Assessment and Accountability Overview Chris Domaleski, Georgia Department of Education

1. Assessment and Accountability Overview Chris Domaleski, Georgia Department of Education December 5, 2007

2. GaDOE Office of Assessment and Accountability Goal We will provide well-designed assessments, aligned to the curriculum, with timely delivery of useful results.

3. Chris Domaleski Associate Superintendent for Assessment and Accountability Jeff Barker Director, Division of Assessment Administration Joanne Leonard Director, Division of Accountability Melissa Fincher Director, Division of Assessment Research and Development Joni Briscoe Administrative Specialist Bobbie Bable Assessment Specialist, NAEP, ITBS, GKAP Nancy Haight Accountability Specialist Dee Davis Program Manager for Assessment Research and Development Connie Caldwell Admin Assistant Deborah Houston Assessment Specialist, ACCESS, GAA Cowen Harter Accountability Specialist Joseph Blessing Assessment Specialist, OAS Debbie Moss Administrative Specialist Shirley Millicans Assessment Specialist, CRCT Donna Kelly Accountability Specialist Amanda Ferster Assessment Specialist Paula Rufus Assessment Specialist, EOCT Joanna Vahlsing Accountability Specialist Adrienne Walker Assessment Specialist Kay Ellen Rutledge Assessment Specialist, GHSGT, Writing Assessments The Assessment and Accountability Team

4. Assessment Programs • Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) • Reading, ELA, and Math in grades 1-8 • Science and Social Studies in grades 3-8 • Administered each spring • Retests in reading grades 3, 5, and 8 and math grades 5 and 8 offered each summer

5. Assessment Programs • Georgia High School Graduation Tests (GHSGT) • Language arts, math, science, and social studies • Students tested first in spring of 11th grade • Retests offered in summer, fall, and winter

6. Assessment Programs • End of Course Tests (EOCT) • Taken following completion of any of the eight core courses: • 9th grade literature • American literature • Biology • Physical Science • Algebra • Geometry • U.S. History • Economics • Results count as 15% of student’s course grade • Administered in spring, summer, fall and ‘mid-month’

7. Assessment Programs • Writing Assessments • Grades 3, 5, 8, and 11 tested • Grades 3, portfolio based, submitted in spring • Grades 5, informational persuasive, or narrative • Grade 8, expository or persuasive topic • Grade 11, assesses persuasive writing

8. Georgia 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.

9. Elements of 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

10. 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

11. Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (GKIDS) Core Development Team (Jan 2007) Advisory Committee (Feb-March 2007) Professional Development (summer 2007) Field Testing (2007-08 School Year) Bias Review (May/June 2008) Standard Setting (May/June 2008) Assessment and Instructional Guide (summer 2008) Professional Development (summer 2008) Operational Assessment (2008-09) Professional Development (on-going)

12. Elements of GKIDS The primary purpose of GKIDS is to provide ongoing diagnostic information about kindergarten students’ mastery of the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) GKIDS will also provide a summary of student performance on those elements and standards of the GPS that are indicators of first grade readiness GKIDS will serve both a formative and summative role in assessing kindergarten students.

13. Domains of Learning Throughout the school year, teachers will observe and record student performance in each content area specified in the GPS: ELA, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. GKIDS will also include the Social/Emotional and Approaches to Learning dimensions of early development and optional recommendations for assessing Physical/Motor Development The summary report at the end of the school year will include diagnostic information on four domains of early learning: English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social and Emotional Development, and Approaches to Learning.

14. Other Assessment Programs • Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) • Norm-Referenced Test (NRT) required in grades 3, 5, and 8 • Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State to State (ACCESS) for English Language Learners (ELL) • Tests speaking, listening, reading, and writing by grade cluster • National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

15. Online Assessment System (OAS) • A web-based system that provides tests using the same kind of items that appear on the end-of-year assessments. • Originally developed for the CRCT. Includes items in all grades and content areas (36) the CRCT covers. • Expanded in spring 2005 to include high school science Items • 2005-2006 added high school language arts, mathematics, and social studies items. • Additional content added in 2006-2007 as well as a new ‘Level 3’ for benchmark tests.

16. Overview • Two kinds of tests are provided: • Student tests • Grade-specific tests assigned automatically • Completely under students’ control • Teacher-created and assigned tests • Teacher determines the nature of test, who takes the test, when the test is taken

17. 2007-2008 OAS Enhancements • New item bank content • A new look and feel for the site • Constructed Response items • Training Resources

18. Using the Online System to Improve Student Achievement Make tests short and frequent Make tests focused Make tests a part of instruction don’t just wait until you’ve covered a topic include items at varying levels of difficulty this will give you information about how well each student knows the material

19. Accountability Essentials

20. Georgia’s AYP Determination Steps • Participation at 95% in reading/English language arts and math based on students continuously enrolled during state testing window; • Academic performance in reading/English language arts and math based on Full Academic Year (FAY) students; • Annual Measurable Objectives (AMO) Absolute Bar • Confidence Interval • Multi-year Average • Safe Harbor • Federal Flexibility for schools and districts not making AYP based solely on SWD group scores (approved for 2007 AYP) • Second Indicator; • Menu of Indicators for Elementary & Middle Schools • Graduation Rate for High Schools

21. Academic Performance 2nd looks: • Confidence Interval(see GaDOE Accountability website for interactive worksheet) Confidence Interval is a simple statistical test that determines whether the observed percentage of a group meeting a proficiency criterion is significantly lower than the AMO for that test. • Multiyear Averaging (averages three years data) The evaluation is based on the following data: (#2005 proficient + #2006 proficient + #2007 proficient) / (#2005 tested + #2006 tested + #2007 tested) Example: (32.0+36.0+40.0) / (109.0+112.0+105.0) = 33.1% For CRCT Math(2007) the AMO bar is 58.3% This reporting group does not meet the Multiyear Average criteria for academics. • Safe Harbor ( Decrease “Did Not Meet” by 10%) The evaluation is based on the following data: Example: 2006 Percent did not meet = 68% Safe Harbor Target = (68-(.10(68)) = 61.20 2007 Percent did not meet = 61.90 This reporting group does not meet the Safe Harbor criteria for academics.

26. Enhanced GHSGT - Performance Levelsfor AYP Purposes • Mathematics • Basic: Scale scores 400 to 515 • Proficient: Scale scores 516 to 524 • Advanced: Scale scores 525 to 600 • Language Arts • Basic: Scale scores 400 to 510 • Proficient: Scale scores 511 to 537 • Advanced: Scale scores 538 to 600 • In spring 2008, a new scale score where one standard indicates both pass and proficient will be established for ELA. This will be used for both academic performance and diploma eligibility.

28. Assessment and Accountability Future Directions and Updates

29. 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 • 2007-2008: Math grades 3-5, 8; Science grade 8; Social Studies grades 6-8 • 2008-2009: Social Studies grades 3-5 • GHSGT • ‘Transitional’ test in Social Studies • Fully GPS-based test in ELA and Science • GHSWT • Starting in fall 2007, will be GPS based

30. What changes can you expect in a test when it transitions from QCC to GPS? • A new reporting scale is created • Domains (and content weights) are revised • Please refer to the website for updated content descriptions and resources • Important: performance on the new GPS test is not comparable to the former QCC test. The GPS test sets a new baseline.

31. Ideas for Changing Secondary AssessmentStarting the Conversation

32. Possible Elements of New Model • All students take at least two EOCT in each of four content areas: English/ Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies • Tests are given immediately following the applicable course or courses • Tests count for both diploma eligibility and NCLB accountability • Retests will be offered without limit

33. Assessments

34. Assessment Development • Tests that are already developed or that are on schedule to be developed • 9th Grade Literature (Fall 2005) • Physical Science (Fall 2005) • Biology (Fall 2005) • Economics (Fall 2007) • Math I (Fall 2008) • Math II (Spring 2009) • Test that will need to be revised • American Literature revised to be ‘genre-neutral’ 10th grade literature • Tests that will have to be newly developed • Physics • U.S. History/ American Government • World History

35. Accountability • Four performance levels established for each test: • Below Proficiency • Basic Proficiency • Advanced Proficiency • Honors

36. This ‘proposal’ is in the very early stages of consideration. We will move forward by soliciting feedback from stakeholders around the state. Your input is critical.

37. Contact Information: Chris Domaleski cdomales@doe.k12.ga.us 404-656-2668