Update on Missouri Assessment Program

1. Update on MissouriAssessment Program Report to State Board of Education March 24, 2005

2. Test DevelopmentMath & Communication Arts We are currently developing tests for MA and CA for grades 3-8 and 10 and 11, respectively. 100+ educators wrote MA and CA items in spring 2003 and piloted them in fall of 2003. Another group of educators reviewed them for content and bias in spring 2004. We will field test these items in May 2005 and implement grade-level MAP assessments in spring 2006. In February 2005, we conducted an item-writing workshop in MA and CA. These items will go through the same test development activities and will appear on the 2008 and the 2009 MAP assessments.

3. Test DevelopmentScience We are currently developing grade-span tests for science. These tests will be administered at grades 5, 8, and 11. Our current science tests are administered to students in grades 3, 7, and 10. 40+ educators wrote science items in the fall 2004. These items are being piloted this month and will be reviewed for content and bias in May 2005. We will field test these items in May 2006 and implement the new science assessments in spring 2008.

4. Test DevelopmentMAP Alternate The NCLB Act also requires grade-level assessments for students with severe cognitive disabilities. We currently administer a MAP Alternate (MAP-A) to eligible students in grades 4, 8 and 11. In the summer of 2004, we contracted with Measured Progress for the development a MAP-A to be administered at grades 3-8 and 10 and 11. Since September 2005, Measured Progress and Missouri teachers have completed the revised MAP-A and it is currently being piloted in Missouri classrooms. The MAP-A pilot will be scored by Missouri teachers in June 2005. The grade-level MAP-A will be administered to eligible special-education students beginning in the 2005-06 school year in communication arts and mathematics.

5. MAP Operational Testing The spring administration of the MAP will begin on March 28 and conclude on April 29. All students in grades 3, 7, and 11 will take the communication arts test, and all students in grades 4, 8, and 10 will take the math test. We continue to offer the science the social studies assessments to districts on a voluntary basis and have a significant number of districts administering these tests again this year. This year, we are increasing the number of in-state scoring sites from 9 to 12. This June, approximately 500 Missouri teachers will convene across the state to score the MAP tests. By mid-August, we plan to post building and district results via our Web-based system, Crystal Reports.

6. Status of Statewide Assessments forScience and Social Studies For funding reasons, the science and the social studies tests have been offered to districts as voluntary assessments for the past three years. District participation in these voluntary assessments continues to be high. This year 400 districts will administer the science test, and 385 districts will administer the social studies test. NCLB requires grade-span testing in science beginning in the spring of 2008, and test development has begun for these assessments There is not a NCLB mandate concerning social studies. There have not been any test development activities in social studies for the past three years, and there are no test development activities scheduled. We plan to survey school districts again this June to determine the level of interest in continuing to offer these assessments on a voluntary basis.