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Raising Achievement in Monroeville and Pitcairn and Gateway School District PresentSession II: Want to See Higher Standardized Test Scores? Tips and Information You Need to KnowA Parent Workshop1Welcome and Introduction of PresentersIntroduction of RAMP BoardColleen Tortorella, School CounselorGateway Senior High SchoolTricia Shelton, M.Ed., Doctoral Candidate, Indiana University of PennsylvaniaTeacher, Evergreenpryl King, M.Ed., President, Raising Achievement in Monroeville and PitcairnDoctoral Candidate, Indiana University of PennsylvaniaTeacher, Evergreen Elementary

Agenda2AgendaColleen TortorellaPSSA/Keystone Exam Preparation and ResourcesSAT/Act Preparation and Resources3Tricia SheltonSupporting Children with Special NeedsTest PreparationStrategies for Establishing Study Skills4Test Preparation StrategiesBuild confidence.Establish goals.Build focus.Practice skills.

5Skill StrategiesPoints to RememberLasting learning takes time and practice.No strategy is successful universally.Model strategies.Incorporate your childs strengths and interests.

6Sketch to StretchSketch to stretch combines visual understanding with conceptual learning.

How its doneRead a text.Draw an interpretation of your understanding of the text.Show and tell about your drawing to a partner.Use the drawing to create relevant notes on the text.

7AlphaboxesAlphaboxes motivate students to categorize understanding by letter.

How its doneRead a text.For each letter of the alphabet, find words related to the text content.Use these words to generate notes on the text. 8A Sample TextRainbows appear when raindrops reflect sunlight, thus breaking white sunlight into colors. As light enters a water droplet, the different wavelength colors bend at slightly separate angles. Some of this light reflects off the back of the droplet and is bent a second time as the droplet emerges from the light beam. Drops at different angles send distinctively different colors to the eye. To see a rainbow, an observer must have her back to the sun and rain must be falling in some part of the sky. Since each raindrop is lit by the white light of the sun, a spectrum of colors is produced.

From http://sci.odu.edu/sci/Scire/05Edition/rainbow.html9Sketch to Stretch

10AlphaboxesAangleBback of droplet, bent, beamCcolorsD(rain) drops,differentEeyeFfalling rainLlight

OobservePproductionRreflect, rainbow, raindropsSsun, sky, spectrumWWater, white light, wavelength11Read-Cover-Remember-RetellRCRR encourages students to monitor comprehension by isolating small portions of text.

How its doneRead part of a text.Stop reading and cover the text with your hand.Try to remember what you read.Retell what you read aloud.Make notes on important points.12What Resources are Available to My Child?Community: Monroeville Public Library has preparation books and computers available.Imperial Teachers Store: www.imperialteachersstorecatalog.com 13What Resources are Available to My Child?School: Study Island Apangea Math (Think Through Math) First in Math14What can we do to make sure our child is prepared for college?College PreparationDepending on the college and major, minimum SAT/ACT requirements vary.Example: One PA State Institution requires about 1000 combined score for SATs, 21 for ACTs, and minimum GPA of 3.2.Work with guidance counselor to determine required high school courses for the college and major of your childs interest.

15What Internet Resources are Available?Free Internet ResourcesPSSA Practice for each PA Math Standard Gives sample problems and allows your child to practice problems and learn whether the answer is correct.http://www.ixl.com/standards/pennsylvania/math/grade-2 Study Island: http://www.studyisland.com/web/index/ Read Write Think Afterschool/Parent Resources: http://www.readwritethink.org/parent-afterschool-resources/ ABC Match: http://www.readwritethink.org/parent-afterschool-resources/games-tools/match-a-30091.html

16What Internet Resources are Available?Free Internet ResourcesSAT Practice: http://sat.collegeboard.org/practice?s_kwcid=TC|7002|prep%20tests||S|b|13017102644 Practice Exam: http://etestingcenter.com/PSSAexams.htm Free Test Online (PSAT, SAT, ACT) http://www.free-test-online.com/ Free Test Online (Common Core Math): http://www.free-test-online.com/ccss/ccss.html Test Prep Pennsylvania (8th 11th): http://go.hrw.com/hrw.nd/gohrw_rls1/pKeywordResults?keyword=mm1%20test%20prep%20pennsylvania PSSA Item Samplers: http://www.montroseareasd.k12.pa.us/pssa/

17What Internet Resources are Available?Informational ResourcesTime4Learning: http://www.time4learning.com/testprep/index.php/pennsylvania-standardized-test-prep/ eHow Mom: http://www.ehow.com/way_5828989_strategies-pssa-preparation.html Parent PSSA Information: http://www.pssa-prep.com/pssa.htm

18What Internet Resources are Available?Internet Resources for Purchased ItemsE-Books and Workbooks for Practice: http://www.pssa-prep.com/catalog.htm Bright Education: http://brighted.funeducation.com/Products/PracticeTests/?state=Pennsylvania&gclid=CI6J09qP1LUCFZCf4AodcWgAvQ Pennsylvania PSSA Math Books: http://www.free-test-online.com/middle/pssa.htm

19Cultural-Specific InformationAchievement Gaps in our DistrictCulturally Relevant Practices for HomeImplications for School20Questions?What questions do you have for us?21EvaluationPlease take a moment to complete an evaluation of this session.

On the front, please rate the degree to which you agree with the given statement.

On the back, please share:One thing you found helpful,one question you still have,and any other commentsThank you!22