Schools of Promise...

• Institute for Educational Research and Service
• National Native Children's Trauma Center
• Montana Safe Schools Center

State - OPI...

• Integrated School Mental Health Initiative Altacare
• Suicide prevention top federal, state and tribal priority- Billings Gazette 2-20-2011
• Reasons for suicide amplified for Native Americans- Billings Gazette 2-20-2011
• Teens find ways to support each other and prevent other students' thoughts of suicide

National...

• The Whole Child

Resources...

Parent – Teacher Conferences- Most schools are having Parent-Teacher Conference days soon as a way to build communication between families and schools. They provide time for families to get to know the teachers in their student's lives. It can be a nervous time for families, students and teachers-but conferences and communication can strengthen a student's success in school. Teachers want to do their very best for your student, and you are the advocate for your student too. Use the SIGNATURE tips to make the most of the parent-teacher conferences.  While schools designate specific days to have a conference, most teachers are very willing to continue conversations to improve a student's achievement.  Don't hesitate to arrange for other times, or ways to communicate (like notes, letters, phone calls or additional meetings).

Parent and Family Tips:

• Speak: talk with your child about their classes before the conferences
• Initiate: bring up the tough topics or concerns you or your child might have
• Gratitude: thank your child’s teachers for the commitment they’ve made
• Notes: write down each teacher’s specific comments or recommendations
• Attend: make every effort to meet personally with your child’s teachers
• Team: work with your child’s teachers to determine goals and expectations
• Understand: teacher feedback is critical to your child’s academic success
• Realize: as a parent you are the most important teacher in your child’s life
• Engage: help your child implement their teachers’ recommendations

Homework Helper Guide

• Clear and direct explanations for math practice and homework help
• Activities and help for McDougal Littell Literature Grade 9
• Activities and help for McDougal Littell Literature Grade 10
• Activities and help for McDougal Littell Literature Grade 11
• Activities and help for McDougal Littell Literature Grade 12

Visit the Individual Schools of Promise Websites

• Frazer
• Pryor
• Lame Deer

Websites and Articles

• Partnerships Promoting American Indian Parent Involvement
• Report on Examining American Indian perspectives in the Central Region on parent involvement in children’s education
• Critical Issue: Supporting Ways Parents and Families Can Become Involved in Schools

Reading Fluency

Reading fluency is the ability to read accurately and quickly. It helps to build the connection of decoding words and understanding what has been read. Young children may “sight read” groups of words. Usually sets of the most common words are listed, in no particular order to meaning, so children can memorize them from the start. This strategy can also be used with older students in textbooks. Longer or unfamiliar words such as “chlorophyll” or “anemometer” can be practiced and understood before it is placed and read in a larger paragraph to develop a deeper meaning.

Parent and Family Tips

• Reading Fluency
  • Parents assist with fluency by reading aloud to children. Once children are reading at first to second grade level, exercises with timed reading also help children improve their reading speed. As children go into higher grades encourage reading through showing interest in what they read, allowing various types of reading (comic books, newspapers, magazines, and chapter books). Allowing older children to listen to audio books also aids in higher reading understanding. Don’t be surprised that your child still enjoys listening to you read to them as they get older. Share reading time by playing Reading Pass Off. The parent will read a paragraph (or page depending on the willingness of the child) then switch to the child reading aloud for a paragraph. Keep switching back and forth. You, as a parent, are showing value in reading and showing how to read and practice reading aloud. The child enjoys the time with you and has a chance to practice reading in a safe and loving environment.
    • Here are some extra links for more ideas how to help your child in Reading Fluency
      • Reading Rockets- Teaching Kids to Read and helping those who struggle
      • Reading Fluency for Children- How Can Children Improve Their Reading Fluency?
      • Live Strong’s Parent Tips for Increasing Reading Fluency
      • Reading Fluency tips and activities to improve

What Should Parents Know About Standardized Testing in Schools?

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One tool that schools use to learn about students is the standardized test. This page explains basic features of these tests and suggests questions you might ask your child's teacher about testing. Understanding the role of testing will help you to enable your child to succeed in school and to develop a better relationship between your family and your child's school.

What Are Standardized Tests?

Usually created by commercial test publishers, standardized tests are designed to give a common measure of students' performance. Because large numbers of students throughout the country take the same test, they give educators a common yardstick or ``standard'' of measure. Educators use these standardized tests to tell how well school programs are succeeding or to give themselves a picture of the skills and abilities of today's students.

Why Do Schools Use Standardized Tests?

Standardized tests can help teachers and administrators make decisions regarding the instructional program. They help schools measure how students in a given class, school, or school system perform in relation to other students who take the same test. Using the results from these tests, teachers and administrators can evaluate the school system, a school program, or a particular student.

How Do Schools Use Standardized Tests?

Different types of standardized tests have different purposes. Standardized achievement tests measure how much students have already learned about a school subject. The results from these tests can help teachers develop programs that suit students' achievement levels in each subject area, such as reading, math, language skills, spelling, or science.

Educators most commonly use achievement tests to:

• Evaluate school programs;
• Report on students' progress;
• Diagnose students' strengths and weaknesses;
• Select students for special programs;
• Place students in special groups; and
• Certify student achievement (for example, award high school diplomas or promote students from grade to grade).

Can Standardized Tests Alone Determine My Child's Placement in the Classroom?

No. Paper-and-pencil tests give teachers only part of the picture of your child's strengths and weaknesses. Teachers combine the results of many methods to gain insights into the skills, abilities, and knowledge of your child. These methods include:

• Observing students in the classroom;
• Evaluating their day-to-day class work;
• Grading their homework assignments;
• Meeting with their parents; and
• Keeping close track of how students change or grow throughout the year.

Standardized tests have limitations. These tests are not perfect measures of what individual students can or cannot do or of everything students learn. Also, your child's scores on a particular test may vary from day to day, depending on whether your child guesses, receives clear directions, follows the directions carefully, takes the test seriously, and is comfortable in taking the test.

How Can I Help My Child Do Well On Tests?

Here are a few suggestions for parents who want to help their children do well on tests.

• First and most important, talk to your child's teacher often to monitor your child's progress and find out what activities you can do at home to help your child.
• Make sure your child does his or her homework.
• Make sure your child is well-rested and eats a well- rounded diet.
• Have a variety of books and magazines at home to encourage your child's curiosity.
• Don't be overly anxious about test scores, but encourage your child to take tests seriously.
• Don't judge your child on the basis of a simple test score.

What Should I Ask My Child's Teacher?

Before the test . . .

• Which tests will be administered during the school year and for what purposes?
• How will the teacher or the school use the results of the test?
• What other means of evaluation will the teacher or the school use to measure your child's
  performance?
• Should your child practice taking tests?
  After the test . . .
• How do students in your child's school compare with students in other school systems in your
  state and across the country?
• What do the test results mean about your child's skills and abilities?
• Are the test results consistent with your child's performance in the classroom?
• Are any changes anticipated in your child's educational program?
• What can you do at home to help your child strengthen particular skills? What Are My Legal

Rights?

Several precedents and laws define legal rights related to taking tests in school:

• Under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, also known as the Buckley
• Amendment, you have a right to examine your child's academic records. If these records contain test scores, you have a right to see those scores as well.
• Your child has a right to due process. For example, your child must get adequate notice when a test is required for high school graduation and adequate time to prepare for the test.
• Your child has a right to fair and equitable treatment. Schools cannot, for example, have different test score requirements based on gender or race.

This publication was prepared by ACCESS ERIC in association with the ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation, with funding from the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, under Contract No. RR92024001. The opinions expressed in this brochure do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of the U.S. Department of Education. The brochure is in the public domain. Authorization to reproduce it in whole or in part is granted.