PARENT News
Countdown to DC-CAS!
Greetings from the Director
What is DC-CAS?
Per the No Child Left Behind Act the DC-CAS is the District of Columbia’s standard base skills assessment test for students in grades 3 through 8 and grade 10. This test is annually administered to measure how well students are learning and results are used to also determine whether a school makes Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). The test evaluates student’s annual yearly progress in the areas of math, reading, composition and science. This year the DC-CAS will be administered over a twoweek period starting April 20 through April 30.
Dear Parents and Families, As your child grows and learns during the school year, we want to determine what he/she knows, is able to do, and how well your student performs in the academic program. During the week of
April 20–30, 2009 our students in grade(s) 3 through 8 and grade 10 will be taking the District of Columbia Comprehensive Assessment Test (DC-CAS) to measure their achievement in reading, math, composition and science. School administrators, teachers and staff have been working tirelessly to ensure that all of our students are armed with the academic knowledge, skills, confidence and determination to achieve DC-CAS performance standards success.
We need your help!
As we prepare our students for one of the most important exams of the school year, we found out that the Public Charter School facilities allowance has been cut by 24 million in the Fiscal Year 2010 budget submitted to the DC City Council by Mayor Fenty on March 20th. The city has divided school students into two classes – DCPS students and Public Charter School students. DCPS receives $5,248 per student and Charter Schools receive $2,341 per student, resulting in charter schools receiving $2,900 less per student. Is that fair? Of course not! What can we do? Friendship parents and guardians contact your ward council member, Chairman Gray, and the four at-large council members to let them know you want public charter schools facilities funding restored.
Spring 2009
Who should you contact?
• Chair Vincent Gray 202 724-8032 vgray@dccouncil.us • At large David Catania 202 724-7772 dcatania@dccouncil.us • At large Phil Mendelson 202 724-8064 pmendelson@dccouncil.us • At large Michael Brown 202 724-8105 mbrown@dccouncil.us • At large Kwame Brown 202 724-8174 kbrown@dccouncil.us • Ward 1 Jim Graham 202 724-8181 jgraham@dccouncil.us • Ward 2 Jack Evans 202 724-8058 jackevans@dccouncil.us • Ward 3 Mary Cheh 202 724-8062 mcheh@dccouncil.us • Ward 4 Muriel Bowser 202 724-8052 mbowser@dccouncil.us • Ward 5 Harry Thomas Jr. 202 724-8028 hthomas@dccouncil.us • Ward 6 Tommy Wells 202 724-8072 twells@dccouncil.us • Ward 7 Yvette Alexander 202 724-8068 yalexander@dccouncil.us • Ward 8 Marion Barry 202 724-8045 mbarry@dccouncil.us
Based on performance, each student is classified as performing at one of four performance levels: advanced, proficient, basic, or below basic. If you would like to review the performance level descriptions, they are available at your student’s school main office or contact Ms. Gail B. Sivels, Director of Parent Relations at 202-2801700. The performance descriptions will provide a brief summary of typical performance for each grade level. The skills identified in each description represent, but are not all-inclusive of the skills a student should be able to demonstrate at each performance level. Students are required to analyze and compare data; identify clues to problem solving and explain in three to four sentences how they arrive at their answers. Please use information in this Newsletter to help you and your child.
Make a call and/or send a email and help us fight for equal funding and equal treatment for students in Public Charter Schools. Please call me if you have any questions. I will be glad to speak with you. Thank you for your continued support and cooperation. Let’s blast the DC-CAS!!!!! Let’s Protect our School Funding!!!! Warm Regards, Gail B. Sivels Director of Parent Relations