School officials will be administering students' state required ISAT assessment during the week of March 2 - March 12, 2010.
Students in grades three, four, five, six, seven and eight will be tested in reading, and mathematics. In addition, students in grades four and seven will also be tested in science and students in grades three, five, six and eight in writing. The tests are part of the Illinois Standards Achievement Test and are being given to all eligible students at this time. We will review these results along with information from our local assessments to help us improve our school program.
Parents can help their child do his/her best on the test by:
1) Making sure, if possible, that your child attends school on the days of testing;
2) Making sure your child gets a good night’s sleep the night before testing;
3) Providing breakfast on the mornings of testing;
4) Reminding your child to ask the teacher questions if he/she does not understand the test directions;
5) Letting your child know that you have confidence in his/her ability to do his/her best;
6) Advising your child not to worry about the test-just to do the best he/she can.
Please call your child’s teacher if you want additional information or have further questions about these tests.
We look forward to sharing the Illinois Standards Achievement Test results with you in the Fall of 2010.
Sincerely,
Lynette Zimmer, Ed.D.
Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services
Fremont School District 79 is introducing a computer-based, online writing improvement program call My Access!™ from Vantage Learning (www.myaccess.com) for our fourth through eighth graders.
My Access!™ automates the writing process using cutting-edge technology, which will provide students more opportunities to practice the writing skills being taught by our teachers. Research clearly shows the more students write, the better writers they become.
My Access!™ is specifically designed to help students in grade 4 through 12 improve their writing skills by giving them instant assistance, helpful hints, and immediate feedback as they write an essay. There are a variety of tools available to the students to aid them in the writing process, including graphic organizers, grammar and spell checkers with mini-lessons, essay checklists, scoring rubrics, a special “Writer’s Guide” with interactive activities, printable worksheets, and many more tools all at their fingertips.
Students will be able to write and submit their essays, and within seconds, they will have immediate feedback. Then, students are challenged to improve their writing skills by reviewing feedback, making thoughtful revisions, and resubmitting for a higher score. It is important for parents to note that while My Access!™ promotes good writing, it is not a grading program. Teachers will continue to use the grading system that is appropriate for their students.
We encourage you to preview My Access!™ by following the instructions below:
1. Enter the url: http://www.myaccess.com.
2. Locate the Quick Check link located under the log-in box. This will run a diagnostic check on your system to ensure it meets the minimum requirements for using the program. Additional assistance is available by contacting support@myaccess.com.
3. Enter your child’s username and password.
4. Once you are in, click on Assignments. Look to the top right. There is a link that will take you on a guided tour of My Access!™.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions, and thanks so much for your support!
Sincerely,
Dr. Lynette Zimmer
Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services