Parent Night
MRS. VOLPE
MATER ACADEMY ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL
FEBRUARY 4, 2015 - ROOM 308
What is the Florida State
Assessment?

The *new* Florida State Standards
call for a new assessment.

The FSA will show whether or not
a student is mastering the new
standards.

State Standardized Test for ELA
and Math
The Florida Standards
Why Are We Changing?

Emphasize success for future college readiness

Provide more rigorous content and application of
knowledge

Place emphasis on critical and analytical thinking

Establish clear, consistent guidelines for instruction
throughout the state.

Students must be better prepared to compete in the
global job market with a skill set and knowledge
base that is changing as new technologies and
careers evolve. These standards will drive this
change.
What are the
Dates?
ELA MARCH 16-17
MATH APRIL 1-2
PAPER-BASED
How will the test affect my child?
The FSA exam is ONE of the 4
opportunities for promotion to fourth
grade.
4th Grade Promotion
If a student’s reading deficiency is not remedied by the end of third grade,
as demonstrated by scoring at level 2 on the FSA in reading for grade 3 the
student must be retained.
Exemptions
Portfolio
Administered during the 2nd semester

All 3rd grade students will complete portfolio

Administered in a span of several weeks. Students will complete one
passage each week.

Is the 2nd opportunity for a student to be promoted to grade 4

Student must demonstrate mastery of each benchmark
ASRA
Administered the last 2 weeks of school

Participants


Students scoring a level 1

Students without a passing reading portfolio
Represents the 3rd opportunity within the school year prior to retention
What does the FSA look like??
English
Language
Arts
Mathematics
Which tests will my child take?
How long is the FSA?
English Language
Arts and Listening
Mathematics
2 Test Days
2 Test Days
2 Test Sessions
2 Test Sessions
80 minutes each session
80 minutes each session
56-60 Test Items
60-64 Test Items
Will my child receive any
accommodations?

Students that are ESOL Levels I, II,
III, or IV receive extended time.

Other students may receive
accommodations on a case by
case basis.
FSA English Language Arts
Test Breakdown
Key Ideas
and
Details
• 15-25%
Language
• 15-25%
and Editing
Integration of
Knowledge and
Ideas
Craft and Structure
• 20-30%
• 25-35%
*Please refer to Language Arts Florida Standards (LAFS) Grade 3
Handout for more information.
FSA Mathematics
Test Breakdown
Fractions
•17%
Measurement,
Data, and
Geometry
Operation, Algebraic
Thinking, and
Numbers in Base 10
•35%
•48%
*Please refer to Mathematics Florida Standards (MAFS)
Grade 3 Handout for more information.
How can I prepare my child
for the FSA?
Use Technology.
Read together EVERY night.
Use FSA Task Cards.
Ask you child questions.
Make sure your child is using TEXT EVIDENCE.
Review multiplication and division tables.
How are we helping your
child?
FSA Tutoring program
 Using the computer lab weekly to
complete i-Ready
 Differentiated Instruction
 Modeling and sharing activities to
practice the skills
 Students use RACE writing strategies
and math strategies.

English Language Arts (ELA) TipsWhat to do with your child

•There will be a reading portion for both the Writing
and ELA portion.

•Consistent reading every night. •20 -30 minutes of
Reading per day! ANY Reading is good!

Ask about what they are Reading

•Ask them to explain their homework

•Focus on vocabulary in context.

•Make sure they are practicing reading and Math at
home using Reading Plus, Reflex Math, and MyOn.
Additional recommendations…

Studies show that students who
complete the following number of
sessions using instructional
technology are more likely to pass
the FSA:
 Reading
Plus: 40 Sessions / Reach
grade level passages.-Level C
Questions Types
ELA
For all sections on the FSA test…
•There are six different types of questions…(different from
the FCAT.)
Multiple Choice
Multi-Select: More than one answer should be chosen.
Two part questions: two questions pertaining to the same
topic.
Open Response: 1-3 sentences (Just enough to answer the
question and support it from the text)
Hot Text: highlights the sentence
Graphics: interacting with the text
Example FSA ELA Questions
Question Types Math

Ask students to show their work.

Students should be able to explain how they arrived at the final
answer.

Students should closely read all word problems to better understand
the task.

Students should underline, highlight, or circle key words in words
problems.

Help students follow these steps:

What I need to find?

What information do I need to use?

How will I use the information?

Solve the problems

Explain your answer.
Example FSA ELA Questions
Example FSA ELA Questions

Main Idea:

PART A:
•
Select the statement that is the main idea of the article.

PART B:
•
Select the sentence from the article that supports your answer.

Character Traits:

Part A:
•
How does the main character feel in the paragraph below?

Part B:
•
Select the sentences that show this feeling.
Example FSA ELA Questions

2 Part and Hot Text

2 part have part A and part B

Part A: How does the main character, Eddie, feel in the paragraph below?


“Juice should be orange, purple, or red” Mary said. “It’s definitely not supposed to be green!”
He knew his sister might have to be coaxed into trying the new drink. “This will be something
new” Eddie told her. “It’s fun to try new things”.

angry

Adventurous

Confused

Frustrated
Part B: Which sentences show this feeling? (Hot Text)

Juice should be orange, purple, or red” Mary said. “It’s definitely not supposed to be
green!” Hi knew his sister might have to be coaxed into trying the new drink. “This will be
something new Eddie told her. “It’s fun to try new things”.
Example FSA Math Questions
Example FSA Math Questions

Tom planted 5 rows of flowers with 7 flowers in
each row. Write a multiplication equation that
shows the number of flowers in Tom’s rectangular
shaped garden?
(Equation Response)

Tom told Mary he planted 48 flowers in the
rectangular-shaped garden. Select the correct
sentence Mary could use to describe how the
flowers were planted?
(Multiple Choice Response)
What do I do…
The
Night
Before
the
FSA?
•Make sure your child
gets enough sleep.
The
Morning
of the
FSA?
•Eat a normal
breakfast.
•Talk to your child.
•Arrive at school early.
FSA
Practice Test & Task Cards
http://www.fsassessments.org/wpcontent/uploads/2014/06/FL_PT_QuickGuide_10-8-142.pdf
http://fsassessments.org/training-tests

Reading Question Task Cards Grade 3
http://languageartsreading.dadeschools.net/pdf/LAFS/Task%20
Cards/LAFS%20Question%20Task%20Cards%20Grade%203.pdf
The purpose of these training tests is to become familiar with the
system, functionality, and item types; the tests are not intended to
guide classroom instruction. Descriptions and response instructions
for each item type are included in the Training Test User Guide that
may be accessed in the “Resources” pages of this portal. Users
should refer to the tutorials or the guide to familiarize themselves with
the different features and response instructions for each item type.
FSA portal

http://www.fsassessment.org

Click on

Students and Parents.
Relax and Laugh
Questions?
Email me at
dvolpe@materelementary.com
Schedule a Conference