Common Core

Parent Newsletter
FORTUNE SCHOOL

FEBRUARY 2015

Smarter Balanced Testing: May 4 - 22

Common Core State Standards have replaced the California Content Standards measured by STAR testing.
The new state assessment under Common Core is called the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium.
Scholars in grades 3-8 will take the Smarter Balanced Assessment in May 2015. It is an online test that replaces the paper and pencil STAR test. Our scholars took the Smarter Balanced Field Test in spring 2014 along
with students from 21 states.

Smarter Balanced officials say,

the bar has been raised.
We want you to be aware that testing officials are estimating a decline in student proficiency rates under the
Smarter Balanced Assessment based on national results on the field test. Here is what people are saying . . .

November 17, 2014

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium test

has four achievement categories. Students must score
at Level 3 or higher to be considered proficient in the
skills and knowledge for their grades. According to
cut scores approved Friday night by the 22- state
consortium, 41 percent of 11th graders will show
proficiency in English/language arts, and 33 percent
will do so in math. In elementary and middle school,
38 percent to 44 percent will meet the proficiency
mark in English/language arts, and 32 percent to 39
percent will do so in math.
Statements by Smarter Balanced officials previewed
the kinds of arguments state officials will likely have
to make, Because the new content standards
set higher expectations for students and the
new tests are designed to assess student
performance against these higher expectations, the bar has been raised, Joe Willhoft,
the groups executive director, said in statement on Monday. Its not surprising that fewer students could score at Level 3 or higher.
However, over time, the performance of students will improve.

FORTUNE SCHOOL COMMON CORE PARENT NEWSLETTER

What is Fortune School

Doing to Prepare
Your Scholars?
Blending technology into student learning
using Chromebooks to access digital
curriculum and students work face to
face with their teachers
***
Providing teachers weekly grade-level
collaboration time to plan lessons,
strategies and assessments aligned to
the Common Core State Standards
***
Using our new student data system,
Illuminate to analyze student performance
to improve instruction and make student
grades available to parents in real time
***
Individualizing instruction in tutoring
and small groups through our daily
Response to Intervention (RTI) program
and during Intersessions

Questions?

PAGE 2

Resources for Parents

*

For frequently asked questions on Common

Core visit scoe.net/castandards/

Take a practice test for an idea of what your

child will see . . . www.smarterbalanced.org

Visit the California State PTA online to find out

what your child will be learning at each grade
level in math and English Language Arts with the
new Common Core Standards . . . capta.org

Check out the California Common Core

Standards Parent Handbook . . . ccsesa.org

Information for Students, Parents and

Guardians, including resources for special
education students at www.cde.ca.gov

The Council of the Great City Schools created

parent roadmaps in mathematics to provide
guidance to parents about what their children
will be learning and how they can support that
learning in grades K-8. These parent roadmaps
for each grade level also provide three-year
snapshots showing how selected standards
progress from year to year so that students will
be college and career ready upon their
graduation from high school. . .cgcs.org

The Council of the Great City Schools has

created a 3 minute video that sums up Common
Core . . . http:/youtu.be/5s0rRk9sER0

Corestandards.org offers a list myths vs. facts

that may be useful to parents

Fortune School
2890 Gateway Oaks Dr. #100
Sacramento, CA 95833

Phone - 916.924.8633
Fax - 916.924.8664
fortuneschool.us