March 11, 2015 6532 Turnstone Way, Rocklin CA 95765 Laura Regan, Principal

UPCOMING EVENTS

March 9-13 Conference Week: Mini Days - 11:40am Dismissal.

March 16-March 20 Pennies for patients

March 13 Spirit Day – Formal Wear

March 16 Collaborative Inquiry: Mini Day - 11:40am Dismissal.

March 16-March 20 Book Fair

March 20 Spirit Day – Green/Gold March 25 Spring Picture Day

March 25 Chick-Fil-A FUNdraiser night 5:00 – 8:00

March 27 Spirit Day – Pastel Day

March 30 – April 3 No School: Spring Break

April 6 No School: Professional Development

Common Core Standards through the Lens of Mathematics:

Parent Math Workshop On March 5th, we held our Common Core Math Parent and Student Workshop. Parents and students spent the evening engaging in hands on activities and learning new strategies. The night was Dr. Seuss themed and students had a great time working their way through the many games focused on the new Common Core shifts.

We know that both students and parents are adjusting to the standards and a new lens through which to look at math. We will be adding the resources presented during the evening to the Rocklin Academy website. One great resource that was shared at the math workshop was a video that focuses on the need for the Common Core standards. We received such positive feedback from the video that we are including a link to view it below. We will continue our dedication to providing support to our families through this transition. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOOW0hQgVPQ Laura Regan

Principal

Enrollment 2015-2016 2015-16 Acceptance letters were mailed out on February 27, 2015. If you have a sibling of a currently enrolled student who will be entering Kindergarten at Turnstone or Meyers or Transitional Kindergarten or Kindergarten at Gateway starting in August of 2015, you need to complete your enrollment paperwork no later than March 20, 2015 to secure your child’s enrollment slot. If you miss this deadline, your enrollment will be

forfeited and offered to the next application on the waiting list. Please contact Donna Walsh at dwalsh@rocklinacademy.org if you have any questions. Thank you!

Independent Study Packets (ISPs) are Due! Do you have any ISP’s laying around? Even if they were due a while ago, please sign, date and return them to your child’s teacher as soon as possible. Please be sure they are dated correctly and please attach any work. If you would like to know if there are any outstanding ISP’s for your child or if you would like printed copies, please contact Wendi Brabon at wbrabon@rocklinacademy.org. Thank you for turning in ISPs!

REPORT CARDS Report cards will be sent home with your child this Friday, March 13th.

Mark Your Calendar! Spring Picture Day is Coming!

Wednesday, March 25, 2014

ONLY STUDENTS THAT PRE-ORDER WILL BE PHOTOGRAPHED. Picture Day is Wednesday, March 25, 2014. Visit www.lifetouch.com for clothing suggestions, online payment details and more (Picture Day ID: CR014229Y0). Be sure to have your student bring their printed receipt on Picture Day. Look for the flyer in today’s Wednesday folder.

CAASP Testing Dates Reminder: May 4th – 15th Standardized testing (CAASPP) begins on Monday May 4th and continues through Friday May 15th for grades 3-6. Please schedule any appointments for your child in the afternoon or after May 15th. During testing, 3rd-6th grade classrooms will not be disturbed. If you have an appointment scheduled during this time, please reschedule it. We greatly appreciate your help preparing your child for test days with a good night’s sleep, a healthy breakfast and a snack each day. For more information, see the attached Parent’s Guide to New Assessments or visit our homepage under Departments>Educational Services>California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). http://www.rocklinacademy.com/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=85204&type=d&pREC_ID=609791

CST 5th Grade State Science Testing: April 9th

Please do not schedule appointments for your 5th grade student on Thursday April 9th as they will be completing their state science testing. Thank you!

Meet Our New Music Teachers!! Mary McGown and Christie Sawyer- Frantti, our ukulele club founders, are now teaching music to the 4th - 6th grades for the rest of this school year.

Mary McGown is an original founding teacher of Rocklin Academy. After retiring, Mary has pursued her passion for music and has become an avid player of the ukulele, mandolin, banjo, guitar and dulcimer. Her enthusiasm for music and gift for teaching will greatly benefit our kids. Mary is teaching at the Meyers campus and Mrs. Klein's class at Turnstone. We are grateful we were able to lure her out of retirement to teach music!!!

Christie Sawyer-Frantti (goes by "Frantti") has two kids at Rocklin Academy. She has 27 years of experience playing guitar and she's been playing and teaching the ukulele to kids for 3 years. Over the last 6 years she has been a dedicated volunteer for the music docent program and has taught music to 11 classrooms of children. She is knowledgeable about our music curriculum and knows how to make music fun and accessible to kids. Christie is teaching at Turnstone. We are so happy to have music back in the classrooms!!!!

Spirit Wear Days – Mark your calendars!

March 3/13: Formal wear 3/20: Green/gold 3/27: Pastel Day

April 4/10: Neon clothes 4/17: Accessory day 4/24: Disney theme

May 5/1: Dress like an animal 5/8: Oversized clothes 5/15: Dress your smartest 5/22: Patriotic clothes 5/29: Summer wear

Spelling Bee

Karina Andersen, a 6th grader at Rocklin Academy Turnstone, won our school Spelling Bee. She then passed the written exam and went on to represent our school at the regional California Central Valley Spelling Bee on March 4th! We are so proud of Karina and her accomplishments. Way to go, Karina!

PERFECT ATTENDANCE FOR SECOND TRIMESTER Turnstone campus: Analicia Adao, Marisa Adao, Karina Andersen, Jayda Arbis, Jovan Bartlett, Keith Bartlett, Emerson Basi, Dylan Black, Maggie Botrous, Sandra Botrous, Aaron Buado, Gino Buencamino, Caleb Burch, Madison Burriss, Branden Byrd, Brooke Byrd, Owen Carroll, Riley Carroll, Aditya Dandamudi, William Davis, Heather De Jesus, Dylan de Valk, Ava DeCampos, Mia DeCampos, Athanasia Delis, Francine Dumm, Mia Fabel, John Freethy, Suchir Goli, Emma Grenfell, Gage Harrison, Traeger Harrison, Shayan Harvis, Carson Klotz, Christos Kotsiopulos, Sara La Bella, Mason Lew, Ayden Little, Isabella Mamayev, Matthew Mamayev, Katherine Manzer, Anika Maragathavel, Sean McNamara, Sanjna Medari, Selina Mitchell, Brogan Navarro, Gianna Navarro, Prachi Padiyar, Jack Perkins, Sophia Pirabarooban, Grant Pooler, Brooklynn Powell, Katelyn Price, Chase Rosenberg, Juliana Ruscica, Luca Ruscica, Lucas Schneider, Victoria Schneider, Jaypreet Sekhon, Naman Seth, Devan Sorci, Clare Sotka, Kailey Streight, Vanessa Swithenbank, Taylor Tallman, Esha Thapa, Fareed Theodossy, Danielle Tran, Viswesh Vancheeswaran, Keiji Watanabe, Jae Wefers, Brendon Wheeler, Bryant Wheeler, Camille Wheeler, Reyna Zaidi, Rachel Zehnder.

“TERRIFIC TEN” AWARD LIST FOR SECOND TRIMESTER The Terrific Ten award certificate is given to each student who earns ten “E’S” for their work habits and social skills during last trimester. The following are the students who earned this award this trimester:

Turnstone campus: Thomas Abraham, Analicia Adao, Karina Andersen, Jayda Arbis, Amirta Balakrishnan, Jovan Bartlett, Keith Bartlett, Emerson Basi, Nadia Benes, Sean Bingham, Maggie Botrous, Sandra Botrous, Allison Brustman, Chloe Budd, Caleb Burch, Sophia Burns, Brianna Burns, Lillian Caldwell, Madelyn Crow, Aditya Dandamudi, Gabrielle Daniel, Ishana Datusalia, Grace Davis, Olivia Davis, Heather De Jesus, Mia DeCampos, Athanasia Delis, Meadow Dettner, Alexander Dillon, Hunter Dollar, Francine Dumm, Alexandria Dunkhase, Hunter Evans, Katherine Even, Charles Even, Mia Fabel, Madelyn Ferguson, Payton Frederick, Emily Freeman, Brenden Freethy, John Freethy, Keely Frey, Sachi Goli, Emma Grenfell, Shubhika Grover, Kate Hall, Gage Harrison, Shayan Harvis, Edward Hill, Andi Hills, Elijah Holzer, Taylor Holzer, Brooke Holzer, Aaliyah Hoy, Stephen Huang, Sonny Huang, Camryn Jackson, Cody Johns, Cooper Keen, Riya Kishore, William Lambourne, Alex Lie, Sadie Lindstrom, Alivia Maeyama, Aleyna Maeyama, Yeshaswi Malneedi, Neev Mandot, Katherine Manzer, Anika Maragathavel, Mayuri Mathiyarasan, Erin McNamara, Sean McNamara, Landon Moro, Suhas Naidu, Ashvika Nair, Isabella Nijmeh, Olivia Owens, Prachi Padiyar, Pari Pandya, Colin Parenti, Brandon Parenti, Grant Pooler, Peyton Powell, Brooklynn Powell, Matthew Price, Katelyn Price, Megan Price, Pranavi Rajaparti, Chase Rosenberg, Ilana Rosenberg, Luca Ruscica, Darienne Sandhu, Spencer Schaefer, Brooke Schaefer, Victoria Schneider, Hannah Schuchard, Alicia Sevilla, Caroline Simmons, Haley Simmons, Mohkam Singh, Ally Solis, Rylie Solters, Tristyn Spears, Andrew Stanton, Lauren Stanton, Kailey Streight, Tyler Streight, Anjali Suthahar, Makena Swenson, Layne Swenson, Natalie Swithenbank, Joel Tajiri, Rachel Tajiri, Ariv Tandon, Quinlan TeSelle, MacGregor TeSelle, Esha Thapa, Danielle Tran, Callum Turner, Sadie Turner, Vishal Ulahannan, Matilda Urieff, Lily Urieff, Nathaniel Vavra, Braeden Walsh, Alexandra Watts, Richard Watts, Aubrey Wheeler, Bryant Wheeler, Harley Wheeler, Brendon Wheeler, Madeline Williams, Hannah Wirth, Piper Woodford, Xin Wu, Allan Yu, Zaina Zaidi, Batul Zanzi, Samina Zanzi, Sarrah Zanzi, Rachel Zehnder, Isabella Zhang, Cathy Zhang.

SPRING SPIRIT Wish you would have bought one of those super cute shirts you see on field trips? Now's your chance! When: Friday, March 13, 2015 Where: Outside of the main office Time: 11:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. We will be accepting Cash and Checks

Get your green for St. Patrick's day!

Buy Tickets Now for Daddy Daughter Dance! Tickets are now available for the Daddy Daughter Dance, happening Friday, March 20 from 6-8 pm. You can buy tickets online here or print the form at the end of the Wednesday Weekly and drop it off with a check to the office to be placed in the safe. This year’s dance theme is “The Sock Hop!” Food will be provided by Chili’s and there will be raffle prizes, dancing and a ton of fun. Tickets are $20 per couple and $5 for each additional daughter. If you have any questions, please contact Iva Calhoun at 19events101@gmail.com.

Chick-fil-A Family Dinner Night! When: March 25th, 5:00-8:00pm Where: Chick-Fil-A, 912 Pleasant Grove Blvd., Roseville Chick-fil-A, in partnership with Rocklin Academy Turnstone, is hosting a Family Dinner Night on Wednesday, March 25th. Please come and support Rocklin Academy! A percentage of your order will go directly to our school! Come any time between the hours of 5 and 8pm, eat-in or drive-thru! Feel free to tell family, friends and neighbors too. No special flyers needed. Just come, have dinner and have fun! Please see flyer at the end of this newsletter. Turnstone Teachers and Staff will be volunteering between the hours of 5:00pm - 9:00pm: 5:00 pm Mrs. Decker, Mrs. Baker, Mrs. Klein, Mrs. Sotka, Mrs. Main 6:00 pm Mrs. Flores, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Pike, Ms. Yousef, Mrs. Peck 7:00 pm Mrs. Leatherman, Mrs. Moon

Your child has the power to make a positive impact on the lives of blood cancer patients!

Our school will be joining others across the United States in a program that will be instrumental in raising funds for lifesaving cancer research.

They’ll be taking part in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) School & Youth Program Pennies for Patients. During the three-week period of March 2-20, students collect spare change to support LLS’s mission: To cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families.

What your child will learn about service, leadership and philanthropy will be immeasurable. And, the impact they’ll have on patients’ lives will be limitless. Many LLS-funded advances are already helping not only blood cancer patients, but people with other conditions, including solid tumors and autoimmune diseases. In fact, LLS has invested more than $875 million in research to advance therapies and save lives.

In this week’s Wednesday Weekly Folder, your child will receive his or her own box for collecting spare change. Judging by past programs, they’ll be proud to fill the box, with change to spare. You can also donate online at: http://sacr.dojiggy.com/ng/index.cfm/13809/regPages/pledge/RocklinAcademyAtTurnstone

Spare change could be hiding anywhere. Under the couch cushions. In the pockets of pants and jackets hanging in the closets. Your child has the power to convert that spare change into funding for treatments and cures that can save lives…not someday, but today.

Thank you and your child in advance for helping patients with blood cancers live longer, better lives.

Order Your Yearbook Today! The 2014-2015 Rocklin Academy Turnstone Yearbook is now available to preorder!! Yearbooks are $15 this year. Orders can be placed online

only at https://ybpay.lifetouch.com/ The Yearbook ID code is 12166415. From there you can choose to upgrade the softcover to a hardcover, personalize with your child's name, or have a Zoom current events add on. The deadline to order is April 12, 2015.

Need Volunteer Hours? We Need You! Volunteer at Our Book Fair

Monday, March 16th – Friday, March 20

th

Please consider volunteering at our spring Book Fair — an exciting celebration of reading with hundreds of fun, engaging, affordable books for kids to discover. Join our volunteer team to:

• Help set up (Wed. 3/11 ~ 12:30 – 3:00)

• Help pack up (Fri. 3/20 ~ 3:30 – 5:00)

• Help at our Family Night event (Mon. 3/16 ~ 5:00 – 7:00 pm)

• Help tag AR (leveled) books (Thur. 3/12 & Fri. 3/13 ~ 8-11:30)

• Organize and put things in place

• Help at the cash registers and check out

• Help shoppers of all ages find the perfect book

We very much appreciate your help in whatever form it takes. See you at the book fair!

Please Contact:

Mrs. Wilson at nwilson@rocklin.k12.ca.us or

Mrs. Daniels at sdaniels@rocklin.k12.ca.us or

Check the volunteer link on the Ruhkala Elementary website for more information.

Friday, March 20, 2015 6-8pmIn the Multi-Purpose Room

Tickets $20 Per couple$5/additional daughter

Pre buy Raffle Tickets at $10 (for Raffle tickets as long as Daddy's arm length)

and Receive 5 extra tickets

Come in your Sock Hop Attire and Enjoy Dinner, Dessert, Dancing, Photos, Raffles, and a good time!

Proudly Serving Chili's Chicken & Burger Bites with Fries and Dessert

Look for your Ticket Order Forms in your Wednesday Weekly Folder!

Daughter's Name (Oldest):______________________________________________________

Grade:______________________Teacher:_________________________________________

Parent Email:_________________________________________________________________

$20 per couple $ 20_____ plus $5 additional daughter(s) x_____= $________

Pre buy Raffle Tickets NOW!! ($15 @event) $10 x_____= $________ Dad's will be measured at event for raffle ticket Total: $________Checks Payable to RAPSP Please check in at event

Auction & Dinner

Annual WSCA Gala

= TOTAL: $

Tickets On Sale Now!General Seating = $40 Per Person

Ticket prices increase after March 27th 2015*Grab a Group Table of 10 for only $375*

Limited amount of these Tables!

Sit Down Dinner & Dessert/Buffet Style - Menu: Chicken Marsala • Glazed Pork Tenderloin • Garlic Mashed Potatoes & Seasonal Vegetables • NY Cheesecake

No Host Bar | Live & Silent Auction | Raffle Prizes | Dancing |Many Items Open For Bidding

Hosted by: Western Sierra PSPBenefitting Western Sierra Collegiate Academy

Oldest Student Name:

Grade: (Advisory) Teacher: Will Call:

Check your School: WSCA Turnstone Meyers Gateway

$40 General Seating Ticket x Qty. = $

Group Table Tickets (Includes 10 Tickets) = $

Please Make Checks Payable to WSCA PSP or Buy Online at westernsierrapsp.my-pta.org

Order forms may be dropped off in the PSP box at WSCA Lobby or

Mailed to: Western Sierra PSP | 660 Menlo Drive | Rocklin, CA 95765

Saturday, April 11, 2015 | 5:30-10pmMorgan Creek Country Club8791 Morgan Creek Lane | Roseville, CA 95747

For Tickets | Donations | QuestionsContact: wscapsp@rocklinacademy.org

*Group Tables must be bought in one transaction | Purchase tickets in advance to receive discount pricing, otherwise please add $10 per ticket if purchased after March 27th, 2015

*$50 per ticket after 3/27/15

In 2010, California adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The CCSS provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn in English language arts and mathematics as they progress through grades K–12.

In the 2014–15 school year, California will begin rolling out new assessments aligned to the CCSS. The new assessments will be used to gauge how well students are mastering the standards—and, ultimately, how ready they are for college and further career education and training.

WhaT arE ThE Common CorE STaTE STandardS?

The CCSS are designed to enhance and improve student learning. The CCSS have greater clarity and rigor than most previous standards and are relevant to the real world, giving young people the knowledge and skills they need for college and career success. They are also robust, ensuring a future U.S. workforce that can compete in the global economy.

The new standards emphasize fewer topics and stress not only procedural skills but also conceptual and critical thinking. The CCSS build knowledge from grade to grade, enabling students to master important concepts before moving on to others.

The standards are not a curriculum. Decisions about curriculum, tools, materials, and textbooks are left to local districts and schools, which know their students best.

The CCSS were developed through a state-led initiative, spearheaded by governors and state superintendents, in collaboration with teachers, school administrators,

college faculty, parents, and education experts. They build on the excellent foundation laid across all states to date, and have been internationally benchmarked to ensure rigor on par with top performing nations.

To date, more than 45 states and the District of Columbia have adopted the CCSS.

Local schools and districts are currently overseeing the CCSS implementation in the classroom. They have developed a range of professional development opportunities to support educators.

ThIS GuIdE InCludES:

■ overview of new assessments, which measure student proficiency against more rigorous standards

■ Sample test questions

■ overview of accountability for students, teachers, and schools

■ additional resources for parents

ParEnTS’ GuIdE To nEW assessments in California

CCSS-aligned assessments

New English language arts assessments:

■ Ask students to read more complex non-fiction and fiction texts and use evidence from these texts to answer questions, make inferences, and present persuasive written arguments

■ Emphasize literacy across all subjects, not just English

■ Test writing at every grade level

New math assessments:

■ Go beyond multiple-choice questions and present students with multi-step problems, conceptual questions, and real-world applications

■ Ask students to not only get answers correct, but also explain how they arrived at those answers

■ Cover fewer topics in greater depth, focusing on the most critical areas

Why nEW aSSESSmEnTS?

Teachers and principals talk a lot about assessments, which are used to measure students’ academic achievement. This document highlights the end-of-year summative assessments, which judge student progress toward mastering state standards and program and school effectiveness. For other assessments used, see box at right.

New summative assessments will address longstanding concerns that parents, educators, and employers have had about current state assessments—namely that they measure the ability to memorize facts, rather than the skills to think critically and apply knowledge.

WhaT IS dIffErEnT abouT ThE nEW SummaTIvE

aSSESSmEnTS?

The new assessments for English and math will enable educators to deepen their understanding of student progress from grade to grade—and, just as importantly, identify any gaps in progress so they can address them well before students enter college or the workforce.

Types of assessments

formative: Individual tests given by teachers as needed throughout the year to assess knowledge and skills in specific areas and adjust instruction

Interim: Tests repeated at regular intervals to measure student growth against a particular set of standards over time

Summative: End-of-year assessments administered by the state to measure student performance against a common set of standards

This document addresses summative assessments.

Benefits of new assessments

■ Scores provide students, parents, and teachers with insight into college and career readiness early enough to address issues and provide extra support where needed.

■ California has transitioned to what are called “computer adaptive assessments,” which replace pencil-and-paper tests and can adjust the difficulty of questions based on student responses. In general with adaptive testing, a student who answers correctly will receive a more challenging item, while an incorrect answer generates an easier question. This method provides students with a more engaging test experience, is more time-efficient, and—especially for low- or high-achieving students—produces more accurate results than traditional methods.

■ New assessments will allow California to compare student performance not only across schools and districts statewide, but also with other states that have adopted the CCSS.

■ The new assessments are designed to provide accurate measures of achievement and growth for all students, including those with disabilities and English language learners—allowing these students to perform to their potential. The goal of the accommodations is to make the assessments more accessible and to produce results that are valid for these students. The intention is not to give them an advantage over other students. For students with disabilities, the online assessments will address visual, auditory, and physical-access barriers. These students will be able to take a test individualized to meet their needs at the same time as other students in their class. Tools have also been developed to help English language learners demonstrate their knowledge, regardless of their level of proficiency in English.

College Content-Readiness Defined:

The level of preparation a student needs to enroll and succeed—without remediation—in a credit-bearing course at a postsecondary institution that offers a baccalaureate degree or in a high-quality certificate program that enables students to enter a career pathway with potential future advancement.

PTA.org

Who is developing the new assessments?

Because CCSS is a state-led initiative, most states across the country chose to join one of two consortia of states working together to develop new assessments based on Common Core State Standards. These are the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium and the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC).

California is a member of the Smarter Balanced along with more than 20 other states. However, all customization and final decisions about assessments remain at the state level, in partnership with local educators. Read more about the Smarter Balanced at www.SmarterBalanced.org

noTE: While taking advantage of technology, new assessments are designed to work with the computing resources in schools today. The assessments work fine on very old operating systems and require minimal processors and memory. however, states that have not yet made the transition to online testing will be offered a paper-and-pencil option for the first three years.

*

Sample questions by grade level

ExamPlE of a 5Th GradE maTh quESTIon

SAMPLE ITEM

Five swimmers compete in a 50-meter race. The finish time for each swimmer is shown in the video.

Explain how the results of the race would change if the race used a clock that rounded to the nearest tenth.Explanation:

23.4223.18

23.3523.24

23.21

ExamPlE of a 6Th GradE EnGlISh quESTIon

SAMPLE ITEM

Students are asked to read the essay “Planes on the Brain” by Elisabeth Deffner, from Faces Magazine, and answer the following questions:

1. How does the author emphasize the point that the TAM program was a positive influence on the sisters’ lives? Use details from the text to support your answer.2. Highlight the parts of the text that provide evidence to support the idea that the Tuskegee Airmen were historically important.3. What does the author mean by “the sky is no longer the limit”? Use details from the text to support your response.

Answer:

ExamPlE of an 11Th GradE EnGlISh quESTIon

SAMPLE ITEM

The following excerpt is from a writer’s first draft of a narrative essay. Read the excerpt. Then rewrite it, revising it to correct errors.I had no idea what to expect when I walked into the arena. There were people everywhere, most of them clad in brightly colored jersey’s with different players’ names on the back of them. There were some names I couldnt even pronounce. Me and my friend made our way to the corridor that led to the ice rink. The minute I stepped through the doorway, I could feel a rush of cold air hit my face. I could actually smell the ice! I never thought ice had a smell, but it really does. The next thing I noticed was the size, of the ice rink. There were lines and circles painted all over it, and I knew immediately I wouldn’t understand the rules. We found our seats, and it wasn’t long before the game started. We sat so close to the action that I felt as if I was right in the middle of it, the action was so intense it was hard to follow the puck, keep an eye on the players, and to figure out which team was ahead. When the home team scored a goal. The entire arena erupted with cheering that was so loud, I bet it was heard across town. by the end of the game, I felt so many emotions: delight, disappointment, fear, and excitement. Mostly, though, I felt in awe of the athletes who played this game. They are much more tougher than I ever expected. I suspect others new to hockey will be as impressed as me by this fast, interesting game.

Answer:Now rewrite the excerpt, revising it to correct errors.

The following questions are representative of those found on the new assessments. for more examples, visit www.smarterbalanced.org/pilot-test.

What Parents Can Expect

This is a new system with a new way of scoring. Therefore, it is not possible to directly compare new scores with old ones.

The new assessments measure deeper knowledge and skills deemed particularly important to students’ futures, including problem-solving, writing, and critical thinking. The scores provide students, parents, and teachers with the ability to address issues well before students are ready to graduate.

Because rigor is higher, student achievement scores may initially be lower. A dip should not necessarily be interpreted as a decline in student learning or in educator performance. Educators expect the short-term decline to reverse as teachers and students become more familiar with the standards and better equipped to meet the challenges they present.

how will schools support students during the transition?

Schools have created a variety of models to assist students who are struggling with the standards. Remediation and summer courses, in-class adjustments based on ongoing in-class assessment results, and pull-out tutoring are just a few support strategies.

how will students and teachers be held accountable?

Student and teacher accountability are primarily determined and administered by local schools and districts. However, California does require students to pass an exit examination in order to graduate high school. The state will continue to administer the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE) in school years 2013–14 and 2014–15. This assessment is issued in 10th grade, giving students a two-year opportunity to work with educators on building the skills needed to pass.

Starting in school year 2015–16, the state accountability plan will stipulate that no more than 60 percent of high school performance ratings be based on state assessment scores (which demonstrate student growth), and that 40 percent be comprised of other indicators, such as graduation and college- and career-readiness.

Teacher evaluations are administered at the local school and district level. Local administrators are in the process of refining their accountability plans and are working with parents, teachers, and the community to determine the best systems for ensuring teachers are helping students meet the CCSS.

PTA.org

* TaKE aCTIon: Parents need to pay close attention to the new local accountability system being put in place, so they can better advocate for their children. Parents’ collective voice is critical to ensure that testing is implemented well and with enough resources to ensure success. Local schools and districts should include parents and teachers in thoughtful conversations based on trust, collaboration, and respect. If you would like additional details about how students, teachers, and schools will be held accountable or more information on assessments in general, please contact the Department of Education’s Statewide Assessment Transition Office at 916-319-0758.

hErE arE SomE quESTIonS you mIGhT WanT To aSK:

■ What will happen if my child does not meet proficiency on the new assessments?

■ how will teacher evaluations be affected if students don’t meet proficiency levels?

■ how will school ratings change based on results of the new assessments? (This is determined at the state level)

TaKE aCTIon: Parents can work with school or district curriculum directors to learn about the new curriculum and understand how to support their children to minimize any dips in assessment scores.

*

If you have questions regarding changes to the state or federal accountability systems, call the academic accountability unit at 916-323-1341.

Preparing and supporting your child

■ Discuss the new tests with your child. Make sure he or she is not scared or anxious going into the new tests.

■ With an older child, explain that the new assessments were created to help him or her better prepare for college and career.

■ Explain to your child that the tests will initially be more challenging. Tell your child you have high expectations and

that you are there to help every step of the way.

■ Review test results with your child. Bring the teacher into the discussion as needed.

■ Provide a quiet, comfortable place for studying at home and make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep and a nutritious breakfast before a test.

Staying informed and involved ■ Become familiar with the Common Core State Standards.

■ Explore practice tests through an interactive online platform at http://www.smarterbalanced.org/pilot-test/

■ Read all comments written by the teacher on assignments, tests, and report cards. Ask teachers to explain anything that is unclear and discuss how you can best work together to address comments.

■ Monitor your child’s progress. If your child needs extra help or wants to learn more about a subject, work with his or her teacher to identify opportunities for tutoring, after-school clubs or other resources.

■ Do not judge your child based on a single test score. Tests are not perfect measures of what a child can do. There are many other factors that might influence a test score. For example, a child can be affected by the way he or she is feeling on test day or the particular classroom setting.

■ Meet with your child’s teacher as often as possible to discuss his or her progress. Ask for activities to do at home to help prepare for tests and improve your child’s proficiency.

Additional Resources ■ What the CCSS mean at each grade level: www.pta.org/parentsguide

■ The Common Core in California: http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/cc/index.asp

■ Smarter Balanced assessment consortium, of which California is a member: http://www.smarterbalanced.org

■ California testing and accountability: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta

© Copyright 2013 National PTA. All rights reserved.