Connecticut Academic Performance Test

1. Connecticut Academic Performance Test Spotlight on Assessment University of Connecticut Neag School of Education March 28, 2008

2. Connecticut Academic Performance Test The purposes of the CAPT are to: • establish high performance standards for all high school sophomores on a comprehensive range of important skills and knowledge; • emphasize the application and integration of skills and knowledge in realistic contexts; • promote better instruction and curriculum by providing information on students, school, and district strengths and weaknesses; and • provide an expanded measure of accountability for CT’s educational system at the high school level.

3. Connecticut Academic Performance Test Generation of the test – time period when the skills and knowledge assessed by the test and the test design are consistent across years. First Generation: 1995 – 2000 Second Generation: 2001 – 2006 Third Generation: 2007 - ?

4. CAPT: Third Generation • Reading Across the Disciplines • Response to Literature • Reading for Information • Writing Across the Disciplines • Interdisciplinary Writing, Session 1 and 2 • Editing & Revising • Mathematics • Science

5. CAPT: Third Generation Response to Literature • Students read a published short story and respond to four open-ended questions. • Four dimensions assessed: forming an initial understanding, developing any interpretation, making connections, and taking a critical stance. • Four questions scored holistically on a 1 to 6 scale. Two readers score each response for a total of 2 – 12 points. • Administration time: 70 minutes.

6. CAPT: Third Generation Reading for Information • Students read three non-fiction articles and respond to a total of 6 open-ended (2 points each) and 12 multiple-choice questions ( 1 point each). • The test measures how well students interpret or explain each article and evaluate the way the authors wrote the articles. • Administration time: 45 minutes.

7. CAPT: Third Generation Interdisciplinary Writing, Session 1 and 2 • Students read two non-fiction articles on a contemporary issue and write a persuasive essay. • The test measures how well students take a clear and persuasive position on the issue and use information from the articles to support their position. • Each essay scored on a scale of 1 to 6. Two readers score each essay for a total of 2 – 12. • Administration time: 65 minutes for each session.

8. CAPT: Third Generation Editing & Revising • Students read three passages and answer a total of 18 multiple-choice questions. • The test assesses a student’s ability to correct common errors in organization, word choice, syntax, capitalization, punctuation, usage, and spelling. • Administration time: 25 minutes.

9. CAPT: Third Generation Mathematics • Test assesses a student’s ability to compute and estimate, solve problems, and communicate their understanding across four content standards: • Algebraic Reasoning • Numerical and Proportional Reasoning • Geometry and Measurement • Working with Data: Probability and Statistics • Test includes 8 open-ended and 24 grid-in items. • Administration time:150 minutes.

10. CAPT: Third Generation

11. CAPT: Third Generation Science • Test assesses students’ understanding of important scientific concepts and their application to realistic problems. • Five Content Strands: • Energy Transformations • Chemical Structures and Properties • Global Interdependence • Cell Chemistry and Biotechnology • Genetics, Evolution and Biodiversity • Test includes 5 open-ended and 60 multiple-choice items. • Administration Time: 100 minutes

12. CAPT: Third Generation

13. CAPT: Third Generation

14. CAPT: Third Generation Who must take the test? • All grade 10 students must take the CAPT. • Students who are English language learners in their first year in a U.S. school may be exempted from Reading and Writing (must take the Mathematics and Science tests). • Accommodations are available for special education and 504 students.

15. CAPT: Third Generation Who scores the test? • The CAPT testing contractor scores the test using trained readers – various sites throughout the country. • All scoring criteria and training materials are developed by Connecticut advisory committees/state department staff.

16. CAPT: Third Generation Are any alternate assessments available? • Students with significant cognitive impairment are assessed through the CAPT Skills Checklist. • Coming Soon – a modified assessment for certain low-ability special education students.

17. CAPT: Third Generation What reports are issued from the test? • Each student receives an individual student report, labels, and Certificate of Mastery (if they reach the Goal level or Above). • Various school and district reports are also generated.

18. CAPT: Third Generation www.captreports.com

19. CAPT: Third Generation What additional CAPT resources are available? Go to www.ct.gov/sde • Teacher Handbooks • Released Items • Program Overview • Interpretive Guide

20. CAPT Study: Predictor of Success in College First Steps” An Evaluation of the Success of CT Students Beyond High School (Coelen and Berger, 2006) Major Findings: • CAPT scores were more consistent than SATs in predicting academic success in college. • The higher the CAPT score, the more likely the student would: • go to college • avoid remediation • get a higher grade point average • graduate from college

21. Raised Bill No. 411 (February, 2008) The Board of Governors of Higher Education shall establish a program to provide scholarships for attendance at public institutions of higher education for students who perform on the tenth grade state-wide mastery examination pursuant to section 10-14n of the 2008 supplement to the general statues and in high school. Under the program, each student who (1) scores in the top twenty-five percent of students in such student’s school district on all of the components of such mastery examination, as determined by the Commissioner of Education, and (2) had at least a “B” average in high school shall receive a scholarship in the amount that equals the sum of the tuition and fees charged by the public institution of higher education at which the student is accepted and enrolls. (to be effective July 1, 2008)

22. CAPT and No Child Left Behind • CAPT is used as the high school assessment for Adequate Yearly Progress under NCLB. • NCLB Goal – all students proficient in Math and Reading by 2014. • Each district and school is expected to make adequate yearly progress toward meeting state standards. Progress is measured for all students by sorting test results for students who are economically disadvantaged, from racial or ethnic minority groups, have disabilities, or have limited English proficiency. • If the district or school continually fails to make adequate progress toward the standards, then they will be held accountable.

23. CAPT and No Child Left Behind AYP Status for 2007 • Of 805 elementary and middle schools, 265 did not make AYP – an improvement over last year’s 290. • Of Connecticut’s 182 public high schools, 50 did not make AYP – 10 more than last year. • Of the state’s 171 school districts, 32 did not make AYP – the same as in 2006. See 2007 No Child Left Behind press release for further information.