Division of Performance Accountability Department of Assessment

1. Division of Performance Accountability Department of Assessment Developing Assessment Items using the FCAT Specifications (SPECS) Nancy E. Brito, NBCT, Instructional Specialist Senella Johnson, Test Development Specialist Dr. Carla Kendall, Manager, Online Assessment 561-434-8850, PX48850

2. The FCAT Specifications referenced in this Power Point are: Reading: 2001 Mathematics: 2005 Science: 2002 The Spring 2010 FCAT items are based on the benchmarks in these FCAT Specifications.

3. What you should know about the Spring 2010 FCAT • Reading and Mathematics will contain Performance Tasks: Short Response (SR) and Extended Response (ER) • Science will NOT contain Performance Tasks: SR and ER

4. Begin by taking a Released FCAT or Sample Test in your content area and grade level/cluster. Experience what your students will experience!

5. Target: To utilize the FCAT Test Items and Performance Task Specifications as a guide to identify/develop/modify grade level appropriate questions that are aligned to the Sunshine State Standards benchmarks and are of the same cognitive rigor as the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT).

6. Principles for QualityClassroom Assessment* continued Principle 1.Quality assessments arise from and accurately reflect clearly specified, appropriate, and essential learning targets. Principle 2. Quality assessments are specifically designed and focused to serve instructional purposes. Principle 3. Quality assessments accurately reflect the intended target and serve the intended purpose. * From Article: Assessment Literacy for Educators: Linking Instruction and Assessment by Carolyn T. Cobb, Jeane M. Joyner, and Janet L. Williamson

7. Principles for QualityClassroom Assessment* Principle 4. Quality assessments promote equity by providing ample opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning. Principle 5. Quality assessments provide sufficient evidence of learning to permit confident conclusions (inferences) about student achievement. Principle 6. Quality assessments are designed, developed, and used in ways that eliminate bias or distortion that may interfere with the accuracy of results.

8. A well designed classroom assessment provides information on the strengths and challenges of students. What do my students know? What are my students able to do?

9. KINDS OF ASSESSMENTS… • JOURNALS • PORTFOLIOS • PROJECTS • TESTS • Written • Oral • Skill

10. ULTIMATELY we want to… • determine if students mastered a TAUGHT concept • check the comprehension of both the knowledge and skill TAUGHT In order to do this we must set STANDARDS…

11. STANDARDS • provide expectations for student achievement • provide direction for student learning (content & process) • provide an instructional designthat caters and focuses the curriculum

12. STANDARDS What is the Driving Force? Curriculum Grades Nine Weeks Exam Subject Specifics High-Stakes Tests ACT FCAT SAT

13. SSS There must be Alignment. Assessment Curriculum Instruction

14. SSS There must be Alignment. Assessment Curriculum Instruction

15. SSS There must be Alignment. Assessment Curriculum Instruction

16. What is theSTANDARDfor Florida? Sunshine State Standards

17. AcademicStandards

18. What do you know about academic standards? How do you use the Sunshine State Standards in your classroom?

19. Academic Standards • Are based on the belief that, given the rightopportunities,EVERY CHILD CAN LEARN • Apply toALLstudents • Are the WHAT of education while curriculum and instruction are the HOW Continued…

20. Why academic standards? • Show teachers how well their students are doing by looking at their progress towards mastery of standards • Show stakeholders what schools are aiming to teach and what students must learn • Serve as an important tool for equity • Provide yardsticks for evaluating all aspects of schooling, that is, textbooks, staff development workshops, schedules, resources, personnel assignments, etc.

21. How well do you know the standards?

22. What are the Language Arts SSS strands? A. Reading B. Writing C. Listening, Viewing, and Speaking D. Language E. Literature Which are assessed by FCAT? • For purposes of reporting FCAT scores reading and literature benchmarks are organized in clusters: • Words and Phrases in Context • Main Idea, Plot, and Author’s Purpose • Comparisons and Cause/Effect • Reference and Research • Reading • Writing • E. Literature

23. What is the scope of the Language Arts SSS?

24. What are the Mathematics SSS strands? • Number Sense, Concepts & Operations • Measurement • Geometry & Spatial Sense • Algebraic Thinking • Data Analysis & Probability Which are assessed by FCAT? ALL Strands

25. What is the scope of the Mathematics SSS?

26. What are the Science SSS strands? • Earth & Space • Processes of Life • How Living Things Interact with Their Environment • The Nature of Science • The Nature of Matter • Energy • Force & Motion • Processes That Shape the Earth For purposes of reporting FCAT scores benchmarks are organized in clusters: • Physical and Chemical Sciences • Earth and Space Sciences • Life and Environmental Sciences • Scientific Thinking Sciences Which are assessed by FCAT? ALL Strands

27. What is the scope of the Science SSS?

28. How should we use the Sunshine State Standards? To PLAN and GUIDE classroom instruction

29. How should we use the Sunshine State Standards? To DEVELOP classroom assessments

30. Standards Reading, Mathematics, & Science Your turn! Activity time! Pick a benchmark and identify the mayor differences across the grades. The scope of the tested benchmarks are presented in Appendix B of the FCAT Specifications.

31. What is theSTANDARDfor Florida? Sunshine State Standards

32. What is theSTANDARDfor Florida? Sunshine State Standards FCAT Test Item Specifications

33. Developing Assessment Items

34. What are the 7characteristics of a “good” item writer? • Knows the CONTENT being tested • Is aware of the OBJECTIVES being tested • Knows/understands the STUDENTS being tested • Has skills in written COMMUNICATION Continued…

35. What are the 7characteristics of a “good” item writer? 5. Has skills in TECHNIQUES of item writing 6. Knows the FORMAT of high stakes test items 7. Knows how to ALIGN the assessment with the FCAT

36. What every teacher should know about FCAT Yes! Incorporate FCAT-like questions into regular lessons, activities, and assessments. Is there a simple way for every teacher to help students be prepared for FCAT?

37. Getting into the FCAT Specifications (SPECS)

38. What do the tags mean? • The tags below refer to the subject specific FCAT Specification page number for the appropriate subject.

39. Let’s explore and examine! • Explorethe Reading, Mathematics, and Science FCAT Item Specifications (SPECS) • Examinethe guidelines that apply to developing FCAT test items

40. What’s the target? • By the end of this presentation you will be able to: • Explain the purpose of the FCAT SPECS • Use the FCAT SPECS as a resource to create classroom assessments that are aligned to Sunshine State Standards and follow FCAT item creation specifications

41. What do you need? • The FCAT Specification • Reading, • Mathematics, or • Science Posted at the FDOE Web Site below: http://fcat.fldoe.org/fcatis01.asp#specs

42. What do you need? • Released or Sample FCAT test • Reading, • Mathematics, or • Science Released tests at: http://fcat.fldoe.org/fcatrelease.asp Sample tests at: http://fcat.fldoe.org/fcatitem.asp

43. What do you need? • Cognitive Complexity Classification Level • Reading, • Mathematics, or • Science Posted at: http://fcat.fldoe.org/pdf/cog_complexity-fv31.pdf

44. What do you need? • FCAT Test Design Summary • Reading • Mathematics • Science Posted at: http://fcat.fldoe.org/pdf/fc05designsummary.pdf

45. What is the purpose of the FCAT SPECS? • Describe the test items and performancetasks found in the FCAT assessments • Provide general and specific guidelines for development of all test items and performance tasks at the grade levels assessed by the FCAT

46. Part I: General Specifications • Reading • Address the criteria that apply to the selection of Reading passages for FCAT • Mathematics & Science • Address the topics and development considerations that apply to all Mathematics and Science test items

47. Potential Bias and Distortion to Accurate Assessments Bias, Sensitivity, and Barriers

48. Bias • Types of bias: • Gender • Race/ethnicity • Geographic • Religious • Socioeconomic • Family environment • Physical • Visually impaired • Linguistic • Word usage • Regional words • Spelling

49. Sensitivity Issues of potential concern to members of community • Inappropriate materials • Religious • Cultural • Ethnic • Fears • Phobias

50. General Specifications! Reading, Mathematics, & Science Your turn! Take a look! Become familiar with the General Specifications.