A Short Guide to Mastering Math Mastery

What’s is the purpose of Math Mastery?

Math Mastery assesses your child’s mastery of a standard (or standards) from the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).  The CCSS are a sequence of topics that is logical and reflects the sequential nature of mathematics.  This means that what your child has learned (or has not learned) previously may very well affect what he/she will learn (or will not learn) in the future.  While Math Mastery cannot assess mastery of all of the CCSS standards and while all of the standards in the CCSS are important, emphasis is placed upon those standards that our teachers consider to be most important to your child’s progress throughout his/her grade level.

How can my child prepare for the test?

The Summer Session of Math Mastery, which occurs in Trimester 1, will assess your child’s mastery of a CCSS standard (or standards) that your child learned from the previous school year.  For this session, your child can study the worksheets in the Summer Packet that were provided by Mr. De Mattos.  He/she can also go on Mr. De Mattos’ blog at http://blogs.ksbe.edu/dadematt/.  Look under the headers, “Sixth Grade,” “Seventh Grade,” and “Eighth Grade,” depending on his/her grade level. There, your child will find video tutorials, practice tests, and ixl.com topics to do to practice for the Summer Session of Math Mastery.  The Trimester 2 and Trimester 3 sessions of Math Mastery will assess your child’s mastery of a CSSS standard (or standards) that your child learned from the previous trimester.  For these sessions, your child can study his/her notes, homework and classwork assignments, ixl.com topics, quizzes, and tests that address the standard (or standards) being assessed.  He/she can also go on Mr. De Mattos’ blog at http://blogs.ksbe.edu/dadematt/.  Look under the headers, “Sixth Grade,” “Seventh Grade,” and “Eighth Grade,” depending on his/her grade level. There your child will find video tutorials, practice tests, and ixl.com topics to do to practice for the Trimester 2 and Trimester 3 sessions of Math Mastery.

 When does my child take the test? 

The first two rounds of Math Mastery are taken in your child’s math class.  The first round occurs towards the beginning of the trimester, while the second round occurs near the midmester of the trimester.  Every student is required to take the first two rounds regardless of how he/she did in the first round.  If your child did not do as well as he/she should have, this allows him/her to improve his/her score.  If your child did do well, it is important that they again demonstrate mastery.  It is recommended that your child take the test a third time if he/she has not yet mastered one or more of the skills assessed in the test.  Each test will be returned with an attached list of the skills, labeled “_____ _____ Skills Checklist,” that were assessed.  A check next to a skill means that, from the evidence that can be seen on the test, your child needs to work on that skill.  A check next to the skill labeled, “attending to precision,” means that your child made silly mistakes.  If your child opts to take the test the third time, he/she needs to take it in Room 1104 (Mr. De Mattos’ room) before school, during recess, or after school.  Your child is allowed to take the test a maximum of three (3) times.

 How is Math Mastery graded?

The grade your child earns on the Math Mastery test is part of your child’s grade in his/her math class. While a 100% is not required, it should be your child’s goal because it indicates that your child has truly mastered the standard (or standards).  Please frequently monitor your child’s progress on KS Connect and look over the “Skills Checklist” that is attached to your child’s Math Mastery tests.  Unless there is a large drop in the score from Round 1 to Round 2, your child’s grade will be the better of the two grades.  If there is a large drop or your child does poorly in the first two rounds, Mr. De Mattos may require and/or strongly recommends that your child take the test the third time.  In this case, Mr. De Mattos reserves the right to take the better of the two lowest scores, instead of the best of the three scores.

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