Get Ready for CST Testing!

Alta Murrieta Get Ready for CST Testing! What to do to make sure you do your very best!

All Students Are Smart! • Trust that your teachers have you ready! • It’s o.k. not to know all the questions. • Between testing have fun at recess and play outside at home! Alta Is Number One!

What does the CST Test do for you, your child, and the school? • Chance for your child to demonstrate what they’ve learned. • Chance for your child to prove they are ready for the next grade. • Chance for your child to earn an elective (5th grade moving to middle school) • Practice for the CAHSEE – High school exit exam (all students will have to take this test in high school). • They love to please you, let them know you are proud of them, but continue to set goals once you get the data back. • High Test scores mean better resale value and desirability within our boundaries. People look at the scores before buying a house these days! • 900 API and meeting our AYP means we become one of the few elite schools within our demographics to achieve this status. It takes all of us to make this happen! • Media loves to talk about and cover schools that continue to grow. PR is important to keep donations coming in!

CST scores that students can earn☺ • 600-395 (5) Advanced • 394-350 (4) Proficient • 349-300 (3) Basic B • 299-266 (2) Below Basic BB • 265-150 (1) Far Below Basic FBB

Remind your child that It’s OK to be a little nervous! • Just do your Best. • Some questions will be easy. • Some questions will be hard!

Make sure they Listen Carefully to Directions • Some questions ask you to find the right answer and some ask for the wrong answer. • Read very carefully to what is being asked! • Read all the answers before filling in a bubble!

Make sure to remind them to Organize their testing area! • Keep your pencil(s) in an area that you can reach easily. • Don’t have scratch paper or the test materials overlapping. • Get comfortable at their desk. • Make sure you Relax while testing(breathe in through your nose out through your mouth).

Make sure you talk to them about taking their time! • Have them scan over the section they are taking to see how many problems there are. Pace themselves. • Have them to skip problems that they can’t solve easily and come back to them (Make sure to mark them anyway so they don’t get lost and place a small ? next to the number).

Remind them of these important “Reading Tips” • Read the questions about the reading passage first, then read the story or passage. • Read to answer the questions - Not to finish the story!!

Remind them to put down the right answer! • Go with their first choice. • Eliminate choices that they know are wrong (easy ones). • If they get down to 2 choices, make the best guess. • Remind them to never skip around! They may lose their place!

Have them Physically Ready for the Test☺ • Have them get at least 9 hours of sleep (p.s. no DSI under the covers☺). • Have them eat a healthy breakfast each day. (Low Sugar cereals and foods) • Have them bring or buy a good lunch! • Make sure to get them to school on time (8:45)! • Talk to your kids each night about how their tests went and how they felt they did!

Other Ideas to help your child☺ • Go to the cde.gov websites listed on the slides to practice☺ • Have them exercise when they come home, no video games☺ • Remind them not to leave anything blank, complete all problems! • Make sure they know that you really are proud of them and know they will do their best!

Top 10 Strategies! 1. Have a Positive Attitude- Approach the big test as you’d approach a giant jigsaw puzzle. It might be tough, but you can do it! A positive attitude goes a long way toward success. 2. Make a Plan- The week before the test, ask your teacher what the test is going to cover. Is it from the textbook only? Class notes? Can you use your calculator? If you’ve been absent, talk to friends about material you may have missed. Make a list of the most important topics to be covered and use that as a guide when you study. Circle items that you know will require extra time. Be sure to plan extra time to study the most challenging topics. 3. The Night Before- Cramming doesn’t work. If you’ve followed a study plan, the night before the test you should do a quick review and get to bed early. Remember, your brain and body need sleep to function well, so don’t stay up late! 4. The Morning of the Test- Did you know that you think better when you have a full stomach? So don’t skip breakfast the morning of the test. Get to school early and do a ten-minute power study right before the test, so your brain is turned on and tuned up. 5. Test Time- Before the test begins, make sure you have everything you’ll need – scratch paper, extra pencils, your calculator (if you’re allowed to use it). Understand how the test is scored: Do you lose points for incorrect answers? Or is it better to make guesses when you’re not sure of the answer? Read the instructions! You want to make sure you are marking answers correctly. 6. Manage Your Time- Scan through the test quickly before starting. Answering the easy questions first can be a time saver and a confidence builder. Plus, it saves more time in the end for you to focus on the hard stuff. 7. I’m Stuck!- Those tricky problems can knock you off balance. Don’t get worried or frustrated. Reread the question to make sure you understand it, and then try to solve it the best way you know how. If you’re still stuck, circle it and move on. You can come back to it later. What if you have no idea about the answer? Review your options and make the best guess you can, but only if you don’t lose points for wrong answers. 8. Multiple-Choice Questions- The process of elimination can help you choose the correct answer in a multiple-choice question. Start by crossing off the answers that couldn’t be right. Then spend your time focusing on the possible correct choices before selecting your answer. 9. Neatness Counts- If your 4s look like 9s, it could be a problem. Be sure that your writing is legible and that you erase your mistakes. For machine-scored tests, fill in the spaces carefully. 10. I’m Done!- Not so fast – when you complete the last item on the test, remember that you’re not done yet. First, check the clock and go back to review your answers, making sure that you didn’t make any careless mistakes (such as putting the right answer in the wrong place or skipping a question). Spend the last remaining minutes going over the hardest problems before you turn in your test.

California STAR Test Prep About California Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR Test) In California, all students in second grade through eleventh grade participate in the state’s Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program, which is comprised of a battery of standardized tests. The test taken by the majority of students is the California Standards Tests (CST). The CA STAR tests are a measure of how well students achieve the educational standards taught in California schools. In 2nd grade through 11th grade, the CST covers English-language arts. In 2nd grade through 7th grade, the test also covers math. Additional tests are added at various grade levels. The CST adds a history-social science test for 8th grade, 10th grade and 11th grade. The CST adds a science test for 5th grade, 8th grade, and 10th grade. The CST also adds a math and science test for students in 9th, 10th, and 11th grade. The test they take depends on which math and science course they are enrolled in that school year, such as algebra, geometry, physics, or chemistry. The STAR program used to include the California Achievement Test, Sixth Edition Survey (CAT/6), but this test was eliminated in the 2008-2009 school year. Based on STAR tests and the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE), California assigns an Academic Performance Index (API) rating and growth target to each school and district. Ratings range from 200 to 1000, with a goal of 800 API for all schools statewide. For more information, you can visit California Department of Education Testing and Accountability. Preparing for the California CST and Other Standardized Tests For general tips on test preparation, please visit our standardized test overview page. The real preparation for STAR tests, and all standardized tests that assess a wide range of fundamental skills, is to steadily build and master fundamental skills in math, reading and writing. To help students succeed in school, parents should make a special effort to get involved in their children’s education. You should ensure your children are doing their homework every night and reading and writing on a daily basis. In addition, families can hire tutors or use an online learning program such as Time4Learning to supplement their children’s schoolwork and help to build fundamental skills. To help your children prepare for state standardized tests such as CA STAR tests, you can enroll your children in a test prep program or buy books to help them become familiar with test formats and terminology, to learn test-taking strategies (when to guess, when not to), to become comfortable with time restrictions, and to practice answering different types of questions. For instance, when a reading passage is followed by comprehension questions, many test prep programs teach students to scan the questions prior to reading the passage so that they can pay special attention to the areas addressed by questions. Most states release copies of tests or sample test questions from previous years. Parents can use these released test questions as resources to help students practice test skills and students can spend the majority of their time reviewing the key concepts within the sample test questions. For more information or resources on California education, visit:California Homeschooling InformationCalifornia State Parent Forum

How to Prepare? 1. Test Preparation at Home Taking a standardized test differs from taking regular school tests. Standardized tests are strictly timed and have specific instructions to follow. Schools do spend time acquainting students with what to expect, but reinforcement at home will make your child feel more prepared. At a minimum, have your child become familiar with testing procedures. Prior to the test, exposure to answering a variety of question types ranging from fill-in-the-blank, to multiple choice, to lengthy reading passages, and computation practice will allow students to become acquainted with a mixture of formats. Having children become adept with test terminology is important. Children should know the difference between synonyms and antonyms, main ideas and details, and greater than and less than, to name a few of the more tested skills. Within the questions, clues can be found, such as in the question; How many blocks are there altogether? Students should understand that the word, “altogether” indicates addition as the operation needed to answer the question sufficiently. Designating a particular amount of time for an activity or review lesson to be completed can help children get in the mindset of finishing work with time restraints. The use of their own timer or stopwatch can help them be conscious of time, while also providing a fun way to do quick practices of certain skills. Most states provide copies of tests from the years before. Parents can use these as resources guiding them toward the more tested skills. The majority of review can then be placed on those key concepts of focus. Parents should be sure their children know what to expect and how to best approach the test. 2. On the Week of the Test – Minimize Anxiety! Even a well-prepared student can feel pre-test anxiety. Encourage your child to relax and to view the test as a chance to show what they have learned. Reassure them that it’s natural to feel a little nervous and that the important thing is to try their best. Finally, some last pieces of advice to make everyone in the family feel fully prepared for the testing experience: The Day Before: A good night’s sleep the night before is most important. Test scores can be greatly affected when a child hasn’t gotten enough rest. Test Day: A good breakfast the morning of the test is a terrific brain booster. Nutrients help to stimulate the brain. Don’t forget last minute supplies, such as No. 2 pencils, a watch, and extra paper for working out problems.

Test Prep Web Sites Practice State Tests www.pedagonet.com/books/statetests.html California STAR Test | Time4Learning Test Prep www.time4learning.com/testprep/index.php/california-star-test-prep/ Tips for Taking Standardized Tests - California Teachers Association www.cta.org/Issues-and-Action/Testing-and-Standards/Tips.aspx California STAR Exam Online Resources www.free-test-online.com/state/star_test.html Practice Problems for the California Mathematics Standards Grades 1-8Practice problems for the STAR Exams Grades 1-8 from the California State University.www.csun.edu/~vcmth00m/practice.html STAR Test Prep Grade 2 www.eduplace.com/kids/hmcam/prep/prep_2.html STAR Test Prep Grade 3 www.eduplace.com/kids/hmcam/prep/prep_3.html STAR Test Prep Grade 4 www.eduplace.com/kids/hmcam/prep/prep_4.html STAR Test Prep Grade 5 www.eduplace.com/kids/hmcam/prep/prep_5.html CST Released Test Questions - Standardized Testing and Reporting ... www.cde.ca.gov › ... › Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR)

More Web Sites☺ Standardized Testing and Reporting - STAR Sample Test Questions starsamplequestions.org/starRTQ/search.jsp California STAR Test | Time4Learning Test Prep www.time4learning.com/testprep/index.php/california-star-test-prep/ Math Grade 2 Released Test Questions - Standardized Testing and ... www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sr/documents/rtqgr2math.pdf Grade 2 ELA Released Test Questions - Standardized Testing and ... www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sr/documents/rtqgr2ela.pdf Grade 2 Test www.pearsonlongman.com/ae/marketing/sfesl/tests/grade2.html Glenoaks Elementary ~ STAR/CST State Test Preparation ... glenoakssuperstar.edublogs.org/ BigFatScore.com -uCertify www.bigfatscore.com/schools.html 2nd Grade Star Prep Test www.classwareweb.com/diag/2nd/diag2nd.asp STAR Test | Julian Charter School www.juliancharterschool.org/assessment/star-test/ Hamilton Elementary School - STAR Testing hamilton.pasadenausd.org/.../pages.phtml?pageid... The Houghton Mifflin site www.eduplace.com has a STAR Test Prep online quiz for each math unit. Go to http://www.eduplace.com and click the "Students" Tab (it should say "Find your textbook" at the top,Choose a subject (Math) Choose a book - be sure to choose "California Math" with the yellow text Pick your grade by clicking on an orange square Click on the "STAR Test Prep" link and then you will see the topics listed by unit - you can click on these to take an online test.

Use the STAR strategy! • Scan over the section you are taking to see how many problems there are. • Take time to read directions. • Answer the question. Pace yourself. • Review your work. Alta kids never give up☺

Computer Clubs Lunch Recess • Times & Programs (April 30th- May 3rd ) • 2/3- Tuesday’s 12:05-1:05 in the 300 lab (Ticket to Read, Fast Math, or Read About) • 4/5- Thursday’s 12:35-1:30 in the 300 lab (Ticket to Read, Fast Math, or Read About)

Earn Tickets Tickets are earned for attendance, very similar to the running rewards. Students will get a hole punched every time they come to one of the clubs. Once you come in you are there for the entire time. • Once you complete a ticket(get all 5 holes punched) your name will be added to our ice cream with the principal award held on Friday, May 17th • Good Luck, and see you in the lab☺

Alta Murrieta Alta Students Score High! shoot for 915+ API!

Get Ready for CST Testing!