Office of Assessment, Accountability and Research WV Department of Education

1. West Virginia Educational Standards Test 2(WESTEST 2) Interpretative Guide for Student Report Office of Assessment, Accountability and Research WV Department of Education

2. Purpose of WESTEST 2 • To measure and identify student levels of performance on the West Virginia 21st Century Content Standards and Objectives (CSOs) • To provide information about student academic strengths and weaknesses per standard and objective • Educators interpret WESTEST 2 results to guide instruction

3. Description of the WESTEST 2 • WESTEST 2 is a custom designed summative assessment for students in grades 3-11 • WESTEST 2 is untimed • WESTEST 2 is aligned to the West Virginia 21st Century Content Standards and Objectives (CSOs) in Mathematics, Reading/Language Arts, Science and Social Studies

4. Preparation for WESTEST 2 WESTEST2 preparation is conducted based on the following components: • Teaching 21st Century WV Content Standards and Objectives (CSOs) for academic success • Preparing students to respond to a variety of performance based tasks in the classroom • Promoting and teaching technology skills • Promoting and teaching higher level thinking skills • Promoting and teaching communication skills

5. Reading Language Arts • Each test item emphasizes high interest, 21st century context • The test measures vocabulary, reading comprehension skills, and writing skills • RLA test is divided into three sessions: • Session 1 • Online Writing • Sessions 2 and 3 • RLA Selected Responses

6. Mathematics Test • Each test item emphasizes critical thinking and problem solving skills and measures CSOs as indicated below: • Grades 3-8 items are based on conceptual understanding, procedural knowledge, problem solving, and mathematical skills for standards of number and operations, algebra, geometry, measurement, and data analysis/probability • Grade 9 items are based on Algebra 1 CSOs • Grade 10 items are based on Geometry CSOs • Grade 11items are based on a combination of 40% Algebra 1; 15% Algebra II; 38% Geometry and 7% Trigonometry • Grade 11 test aligns to ACT, college readiness and workplace skills

7. Science • Each test item emphasizes critical thinking and problem solving skills and measures the application and nature of science content through multiple-choice and two gridded response questions • Grades 3-8 items are based on the West Virginia 21st Century Content Standards and Objectives (CSOs) • Grade 9 items are based on the physical science CSOs • Grade 10 and 11 items are based on biology CSOs (2010) • Grade 11items are based on chemistry CSOs (2011)

8. Social Studies • Each test item emphasizes critical thinking skills and the ability to process conceptual understanding in grades 3-11 • Thetest measures skills in the areas of citizenship, civics/government, economics, geography, and history • The test is interspersed with Document Based Questions (DBQs) • questions that stem back to a series of maps, excerpts, graphs

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10. What This Report Shows • Describes the five performance levels in each content area • Distinguished, Above Mastery, Mastery, Partial Mastery and Novice • Describes Lexile and Quantile Measures • Indicates the student performance level • √ defines the skills and knowledge that are demonstrated by students in each content • Indicates student scale scores and scale score ranges • Directs instructional planning • Serves as a permanent record of performance

11. Definitions for Understanding Report • Incomplete – student did not complete the required number of items to receive a score • Lexile Measure – a developmental scale linking the RLA score to reading ability • Performance Level Descriptors – descriptions of the what students know and can do with the content and grade level • Quantile Measure – classification of mathematics skills and concepts, showing a progression of mathematical development and measurement of student achievement

12. Definitions for Understanding Report con’t • Scale Score – compares student score to the range of scores with the content area to determine progress from one grade to the next • Scale scores cannot be compared from content to content • Scale Score Range – specific points or cuts on a scale that define the scale score ranges for the five performance levels • The student’s score indicates a performance level

13. Student report Backer with 6th grade PLDs put sample on it Sample

14. Performance Level Descriptors (PLDs) • PLDs summarize the level of understanding students have of the content curriculum • As a parent it is recommended you view the complete listing of content standards on the website • http://wvde.state.wv.us/policy2520 • For further information on Lexile/Quantile Measures see • http://www.Quantiles.com/mathathome/ and http://www.Lexile.com/findabook/

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17. What the IRR Report Shows • Provides WESTEST 2 content standard and objective number • Indicates the student right or wrong response • Indicates points per items • Indicates number of possible points for each item • Indicates depth of knowledge level (DOK)

18. Further Information • Please contact your child’s school for further explanation • Office of Assessment, Accountability and Research • 304-558-2546