From the Florida Department of Education FCAT Explorer BRIEF OVERVIEW Florida Department of...

From the Florida Department of Education FCAT Explorer www.fcatexplorer.com

BRIEF OVERVIEW

Florida Department of Education’sFCAT Explorer


Interactive, benchmarks-based practice programs

Available at no cost to all Florida public schools

Accessible from any computer connected to the Internet

Students automatically enrolled

Includes Educator Resources and a Parent & Family Guide

FCAT Explorer


A student’s sign-in name and password provides access to all programs

Struggling students can experience success in easier programs and work their way up

Access to all programs


Practice Programs


Galactic Library: 3rd Grade Benchmarks

Reading Odyssey: 4th Grade Benchmarks

Reading Island: 6th Grade Benchmarks

Reading Boardwalk: 8th Grade Benchmarks

Reading Timeline: 10th Grade Benchmarks

Math Station: 5th Grade Benchmarks

Math Navigator: 8th Grade Benchmarks

Math Timeline: 10th Grade Benchmarks

MATH PROGRAMS READING PROGRAMS SCIENCE PROGRAMS

Science Station: 5th Grade Benchmarks

Science Voyager: 8th Grade Benchmarks

Science Mission: 11th Grade Benchmarks


Reading Boardwalk: 8th Grade Benchmarks

Reading, Math, and Science Practice

Developed with strict adherence to the Sunshine State Standards and DOE’s Test Item & Performance Task Specifications

Practice items provide explicit reinforcement of the FCAT-tested benchmarks


Designed with the help of teachers and testing specialists

Graphics explicitly illustrate science and math concepts or reading content

Reading and math practice is set in the context of other subject areas from the Sunshine State Standards

Math Navigator: 8th Grade Benchmarks

Reading, Math, and Science Practice


Science Practice

Reviewed by teachers for difficulty level, age-appropriate content, and student interest


Struggling students are directed to remedial lessons to explore more difficult science concepts.


FCAT Explorer Science Programs


Vocabulary exercises reinforce important science concepts

15 remedial lessons on annually assessed benchmarks

Annually assessed benchmarks include context dependent items

215 multiple-choice, short-, extended-, and open-response items



From the Florida Department of Education

www.fcatexplorer.com

Program Overview


FCAT-like practice on all FCAT-tested strands and benchmarks

Reinforces important science concepts

Available at no cost to all Florida public schools

Accessible from any computer connected to the Internet

Interactive practice program



Fidelity with the Official FCAT

Strict adherence to the Sunshine State Standards and DOE’s Test Item and Performance Task Specifications

Rigorous item development process

Items drafted by science teachers and professional item writers

Items reviewed by instructional designers, testing specialists, and professional editors

SR item in Strand G: Life and Environment



FCAT-like Practice

FCAT-like practice on all tested strands and benchmarks A: Nature of Matter B: Energy C: Force and Motion D: Processes that Shape the Earth E: Earth and Space F: Processes of Life G: How Living Things Interact with Their

Environment H: Scientific Thinking

MC item in Strand G: Life and Environmental

215 FCAT-like practice items 125 Multiple Choice (MC)

45 Context Dependent (CD)

24 Short Response (SR)

6 Extended Response (ER)

15 Open Response (OR)



FCAT-like Practice

Same style, format, scope and cognitive level as FCAT

Reviewed by teachers for interest and difficulty

Number of items per benchmark based on teacher recommendation

Difficulty of benchmark

Difficulty for struggling students

ER item in Strand H: Scientific Thinking



Instructional Support



1ST ATTEMPT

CORRECT

Learning Guidance

Congratulations!

Correct Answer Explanation (CAE)

Confirms the elements that make an answer correct

Reinforces effective skill application



1ST ATTEMPT INCORRECT

Learning Guidance

Includes hints to clarify the question without giving away the answer

Immediate second chance to apply the skill correctly

Click on Glossary Terms for definitions of more difficult science concepts.



2nd ATTEMPT

For CORRECT answer, CAE confirms and reinforces accurate skill application

For INCORRECT answer, the CAE:

Learning Guidance

Identifies correct answer

Explains why the answer the student chose was incorrect



Practice Items



FCAT-like Practice Items

Same formatting details as on the FCAT

Same notation conventions as on the FCAT

MULTIPLE CHOICE (MC)

MC in Strand G: Life and Environmental





CONTEXT DEPENDENT MULTIPLE CHOICE (CD)

Students read a short passage

Answer three multiple choice items based on passage content

Students can review passage at any time

CD in Strand G: Life and Environmental


Students are presented with two sample student responses and are asked to select the high scoring answer

Reinforces writing skills by comparing two sample answers.

SHORT-RESPONSE (SR)

SR in Strand E: Earth and Space




Student reads a response and assigns it a high or partial score.

Simulation strategies recommended by teachers

EXTENDED-RESPONSE (ER)



Based on classroom instructional practices

Requires student to compare or assess critical attributes

ER in Strand E: Earth and Space



OPEN-RESPONSE (OR)


Students compose original answers

Read high-score sample response

Read explanation of attributes that earn sample response a high score

Compare student’s original

composition to high-score sample response

OR in Strand A: Nature of Matter


Special Features




Linked (blue) words in first incorrect response

Click speaker icon to hear word pronounced

Definition

Spanish and Haitian Creole translations

GLOSSARY

Special Learning Features


READ/INQUIRE/EXPLAIN (RIE) ICON

Available on SR, ER, and OR items

Students click on the RIE icon to view rubric

Rubric helps students to identify elements included in high scoring answers





Links directly to items answered incorrectly

Helps students focus on skill improvement

Displays corresponding strand

CHALLENGE LIST




Animated Vocabulary Games


Play one of four vocabulary games upon completing a group of benchmarks

Includes repetition of question for incorrect responses


Educators’ Tools



Educators’ Tools

Classroom Teacher’s Desk

District Administrator’s Desk

School Administrator’s Desk

Curriculum resourcesTable of Strands and

Benchmarks

Item Review

Letter to Parents

Information management tools

Sign-in names and passwords

Progress Reports

Messages to students



Check progress on individuals or classes

View science data by Benchmark or Strand

Compare percentage correct before and after instructional support

Student Performance ReportsAT THE CLASSROOM TEACHER’S DESK



The Parent & Family Guide

Accessible from the home page without a password

Available in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole

Helps parents, guardians, and mentors understand the Sunshine State Standards and the FCAT



Linked from the home page

Download this PowerPoint presentation

Download the School Administrator’s Desk Manual

Download the Teacher’s Desk Manual

Program-specific presentations

Download other presentations

Visit the Educator Resources Page



Toll-Free Help Desk

Accessible from the home page without a password

1-888-750-FCAT

1-888-750-3228

Weekdays from

7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.



To get sign-in names and passwords

School Principals:

Contact your District

Office and speak to the

FCAT Explorer District

Administrator

Teachers:

Contact your FCAT

Explorer School

Administrator

FCAT Explorer Home Page (www.fcatexplorer.com)



Log on to FCAT Explorer!

www.fcatexplorer.com


Date post:	24-Dec-2015
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From the Florida Department of Education FCAT Explorer BRIEF OVERVIEW Florida Department of...

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