Transcript Melissa Fincher, Ph.D. Deputy Superintendent, Assessment

2014 Fall Assessment Conference
Assessment Program Update 2014-2015
August 25, 2014 (Part 1), 1:00-3:00 PM
September 9, 2014 (Part 2), 1:00-3:00 PM
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Georgia Milestones
Comprehensive
– 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 Milestones
Guiding 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
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State Board Meeting Follow-Up
The 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 CriterionReferenced 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.
The GHSWT must be administered as scheduled
during the 2014-2015 SY. Students must earn a
passing score to earn their diploma.
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State Board Meeting Follow-Up
Rule Waiver:
160-4-2-.11 Promotion, Placement, and
Retention sections (3)(a), (3)(b), (3)(c) and
160-4-2-.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.
Scores will be issues in Fall 2015, after
achievement expectations have been
set.
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High School Course
Enrollments/Completions in Fall 2014
• Students who enroll in a course associated with an EOC during
Fall 2014 must participate in the Winter 2014 Georgia
Milestones EOC Main Administration.
• This includes those students enrolled in a 9-week/shortduration course in Fall 2014 (for example, a course ending in
October 2014). They, too, must participate in the associated
Georgia Milestones EOC in Winter 2014.
– Given the waiver of State Board Rule 106-4-2-.13 (Statewide Passing
Score), the following conditions apply.
1. These students should NOT participate in the Fall 2014 “Legacy” End of
Course Tests (EOCT) Mid-Month Administration upon course completion.
2. Local systems may determine their policy to award final course grades.
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Georgia Milestones
Calculator Policy
Content Area
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies
Grade Level/Course
Type of Calculator
Grades 3 – 5 EOG
Not Allowed
Grade 6 EOG
Basic1
Grades 7 – 8 EOG
Scientific or Basic1
Coordinate Algebra EOC
Graphing2 or Scientific
Analytic Geometry EOC
Graphing2 or Scientific
Physical Science EOC
Scientific or Basic1
Economics EOC
Scientific or Basic1
1Basic
four-function calculator with square root and percentage functions.
2Graphing calculator with functionalities consistent with TI-84 or similar models.
Calculators are not permitted on certain
designated sections of each mathematics
test.
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Additional Georgia Milestones Calculator
Considerations and Information
•
•
•
Review calculator guidelines for elementary, middle, and high school very
carefully as they vary.
Mathematics test forms will have sections where calculator use is permitted
and a section where calculator use is NOT permitted. Test manuals will be
very clear on this point and will include script to address the logistics involved.
Adherence, by examiners and students, will be critically important.
Again, online testing will ease the logistics around the transition from
calculator to non-calculator sections.
• All students testing online must use the online calculator
provided and may not use a hand-held device.
•
All questions regarding calculator usage should be directed to the System Test
Coordinator who can then contact the GaDOE Assessment Administration
Division if necessary. Do not refer school-level staff directly to GaDOE – this is
important to ensure consistent information is shared across your district.
Calculator questions that come to GaDOE from school-level staff will be
forwarded to the System Test Coordinator for review.
Please note that Linux OS cannot support the online
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scientific or graphing calculator at this time.
Online Tools Available for All Students
• Blocking Tool
These tools are available to all students who
test online and are therefore NOT considered
• Eraser
accommodations.
• Highlighter
• Magnifying Glass
• Mark for Review
• Online Calculator – if allowable
• Option Eliminator
• Scratch Pad
• Test Pause
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Accommodations
• Accommodations allow access…
– they are practices and procedures in the areas of
presentation, response, setting, and scheduling that
provide equitable instructional and assessment access for
students with disabilities and English learners.
• Accommodations reduce or eliminate the effects of a
student’s disability or limited English proficiency
• Accommodations do not provide an unfair advantage
• Accommodations do not reduce or change learning
expectations
Reading of Test Questions
• Most students who need accommodations are
struggling readers (e.g., read below grade level).
– Reading of the questions reducing the reading load and
allows the student to focus on the passages
• Given that we are not attempting to measure reading
comprehension on other content area tests (ELA,
Mathematics, Science, Social Studies), it is
permissible to read any prompts that accompany the
items.
– This should only be done when appropriate
NOTE: Students who are assigned this
accommodation must be administered Georgia
Milestones online using the screen reader functionality
of the online platform with a headset.