District Handbook

District Handbook for Reporting Student Progress:

A Parent’s Guide

Revised August 2013 Table of Contents

Attendance Page 3

Make-Up Work Page 3

Assessments Page 3

Report Cards Page 4

Grade Calculations Page 4

Honor Rolls Page 4

Uniform Grading Policy Page 5

Promotion and Retention Page 9

Appendix Page 11

Parent Portal Information Page 12

Parent Conference Sample Questions Page 14

Tips for Parents: Homework, Reading, Math Page 15

Ensuring All Students Are Prepared For Success 100% College and Career Readiness Page 2 Attendance

Florence County School District Three expects academic excellence from all students. State law requires a parent/guardian ensures children, from age five until their seventeenth birthday or graduation from high school, to attend regularly a public or private school. The school year consists of 180 school days. Attendance is the presence of a student on days when school is in session. Students may be counted present only when they are actually at school, on homebound instruction, or are present at a school activity which is authorized by the school. This may include field trips, athletic contests, academic contests, music festivals, student conventions and similar activities.

Elementary Students– If a student misses 25 days or more, the student will be recommended to attend summer school.

Middle School Students – If a student misses 25 days or more, the student will be recommended to attend summer school. Algebra I and English I students (based on high school credits) must meet required seat time for these high school courses. (See requirements below.)

High School Students - 1. Students have an opportunity of 150 hours of instruction in 180 days. 2. Students must have 120 hours of seat time to earn a Carnegie unit (60 hours for a ½ unit). 3. Students must be in attendance 155 days (77 days for a ½ unit). 4. This limits all absences to 25 days (13 days for a ½ unit). This includes all days missed – excused, unexcused, suspensions, bereavement, medical, etc. 5. When students have three (3) consecutive or five (5) total unexcused or unverified absences, the school will contact parents and develop a truancy intervention plan (TIP) for improved attendance. Students under 17 years of age who violate a TIP will be referred to a higher authority for truancy. If you are not in class, you are marked absent.

Excessive tardies will be addressed through a school/district truancy/discipline plan.

Make-Up Work - Make-up work, including any test missed, should be scheduled immediately upon returning to school. If a student misses a previously scheduled test during an absence, the student is responsible for that test immediately upon their return to school. Students absent more than five (5) days must make arrangements with their teachers for making up the work missed within one week (5 school days) after their return to school.

Assessment

It is the responsibility of the classroom teacher to monitor, evaluate, and assess student progress. Assessment is an on-going process throughout the reporting period and should involve a variety of formal and informal assessments. Student progress is based on the results of multiple measures to include, but not limited to, oral questioning, interviewing, teacher-made tests, textbook tests, quizzes, observations, anecdotal records, work samples, writings, journals, projects, portfolio entries, and other daily work. These assessments are recorded by the classroom teacher in PowerSchool, which generates the student interims and report cards.

Ensuring All Students Are Prepared For Success 100% College and Career Readiness Page 3 Report cards

Report cards are issued during four nine-week intervals throughout the academic school year. Interim reports are issued to each student on or about the middle of each nine-weeks grading period. Parents may be requested to sign the form and return it to the teacher the following day.

Regularly issued report cards, combined with scheduled parent-student-teacher conferences, serve to promote a process of continuous evaluation of student performance. At all levels, the information provided on report cards should give the parent and student insight into the student’s achievements.

Parents also have access to the PowerSchool Parent Portal to monitor student progress at any time during the school year. See the Appendix at back of this handbook for directions on how to access the Parent Portal.

Calculating Interim and Report Card Grades

In determining a marking period grade, the student will receive a grade which incorporates the following: 40% = major tests or project grades 60% = daily work (homework, quizzes, assignments, etc.)

Honor Rolls

Elementary School Superintendent’s Honor Roll – All A’s (93-100) in all subjects, ELA, Writing, Math, Science, Health, Social Studies, A’s and B’s in Art, Music, PE Principal’s Honor Roll – All A’s and B’s in all subjects: ELA, Writing, Math, Science, Health, Social Studies, Art, Music, and PE Yearly Superintendent’s Honor Roll – Must make Superintendent’s Honor Roll every nine weeks Yearly Principal’s Honor Roll – Must make Honor Roll every nine weeks Middle School Superintendent’s Honor Roll – All A’s in all subjects Principal’s Honor Roll – All A’s and B’s in all subjects Yearly Honor Roll Superintendent’s Honor Roll - Must make Superintendents Honor Roll every nine weeks Principal’s Honor Roll – Must make the Honor Roll every nine weeks High School Superintendent’s Honor Roll – All A’s in all subjects Principal’s Honor Roll – All A’s and B’s in all subjects

Ensuring All Students Are Prepared For Success 100% College and Career Readiness Page 4 South Carolina’s State Board of Education Uniform Grading Scale

The following numerical grading scale will be used for grades 1-12.

Numerical Averages Letter Grade 100 A 99 A 98 A 97 A 96 A 95 A 94 A 93 A 92 B 91 B 90 B 89 B 88 B 87 B 86 B 85 B 84 C 83 C 82 C 81 C 80 C 79 C 78 C 77 C 76 D 75 D 74 D 73 D 72 D 71 D 70 D 69 F 68 F 67 F 66 F 65 F 64 F 63 F 62 F 61 F 0-61 F 61 FA 61 WF

Ensuring All Students Are Prepared For Success 100% College and Career Readiness Page 5 - WP

Elementary School Grades 1-5 Beginning in 2012-2013, elementary interims and report cards will use the same Uniform Grading Scale as middle and high school in order to promote continuity and consistency between all grade levels.

Middle School Grades 6-8

The State Board of Education adopted a new uniform grading scale effective for all students enrolled in the 2007-2008 school year. If letter grades with no numerical averages are provided, this conversion will apply: A = 96, B = 88, C = 80, D = 73, F = 61. If the transcript shows that the student has earned a grade of P (passing), that grade will be converted to a numerical designation on the basis of information secured from the sending institution as to the appropriate numerical value of the P. If no numerical average can be obtained from the sending institution, the student’s cumulative transfer grade will be calculated and the corresponding number equivalent will be assigned to replace the P. A grade of P will neither positively nor negatively impact the student’s transfer grade point average (GPA).

Grades 9-12

A student may withdraw from a class within the first 10 days of enrollment without penalty. This will be indicated by a WP (withdrawal passing) on the student’s official record. After this time period a numerical grades will be assigned to the student’s official transcript if the student withdraws from a class under the appropriate circumstances: FA – Failure due to absences (61) WF – Withdrawal failure (61)

All South Carolina public schools will use the following formula to compute all GPAs:

GPA = sum (quality points x units) sum of units attempted

Computations will not be rounded to a higher number.

Converting Grades on Transcripts

When transcripts are received from accredited out-of-state schools (or in state from accredited sources other than the public schools) and numerical averages are provided, those averages must be used in transferring the grades to the student’s record. If letter grades with no numerical averages are provided, this conversion will apply: A = 96, B = 88, C = 80, D = 73, F = 61. If the transcript indicates that the student has earned a passing grade in any course in which he or she had a numerical average lower than a 70, that average will be converted to a 73 numerical grade on the new scale.

If the transcript shows that the student has earned a grade of P (passing), that grade will be converted to a numerical designation on the basis of information secured from the sending institution as to the appropriate numerical value of P. if no numerical average can be obtained from the sending institution, the student’s cumulative transfer GPA will be calculated and the corresponding number equivalent will be assigned to replace the P so that it will not negatively no positively impact the student’s transfer GPA.

Ensuring All Students Are Prepared For Success 100% College and Career Readiness Page 6 Home school students will be required to take a comprehensive final exam or mid-semester exam in the courses taken at the time of entrance to requested high school admission. Credit will be awarded upon successful passing of coursework and the grade point average will be calculated on the grade earned on the examination given. If the subject requires an end-of-course examination by the State of South Carolina, the student will also be required to pass the test in addition to the high school examination as part of the numerical grade.

End-of-Course Examination (EOCEP) Courses and the Credit Recovery Option

Students who are enrolled in courses requiring state end-of-course examinations must take the examinations and fulfill all requirements outlined in Regulation 43-262.4. Students will be allowed to take the examination only once, at the end of the regular course duration and not at the end of an extended period granted through the credit recovery option. Students who repeat the course must be treated as though they are taking the course for the first time, and all requirements will apply.

Withdrawal from Courses

A student may withdraw from a class within the first 10 days of enrollment without penalty. This will be indicated by a WP (withdrawal passing) on the student’s official record. After this time period a numerical grades will be assigned to the student’s official transcript if the student withdraws from a class under the appropriate circumstances: FA – Failure due to absences (61) WF – Withdrawal failure (61)

Class Rank and Honor Graduates

The district will rank high school students numerically from top to bottom in their class on the weighted grade point average established by the State Board of Education. The high school will determine honor graduates, including valedictorian and salutatorian, at the end of the fourth nine weeks of the senior year for the purposes of graduation ceremonies. A student must attend the high school for at least five semesters and be enrolled at the high school from which he is graduating for the last four semesters to be considered as a twelfth grade honor graduate.

Class rank calculations for all grades for all grades at the high school level will be computed at the end of each school year as the official rank in the class. After completion of final exams for seniors and at the end of the eighth semester, the official class rank will be named.

Grade point averages will only be calculated to greater than three decimal points if needed to break a tie. There will only be one valedictorian and one salutatorian in the Lake City High School graduating class.

Ensuring All Students Are Prepared For Success 100% College and Career Readiness Page 7 Grade Point Conversion Chart South Carolina Uniform Grading Scale Conversions Numerical Letter College AP/IB/ Average Grade Prep Honors Dual Credit 100 A 4.875 5.375 5.875 99 A 7.750 5.250 5.750 98 A 4.625 5.125 5.625 97 A 4.500 5.000 5.500 96 A 4.375 4.875 5.375 95 A 4.25 4.750 5.250 94 A 4.125 4.625 5.125 93 A 4.00 4.500 5.000 92 B 3.875 4.375 4.875 91 B 3.750 4.250 4.750 90 B 3.625 4.125 4.625 89 B 3.500 4.000 4.500 88 B 3.375 3.875 4.375 87 B 3.250 3.750 4.250 86 B 3.125 3.625 4.125 85 B 3.000 3.500 4.000 84 C 2.875 3.375 3.875 83 C 2.750 3.250 3.750 82 C 2.625 3.125 3.625 81 C 2.500 3.000 3.500 80 C 2.375 2.875 3.375 79 C 2.250 2.750 3.250 78 C 2.125 2.625 3.125 77 C 2.000 2.500 3.000 76 D 1.875 2.375 2.875 75 D 1.750 2.250 2.750 74 D 1.625 2.125 2.625 73 D 1.500 2.000 2.500 72 D 1.375 1.875 2.375 71 D 1.250 1.750 2.250 70 D 1.125 1.625 2.125 69 F 1.000 1.500 2.000 68 F 0.875 1.375 1.875 67 F 0.750 1.250 1.750 66 F 0.625 1.125 1.625 65 F 0.500 1.000 1.500 64 F 0.375 0.875 1.375 63 F 0.250 0.750 1.250 62 F 0.125 0.625 1.125 0-61 F 0.000 0.000 0.000 61 FA 0.000 0.000 0.000 61 WF 0.000 0.000 0.000 - WP 0.000 0.000 0.000

Ensuring All Students Are Prepared For Success 100% College and Career Readiness Page 8 Promotion and Retention

Kindergarten (K)

Kindergarten students are expected to learn the skills contained in all state and district kindergarten academic standards. When formal and informal assessments indicate that a kindergarten student is not developmentally ready for first grade, retention will be considered by the teacher, principal, and parent. The parent must concur with a decision to retain a student in kindergarten.

Grades One through Eight (1-8)

Students in grades one through eight will be instructed in grade-level content specific state academic standards that are developmentally appropriate and rich in rigor. Students will be promoted to the next grade if they possess the knowledge and skills at their grade levels and/or abilities as demonstrated on multiple measurements.

Grades Nine through Twelve (9-12)

The determination of the high school academic assignment is determined by the number of successfully completed Carnegie units of credit. Carnegie units of credit will only be awarded when the students meet the attendance requirements listed below.

Grade 9 – Promotion from 8th grade

Grade 10 – 5 units The student must have at least one unit in a required English and one unit in a required Math and be enrolled in courses leading to an additional unit of credit in both English and math.

Grade 11 – 11 units The student must have at least two required units of English and two units of required Math.

Grade 12 – 17 units The student must have at least two units each in English and mathematics and be enrolled in course work for the following year that will allow them to complete the 24 units needed for the state high school diploma.

High School Attendance Requirements

1. Students have an opportunity of 150 hours of instruction in 180 days. 2. Students must have 120 hours of seat time to earn a Carnegie unit (60 hours for a ½ unit). 3. Students must be in attendance 155 days (77 days for a ½ unit). 4. This limits all absences to 25 days (13 days for a ½ unit). This includes all days missed – excused, unexcused, suspensions, bereavement, medical, etc. 5. When students have three (3) consecutive or five (5) total unexcused or unverified absences, the school will contact parents and develop a truancy intervention plan (TIP) for improved attendance. Students under 17 years of age who violate a TIP will be referred to a higher authority for truancy. If you are not in class, you are marked absent.

Assurances

Decisions concerning promotion or retention will be determined at the school level by the teacher(s) and principal, based on student performance.

Ensuring All Students Are Prepared For Success 100% College and Career Readiness Page 9 Notification to Parents/Guardians

Florence County School District Three will distribute information about this promotion/retention process to every student and parent/legal guardian. The district will also make every effort to educate and inform parents/legal guardians and students through means such as newsletters, student handbooks, and SIC/PTO meetings.

Parent conferences will be held throughout the school year. Interventions will be implemented and/or adjusted for students not meeting academic standards.

District Appeals Process

The parent/legal guardian may appeal the summer school or retention decision to the District Academic Review Team. Parents who choose to appeal must do so in writing within seven days after the notification meeting and must specify the reasons for disagreement with the recommendation. The District Academic Review Team will render a decision on the matter within ten working days after receipt of the appeal. The decision and the reasons will be in writing and copies sent to the parent/legal guardian and the principal.

Ensuring All Students Are Prepared For Success 100% College and Career Readiness Page 10 APPENDIX

Ensuring All Students Are Prepared For Success 100% College and Career Readiness Page 11 Parent Portal

Florence County School District No. 3 is pleased to offer parents/guardians electronic access to your child's school information via the "PowerSchool Parent Portal". By using this unique system, you as parents/guardians will use the Internet to log into the portal and access your child's attendance, grades, and other information.

Please note: Before you begin you will need a copy of the form letter from your child’s school containing your child’s Access ID and Access Password and create an account.

The process is Quick and Simple. Just follow the below steps.

From your child’s school or district website click on the "PowerSchool Parent Portal" link located on the “Quick Link” menu. (www.florence3.k12.sc.us)

At the bottom of the screen click the "Create Account" button.

The “Create Parent/Guardian Account” page displays

1) Enter your first name, last name, and email address 2) Enter your username and password. It can be anything you desire. However, we strongly recommend using numbers, letters, and symbols when creating your password. Under "Link Students to Account" 3) Enter your child's name, Access ID, and Access Password (must be exact) from the form letter you picked up from your child’s school, and then choose their relationship to you from the dropdown list. 4) Press Enter. (If you have other children, you can enter them now or add them once you receive their access codes.)

After pressing submit, you will be taken to the log in page where you can immediately log in to view your child's information.

Ensuring All Students Are Prepared For Success 100% College and Career Readiness Page 12

Ensuring All Students Are Prepared For Success 100% College and Career Readiness Page 13 You should receive a letter like this from your child/ren’s school.

2018 年 6 月 2 日

Dear Parent/Guardian of: John Doe

Florence County School District Three would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to our "NEW" Power School Parent Portal. Through the use of the Power School Parent Portal, you as a parent of student in Florence County School District #3 can have instant access to your child's current attendance, fee balances and other demographic information using the internet.

The process is quick and easy. All you will need to do is create a user account using the instructions provided in the attached document and the student's confidential Access ID and Access Password. A sample is provided below:

Access ID is: GJ555

Access Password is: 9GT45

A link to the Parent Portal can be found at http://www.florence3.k12.sc.us or your child's school website.

Please note that it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to protect the security of your password and any other pertinent information obtained from use of the online Parent Portal.

In addition, if internet access is not available to you from home or work, access is available at the Florence County School District #3 Technology Center, located at 140 Westover Street, Lake City, South Carolina, 29560. There will also be available staff to assist you, if needed, with setting up your account.

Ensuring All Students Are Prepared For Success 100% College and Career Readiness Page 14 Parent Conferences

It’s time to conference with your child’s teacher. What do you do? How do you prepare? What do you want to ask, in the limited amount of time you have? The better prepared you are going in, the more beneficial the meeting will be for both you, your child, and the teacher. Here are some tips for a productive parent/teacher conference, along with a list of good questions for you to ask the teacher.

Ask your child how things are going at school Several days before the conference ask your child some very specific questions about school. What would he/she like you to ask the teacher? What does he/she like best about school? Are there any subjects at school that he/she is having trouble with? If he/she could change anything about school what would it be?

Write down your questions Once you're in a meeting with the teacher it may be hard to remember what you wanted to talk about. Jot down your questions beforehand and bring them to the conference.

Ask if you'll have an opportunity to speak with your child's other teachers It's not unusual for even first graders to have separate teachers for subjects such as art or computers. Often times, your only chance to meet these teachers, is open house night. But if you're particularly interested in talking to one of them about your child's progress, ask your child's primary teacher when you make your conference appointment.

How to make the most of your conference time…Stick to talking about your child Most parent/teacher conferences last only 20 minutes. Don't use this time to ask questions about basic school policies. That kind of information can usually be found in the school's handbook, on its Web site, or by calling the office during business hours. This is your chance to get detailed feedback on your child, so grab it while you can. If you have a specific question or issue that doesn't come up, don't hesitate to ask. The teacher may be inexperienced or shy, or just not realize that you're concerned about a particular thing. You know your child better than anyone, so take the initiative.

Establish a rapport with the teacher The first parent/teacher conference is a chance to get to know the teacher. If you're both on the same page from the start, your child will get more out of his year in this teacher's classroom. If you can make a connection early in the year, it will be easier to talk to the teacher in the future about any questions or concerns. To get off on the right foot, first listen to what the teacher has to say, and then base your questions on what is said. You may also want to ask her something about herself, her teaching philosophy, etc. to get a better understanding of who she is.

Try not to get defensive Every parent wants to hear how wonderful his or her child is — and the teacher should tell you about your child's special skills and achievements. But one of the main functions of these conferences is to point out areas where your child has room to develop. The teacher may even suggest testing, special classes, or some change in your behavior. Keep in mind that this is a part of all parent-teacher conferences. Fight the urge to argue with the teacher or dismiss her comments. She is not blaming you or your child. The point of this meeting is to get an assessment of how your child is doing in school and to look for ways you can help him do even better. Remind yourself that the teacher is on your side and the two of you have the same goal: to help your child learn all that he can.

Ensuring All Students Are Prepared For Success 100% College and Career Readiness Page 15 Take a notepad and pen After the meeting is over you may forget some of what you discussed. Jotting things down as you go along will help jog your memory later. Taking notes is also a good way to let the teacher know you're really paying attention.

Size up the social scene How well your child fits in socially can affect how well he learns. Ask the teacher how he gets along with the other students. Does he always hang out at recess with the same kids? Who are they? Is he bullying anyone? Is anyone bullying him? Is the teacher concerned about your child's ability to get along with others and participate in class?

Give the teacher relevant information Let the teacher know of any changes at home. A new baby, a divorce, or a death in the family can all affect the way your child behaves in the classroom. Resist the urge to talk about his successes outside of school, though. As much fun as it is to tell cute stories, this meeting is about assessing your child's academic progress.

When speaking to other teachers stick to their area of expertise If you have the opportunity to meet with your child's other teachers, limit your questions to their particular subject. Discuss art with the art teacher, reading with the reading expert and so on.

Leave with an action plan Before you shake hands and say goodbye, find out the best way to follow-up with the teacher. Can you call her? Does she have an e-mail address you can use? You may think of other questions later so find out the best way to ask them. As you end the conference, review any decisions that you've made together. And if you feel it's necessary, request another meeting.

Sample questions that address specific scenarios

My child is doing well. What is there to talk about?

1. What grade level is my child performing on in reading, math, social studies, and science? 2. How is my child doing in relation to the rest of the class? (Is my child performing in the top 25 percent? Top 10 percent?) 3. What do you see as my child's strengths and weaknesses? 4. Could you tell me about my child's work ethic, relations with other children, behavior in class, and attitude toward learning? 5. Can you tell me what academic topics and skills will be emphasized this year in your classroom?

My child is not challenged.

1. How is my child doing academically in your class? 2. Do you feel my child is breezing through class assignments with little or no effort? 3. Could you make class assignments that are more challenging for my child? 4. Does the school have a formal program for gifted and talented children? Should my child be tested for it? 5. What can I do at home to enhance my child's educational experience?

Ensuring All Students Are Prepared For Success 100% College and Career Readiness Page 16 My child is struggling academically.

1. What is my child's ability level? 2. What exactly do you feel is the problem or problems that are causing my child to struggle in school this year? 3. What special help can the school offer my child to get him or her on track academically as quickly as possible? 4. Would it be appropriate to test my child for a learning disability? 5. How can I help my child do better in school?

My child is having a tough time socially.

1. Does my child have any friends at school? 2. Why do you feel my child is having problems socializing with other children? 3. Is there anything you can do in the classroom to help my child feel more comfortable around her peers? 4. Do you have any suggestions about what I could do at home to help my child get along better with her classmates? 5. Would it be a good idea for my child to talk to the school counselor or psychologist about ways to improve his socialization skills?

My child and the teacher don’t get along.

1. Is my child behaving appropriately in the classroom? 2. Are you aware that my child is finding it difficult to work with you? 3. What suggestions do you have about ways my child could improve his relationship with you? 4. Do you have any ideas about how you might get along better with my child?

My child’s teacher and I don’t get along.

1. What do you think each of us can do so we will be able to work together smoothly this year? 2. Can we avoid involving my child in our differences? 3. Can we find some areas of agreement on how to help my child succeed in school? 4. Would you please give me your views on our areas of disagreement? 5. May I tell you why I don't agree with your views on ____?

taken from http://oxfordelementary.org/assets/Parent%20Teacher%20Conference%20Questions.pdf

Ensuring All Students Are Prepared For Success 100% College and Career Readiness Page 17 From United States Department of Education GENERAL HOMEWORK TIPS FOR PARENTS

 Make sure your child has a quiet, well-lit place to do homework. Avoid having your child do homework with the television on or in places with other distractions, such as people coming and going.  Make sure the materials your child needs, such as paper, pencils and a dictionary, are available. Ask your child if special materials will be needed for some projects and get them in advance.  Help your child with time management. Establish a set time each day for doing homework. Don't let your child leave homework until just before bedtime. Think about using a weekend morning or afternoon for working on big projects, especially if the project involves getting together with classmates.  Be positive about homework. Tell your child how important school is. The attitude you express about homework will be the attitude your child acquires.  When your child does homework, you do homework. Show your child that the skills they are learning are related to things you do as an adult. If your child is reading, you read too. If your child is doing math, balance your checkbook.  When your child asks for help, provide guidance, not answers. Giving answers means your child will not learn the material. Too much help teaches your child that when the going gets rough, someone will do the work for him or her.  When the teacher asks that you play a role in homework, do it. Cooperate with the teacher. It shows your child that the school and home are a team. Follow the directions given by the teacher.  If homework is meant to be done by your child alone, stay away. Too much parent involvement can prevent homework from having some positive effects. Homework is a great way for kids to develop independent, lifelong learning skills.  Stay informed. Talk with your child's teacher. Make sure you know the purpose of homework and what your child's class rules are.  Help your child figure out what is hard homework and what is easy homework. Have your child do the hard work first. This will mean he will be most alert when facing the biggest challenges. Easy material will seem to go fast when fatigue begins to set in.  Watch your child for signs of failure and frustration. Let your child take a short break if she is having trouble keeping her mind on an assignment.  Reward progress in homework. If your child has been successful in homework completion and is working hard, celebrate that success with a special event (e.g., pizza, a walk, a trip to the park) to reinforce the positive effort.

Ensuring All Students Are Prepared For Success 100% College and Career Readiness Page 18 READING HOMEWORK TIPS FOR PARENTS

 Have your child read aloud to you every night.  Choose a quiet place, free from distractions, for your child to do his nightly reading assignments.  As your child reads, point out spelling and sound patterns such as cat, pat, hat.  When your child reads aloud to you and makes a mistake, point out the words she has missed and help her to read the word correctly.  After your child has stopped to correct a word he has read, have him go back and reread the entire sentence from the beginning to make sure he understands what the sentence is saying.  Ask your child to tell you in her own words what happened in a story.  To check your child's understanding of what he is reading, occasionally pause and ask your child questions about the characters and events in the story.  Ask your child why she thinks a character acted in a certain way and ask your child to support her answer with information from the story.  Before getting to the end of a story, ask your child what he thinks will happen next and why.

MATH HOMEWORK TIPS FOR PARENTS

 Encourage your child to use a daily math assignment book.  Follow the progress your child is making in math. Check with your child daily about his homework.  If you don't understand your child's math assignments, engage in frequent communication with his or her teacher.  If your child is experiencing problems in math, contact the teacher to learn whether he or she is working at grade level and what can be done at home to help improve academic progress.  Request that your child's teacher schedule after-school math tutoring sessions if your child really needs help.  Advocate with the principal for the use of research-based peer tutoring programs for math. These tutoring programs have proven results, and students really enjoy them.  Use household chores as opportunities for reinforcing math learning such as cooking and repair activities.  Try to be aware of how your child is being taught math, and don't teach strategies and shortcuts that conflict with the approach the teacher is using. Check in with the teacher and ask what you can do to help. Ask the teacher about online resources that you can use with your child at home.  At the beginning of the year, ask your child's teacher for a list of suggestions that will enable you to help your child with math homework.

Ensuring All Students Are Prepared For Success 100% College and Career Readiness Page 19