Georgia Assessments and the GPS

1. Georgia Assessments and the GPS

2. GaDOE Testing Division Goal We will provide well-designed assessments, aligned to the curriculum, with timely delivery of useful results.

3. Testing Updates • Curricular Transition of Assessments • New Writing Assessments • New Georgia Alternate Assessment • Plans for new 1st Grade Readiness Assessment • The Lexile Framework • Program changes and enhancements

4. How are tests aligned to the GPS? Two major tasks: • Content alignment “What students must know” Make sure all test items reflect the content described in the GPS. • Standard alignment “How well students must perform” Insure that performance standards reflect the mastery level described by the GPS.

5. Curriculum Transition • Where have we been? • EOCT transitioned to GPS starting in fall 2005 • Physical Science • Biology • 9th Grade Literature • American Literature • CRCT transitioned to GPS starting in spring 2006 • Reading and ELA, all grades • Math grade 6 • Science Grades 6 and 7

6. Curriculum Transition • What’s coming up? • EOCT • US History and Economics transitions in 2007-2008 • Math I and Math II developed in 2008-2009 • CRCT • 2006-2007: Math grades 1,2,&7; Science grades 3-5 • 2007-2008: Math grades 3-5, 8; Science grade 8; Social Studies grades 6-8 • 2008-2009: Social Studies grades 3-5

7. Curriculum Transition • The GHSGT is a special case • Because the GHSGT covers 3 years of content, it is important to wait until all students receive only GPS instruction in grades 9-12 to change the standards. • In the meantime, a ‘transitional’ blueprint is in place for ELA and Science to ensure that the test fully aligns to both QCC and GPS. • Spring 2008 the ELA and Science tests will be based exclusively on the GPS and will have new standards. • Spring 2008 the Social Studies test will be ‘transitional’. In spring 2010 the Social Studies test will be fully GPS with new standards. • Due to the grade level transition plan for mathematics, there will not be a transitional GHSGT for math; it will fully transition to GPS in 2011.

8. What changes to the test will you see when it transitions to the GPS? • CRCT and EOCT will have new content, new reporting domains, and a new reporting scale. • GHSGT will cover content jointly aligned to GPS and QCC. Current standard and scale will remain in place this year, but will change starting in 2008.

9. Important Note: • Once a test transitions to the GPS the old QCC test is no longer comparable to the new GPS test. • Example: Spring 2004 80% of Ms. Smith’s Physical Science class met expectations on the Physical Science EOCT. In fall 2005 Ms. Smith noticed that only 60% of her class met expectations on the EOCT. Are the students less able this term? One cannot make this determination because it is a new test with new standards.

10. Educator Involvement • In developing new content and new standards for assessments, Georgia educators play a critical role. • All new items are reviewed and approved by committees of Georgia educators before they appear on an operational test. • Standard setting panels are comprised almost exclusively of Georgia educators.

11. New Writing Assessments • Grade 3 Writing Assessment • Involves collection of student writing samples • Four types of writing: • Response to Literature • Informational • Narrative • Persuasive Analytic scoring in four domains: • Ideas • Organization • Style • Conventions

12. The New Grade 5 Writing Assessment • First Administration: March 7-8, 2007 • Three genres of writing: • Informational • Persuasive • Narrative • Writing prompts will be spiraled at the student level • Analytic scoring in four domains: • Ideas • Organization • Style • Conventions • Five score point rubric • 1 through 5 in each domain

13. The New Grade 8 Writing Assessment • First Administration: January 17-18, 2007 • Two genres of writing: • Expository • Persuasive • Writing prompts will be spiraled at the student level • Analytic scoring in four domains: • Ideas • Organization • Style • Conventions • Five score point rubric • 1 through 5 in each domain

14. The New High School Writing Assessment • First Administration: September 26-27, 2007 • Test of persuasive writing • Analytic scoring in four domains: • Ideas • Organization • Style • Conventions • Five score point rubric • 1 through 5 in each domain

15. The New Alternate Assessment NCLB and IDEA require • Students with significant cognitive disabilities be assessed in the same content areas as their peers. • Students must be assessed on the same curriculum, not an alternate curriculum. • Students may be assessed via alternate achievement standards, linked to the same curricular standards at the students’ grade level.

16. What’s New About the GAA? • The GAA is a portfolio of student work provided as evidence that a student is making progress toward grade-level academic standards • The portfolio is flexible to allow for the diversity of the students participating in the GAA

17. Portfolio Requirements • Grades K-2 will develop a portfolio in ELA and Math - 2 standards per content area • Grades 3-8 and 11 will develop a portfolio in ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies - 2 standards each for ELA and Math - 1 standard each for Science and Social Studies • For each standard, there are two collection periods – one to show the student’s initial skill - the second to show achievement/progress. • The focus is on academic content and skills

18. Types of Evidence • Primary • Student work sample • Permanent product • Videotape; audiotape (with script) • Series of Captioned Photos • Secondary • Data sheet (Charts/Graphs) • Interview • Observation (Anecdotal record) • An additional piece of primary evidence

19. Rubric/Scoring Dimensions Each entry will be scored on 4 dimensions Fidelity to Standard assesses the degree to which the student’s work addresses the grade-level standard to which it is aligned. Context assesses the degree to which the student work is purposeful and exhibits the use of grade-appropriate materials in a natural/real world application.

20. Rubric/Scoring Dimensions Achievement/Progress assesses the increase in the student’s proficiency of skill across the two collection periods. Generalization assesses the student's ability to apply the learned skill in other settings and with various individuals in addition to the teacher or paraprofessional. • Generalization is scored across all entries/content areas in the portfolio

21. Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (GKIDS) • Plans are in place for development of a new 1st grade readiness assessment • Core development and advisory teams will meet in spring 2007 • Field test planned for 2007-2008 • Operational administration in 2008-2009

22. Lexile Framework • In spring 2006 a study was conducted to link scores on the Reading CRCT and Language Arts GHSGT to the Lexile Framework • Lexiles are a widely used measure of both reader ability and text difficulty • Students now receive Lexile scores in addition to their traditional scale score on these tests. This better enables students, educators, and parents to make meaning of test results. • Can be used to set a target range (100 below and 50 above) for reading material across the curriculum.

23. Relating CRCT & GHSGT Cut Scores to Lexile Measures of Typical Readers and Texts

24. Interpreting the Graph • The graph illustrates the relationship of reader ability, text difficulty, and the cut scores on the CRCT and GHSGT. • The blue lines represent the Lexile range of typical texts for a grade level. • The red lines represent the Lexile range of readers that comprise the middle 50% of readers for a grade level. • The light green squares show the cut scores at the Meets performance level on the CRCT (grades 1-8) and GHSGT (grade 11). • The dark green squares show the cut scores at the Exceeds performance level on the CRCT (grades 1-8) and GHSGT (grade 11).

25. Assessment Vendors • Online Assessment System (OAS): Riverside Publishing Company (RPC). Five year contract initiated in July 2006. • CRCT: CTB McGraw Hill. Five year contract initiated October 2006. • GHSGT: Five year contract recently awarded to Pearson Educational Measurement (PEM) starting January 1, 2007. • EOCT: Contract with PEM expires June 2007. • NRT: Contract with RPC expires June 2007.

26. Enhancements in Assessment Programs • Addition of level three to the OAS. Content tagged at the standard and element level. Benchmark tests available through the OAS. • Student results available in 5 days for CRCT and GHSGT, starting spring 2007. • Items prompts will be released following each writing test, starting spring 2007. • Assessment data file available automatically through the MyGaDOE portal for CRCT and GHSGT, starting this spring.

27. Questions? Contact information: • Chris Domaleski cdomales@doe.k12.ga.us 404-656-2688.