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FCAT Explorer: 11th Grade Science
FCAT Explorer's Science Mission: 11th Grade Benchmarks is a fully-interactive program that features benchmark-based instruction to help students learn about and practice science skills tested on the FCAT.
Science Mission features over 200 practice questions based on the Sunshine State Standards. In Science Mission, students access practice materials by selecting an area representing the Earth & Space, Physical & Chemical, or Life & Environmental Strands. In addition, Science Mission features instructional support, including answer-specific feedback, strand-based lessons, and science vocabulary activities.
Science Mission is now available. And don't forget to check out our other science programs for grades 5 and 8.
New 10th Grade Math Lesson Available
Students using Math Timeline: 10th Grade Benchmarks now have a new lesson to help them practice their math skills. Available in the Math Machine, this new lesson explains the Pythagorean Theorem. Students will learn about the relationship between sides of a right angle in an interactive, step-by-step process that features graphics and animations.
Teacher Training Available
The FCAT Explorer/FOCUS Support Services Team is available to provide training to teachers and staff across the state. Support Services Staff can train any teacher, media specialist, school administrator, or other school staff in using the FCAT Explorer and FOCUS Teacher's Desk features.
FCAT Explorer and FOCUS Newsletter
The FCAT Explorer/FOCUS Support newsletter is delivered to all public school teachers in Florida via e-mail. The newsletter is designed to provide teachers and administrators with the latest information about these two free resources from the Department of Education. If you would like to receive the newsletter and have not yet, please send an e-mail to newsletter@fcatexplorer.com and type Subscribe in the subject line of the e-mail.
To see previous issues of the newsletter, click on one of the links below: ISSUE 1, FALL 2006 ISSUE 2, WINTER 2007 ISSUE 3, SPRING 2007 ISSUE 4, SUMMER 2007
ISSUE 5, FALL 2007 ISSUE 6, WINTER 2008 ISSUE 7, SPRING 2008
New Sunshine State Standards
The Florida Department of Education (DOE) plans to provide direction to districts and schools in January about the deployment of the new Sunshine State Standards.
In the current timeline for revision of state assessments, DOE will field test new reading and mathematics test items in 2010 and baseline these new assessments in 2011. Draft Test Item Specifications for these content areas should be available on DOE's web site, fcat.fldoe.org, in late summer 2008. The revision of Florida's science assessments will occur at least a year later than reading and mathematics. The revision of the state writing assessments will likely follow science by one year and baseline no earlier than 2013.
FCAT Explorer and Adobe Flash
Are you up to date?
Currently, most FCAT Explorer programs will run under Adobe Flash 6.0. However, it is a good idea to update the Flash program on your computer, especially if you want to take advantage of the new features planned for FCAT Explorer.
In June, we launched Science Station: 5th Grade Benchmarks. Science Station and other programs launched in the new school year will run under Adobe Flash 7.0.
Please note: The current Flash version is 9.0, so if you've updated since September 2004, your Flash player will support all FCAT Explorer programs.
You can download Adobe Flash at no cost from the Adobe site: http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash&%3BP5_Language=German%253E.
If you have problems installing the new Flash, you can find help from Adobe at this site: http://www.adobe.com/support/flashplayer/.
Best Practice Guidelines Offer Tips for Effective Use
FCAT Explorer Support Services team members have developed a set of Best Practice Guidelines to help you use FCAT Explorer practice programs as effectively as possible. The guidelines offer tips and suggestions in the following areas:
- Starting a New School Year
- Getting Your Students Started
- Signing On
- Exploring Your Teacher?s Desk
- Monitoring Student Progress
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- Getting Familiar with the Student Site
- Helping Students Succeed
- Exploring in the Classroom
- Encouraging After-School Use
- Getting Technical Assistance
| To access the guidelines, click the link at the end of this article. On subsequent visits, you can click Educator Resources on the home pageyou'll find the FCAT Explorer Best Practice Guidelines link under the School Resources column.
Support Services team members developed the FCAT Explorer Best Practice Guidelines based on discussions and interactions with public school teachers throughout Florida. If you have additional ideas or suggestions to offer, click CONTACT US from the FCAT Explorer home page or your FCAT Explorer Teacher's Desk. You can also give your ideas to a Support Services team member by calling 888.750.3228 toll-free.
The FCAT Explorer Best Practice Guidelines will be updated as Support Services team members collect new ideas and insights from you and other teachers, so check it out from time to time!
Yearly Database Renewal & Fall Enrollment
To prepare for the upcoming school year, the Support Services Team has renewed the FCAT Explorer database. Sign-in names and passwords of all teachers have been deleted. Additionally, all student sign-in names, passwords, and performance data have been deleted.
During the fall enrollment period, the FCAT Explorer Team will work with your district office to process student and teacher sign-in names and passwords. Once the enrollment for your district is complete, your district office will distribute new sign-in names and passwords to your School Administrator. The list of Currently Enrolled Districts and School Administrators below allows you to check on the enrollment process for your school or district.
Typically, enrollment is complete within two weeks after school starts. Thank you for your patience as we prepare the database for the upcoming school year enrollments.
Currently Enrolled Districts & School Administrators
Click a district to see a list of schools in the
district.
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FCAT Explorer Acknowledgements
The FCAT Explorer is created with the help of teachers, instructional
designers, and reading specialists from across Florida. To see a list of those
who have helped in the development of FCAT Explorer, click
here.
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