We are back in session after spring break and would like to bring you up-to-date on the progress with our software project. We have storyboarded the project and presented it to our class with positive and constructive feedback from classmates and Roger. Our final presentation will be on May 6th, so we have a very steep production curve during the next 3 weeks.

Basically, we are planning to use the testing formats of the Princeton Review book that you showed us. This will give students practice and guidance in the testing strategies needed for the standards-based assessment. We are also planning to give dynamic feedback to wrong answers and coach students toward a better choice. In addition, we are hoping to engage students with more interesting text than that provided in the workbook.

We are gathering text that we hope will touch on a range of interests and also extend across a range of reading levels. I'd like to give you a couple of examples of the possible materials that we are looking at right now. Would you let us know if you think that the reading level and subject matter are appropriate?

1. Biographies of famous Americans from the Library of Congress, such as:

-- Cesar Chavez at http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/aa/activists/chavez/peace_1

-- Amelia Earhart at http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/aa/explorers/earhart/last_1

2. Animal stories, such as those from the National Zoo at http://natzoo.si.edu/Publications/ZooGoer/1997/3/lionsroar.cfm

3. Baseball's Opening Day from the National Baseball Hall of Fame at http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/history/2003/030330.htm

Please let me know what you think of this type and level of content. Articles would be abridged to a paragraph and followed by questions on comprehension.

Looking forward to hearing from you--

Cathy