink
A. 6
B. 9
C.12
D. 15
3
 Help your child master basic facts (addition,




subtraction, multiplication and division)
Explore math in every day life situations
(cooking, writing checks, paying bills, shopping,
etc.)
Help your child learn math vocabulary
Encourage your child to do math in their head
Involve your child when you plan home
improvement tasks.
 Level 5
 Level 4
 Level 3
 Level 2
 Level 1
Students at this level demonstrate
mastery of the NGSSS
Students at this level demonstrate
above satisfactory level of the NGSSS
Students at this level demonstrate a
satisfactory level of the NGSSS
Students at this level demonstrate a
below satisfactory level of the NGSSS
Students at this level demonstrate an
inadequate level of the NGSSS
 Two 80 minute sessions (approx. 60-66 multiple
choice questions)
 Strand areas include:
 *Nature of science
Approx. points 17%
*Earth and space science Approx. points 9%
 *Physical science
Approx. points 29%
*Life science
Approx. points 25%
 Identify, locate,
recognize, interpret,
demonstrate,
analyze, explain
and apply their
knowledge
(scientific method).
 Students should take
time to understand
science vocabulary
(reread)
 Observe
 Investigate
 Make logical




predictions
Design and conduct
experiments
Collect and
organize data
Explore possible
conclusions
Communicate databased decisions
 Read with your child
 Ask your child to take a close look at any picture,






graph, or table that appears with a passage.
Ask your child to make connections to self, text and
world
Motivate your child to be inquisitive and to be mini
investigators.
Read articles related to science
Watch science related documentaries and discuss as
you watch
Many children learn by doing and not just by listening
The more senses involved in the learning process, the
better understanding of concepts our children will
have.
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www.fcatexplorer.com (reading)
www.Studyjams.com (science and math)
www.floridachieves.com (reading and math)
http://fcat.fldoe.org/fcatrelease.asp (information/practice
tests)
Study Island
(multiple subject areas)
www.fldoe.org (information)
www.thinkcentral.com (reading, math and science)
www.educationcity.com (multiple subject areas)
www.multiplication.com (math)
www.Ar.com
(reading)
Computer based practice tests
www.FLAssessments.com/ePAT
recommended for 5th graders Math computer assessment
(Good practice for computerized tools)
A powerful phrase we
should keep repeating
“I BELIEVE IN YOU”