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Highlands Today

Students Prepare For The FCAT

Marc Valero, Highlands Today

Sun 'N Lake Elementary School Principal Diane Lethbridge works with fifth-grade students in her office Thursday who need extra help with their math skills. Lethbridge, Assistant Principal Linda Laye and the school's resource teachers have been helping fourth and fifth-graders in small groups since returning to school after the winter break.

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By MARC VALERO

Highlands Today

Published: March 6, 2009

SEBRING - Soon after breakfast and the morning announcements, six fifth-graders filed into Principal Diane Lethbridge's office at Sun 'N Lake Elementary School.

They took seats at a round table with study and test material before them.

"Let's start by doing your timed quiz," Lethbridge tells the students. "This is a whole mixed up one again. I need you all to do your best.

"Get ready; get set; go!"

Since returning to school after the winter break, the school's administrators and resource teachers have been conducting similar sessions helping small groups of struggling students.

"We call them push groups - those students who just needed a little bit more time, a little bit more instruction," Lethbridge said. "We are pushing them so they can master the skills that they need before FCAT Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.

This year's focus is on math for struggling fourth- and fifth-graders who receive the 30-minute focused instruction about three times a week.

"We work on math facts, which are very important ... in order to be able to do higher level math they have to know their basic math facts," Lethbridge said. "Then we work on math vocabulary - they will see that a lot on the FCAT."

Students also work on sample problems including two- and three-step problems, which require higher-level math skills and thinking.

Assistant Principal Linda Laye said "they are doing very well; we are very pleased with their progress. It has been very interesting to work with them as far as knowing their level of skill and helping them move forward to understand what they need to know before the test."

Also, part-time retired teachers have been brought in to help students and about 30 students are receiving after-school tutoring two days a week provided by the school.

Additional students are receiving tutoring services because the school did not earn the federal "adequate yearly progress" designation.

The school earned a "B" accountability grade last year, but was close to an "A" grade.

Schools district wide are in the final stages of preparing students for the FCAT, which is a major component of assessing student progress and determining school grades.

The tests in math, science and reading will be administered from March 10 -19.

Highlands Today reporter Marc Valero can be reached at 863-386-5826 or mvalero@highlandstoday.com

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