Third Grade Parent Night

On Wednesday, September 17, parents and grandparents of Horizon Science Academy Dayton Elementary third graders gathered in room 177 to get the low down on the Third Grade Reading Guarantee and the changes in Ohio State Standardized testing that third graders are facing this school year.

Parents and students were welcomed by Principal Jaime Lierly and treated to Papa John's pizza, beverages, and cookies.

 We began by distributing a copy of each student's fall NWEA assessment results along with a summary of their growth since becoming a student at HSA.  Since the NWEA conducts Linking Studies, we are able to predict how likely a student is to pass the Ohio Achievement Assessment when their RIT score falls within a certain area.  Parents were given an easy to understand summary of this (see below).

As you can see, when using the 2013-2014 Third Grade Reading Guarantee cut score, students only had a 27% chance of scoring proficient (passing) or better on the OAA.  Even with a proficient NWEA assessment result in the Spring term, third graders have approximately a 50% chance of passing the OAA.    Ultimately, what we need to be aiming for is academic excellence.  To truly be assured success in life, we must aim higher.

We reviewed the graphic from the "Third Grade Reading Challenge" blog post:

When we look at that graphic and compare it to the NWEA and OAA classification (limited, basic, proficient, advanced, accelerated) or to the percentile achievement of the student, the evidence is clear.  Indeed, the students who spend 20 minutes or more a day reading at home are performing at the top.

If you want your child to be a better reader, worksheets, computer learning games or app learning games are nice extras, but NOTHING gives your child the practice doing reading like reading.

I tell my students in class that if they are on a basket ball team, their coach does not demonstrate dribbling or free throws to them and expect them to be able to do it on the court on game day without experiencing it themselves.  Therefore, in class, I expect them to be able to read and spell for themselves and work through the struggle.  It is in the struggle that we learn.

A basketball coach does not tell his team to go home and play xBox or Play Station to practice their dribbling skills and free throws. NO!  He asks them to go outside and practice it with a ball in their hands.  He asks them to struggle through their mistakes.

A coach does not take a team into a game without having them practice the skills several weeks before hand.  Similarly, a teacher asks her students to practice the act of reading and struggling through the difficult parts before hand.

Students MUST PRACTICE READING!

At the end of this Parent Meeting, parents were given a released OAA reading test that the students and Ms. Amstutz worked together in class.  All written responses should be in exemplar form.  Parents were also given a 1/2 length copy of an OAA reading practice test.  Students are asked to practice reading the passages and answering the questions over the next two weeks using the decoding strategies and text evidence procedures we have practiced in class.

Any parents who have any questions or concerns may contact me via e-mail or phone at the school office anytime.