The document provides information about an FCAT Family Night event including objectives, details about what the FCAT 2.0 is, who takes it, when it is administered, and how the reading, math, science, and writing portions are designed. Key points covered include what standards are assessed, test format and timing, passage and question types, cut scores for achievement levels, and resources for practice.

1. FCAT Family Night
2012-2013

2. Objectives:
• What is FCAT 2.0?
• Who takes the test?
• When is the test?
• How is the test designed?
• Helpful Resources

3. What is FCAT 2.0?
• The FCAT 2.0 is a test that measures student
achievement of the Next Generation Sunshine State
Standards (NGSSS) in reading, mathematics, and
science.
• More information about NGSSS go to
www.floridastandards.org
• Benchmark Example:
Benchmark: MA.3.A.6.1
Represent, compute, estimate, and solve problems using
numbers through hundred thousands.

4. Who is tested?
• All public school students in Florida , including English
language learner (ELL) and exceptional student
education (ESE) students, enrolled in grades 3-5
participate in the FCAT 2.0 administration.
Administration accommodations are provided to
eligible ELL and ESE students.

5. Who is tested?
• Grade 3: reading and math
• Grade 4: reading, math, and writing
• Grade 5: reading, math, and science

6. When is the FCAT 2.0?
• FCAT 2.0 Writing – Grade 4
–February 26- February 28, 2013
• FCAT 2.0 Reading, Mathematics (Grades
3-5 ) and Science (5th grade only)
– April 15 – April 26, 2013

7. How is the FCAT 2.0 Reading designed?
Content Categories and approximate percentage of raw-score points for each category
• FCAT 2.0 Reading
Literary Analysis: Fiction & Informational & Research
Grade Vocabulary Reading Application
Nonfiction Process
3-5
50-55 Multiple Choice
15-25% 25-35% 25-35% 15-25%
Time: 2- 70 minute
sessions, tested over 2
days.

8. What reading benchmarks are tested?
• The student reads text and determines main idea or essential message, identifies
relevant supporting details and facts and arranges events in chronological order
•The student recognizes cause-and-effect relationships in literary texts
(e.g., fiction, nonfiction, poetry and drama
•The student understands the development of plot and how conflicts are resolved in a
story
•The students knows the similarities and differences among the characters, settings and
events presented in various texts
•The student identifies the author’s purpose
•The student uses simple strategies to determine meaning and increase vocabulary for
reading including the use of prefixes, suffixes, root words, multiple
meanings, antonyms, synonyms, and word relationships.
•The student recognizes the use of comparison and contrast in a text

9. How long are the passages?
Content Categories and approximate percentage of raw-score points for each category
• FCAT 2.0 Reading
Length of FCAT 2.0 Reading Passages Grade
Number of Words per Passage
Grade Range Average
3 100–700 500
4 100–900 500
5 200–1000 600

10. What types of passages will students
read?

11. How is the FCAT 2.0 Math designed?
Content Categories and approximate percentage of raw-score points for each category
• FCAT 2.0 Math
GRADE Category Percentage
3 Number: Operations, Problems and 50
50-55 questions Statistics 20
Time: 2- 70 minute sessions, Number: Fractions 30
tested over 2 days.
Geometry and Measurement
4 Number: Operations and Problems 45
50-55 questions Number: Base ten and Fractions 25
Time: 2- 70 minute sessions, Geometry and Measurement 30
tested over 2 days.
5 Number: Base ten and Fractions 50
50-55 questions Expressions, Equations and Statistics 20
Time: 2- 70 minute sessions, Geometry and Measurement 30
tested over 2 days.

12. What Math Benchmarks are tested?
Number Sense, Concepts and Operations
The student understands the relative size of whole numbers,
fractions, decimals, percents
The student understands that numbers can be represented in a variety of
equivalent forms using whole numbers, decimals, fractions and percents
The student selects the appropriate operations to solve specific problems
involving addition, subtraction and multiplication of whole numbers, decimals and
fractions and the division of whole numbers
The student uses and justifies different estimation strategies in a real-world
problem situation

13. What Math Benchmarks are tested?
Measurement
The student solves real-world problems involving
length, weight, perimeter, area, capacity, volume, time ,temperature and
angles
Geometry and Spatial Sense
The student understands the concepts of spatial
relationships, symmetry, reflections, congruency and similarity
The student predicts, illustrates and verifies which figures could result from
a flip, slide or turn of a given figure
The student identifies and plots positive ordered pairs (whole numbers) in a
rectangular coordinate system (graph)

14. What Math Benchmarks are tested?
Algebraic Thinking
The student generalizes a pattern, relation, or function to explain how a change
in one quantity results in a change in another.
The student represents a given problem situation using diagrams, models
and symbolic expressions translated from verbal phrases or verbal phrases
translated from symbolic expressions
The student uses informal methods, such a physical models and graphs to
solve real-world problems involving equations and inequalities
Data Analysis
The student solves problems by generating, collecting,
organizing, displaying and analyzing data using histograms,
bar graphs, circle graphs, line graphs, pictographs and charts

15. How is the FCAT 2.0 Science designed?
Content Categories and approximate percentage of raw-score points for each category
• FCAT 2.0 Science
Nature of Earth and Space
Grade Physical Science Life Science
Science Science
5
60-66 Multiple Choice
17% 29% 29% 25%
Time: 2-80 minute
sessions

16. FCAT 2.0 Science skills
•Engage in quantitative observation
• Investigate thoughtful questions
• Make logical predictions
• Design and conduct experiments
• Collect and organize data
• Offers reasonable explanations
• Explorer possible conclusions
• Communicate their understanding and make well-reasoned,
data- based decisions and communicate them effectively.

17. Sample FCAT 2.0 Science Question.
• Sample Item 1 SC.5.N.1.1
• Delilah followed these steps of an investigation:
• Collect five objects made of different types of metal.
• Place them on a large laboratory table.
• Touch each metal object with a magnet and lift slowly.
• Record observations.
• Which of the following statements is Delilah most likely testing?
• A. All types of metal are attracted to magnets.
• B. Each magnet can lift the metal object to the same height.
• C. Larger magnets can pick up heavier metal objects than smaller magnets
can.
• D. Heavier metal objects are more attracted to magnets than lighter metal
objects are.

18. How is the FCAT 2.0 Writing designed?
FCAT 2.0 Writing- 60 minutes
The writing assessment is administered to students in 4th grade. It provides one prompt for
each grade to which students are expected to draft a response according to a specific
purpose (mode). The student response should integrate the writing elements of
focus, organization, support, and conventions.
Scale of 1.0 – 6.0
• Score of 4.0 is considered on grade-level

19. Example of Writing Prompts
FCAT 2.0 Writing
Narrative:
What might happen if a famous person came to visit you? Think about what would
happened if a famous person came to visit you. Now write about the time a famous
person visited you.
Expository:
People like different kinds of weather. Think about the kind of weather you like .Now write
to explain the kind of weather you like.

20. How difficult are the questions?
• Low :Low complexity items rely heavily on recall and
recognition. More than 70% of students are likely to respond
correctly.
• Moderate: Moderate complexity items require more flexible
thinking and may require basic reasoning or problem solving.
Between 40- 70% of students are likely to respond correctly.
• High: High complexity items are written to elicit analysis and
abstract reasoning. Less than 40% of students are likely to
respond correctly.

21. New FCAT 2.0 Cut Scores
FCAT 2.0 Reading Developmental Scale Scores by Achievement Level
Grade Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5
3 140-181 182-197 198-209 210-226 227-260
4 154-191 192-207 208-220 221-237 238-269
5 161-199 200-215 216-229 230-245 246-277
FCAT 2.0 Math Developmental Scale Scores by Achievement Level
Grade Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5
3 140-182 183-197 198-213 214-228 229-260
4 155-196 197-209 210-223 224-239 240-271
5 163-204 205-219 220-233 234-246 247-279

22. What can I do to help at home?
- Communicate with your child’s teacher
- Read daily for at least 30 minutes
- Read a variety of materials
- Allow students to write about what they read
- Study math facts and math vocabulary
- Create a comfortable quiet environment, for students to study
- Conduct science experiments
- Learn science vocabulary
- Practice writing
- Take a trip to the library
- Practice concepts through real world connections
Example: Grocery shopping-math skills, writing about their day, cooking-explores
science and math skills

23. Online Resources
• (http://fcat.fldoe.org/fcat2/) -FCAT 2.0
information page
• (http://fcat.fldoe.org/fcat2/fcatitem.asp)
Provides sample FCAT 2.0 assessments
• (http://www.fcatexplorer.com)- practice skills
and reinforcement tool (password required)
• (http://fcit.usf.edu/fcat/default.htm)-4th grade
reading practice
• ( http://floridastandards.org) - Benchmark
pages

24. References
• http://fcat.fldoe.org/fcat2/pdf/FL09G5Sci.pdf
• http://fcat.fldoe.org/pdf/designsummary.pdf
• http://fcat.fldoe.org/fcat2/wcsg.asp
• http://teachercenter.scps.k12.fl.us/education/
components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiond
etailid=85283&&PHPSESSID=9941122bab70b4
ec360decff7b71b200
• http://paula-downey.blogspot.com/p/fcat-
writing-prompts-practice.html