K-5 Elementary April Updates
April Message from the Asst. Principal
April News from Grades K-5 Welcome to April at ACA! We are just 1 month away from the last month of school. Our students have been busy engaging in learning opportunities (both inside and outside of the classroom) and in teacher communications. We still have a lot to do as we prepare for the end of the school year, though. Do you want to keep your child motivated in school? Be sure to continue showing your student that you care about their schoolwork. Also, don’t forget to give positive reinforcement! As always, I appreciate you and believe that we will finish this school year strong with your support! Thank you for all you do! Deanna Woerner, M. Ed Elementary School Asst. Principal AASA State Testing
Reminder: Elementary students in grades 3, 4, and 5 will begin the AASA state assessments this week. Be sure to check your webmail for details and your student planner for the date/location of your test. We look forward to seeing you there! AZ Move on Reading State Requirement: Arizona’s Move On When Reading (MOWR) legislation places great importance on the reading process beginning in kindergarten. This ensure all students remain on track to be reading at grade level by the end of 3rd grade. Arizona Revised Statute §15-701 states that if a student scores below the cut score on the reading portion of the 3rd grade statewide exam, he/she will not be promoted to 4th grade until the student makes sufficient progress in reading proficiency. Per the Arizona Department of Education, 3rd grade students who fail to meet the MOWR cut/indicator on the AASA English Language Test will be required to retest. This test will be proctored in our Gilbert office during the summer. More information will be provided after the initial test session in April. *Exempt students: IEP, EL As a reminder, ALL teachers will be out of office during these 2 testing weeks. Please check specific teacher communications for availability. Teachers will have access to webmail and can respond when they are not testing. |
**Please be sure to always check the message board and/or lesson introduction page for any modified or adjusted rubrics. This updated rubric, not found in the direct lesson, will be used for grading.** |
Community Board
Be sure to check out the Elementary School Community Board for the month of April!
Click here to view.
Click here to view.
Arizona Move On When Reading Law (Grades K-3)
Dear K-3 Parents & Guardians,
In Arizona Connections Academy our focus is on providing the best high-quality reading instruction to all students each day. Through a process called Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), all kindergarten through third grade students are screened for reading difficulties and/or characteristics consistent with dyslexia in the fall, winter, and spring using Acadience Reading K-6. This literacy universal screening process is a brief assessment administered to all K-3 students to inform teachers of students who are on track and students who may need more targeted intervention. This screening does not diagnose for reading disabilities, nor dyslexia.
Per the universal screener, students who are not on benchmark are administered a deeper diagnostic assessment. This diagnostic information provides teachers and specialists with the specific skills needed to target in intervention. Those interventions are started immediately, working to close the gaps. This diagnostic assessment does not diagnose for reading disabilities, nor dyslexia. A change in intervention curriculum, group size, level of intensity, frequency, and/or duration may be needed. More intensive time, duration, and frequency in intervention may be needed and can take place with the classroom teacher or a specialist, such as a reading interventionist. This is considered intensive Tier 3 intervention. The progress of all students receiving intervention is closely and frequently checked. Parents are essential to this entire process. Following the Universal Literacy and Dyslexia Screener in addition to diagnostic assessments, you will be notified if your child is not at grade level.
Arizona’s Move On When Reading (MOWR) legislation places great importance on this process beginning in kindergarten. This ensure all students remain on track to be reading at grade level by the end of 3rd grade. Arizona Revised Statute §15-701 states that if a student scores below the cut score on the reading portion of the 3rd grade statewide exam, he/she will not be promoted to 4th grade until the student makes sufficient progress in reading proficiency. It is understood that each child is unique, therefore exemptions have been established for students to be promoted to 4th grade. Those exemptions are available at www.azed.gov/mowr.
A variety of factors, in and outside of school, can influence a child’s educational path and progress. It is important for parents to share in the educational journey, through constant communication and continued involvement. We encourage you to continue to highlight and celebrate your child’s strengths and share difficulties if they occur. Please reach out to us if you have any questions and we look forward to a successful school year.
Sincerely,
Deanna Woerner, M. Ed.
ES Asst. Principal