FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
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JOHN L. WINN
Commissioner of Education
F. PHILIP HANDY,
Chairman
T. WILLARD FAIR,
Vice Chairman
Members
DONNA G. CALLAWAY
JULIA L. JOHNSON
R
OBERTO MARTÍNEZ
P
HOEBE RAULERSON
L
INDA K. TAYLOR
CONTACT PERSONS
Name:
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Mary Jo Butler
Mike
Tremor
Phone:
(850) 245-0479
(850) 245-0423
Suncom:
205-0479
205-0423
E-mail:
maryjo.butler@fldoe.org
michael.tremor@fldoe.org
K12:
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2005-51
MEMORANDUM
To:
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District School Superintendents
From:
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Jim Warford
Date:
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April 21, 2005
Subject:
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ASSISTANCE TO 11
TH
AND 12
TH
GRADE STUDENTS WHO HAVE NOT
EARNED PASSING SCORES ON GRADE 10 FCAT FOR 2004-2005
Florida continues to focus resources to support student preparation to successfully advance
to the next grade level and graduate with a standard high school diploma. It is important to
increase the proficiency level of all students by supporting rigorous and relevant curriculum
in the classroom, appropriate remediation for students at risk of academic failure, and
academic advisement that will enable high school students to earn credits and passing
scores on the Grade 10 Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) in order to
graduate with a standard diploma.
JIM WARFORD
K – 12 Chancellor
325 W. GAINES STREET • SUITE 514 • TALLAHASSEE, FL 32399-0400 • (850) 245-0509 • www.fldoe.org
District School Superintendents
April 21, 2005
Page Two
The results of the March 2005 administration of the Grade 10 FCAT will be mailed to your
districts during the next several weeks. Florida law requires districts to provide appropriate
remediation activities for students who did not earn passing scores. Additionally, students
who have met all requirements for the standard high school diploma except for passage of
the grade 10 FCAT or an alternative assessment by the end of twelfth grade must be
provided the following learning opportunities:
•
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Participation in an accelerated high school equivalency diploma preparation program
during the summer;
•
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Upon receipt of a certificate of completion, be allowed to take the Common
Placement Test (CPT) and be admitted to remedial or credit courses at a state
community college, as appropriate;
•
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Participation in an adult general education program.
It is essential that you continue to prioritize resources and efforts to prepare these students
for success on the June test administration and provide information regarding continuing
education opportunities in your district, such as summer school, tutoring, FCAT Explorer,
GED Exit Option, and adult education. It is important for there to be face-to-face interaction
with these students to provide support and information about opportunities for success. We
strongly recommend that your school counselors schedule a time to meet with each student
who took the FCAT in March to review his or her graduation plan and recent scores.
The Department will mail printed copies of
Best Practices for Using FCAT Explorer with 11
th
and 12
th
Grade Students
and
Stay in the Loop
to the district Assistant Superintendents for
Curriculum and Instruction in sufficient quantities for distribution to high school teachers and
students respectively. To provide you and your staff with assistance, please find attached
the following materials:
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Examples of remediation activities reported by school districts for 11
th
and 12
th
grade
students who have not earned passing scores on the Grade 10 FCAT for the 2004-
2005 school year. We encourage you to continue implementing and enhancing
remedial activities for these students to ensure their success on the June
administration of the FCAT. Additional information regarding the CPT-Eligible
Certificate of Completion can be found in a Technical Assistance Paper at
http://info.fldoe.org/dscgi/ds.py/Get/File-1861/TAP.pdf.
•
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Best Practices Guidelines for Using FCAT Explorer with 11
th
and 12
th
Grade
Students
. This document is designed for teachers and is intended to target issues
unique to using the FCAT Explorer program as part of the instructional plan for
District School Superintendents
April 21, 2005
Page Three
helping high school students prepare to re-take and pass the FCAT. The guidelines
provide helpful information for maximizing the FCAT Explorer to support classroom
instruction, using the reports to monitor students’ progress, and outlining the unique
features of the practice programs in reading and mathematics. You may access these
guidelines online at www.fcatexplorer.com. From the FCAT Explorer home page, click
Educator Resources, then click the link for
Best Practices Guidelines for Using FCAT
Explorer with 11
th
and 12
th
Grade Students
under the School Resources/General
Resources column. You will also find a link for a more comprehensive set of
Best
Practices Guidelines
for all students at this site.
•
Stay in the Loop
student information flier
Thank you for your continued commitment to Florida’s education goal of highest student
achievement. Working together, we can increase learning and completion at all levels.
JW:mjbo
Attachments
cc:
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Assistant Superintendents for Curriculum and Instruction
Directors of Secondary Education
High School Principals
Guidance Supervisors
Student Services Directors
High School Guidance Counselors
FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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Examples of Remediation Activities Reported by School Districts for 11
th
and 12
th
Grade Students Who Have Not Earned Passing Scores on the Grade 10 FCAT for the
2004-2005 School Year
Activities provided during the school day:
Remedial Classes
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Students who have not passed the FCAT are required to take an intensive reading or
mathematics course in addition to their regularly scheduled English or mathematics
course. Courses include intensive remediation and students earn elective credit toward
high school graduation.
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FCAT Review Class is provided to all students who have not passed the FCAT. Students
earn elective credit.
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A sequence of courses in reading that loop for all level 1 and 2 students has been
designed. Students are required to participate in intensive remediation courses and
parents are sent a certified letter regarding the essential need for their child to pass the
FCAT and earn a high school diploma.
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Students’ schedules are restructured to provide intensive reading and/or mathematics
remediation during the school day.
Use of Technology
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Students are provided with laptop computers to ensure they can access remediation,
including FCAT preparation materials and FCAT Explorer. Teachers schedule time
during the day for students to use computers to access the remediation.
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Technology system has been purchased or developed that provides information for
teachers to manage and mine data from multiple sources and assessments to be
used to develop students’ AIPs.
Performance Mentoring
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District developed benchmark assessment test, which has been shown to have high
predictability for performance on FCAT, given in November. Data used to develop AIPs
to provide interventions such as after school program, Saturday programs, and specific
remediation classes during the school day.
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Focus lessons and mini-assessments have been developed to teach reading across all
curriculum areas, including social studies, science, physical education, and art. Reading
coaches assist content area teachers with strategies for teaching reading in their areas.
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Data have been disaggregated to identify students’ deficiencies and schools developed
reading strategies to be used by content area teachers.
Guidance
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School counselors meet individually with students to provide student success skills and
support additional remediation efforts.
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Case management model is utilized in which the principal assigns juniors and seniors
who have not passed the FCAT to school staff, including student services personnel and
career specialist. School staff meets with each student and his or her parents to design
remediation program that may include Saturday tutorials, after school program, FCAT
Explorer, intensive remediation classes.
Other Classes
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Reading coaches work with subject area teachers to incorporate reading strategies in
other content areas and facilitate mentoring for level 1 students.
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School day extended one hour for all students in low performing schools beginning
January 2005. During this time, level 1 and 2 students receive intensive remediation
and level 3+ students will participate in enrichment activities. The school year has
also been extended ten days. Principals meet with students on a regular basis.
Activities provided during extended school day or on Saturdays:
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Credit retrieval program has been developed for students who are credit-deficient and
who have not passed the FCAT. Program is provided after school and includes
remediation for FCAT.
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Nine-one-one program designed to provide Saturday school. High quality teachers
provide intensive remediation for students based on individual diagnosis of deficiencies.
District provided letters to students’ employers to provide excuse from work to attend
Saturday school.
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After school program provides intensive remediation, transportation, and food for
students. The transportation and food have increased the number of eligible students
who participate in this opportunity.
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Many districts have implemented after school programs and are working to increase the
number of eligible students who actually participate (several districts provide
transportation, which has increased participation).
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All students who participate in extracurricular activities are required to participate in after
school study hall in which low-performing students are provided intensive remediation
and on-grade-level students participate in preparation activities for SAT and ACT. Since
all students are required to participate, there is no stigma for level 1 and 2 students.
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Students who have not earned passing scores on the grade 10 FCAT are required to
participate in after school programs in order to be eligible to participate in extracurricular
activities.
Make Full Use
of the
FCAT Explorer
The
FCAT Explorer Best Practice Guidelines for Working with 11
th
& 12
th
Grade Students
is specifically intended to support your remediation efforts with
11
th
and 12
th
grade students who have not yet passed the 10
th
grade Florida
Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). These guidelines target issues unique
to using the FCAT Explorer practice programs as part of your instructional plan
for helping high school students prepare to re-take
⎯
and pass
⎯
the FCAT.
For a full set of general tips for using the FCAT Explorer effectively with all of
your students, refer to the comprehensive
FCAT Explorer Best Practice
Guidelines
.
To access the comprehensive
FCAT Explorer Best Practice Guidelines
, visit
www.fcatexplorer.com and click Educator Resources on the home page, or sign
in to your Teacher’s Desk and click Resource Center.
Use FCAT Explorer
to Support Your
Classroom
Instruction
The Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) designs all FCAT Explorer
practice programs to support
⎯
but not
replace
⎯
your classroom instruction.
The design of
Math Timeline: 10
th
Grade Benchmarks
and
Reading Timeline:
10
th
Grade Benchmarks
is specifically intended to help students practice for the
10
th
grade FCAT. Both of these programs reinforce your classroom instruction
on FCAT-tested skills by following every answer choice with in-depth Learning
Guidance in the form of hints, instructional feedback, and correct answer
explanations.
In addition to practice with Learning Guidance,
Reading Timeline
also offers a
Skill Seminar with self-instructional lessons. The lessons allow students to
independently review the eight critical reading comprehension skills that
reviewers have identified as most challenging to high school students based on
FCAT scores and teacher input.
However, although every FCAT Explorer practice program offers strong
instructional support, none of the programs are intended to replace your
introduction of the skills through direct, classroom instruction.
Make Use of
Math Timeline’s
Unique Features
The 10
th
grade
mathematics practice
program offers some
useful and interesting
features to enrich
practice and hold
students’ attention,
including the ability to
focus on specific
Strands. With over 140
FCAT-like practice
items,
Math Timeline
provides comprehensive
practice with all of the mathematics benchmarks tested on the 10
th
grade
FCAT.
Make Use of
Reading Timeline’s
Unique Features
The 10
th
grade
reading practice
program also offers
useful and
interesting features.
Perhaps most
noteworthy is the
Skill Seminar, in
which students
receive remedial
instruction on eight
foundational
reading
comprehension
skills.
Reading Timeline
delivers comprehensive practice on all of the
reading benchmarks tested on the 10
th
grade FCAT through 23 passages and
over 200 FCAT-like practice items.
Placement pre-test
. When students enter
Reading Timeline
, they complete a
pre-test. The pre-test consists of 40 items that cover each of the nine benchmarks
tested on the 10
th
grade FCAT. Based on pre-test performance, students are
seamlessly moved to either the core
Reading Timeline
practice program or the
Skill Seminar.
The placement decision is based on a composite pre-test score. You may view
your students’ individual pre-test scores from the Run Reports function on your
Teacher’s Desk. However, because the pre-test contains limited items per skill,
the pre-test is not an appropriate instrument for making diagnostic decisions on a
single skill. Therefore, student performance is only provided as a composite
score.
Core practice program
. Students with pre-test results above the cut score are
routed to the core
Reading Timeline
practice materials. Core practice materials
span the full range of difficulty levels that a student may encounter the official
FCAT, with the exception that passages are loosely sequenced from easiest to
most challenging. Students receive answer-specific Learning Guidance for every
answer choice. While working in the core practice program, a student may elect
to enter the Skill Seminar at any time.
Page 2 of 4
FCAT Explorer Best Practice Guidelines for 11
th
& 12
th
Grade Students
Skill Seminar
. The Skill Seminar provides self-instructional lessons on the
eight critical reading comprehension skills that are most challenging to high
school students. These lessons were selected based on official FCAT results and
the recommendations of classroom teachers and reading experts. The eight Skill
Seminar lessons are:
1.
Making Predictions
2.
Finding Meaning in Context Clues
3.
Using Word Parts to Find Meaning
4.
Finding the Main Idea
5.
Recognizing Methods of Organizing Text
6.
Understanding the Author’s Purpose
7.
Identifying Valid, Reliable Information
8.
Synthesizing Information from Multiple Sources
Each Skill Seminar lesson gives students clear, step-by-step instruction, practice,
and Learning Guidance on an explicit, research-based strategy for applying the
skill covered in the lesson:
Each lesson begins by gaining the student’s attention and establishing
the relevance and benefits of becoming proficient with this skill.
The lesson then provides a skill definition accompanied by examples
and demonstrates how the skill is applied in a real-life context. These
demonstrations begin with very simple content and build toward
content that represents the level of complexity students will encounter
on the official FCAT.
Next, the lesson provides an explicit, research-based strategy for
applying the skill.
Instruction on applying the strategy is followed by practice
opportunities ranging from simple to complex. Each answer choice is
accompanied by answer-specific Learning Guidance.
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Each lesson culminates with a progress report.
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Skill Seminar Post-Test
. Students who entered the Skill Seminar as the result
of a deficient pre-test score receive a Skill Seminar post-test. Skill Seminar post–
test results are used to determine whether a student is ready to move into the core
Reading Timeline
practice program, or whether the student should be encouraged
to practice in an FCAT Explorer practice program at a lower readability level.
Reading Timeline
Post-Test
. When students finish all of the
Reading Timeline
practice items in the core practice program, they complete a comprehensive post-
test. The
Reading Timeline
post-test is parallel to the pre-test and consists of 40
items that cover each of the nine benchmarks tested on the 10
th
grade FCAT.
Progress Reports
. From your Teacher’s Desk, you may customize detailed
reports on individual students or groups of students. For the core
Reading
Timeline
practice program, you may review student progress on strands,
benchmarks, skills, or content. In addition, you may view student scores on the
placement pre-test and on each of the post-tests, as well as their performance on
each lesson in the Skill Seminar. You may also view a report of the items
remaining on a student’s Challenge List.
FCAT Explorer Best Practice Guidelines for 11
th
& 12
th
Grade Students
Page 3 of 4
4
Make Use of
th
Grade Reading
Skill Mini Lessons
The very first FCAT Explorer program,
Space and Safari Reader: 4
th
Grade
Benchmarks,
provided instructional feedback for first incorrect answer choices
by means of skill-specific mini lessons. Called “Tips” in that program, these
animated, interactive mini lessons provided instruction and practice on 29
discrete reading comprehension skills.
In 2004 new technology allowed implementation of an innovative “highlighted
text review” feedback strategy, which then replaced the Tips. In this teacher
requested, research-based strategy, when a student selects an incorrect answer to
a text-based question, the program requires the student to return to the passage
and review text highlights before getting a second chance to select the correct
answer.
Although teachers received the new “highlighted text review” feedback strategy
with unanimous enthusiasm, many teachers at multiple grade levels expressed
dismay that the Tips were no longer accessible. These teachers had come to rely
on the Tips as an effective tool for defining and clarifying Skills; they reported
using them during small-group instruction at all grade levels, in mentoring
activities with beginning teachers, and during consultations with parents.
Consequently, teachers once again have access to the Tips.
You can access the Tips, now called Mini Lessons, from your Teacher’s Desk by
clicking Resource Center. The Mini Lessons are presented on that page under the
General Resources heading. You will also find them under the program-specific
resources for
Reading Odyssey – 4
th
Grade Benchmarks
.
5
Make Use of
th
Grade Math
Instructional Games
Many middle school and high school students enjoy
⎯
and benefit from
⎯
the
instructional games in
Math Station: 5
th
Grade Benchmark.
These games are
instructional
games that reinforce skills required for success on the FCAT. In
addition, you can motivate students by awarding bonus game tokens, or decrease
a struggling student’s token accrual rate to provide a more reasonable challenge
(see
Games
on your Teacher’s Desk). On the other hand, if students appear to be
spending too much time in the game arcade, you can increase their challenge by
increasing their token accrual rate.
Make Use Of
The FCAT Explorer provides “Open Response” materials for those grade levels
Open Response
that must write responses to performance tasks on the FCAT. You can print these
Materials
materials from the Resource Center on your Teacher’s Desk and use them for
homework assignments, or for small group or whole class activities.
Page 4 of 4
FCAT Explorer Best Practice Guidelines for 11
th
& 12
th
Grade Students
