Why test?

The Student:
 
• To identify starting points for monitoring year-to-year academic development
• To help develop a personalized learning plan
• To determine how best to adapt materials and instructional practices to address each student’s needs
• To identify academic strengths and weaknesses in order to guide the learning process toward achievement of curriculum goals, including possible early intervention strategies
• To track on-going skill development in incremental measures
 
The School Community:
 
• To obtain information on which to base instructional decisions
• To determine instructional gaps that need to be addressed
• To offer content and teaching strategies that will ensure student mastery of the school’s academic standards
• To use results as one of many sources of data collection by which to gauge   school effectiveness
• To promote student learning
 
What parents can do at home to prepare students for test taking:
 
1.  Talk to your child’s teacher often about your child’s progress;
2.   Make sure your child does his/her homework;
3.   Have a variety of age appropriate books and magazines at 
       home;
4.   Don’t be overly anxious about test scores, but use them as a
       point of reference;
5.   Make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep and is well-
       rested before test day;
6.   Make sure that your child eats a well balanced diet. Hunger can
       detract from a good  test performance;
7.   Encourage your child to prepare for tests by studying in a quiet 
       area, free from  distractions;
8.   Encourage your child to study over a period of time rather than
     “cram” the night    before;
9.   Encourage your child to ask questions about topics s/he
        doesn’t understand;
10.  If your child is nervous at test time, ask the teacher for tips on
         helping your child to relax;
11.  Make sure that your child is in school during the testing
        sessions. Do not plan any doctor or dental appointments on
        test dates;
12.  Encourage your child to listen carefully to all test-taking
      directions given by the teacher and to ask questions about any directions that are unclear;
13.  Make sure that you are aware of your child’s performance and that you can interpret the results when they become available
  

Special Note to Parents About Stress and Challenging Times:
 
Test times can be stressful times, even when students are well-prepared and parents have provided the best of support, as outlined above.  There’s something about the departure from “normal” classroom activities that makes even the calmest student a little anxious.  As we all know, there are many challenges in our world at large, as well.  Ongoing economic worries may be reason for sustained anxiety in some families, while personal connections to or extensive news about catastrophic events, such as the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan, may impact others. Even in the best of times, families can experience periods of stress for any number of reasons.  During stressful times, it is important to think about the impact that parents’ anxiety has on children.  Some of the very techniques for helping students be well prepared for tests may be just the ticket for the whole family at these times, too! Creating that sense of normalcy and stability is more important than ever. Eating a healthy meal together at home and making sure you and your child get enough sleep are just two of the ways to maintain a healthy mind, body, and perspective. Why not check out books from the library and read together or sit and talk about your day instead of engaging in a pricey evening activity?  These activities help children find answers to questions that may worry them, so they feel both safe and empowered, and they contribute to a sense of stability at home, without tapping into the wallet. They also help boost academic achievement! Be sure to communicate with the school if you are experiencing challenges that may affect your student, as well.  This communication can help us provide appropriate support for students at school and help you make connections to needed services.  Remember that together, we can provide the stable and positive environment your child needs during test time and all the time!
 
The two websites below may be helpful to you whenever your family works through challenging times. The first site provides suggestions for families who are experiencing the effects of an economic crisis, but the ideas offered may be helpful during any time of heightened family stress.

www.nasponline.org/families/unsettlingtimes.pdf 
The next site provides excellent information on talking with your children and helping them cope during events such as global disasters.

www.nasponline.org/resources/crisis_safety/globaldisasters.pdf
 
Dawn D. Eidelman, Ph.D.
Chief Education Officer
Mosaica Education, Inc.

FORT COLLINS, CO (May 18, 2010) – On May 18, 2010, Google officials visited T.R. Paul Academy, a public charter school in Fort Collins for a special presentation. Tessa Marquardt-Burrell, an 8th grader at the academy was selected as one of the 40 regional winners in the “Doodle 4 Google” national art competition.

The Google art contest is an annual contest that requires students to illustrate a unique art design depicting the word “Google”. The winning submission is featured on the home page of the world’s largest search engine for one day. The winner also receives a $15,000 college scholarship, a $25,000 school technology grant, a laptop computer, a Wacom digital design tablet, and a t-shirt printed with his/her artwork on it.

The contest is extremely competitive; more than 33,000 entries from students in grades K-12 were received. This years’ Google theme was, “If I could do anything I would…” Tessa’s submission called, “Ant Inspiration”, shows ants working around a variety of fruits and vegetables. The text accompanying the artwork reads, “Fruits and vegetables are vital to healthy maintenance of the human body. Storage and costs prevent distribution to underprivileged people. I would invent a system to gather and store healthy food for all the world’s population inspired by the way ants care for their colonies.”

This is an extremely exciting time for Tessa and the school community at T.R. Paul Academy. On May 26^th, Tessa and her family will be flown to New York City for the national awards ceremony at the Google New York center where the winner will be announced. All regional finalists will have their artwork displayed in a public exhibit at the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum for six weeks after the announcement event.

“We are very proud of Tessa and also want to recognize the outstanding instruction provided by art teacher, Dianne Rees. Ms. Rees continues to develop the talent of young students and as a result T.R. Paul Academy has won numerous local, state and national awards since its founding just four years ago”, said Terry Gogerty, Executive Vice-President of Mosaica Education.

About T.R. Paul Academy:

The Academy (www.tpaak.org) is a tuition-free public school of choice with an arts-enriched curriculum using the Mosaica Education model.

As we approach National Charter School Week, there is much to be excited about. In our country, more than 1.6 million students attend charter schools and the numbers are growing. With strong bipartisan support in Congress, we are well on our way to achieving a more favorable political environment to support charter school growth and success.

Join us as we celebrate the great work and accomplishments of our students, parents, teachers and administrators. Improving the nation’s public education system is not an easy task, but together we can make great strides.  Help us keep the momentum going by getting involved in your community.  Here are some ways you can support charter schools in your community.

• Make a tax-deductible donation to a school in our network— Every dollar counts (Click here to find a school in your community)
• Plan a charter school tour with local political and business leaders. (Click here to find a school in your community)
• Host a lecture by a prominent speaker on a key educational issue.
• Talk to your friends, families and social networks about the benefits of public charter schools
• Become a Fan of Mosaica Education, Inc. on Facebook (Click here)
• Send postcards and emails  to key constituents in your community announcing National Charter Schools Week 2010

Gene Eidelman

President

Mosaica Education, Inc.