Title: Understanding and Preparing for the CRCT Strategies and Tips to Improve Student Performance
1Understanding and Preparing for the
CRCTStrategies and Tips toImprove
StudentPerformance
2Tonights Presenters
- Kelli Jones, School Psychologist
- Kendra Berry, Advanced Learning Programs
- Lucille Carlisle, Professional School Counselor
- Dana Gillian, Professional School Counselor
- Cindy Dorsey, Professional School Counselor
- Maria Chu, ESOL Teacher and Interpreter
3What is the CRCT?
- The CRCT Test
- The Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT)
is administered to students in the Georgia school
system. Read this article to learn about the
specifics of this state-wide assessment test. - Georgia's Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests
are used to determine how students are learning
and performing in the Georgia school environment.
Georgia law requires all first to eighth grade
students to take the CRCT in the subjects of
reading, language arts, and mathematics. Third to
eighth graders also test in science and social
studies.
4What Makes the CRCT Different from Other
Norm-Referenced Tests?
- The CRCT is different from norm-referenced tests
(NRTs). The CRCT is designed to see how well a
student acquires, learns, and uses the specific
skills and goals outlined in an instructional
unit or year-long curriculum. The Georgia CRCT is
designed specifically to test the state's
educational content standards. NRTs are designed
for use throughout the entire nation and test to
national standards. They compare students along
an achievement spectrum. With the results of
these tests, parents and teachers are able to see
how individual students compare with other
students in their class, school district, state
and nation. These tests help educators and
administration determine the effectiveness of
their school's education.
5 CRCT Content WeightsReading2008-2009
- Third Grade Reading
- Literacy Comprehension
60 - Reading for Information
20 - Reading Skills and Vocabulary Acquisition 20
- Fifth Grade Reading
- Literacy Comprehension
40 - Reading for Information
40 - Reading Skills and Vocabulary Acquisition 20
6CRCT Content WeightsMath2008-2009
- Third Grade
- Numbers and Operations 50
- Measurement 18
- Geometry 12
- Algebra
10 - Data Analysis 10
- Fifth Grade
- Numbers and Operations 50
- Measurement 18
- Geometry 12
- Algebra
10 - Data Analysis 10
-
7Scale Score and Performance Levels
- The scale score reported for each content area is
derived by converting the number of correct
responses on the test (the raw score) to the CRCT
scale. Since the scale scores are equivalent
across test forms within the same content area
and grade, students obtaining the same score have
demonstrated the same level of performance with
respect to the GPS.
8- Scores at or above 850 indicate a level of
performance that Exceeds the Standard set for the
test. - Scores from 800849 indicate a level of
performance that Meets the Standard set for the
test. - Scores below 800 indicate a level of performance
that Does Not Meet the Standard set for the test
9Testing MechanicsHow Can I Help My Child Be
More Prepared For a Test
10Pop Quiz
- Which of the following is true about
multiple-choice tests - a. Everybody takes themb. They're not always
func. You can improve your test-taking skillsd.
All of the above Pencils down!
11-
- The correct choice is answer d. While
multiple-choice tests are among the most popular
testing forms, they're also among the easiest at
which to improve using provided strategy.
12The Process of Elimination
- Go through each answer to a question and
eliminate as many of the answer choices as
possible. By eliminating two answer choices, you
can vastly improve your chances of getting the
item correct. It is recommended that you attempt
to answer each question, since your score is
calculated based on how many questions you get
right, and unanswered or incorrectly answered
questions receive no credit.
13Example
- How old was Martin Luther King
- when he died?
- A. 85 years old (too old)
- B. 39 years old
- C. 57 years old
- D. 13 years old (a young boy)
14Another Example
- Use Number Sense or Estimation to rule out wrong
choices. - Students at Bullard Elementary collected
labels from cans. The third grade class collected
247 labels, and the fourth grade collected 236
labels. How many labels did they collect in all? - A. 13
- B. 411
- C. 483
- D. 583
15- We can rule out the answer choice 13 because we
are adding and 13 is less than either of the
addends. - We can also estimate to rule out other answer
choices. - Round 247 to the nearest 10, 250
- Round 236 to the nearest 10, 240
- Then add, 490
- 411 is to low
- 583 is to high
16The Process of Elimination is Valuable
- If you eliminate one choice you have a 25 chance
of having the correct answer - Eliminate two a 33 chance
- Eliminate three 50
17Read and Re-ReadTeach your child to read
the test question or statement carefully at least
twice. Be sure they are reading all of the
answer choices, not jumping to conclusions before
they have read all the choices.
18A Steady Pace Wins the Race
- Keep a steady pace and do not let more difficult
questions affect your attitude and steal your
valuable time. Students often cloud their minds
by lingering over difficult questions. Moving on
and finding success with other questions is a
better method. When you finish, go back to those
left blank.
19Supporting Ideas or Details
- Supporting Ideas or Details These test questions
are about the little details in a story. For
example What color was Timothys skateboard in
the story? Go back to the story and find the
answer. These questions force you to figure out
something in the passage. There will be clues in
the passage. The question may have the phrase
most likely in it.
20Read to UnderstandNot to Remember
- On the CRCT Reading, the passages are fiction or
nonfiction and the answers are multiple choice.
There are four types of reading questions Main
Idea, Word Meaning, Supporting Details and
Inferences. - Read to understand not to remember. Think of
this test as an open book test. Look back in the
passage for detail questions. - Don't look for the answer in the passage if the
question is inference-based. A careful reader
needs to make educated guesses based on facts the
author provides.
21Main Idea or SummarizationQuestions
- These questions are usually written
somethinglike, What is this story mostly
about? orWhats the main idea? or Which
sentence best tells about this story? - The answer is not stated exactly in the story,
sothis is a think about it type
22Word Meanings
- Some test questions will focus on the meaning
of a - word. The words chosen for these items are
supposed to - be new words, so it shouldnt bother you if
youve never - heard of the word.
- Look back in the passage and find the word in
the sentence. The words in that sentence (or the
sentence before or after) should give clues about
the word meaning. Try replacing the word with one
of the choices from the test.
23Word Meaning Example
- In the story, Alexander enjoyed staying at
expensive hotels and eating at the best
restaurants. His friends thought that he led an
extravagant life. - Extravagant means
- A. cheap
- B. hard
- C. spending carelessly
- D. sad
24Inferences
- Inference is a conclusion reached through
reasoning. Inference is used to reach conclusions
when information is implied but not stated as a
certainty. You make inferences about story
elements based in details in a story.
25Example of Inference Question
- When the Smith children got home from summer
camp, they noticed that the TV and VCR were not
in the family room. What most likely happened
while they were away? - A. Grandmother came for a visit.
- B. The dog ate them.
- C. There was a flood.
- D. Their parents moved them to another room.
26Understand What's Being Asked
- One of the biggest challenges with multiple
choices is to not misinterpret what's being
asked some choices will be related to the
subject but won't answer the question. For
instance, - Why do some birds fly south for the winter?1.
Because they have feathers2. Because they
migrate to warmer climates3. Because they eat
birdseed4. Because they fly in patterns - All of the choices are true about birds, but only
one choice answer b answers the question
asked.
27Vocabulary
- Prefixes
- If youre having trouble with a word in the
question or answer choices, try - dissecting it. Take advantage of every clue that
the word might include. Prefixes - and suffixes can be a huge help. Usually they
allow you to determine a basic - meaning. Pre- means before, post- means after,
pro - is positive, de- is negative. - From these prefixes and suffixes, you can get an
idea of the general meaning of the - word and try to put it into context. Beware
though of any traps. Just because con is - the opposite of pro, doesnt necessarily mean
congress is the opposite of progress!
28CRCT Common Vocabulary Terms
- Test development sometimes results in terms being
used on a test that may be unique to the test.
Listed below are terms that may be used in
Georgias Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests.
In many instances, these terms may represent
concepts included in Georgias Performance
Standards. This is only a sample list and is not
meant to be comprehensive.
29Know The Vocabulary
- CRCT Common Vocabulary Terms
- CRCT Key Terms- Reading and English Language Arts
- Grades 1-3
- Action word (verbs)
- Best order (sequence)
- Combine sentences (conjunctions)
- Complete sentence
- Compound predicate
- Compound subject
- Describing words (adjectives)
- Ending sounds (rhyming words)
- Imperative sentences
- Modifier (adjective)
- Mostly about (main idea)
- Naming word (noun)
30- Opinion
- Opposite (antonym)
- Passage (story)
- Root word (base word)
- Simple predicate
- Simple subject
- Sounds like (homophones)
- Transition
- Types of sentence (telling, asking, command,
excitement, supporting) - Word parts (syllables)
31Grades 4-5 (Reading and English Language Arts)
- Conjunctions
- Context clues
- Draw conclusion
- Fragment
- Impose
- Inference
- Irrelevant
- Main idea
- Mainly
- Means opposite of
- Means the same as
- Modifier
32Math Grades 1-3
- Angles
- Area
- Best unit
- Difference
- Digit
- Equal to
- Equivalent
- Estimate
- Even and odd numbers
- Factor
- Fraction
- Greater than
- Less than
- Lines of symmetry
- Measurement (width, height, length)
- Model
- Money value
- Number is closest (nearest to)
- Number line
33- Number sentence
- Number sentence is same as
- Older (more)
- Operations (addition, subtraction,
multiplication, division) - Ordinal number
- Pie
- Same as
- Solve
- Value equals
- View as
- Whole number
- Younger (less)
- Acknowledgement Many of the words in this list
are borrowed from the work of selected - Gwinnett County Public School educators.
34Grades 4-5 Math
- Algebraic
- Balanced
- Common denominator
- Computation
- Coordinates on a grid
- Digit
- Doubling
- Estimate
- Expanded notation
- Geometric figures
- In all (total)
- Least likely/most likely
- Model
- Number sentence
- Patterns
- Perimeter
35- Place value
- Prime number
- Probability
- Problem solving strategy
- Product
- Properties
- Remainder
- Rename
- Rounded to
- Simplest forms
- Sum
- Symbol for does not equal
36Wonderful Websites
- www.cobbk12.org/bullard/
- www.doe.k12.ga.us