Upcoming Events
Monday, 2/16
Tuesday, 2/17
Wednesday, 2/18 District Spelling Bee; Kinder & 1st gr Fieldtrip
Thursday, 2/19 SDMC Meeting; Community Meeting, Pershing Middle School, 6:00 p.m.
Friday 2/20
Monday, 2/23
Tuesday, 2/24
Wednesday, 2/25 Early Dismissal, 12:30 pm, Parent Conferences
Thursday, 2/26 3rd gr Production of 101 Dalmatians, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, 2/27 Go Texan Day
Saturday, 2/28 Roberts Auction (adult only, ticketed event)
Wednesday, March 4 Spring Picture Day
What's the Difference Between Stanford, IOWA and STAAR?
Parents often have questions about the major assessments their children will take each year. For many years the district has administered Stanford 10, a norm-referenced achievement test. This year, for the first time, we will administer IOWA to all elementary students as the replacement norm-reference test. Norm-reference tests are written to show spread in academic achievement, and helps school administration and parents see how children are performing as compared to students across the country. A percentile rank of 50 shows that a child is performing at an equal level to the average student across the U.S. Students performing above the 70th percentile are performing above average, and children performing below the 30th percentile are performing significantly lower than the average. In HISD, Kindergarten students are administered the IOWA in December, and 1st-5th graders will take this assessment in May.
STAAR is the acronym for the state exam administered to 3-5 graders at the elementary level to see if the child is meeting minimum standards of performance. This test is identified as a criterion reference assessment, meaning it only tests the objectives defined for each grade level to be taught to mastery. In other words, it doesn't have a spread of questions that tests above and below grade levels items. Third graders will take Reading and Math, 4th graders will take Reading, Writing and Math, and 5th graders will take Reading, Math and Science in April.
New Math Standards
For the first time, our students will be tested on the new Math standards, some of which were previously considered 6th and 7th grade math standards.
Under the new math standards, process is a focus, when traditional instruction focused more on product. Students are being held accountable for non-traditional algorithms, something most parents are not familiar with. If you find yourself scratching your head to help with homework, please feel very comfortable to stop and write a note to the teacher. Traditional algorithms are important, but students in Texas and in much of the country's public schools, are expected to know a variety of strategies for multiplication and division.
Monday, 2/16
Tuesday, 2/17
Wednesday, 2/18 District Spelling Bee; Kinder & 1st gr Fieldtrip
Thursday, 2/19 SDMC Meeting; Community Meeting, Pershing Middle School, 6:00 p.m.
Friday 2/20
Monday, 2/23
Tuesday, 2/24
Thursday, 2/26 3rd gr Production of 101 Dalmatians, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, 2/27 Go Texan Day
Saturday, 2/28 Roberts Auction (adult only, ticketed event)
Wednesday, March 4 Spring Picture Day
What's the Difference Between Stanford, IOWA and STAAR?
Parents often have questions about the major assessments their children will take each year. For many years the district has administered Stanford 10, a norm-referenced achievement test. This year, for the first time, we will administer IOWA to all elementary students as the replacement norm-reference test. Norm-reference tests are written to show spread in academic achievement, and helps school administration and parents see how children are performing as compared to students across the country. A percentile rank of 50 shows that a child is performing at an equal level to the average student across the U.S. Students performing above the 70th percentile are performing above average, and children performing below the 30th percentile are performing significantly lower than the average. In HISD, Kindergarten students are administered the IOWA in December, and 1st-5th graders will take this assessment in May.
STAAR is the acronym for the state exam administered to 3-5 graders at the elementary level to see if the child is meeting minimum standards of performance. This test is identified as a criterion reference assessment, meaning it only tests the objectives defined for each grade level to be taught to mastery. In other words, it doesn't have a spread of questions that tests above and below grade levels items. Third graders will take Reading and Math, 4th graders will take Reading, Writing and Math, and 5th graders will take Reading, Math and Science in April.
New Math Standards
For the first time, our students will be tested on the new Math standards, some of which were previously considered 6th and 7th grade math standards.
Under the new math standards, process is a focus, when traditional instruction focused more on product. Students are being held accountable for non-traditional algorithms, something most parents are not familiar with. If you find yourself scratching your head to help with homework, please feel very comfortable to stop and write a note to the teacher. Traditional algorithms are important, but students in Texas and in much of the country's public schools, are expected to know a variety of strategies for multiplication and division.
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