Ask an Expert: Jim Cox and Pat Puleo
Measuring Up: A Parent's Guide to Testing, Grades, and Assessments

Are there any Internet sites or publications that can tell me what the eighth grade curriculum is in Los Angeles county? I want to make sure my daughter is up to speed before school starts this fall.

The California State Content Standards for all grades, K­12, are available on the California Department of Education's Web site. All California schools are held to teaching to these standards, so it is now the same in Los Angeles as it is in Mendocino.

You can download the standards in each grade for reading and language arts, math, history and social studies, visual and performing arts, and science. So, to view the required content and exit expectations for eighth graders in history and social studies for example, the specific spot on the site is http://www.cde.ca.gov/standards/history/grade8.html.

In order to be sure your daughter is prepared for the beginning of the school year, I'd recommend you begin with the seventh grade standards to be sure she has those in place from last year. You can continue to monitor her work throughout this coming year with the eighth grade standards. In addition, you should have received her seventh grade state test results sometime after August 15th. Those results, along with her final grade report and any specific information from last year's teacher, will also help you to identify her areas of strength and areas for improvement.

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