|
Frequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions of students and parents. - How was my child placed in his/her current math class?
- How is my child's AR level determined?
How was my child placed in his/her current math class? Each year the third grade teachers meet to look at our students'
needs and abilities. Our goal is not to create classes that have
each student at virtually the same level. Not only is that
impractical, but we believe that having a range of abilities is
ultimately best for all children.
The data we analyze for placement are last Spring's MAPS scores,
each child's performance on the End of the Year Math test (given
the first week of school) and teacher input.
We want you to know that these groups are flexible, so if your
child is expressing boredom or frustration, we would like to know
that. Each year we adjust our classes as necessary.
If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to email
me.
How is my child's AR level determined? Twice a year I have the children take the STAR test. This is a
computerized test that asks children to read a variety of
passages and supply the missing word using multiple choice.
Based on how well they do, the computer assigns a range of books
that the child should be able to successfully read. This range
comes home as the student's AR level. I use the STAR test as one
gauge of a child's reading ability. Depending on the child, I
help them select books at the bottom, middle or top of their AR
range. However, children are not discouraged from occasionally
reading easier books for enjoyment or selecting books that
interest them (regardless of level). During DEAR time I monitor
the types of books that the children are selecting to ensure that
they are selecting appropriate books.
| |
