2014 Fall Assessment ConferenceAssessment Program Update 2014-2015

August 25, 2014 (Part 1), 1:00-3:00 PMSeptember 9, 2014 (Part 2), 1:00-3:00 PM

Georgia MilestonesComprehensive

– single program, not series of tests (e.g., CRCT; EOCT; WA); formative assessment tools to complement summative

Coherent – consistent expectations and sufficient challenge to position Georgia

students to compete with peers nationally and internationally– consistent signal about student preparedness for the next level, be it

the next grade, course, or college/career– consistent signal about student achievement both within system

(across grades and courses) and with external measures (NAEP; PSAT; SAT; ACT)

Consolidated– combine reading, language arts, and writing into a single measure to

align to the standards

Georgia MilestonesGuiding principles stipulate that Georgia Milestones:be sufficiently challenging to ensure Georgia students are well positioned to compete with other students across the United States and internationally; be intentionally designed across grade levels to send a clear signal of student progress/growth and preparedness for the next level, be it the next grade level, course, or college or career;be accessible to all students, including those with disabilities or limited English proficiency, at all achievement levels; support and inform educator effectiveness initiatives, ensuring items and forms are appropriately sensitive to quality instructional practices; and accelerate the transition to online administration, allowing – over time – for the inclusion of innovative technology-enhanced items.

Georgia Milestones• Grades 3 – 8– End of Grade (EOG) in language arts,

mathematics, science, social studies

• High School– End of Course (EOC) in 9th Grade Literature &

Composition, American Literature & Composition, Coordinate Algebra, Analytic Geometry, Physical Science, Biology, US History, and Economics

State Board Meeting Follow-UpThe State Board of Education took action on two items at its August meeting that relate to Georgia’s Student Assessment Program.

Rule Amendment: 160-3-1-.07 Testing Programs – Student Assessment– This rule was amended in the following manner:

• general clean-up and streamlining of definitions;• removal of references to the former testing programs such as the Criterion-

Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT), the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests Modified (CRCT-M), the End of Course Tests (EOCT), and the Writing Assessments in grades 3, 5, and 8;

• inclusion of information about the Georgia Milestones Assessment System; • clarifications about the assessment of students with disabilities and English

learners; and• inclusion of language to phase-out the requirement for the Georgia High School

Writing Test (GHSWT) beginning in 2015-2016.

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The GHSWT must be administered as scheduled during the 2014-2015 SY. Students must earn a passing score to earn their diploma.

State Board Meeting Follow-UpRule Waiver: 160-4-2-.11 Promotion, Placement, and

Retention sections (3)(a), (3)(b), (3)(c) and160-4-2-.13 Statewide Passing Score sections (2)(d), (2)(e), (2)(f)

Based upon the delay of scores in this first year of Georgia Milestones due to the necessary and required technical work involved, including setting achievement expectations (i.e., cut scores), specific provisions of these two Board Rules were waived for the 2014-2015 school year – through July 31, 2015.

– Promotion in grades 3, 5, and 8 may occur based upon local discretion/policy. – Local systems should develop policies related to the calculation of final course

grades for courses requiring a Georgia Milestones end of course assessment during 2014-2015.

– Additional guidance regarding other purposes and uses of the end of course assessments, such as “test-outs”, retests, etc., will be forthcoming for the 2014-2015 school year.

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Scores will be issues in Fall 2015, after achievement expectations have been set.

Georgia MilestonesUnique Features

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Georgia Milestones: Unique FeaturesFeatures include:– inclusion of constructed-response items in ELA and

mathematics, in addition to selected-response items– inclusion of a writing component (in response to text) at

every grade level and course within the ELA assessment;– inclusion of norm-referenced items in every grade and

content area to complement the criterion-referenced information and to provide a national comparison; and

– transition to online administration over time, with online administration considered the primary mode of administration and paper-pencil back-up until transition is completed. Addition of technology-enhanced

items beginning in 2016-2017.

Georgia Milestones: Unique FeaturesBlended: Criterion-Referenced and Norm-Referenced

Georgia Milestones will provide:

– criterion-referenced performance information in the form of four performance levels, depicting students’ mastery of state standards

– norm-referenced performance information in the form of national percentiles, depicting how students’ achievement compares to peers nationally

Note: To provide norm-referenced information, some norm-referenced items may not align to Georgia’s content standards. Only aligned NRT items will contribute to proficiency designations.

Georgia Milestones: Embedded NRT• Each content area/course test will contain 20 norm-

referenced items.• The 20 NRT items will provide a national percentile score to

provide a barometer of national comparison. • Approximately 10 of these items have been reviewed by

Georgia educators for alignment to the grade level/course content standards. – Only those NRT items judged to be aligned by Georgia educators will

contribute to the criterion-referenced proficiency designations of students.

• The remaining 10 or so items, while not necessarily aligned to the grade level/course content standards, will not contribute to the proficiency designation.

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The NRT items were selected to reflect the full TerraNova subtest for each content area.

Supported uses of NRT Scores

• Supported uses:– General comparison of Georgia to the TerraNova

2011 nationally representative sample– Should only be used for lower stakes information• For example,

– to garner information about how Georgia students are achieving relative to their peers nationally;

– to evaluate general trends over years at an aggregate level (i.e., school, district, state)

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Non-supported uses of NRT Scores

• Given the NRT scores serve to provide barometer of national comparison only, they should not be used to:– count towards course credits;– to decide whether or not a student is gifted;– rank students, teachers, schools, or districts; or– to evaluate educators.

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Georgia Milestones

• It is important to remember that Georgia Milestones is primarily a criterion-referenced test, reflecting the content standards for each grade and course– teachers should teach the Georgia state-adopted

content standards and not to the NRT standards

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Remember: All important uses of the test results – for both students and educators – will be based on the criterion-referenced scores and proficiency determinations.

Georgia Milestones: Unique FeaturesItem Types•Selected-Response [aka, multiple-choice]

– all content areas– evidence-based selected response in ELA

•Constructed-Response– ELA and mathematics

•Extended-Response– ELA and mathematics

•Technology Enhanced– to begin in 2016-2017

Constructed response is a general term for assessment items that require the student to generate a response as opposed to selecting a response. Extended-response items require more elaborate answers and explanations of reasoning. They allow for multiple correct answers and/or varying methods of arriving at the correct answer. Writing prompts and performance tasks are examples of extended-response items.

Georgia Milestones:General Test Parameters

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Georgia MilestonesGeneral Test Parameters

•ELA will consists of 3 sections, 1 of which will focus mainly on writing•Mathematics will consist of 2 sections•Science will consist of 2 sections•Social Studies will consist of 2 sections

Each section will be approximately 70 minutes.

Georgia MilestonesGeneral Test Parameters: ELA

Criterion-ReferencedTotal Number of Items: 44 / Total Number of Points: 55

Breakdown by Item Type:–40 Selected Response (worth 1 point each; 10 of which are aligned NRT)–2 Constructed Response (2 points each)

–1 Constructed Response (worth 4 points)–1 Extended Response (worth 7 points)

Norm-Referenced–Total Number of Items: 20 (10 of which contribute to CR score)

Embedded Field Test–Total field test items: 6

Total number of items taken by each student: 60

Georgia MilestonesWriting at Every Grade

–All students will encounter a constructed-response item allowing for narrative prose, in response to text, within first or second section of the test.–Within the writing section of the test, students will read a pair of passages and complete a series of “warm-up” items:

o3 selected-response items asking about the salient features of each passage and comparing/contrasting between the two passageso1 constructed-response item requiring linking the two passageso1 writing prompt in which students must cite evidence to support their conclusions, claims, etc.

GenresWriting prompts will be informative/explanatory or opinion/argumentative depending on the grade level. Students could encounter either genre.Warning: Students who simply rewrite excerpts

from the passage(s) to illustrate their point(s) will not receive favorable scores.

Georgia MilestonesGeneral Test Parameters: Mathematics

Criterion-ReferencedTotal Number of Items: 53 / Total Number of Points: 58

Breakdown by Item Type:–50 Selected Response (worth 1 point each; 10 of which are aligned NRT)

–2 Constructed Response (worth 2 points each)

–1 Constructed Response (worth 4 points)

Norm-Referenced–Total Number of Items: 20 (10 of which contribute to CR score)

Embedded Field Test–Total field test items: 10

Total number of items taken by each student: 73

Georgia MilestonesGeneral Test Parameters: Science

Criterion-ReferencedTotal Number of Items: 55 / Total Number of Points: 55

Breakdown by Item Type:–55 Selected Response (worth 1 point each; approximately 10 of which are aligned NRT)

Norm-Referenced–Total Number of Items: 20 (approximately 10 of which contribute to CR score)

Embedded Field Test–Total field test items: 10

Total number of items taken by each student: 75

Georgia MilestonesGeneral Test Parameters: Social Studies

Criterion-ReferencedTotal Number of Items: 55 / Total Number of Points: 55

Breakdown by Item Type:–55 Selected Response (worth 1 point each; approximately 10 of which are aligned NRT)

Norm-Referenced–Total Number of Items: 20 (approximately 10 of which contribute to CR score)

Embedded Field Test–Total field test items: 10

Total number of items taken by each student: 75

Georgia Milestones: Rubrics• Rubrics are item specific and therefore cannot be

released.– Generally speaking, rubrics outline the expectations for the answer(s)

along with sufficient justification/explanation • Student cites evidence from the text to support answer in ELA• Student explains reasoning or approach to problem solving in mathematics• Student answers all portions of the item

– Remember the OAS includes rubrics and student exemplars for all formative open-ended items.

• The extended-response analytic writing rubric will be released. Students will be scored on two features:– Idea Development, Organization, & Coherence– Language Usage & Conventions

Resources

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Transition to Georgia Milestones:Resources Available NOW

• Content standards– frameworks, formative lessons, PARCC evidence statements

• Sample items – formative items/benchmarks via Georgia OAS→GOFAR; – released items via PARCC, SBAC, other states (KY, NY), NAEP– parent’s guide to Georgia’s new assessment developed by the National

PTA [http://www.pta.org/advocacy/content.cfm?ItemNumber=3816 ]

• CRCT Readiness Indicators• Lexiles (as one indicator of text complexity)

• Technology Specifications• Eliciting Evidence of Student Learning Modules

Focus on teaching and learning – eliciting evidence of student learning during instruction and adjusting as needed.

Lexiles Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8

Common Core Stretch Text – Lower Limit 520 740 830 925 970 1010

Common Core Stretch Text – Upper Limit 820 940 1010 1070 1120 1185

On Track 625 775 845 930 970 1070

Commendable 890 990 1085 1155 1210 1265

Meets 410 570 650 685 800 805

Exceeds 790 915 1040 1120 1210 1265

US Typical Reader – Lower Limit 330 445 565 665 735 805

US Typical Reader – Upper Limit 700 810 910 1000 1065 1100

Georgia 2013 Median 790 860 940 1070 1095 1210

Lexiles with CRCT Readiness Indicators

Formative Assessment InitiativesBringing a Balanced Assessment Focus to the Classroom

1600 new items loaded

1140 science and social studies items will be loaded in fall 2014

Formative Instructional Practices (FIP) [ 7 foundational modules launched in summer 2013]

24 Benchmarks developed

Additional 12 modules that expand upon the foundation

Coming soon: items for grades 1 & 2 and additional writing prompts

Online Testing Transition & Technology Specifications

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Transition to Online TestingTransition to Online – Online administration will be the primary mode of

administration for Georgia Milestones, with paper/pencil serving as back-up• transition will occur over time

– Administration procedures will change– Online practice center will be available for

students A demo of CTB’s online platform can be accessed at this link – http://learnoas.ctb.com/GA/

•Click on any one of the tests to open the Sample Test Page•Click on “Start the test” at the top of the web page•Click on “Login”, no credentials are required

Note – this demo was designed for the CRCT Retest in mind so the tests that you will see are for Grades 3, 5 & 8, Reading & Math.

Transition to Online Testing• Technology Specifications posted at:

http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Assessment/Pages/Information-For-Educators.aspx

• Tablets supported beginning with Spring 2015 main administrations.– iPads supported beginning Winter 2014 EOC

• Transition to Online – Year 1: minimum of 30% online across the district, grades 3-12– Year 3: minimum of 80% online across the district, grades 3-12– Year 5: minimum of 100% online across the district, grades 3-12

All schools in all district are expected to conduct some degree of testing online in 2014-2015 . . . and of course, subsequent years.

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Paper/pencil versions will be available through all years of the transition for the small number of students who cannot interact with computer due to their disability. Braille forms will be available as well.

Online Testing ConsiderationsOnline testing requires different thinking relative to logistics . . .

– For many systems (if not all), many lessons have been learned over time through use of the EOCT online in Main, Mid-Month, and Retest administrations and through the CRCT Retest online.

– Technology hardware, peripherals, requirements, support needs, capacity– More than one session per day (AM and PM for instance) and testing on Mondays and

Fridays (which are days of the week many systems have tried to avoid in the past)– “Cycling” students through test settings where technology is housed– The number of students a school can test online given the bullets noted above– Seating/space considerations– Securing log-ins, passwords, etc.– Experience of staff and students with technology– Contingency planning for both expected and unexpected events such as power outages

(incl. weather related), Internet service interruptions, construction in or near a school, local downtime/upgrades to technology, etc.

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Scheduling and Administration Guidelines

2014-2015

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End of Course (EOC) AssessmentsSpecified high school courses

End of Grade (EOG) AssessmentsGrades 3-8

State Testing Windows

Main AdministrationsWinter 2014: 12/01 - 01/09Spring 2015: 04/27 - 06/05Summer 2015: 06/15 - 07/17

Mid-Month Administrations01/20 – 01/3002/09 – 02/2003/02 – 03/13

Main AdministrationMarch 30 – May 1, 2015

Local Testing Window

Can span the entire EOC State Testing WindowNine day window within the EOG State Testing Window

Structure

Paper/Pencil and online administration modes available for all content

For paper/pencil administrations an individual test booklet will be provided for each of the 8 EOCs

*Section 3 will assess writing through an extended constructed-response

Paper/Pencil and online administration modes available for all content

For paper/pencil administration there will be one test booklet by grade containing all 4 EOG content areas

*Section 3 will assess writing through an extended constructed-response

Order Determined by School District English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies

Content Sections Minutes Per Section

Ninth and American Literature and Composition

3* 70

Coordinate Algebra and Analytical Geometry

2 70

Biology and Physical Science

2 70

United States History and Economics

2 70

Content Sections Minutes per Section

English Language Arts 3* 70

Mathematics 2 70

Science 2 70

Social Studies 2 70

General Scheduling and Administration Guidelines

• Target for online testing in Year 1 of Georgia Milestones is a minimum of 30% of students district-wide across Grades 3 – 12.

• Each school within a district must conduct some degree of online testing. • For the EOG, students who are tested online must engage in online

testing in all content areas. • In other words, a student who takes the Grade 5 ELA assessment online must

also test online in Math, Science, and Social Studies.

• The scheduled start date for an EOG grade-level content area or EOC content area must be consistent district-wide regardless of administration mode.

• Each grade-level content area (EOG) or course area (EOC) should be scheduled for completion during the same week as its start date. The exception is ELA Section 3 (writing).

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General Scheduling and Administration Guidelines - continued

• Breaks provided to students during a test administration must conform to directions in the Examiners Manual.– For instance, a lunch break of 25 minutes does not conform to this requirement and

presents potential test security concerns.– Note: This does not apply to EOC two-day administrations given the nature of that

model of scheduling.

Makeup Days/Sessions• Make-up days/sessions must be designated within the local testing

window.• The last day of the local testing window should be scheduled as a makeup

day to capture any remaining students who need to complete testing.• In addition to designated makeup days; makeup sessions can be

scheduled, morning or afternoon, as time permits on other days during the local window.

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Differences in Scheduling Guidelines to Consider When Scheduling the EOC and EOG

EOC EOG

Administration mode for a student can vary from one content area to another

Yes No

Schedule for individual content area administrations can span consecutive school days

Yes(for paper and/or

online)Online Only

AM and PM sessions of the same content area are permitted Yes

Online Only(Paper PM make-ups

allowed)

Sections 1 and 2 of a content area can be scheduled on separate consecutive days

Yes(2-day

administration model)

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Scheduling for EOG Online• In order to maximize online testing capacity in grades 3-8, districts may

stagger the scheduled start date for grade-level content areas provided the scheduled start date for each grade level content area is consistent district-wide.• For instance, Grade 3 ELA can be scheduled to start on a Monday and complete with Social

Studies on Friday of the same week; Grade 4 ELA can then be scheduled to start on a later day that week.

• Because the scheduled start date for EOG grade-level content must be consistent system-wide, considerations must be given to the various levels of student enrollment (and online testing capacity) across schools within a system. Larger schools, dependent upon their online capacity, would likely take longer to complete a grade-level content area than a smaller school.• The 9-day window for grades 3-8 remains in place. However, GaDOE will be available to talk

with districts in detail regarding schedules and attempts to maximize the implementation of online testing.

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Clarifying Scheduling for EOG Paper/Pencil Administrations

• EOG Paper/pencil administrations must be scheduled, and administered, on a calendar that is consistent district-wide.

• The scheduled start date, by grade level content area, must be the same for both paper/pencil and online administration modes.– For instance, all Grade 3 Math students (both paper and online) start testing in

mathematics on the same day. Should there be a need for online test administrations to extend beyond one day in Grade 3 Math, paper/pencil administrations cannot begin for the next content (Science) until online test-takers are complete with Math.

– Again, the 9-day window remains in place. However, GaDOE will be available to talk with districts in detail regarding schedules and attempts to maximize the implementation of online testing.

– The collection of enrollment counts (including paper/pencil and online numbers) will not be required until January 2015 . . . So there is time to converse and plan for your Spring 2015 EOG window.

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Considerations for Administering English Language Arts (ELA)

• The ELA assessment for the End of Course (EOC) and the End of Grade (EOG) consists of 3 sections.

• Section 3 (Writing) is comprised of an extended constructed-response.

• Because of the unique characteristics of the design of the ELA content area, special considerations MUST be considered when scheduling for administration (including make-ups).

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Administering English Language Arts - continued

• ELA Section 3 (writing) should be the only content on which a student is assessed on the day it is scheduled, either as a main or makeup administration– An exception to this would occur should a student need to make

up multiple content areas and there are not enough days left in the local testing window.

• The administration of ELA Section 3 (writing) must be scheduled:1) on a school day that immediately follows the scheduled

completion of ELA Section 2 and;2) before the administration of a subsequent content area (make-

ups may be an exception to this).

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Administering English Language Arts - continued

• Under no circumstances (including for make-up purposes) should a student take ELA Section 3 (writing) prior to the completion of ELA Sections 1 and 2.

• For EOG, the scheduled main administration start date for ELA Section 3 (writing) must be consistent district-wide by grade (3-8).

• For EOC, the scheduled main administration start date for ELA Section 3 (writing) must be consistent district-wide by course (9th Grade Literature, American Literature).

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Final Points of Emphasis

• For EOG and EOC, ELA Section 3 (writing) should be the only content area a student should be scheduled to take on a single day. (Note some possible exceptions as discussed in previous slides . . . Make-ups)

• For EOG, online only, grade-level content test sessions can be scheduled for AM and PM and over consecutive school days (if necessary).

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Final Points of Emphasis• For EOC, Sections 1 and 2 can be scheduled over 2

consecutive days. (As has been the case in the past for the EOCT through the 2-day administration model)

• For EOG, Sections 1 and 2 must be scheduled on the same day.

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Key Dates

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Information Forthcoming

• Calculator Guidelines• Accommodation Guidelines

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Questions & Answers

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