Arizona’s Assessment Program

1. Arizona’s Assessment Program AIMS HS AIMS DPA TerraNova AIMS-A/ASAT Revised November 2006

2. Arizona’s Assessments • Standards Based Assessments • Measure student proficiency of Arizona curriculum standards in Writing, Reading, Mathematics, and Science • Required by state and federal law • Norm Referenced Assessments • Provide student national percentile ranking in Reading, Language Arts, and Mathematics • Required by state law

3. Arizona’s Assessments • Standards Based Assessments • Arizona’s Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) • Arizona owned and developed • Norm Referenced Assessments • TerraNova • CTB/McGraw-Hill owned and developed

4. Arizona’s Assessments • AIMS HS (High School) • Standards based • Grades 10, 11, 12 • AIMS DPA (Dual Purpose Assessment) • Standards based & norm referenced • Grades 3 through 8 • TerraNova • Norm referenced • Grades 2 and 9 • AIMS-A/ASAT(for students with significant cognitive disabilities) • Grades 2 through 12

5. AIMS HS • Covers content that is expected to be taught in ninth and tenth grade. • Based on the Writing, Reading, and Mathematics Articulated Standards approved in 2003 and 2004. • Science to be field tested in 2007 and operational in 2008. Based on Science Articulated Standard approved in 2004 and focuses on life science.

6. AIMS HS • Writing • One extended writing prompt • Reading • Selected response • Mathematics • Selected response • Science • Selected response

7. AIMS HS • Scored using the FAME scale • Exceeds the Standard • Meets the Standard • Approaches the Standard • Falls Far Below the Standard Passing Failing

8. AIMS HS • Administered in the Spring • All 10th graders (based on cohort) • All 11th and 12th graders who have not yet met the standard • 11th and 12th graders who have met the standard, but not yet exceeded, may retake to improve score

9. AIMS HS • Administered in the Fall • All 11th and 12th graders who have not yet met the standard • 11th and 12th graders who have met the standard, but not yet exceeded, may retake to improve score

10. AIMS HS • Students must pass all three content areas (Writing, Reading, and Mathematics) of AIMS HS to graduate from high school. • Students have at least five chances to pass AIMS HS.

11. AIMS HS • Students with an IEP or a 504 plan are not required to pass AIMS HS for graduation unless required in IEP or 504 plan. • Students who have passed a qualifying exam in another state are not required to pass AIMS HS. • Students graduating in 2006 or 2007 may augment their AIMS HS scores using course grades.

12. AIMS DPA • Covers content that is expected to be taught in specified grade. • Based on the Writing, Reading, and Mathematics Articulated Standards approved in 2003 and 2004. • Science to be field tested in 2007 in grades 4 and 8. Based on Science Articulated Standard approved in 2004. • Includes TerraNova norm referenced items.

13. AIMS DPA • AIMS DPA is a dual purpose assessment. • AIMS and Terra Nova items are combined onto one test. • A combined test reduces the number of questions students must answer.

14. AIMS DPA • Writing • One extended writing prompt • Reading • Selected response • Includes TerraNova Reading and Language Arts Items • Mathematics • Selected response • Includes TerraNova Mathematics Items • Science • Selected response

15. AIMS DPA AIMS portion AIMS Items Terra Nova Items TerraNova/ AIMS Items TerraNova portion

16. AIMS DPA • AIMS portion scored using the FAME scale • Exceeds the Standard • Meets the Standard • Approaches the Standard • Falls Far Below the Standard • TerraNova portion scored using percentile Passing Failing

17. AIMS DPA • Administered in the Spring • All students in grades 3 through 8 are tested on the AIMS DPA which includes Writing, Reading, Mathematics and TerraNova. • In grades 4 and 8, Science will also be included (field test only 2007 – operational 2008).

18. TerraNova • Reading/Language Arts • Selected response • Mathematics • Selected response • Scored using percentile • Administered in Spring • All 2nd graders • All 9th graders

19. Testing Accommodations • All students in grades 2 through high school are to participate in state testing. • Some students may receive testing accommodations (SpEd, 504, ELL). • Students with a significant cognitive disability (approximately 1% of the population) may qualify to participate in an alternate assessment, AIMS-A/ASAT. For further information please go to the following link: http://www.azed.gov/ess/SpecialProjects/aims-a/

20. Test Preparation • All activities used to prepare students for testing must meet the guidelines established by the Arizona Board of Education.

21. Testing Requirements • All public schools are required to properly administer state mandated assessments • Designate a test coordinator and notify Assessment Section of ADE • Become familiar with the various testing resources and information available on the ADE website • Attend pre-test workshops

22. Test Support Materials • Sources on ADE website • AIMS Student Guides • AIMS Sample Tests • AIMS HS Released Items http://www.ade.az.gov/standards/aims/Administering/

23. Test Support Materials • Sources on IDEAL website • Strand/Concept Level Quizzes • Formative Assessment Item Bank www.ideal.azed.gov Contact Information: Chris Paulino Director of Formative Assessment 602.364.2814 Chris.Paulino@azed.gov

24. Contact Information Irene Hunting Director of State Test Administration Assessment Section, ADE 602.542.5031 Irene.Hunting@azed.gov To be added to test coordinator list contact Samantha Whittle Samantha.Whittle@azed.gov