Parent Edition
Volume 1, Issue 2
April 2, 2013
South Plaquemines High School
Storm Surge State Assessments to Be Aligned with CCSS Celebrating Student Success Congratulations to the 10th graders, who currently have the highest percentage of students meeting their AR goals. Dajuan Riley and Jonquel St. Ann met Ms. Gillies’ challenge of reading 15,000 words. Congratulations to Ai Nhi Nguyen, one of two students from Louisiana selected to attend National Youth Science Camp. The camp, located in West Virginia, is a month-long educational program for young scientists.
Dates to Note Report Cards
April 5
State testing
April 8-12
Senior interim reports
April 12
In the last edition of the Storm Surge, we explored the transition our school district is making to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The standards, which build upon the most rigorous U.S. state standards in existence, are designed to ensure all students are prepared to be successful in college and careers. Because our new academic standards are more rigorous than our previous standards, our state assessments must evolve as well. To provide a measure of the new expectations we have for students, Louisiana will adopt assessments that are aligned to CCSS. We will administer the new assessments in the 2014-2015 school year for the first time. All four core subject areas—English, math, science, and social studies—will have new assessments developed.
April 23
Technology Night
April 25
Wacky Olympics
April 26
Although the new assessments will not be administered until the 20142015 school year, field test items for all four subjects will be included as part of this year’s tests. The fieldtested items will not be counted in student scores this year, but they will be counted next year. New writing prompts will be included in the English tests for this school year. In our next newsletter, we will take a deeper look at how the state assessments will be changing and what our teachers are doing to prepare our students.
For more information about Common Core-aligned state assessments, please visit www.louisianabelieves.com/ assessment.
After-School Tutoring to Prep for State Testing
Pathway Night April 17 Interims 7-11
English and math tests will be created by Louisiana and a group of other states called the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC). Science and social studies tests will be designed for Louisiana specifically.
Ms. McCarta and her students sharpen their algebra skills by finding the rate and unit rate.
Beginning in February, SPHS teachers have been holding after -school tutoring sessions designed to help students prepare for state testing.
Please encourage your child to take advantage of the opportunities available for him or her to receive tutoring in a small group setting.
Teachers of English, math, and science are working with students after school four days a week to ensure students feel prepared and confident when taking the iLEAP, LEAP, and End of Course assessments. Students may also attend ACT tutoring for reading and science.
Although testing for junior high students is next week, high school students will not test until early May when they take End of Course assessments There is still ample time for students in EOC-tested subjects to attend tutoring sessions. Please see the back of this newsletter for a tutoring schedule.
