NYS Assessment Updates & Processes for New Social Studies Regents Exams

1. NYS Assessment Updates & Processes for New Social Studies Regents Exams September 18, 2014 Candace Shyer Assistant Commissioner for Assessment, Standards and Curriculum

2. Assessment Updates • Regents Exam Schedule for June 2015 • Common Core Regents Exams in ELA and Geometry administered on Tuesday June 2nd • Conversion charts will be available by Rating Day (June 25) • All other Regents Exams: June 16-24, 2015

3. Assessment Updates • 2015 NYSAA Schedule • Administration Dates: Monday, September 29 – Friday, February 27 • Scoring Dates: Monday, March 16 – Friday, May 1 • Final Dates to Submit Answer Sheets to Scanning Centers: Monday, May 4

4. Administration Notes • Administration dates have been posted for all grades and subjects through June 2015 • Currently working on the August 2015 Regents Exam schedule and the 2015-16 SY Grades 3-8 and Regents Exam schedules • Ordering portal closes: • Nov. 7th for January 2015 Regents Exams • Nov. 3rdfor Grades 3-8 assessments

5. EngageNY.org Regents ELA and Math Transition 2010: Board of Regents adopted Common Core 2013: Common Core Assessments first administered in Grades 3-8 English Language Arts (ELA) and Math 2014: Roll-out of Common Core Regents Exams • June 2014: Algebra I ELA offered, but not required • June 2015: Geometry ELA offered, but not required • June 2016: Algebra II ELA - required for 1st time 5

6. Class of 2017: First cohort of high school graduates required to pass Common Core Regents Exams for graduation at the current score of 65 (partial proficiency) Class of 2022: First cohort of high school graduates required to pass Common Core Regents Exams for graduation at the aspirational college- and career ready score (proficiency)

7. EngageNY.org Full Implementation for the Class of 2022 Transition to New York Common Core Assessments is a 12-year phase-in • The Board of Regents intends to phase in over time the graduation requirement to demonstrate proficiency on the Common Core standards in high school courses • Specifically, the class of 2022 would be the first group of students required to pass Common Core Regents Exams (ELA and one exam in math) at the level of meeting Common Core course-level expectations (i.e., Level 4 of five levels) 7

8. Social Studies Test Development • NYS K-12 Social Studies Framework was approved by the Board of Regents in April 2014 • The Field Guide, which will help educators develop local curriculum in alignment with the Framework, is nearing completion • NYS Social Studies Resource Toolkit Project is developing resources for classroom use and for professional development

9. Social Studies Test Development • The State Education Department has been working with the Content Advisory Panel and Social Studies organizations to gather feedback from the field that will inform thinking regarding changes being made to the Regents Examinations in Global History & Geography and United States History & Government

10. Social Studies Test Development • The Framework divides Global History & Geography coursework into two units • Global History & Geography I (Grade 9: Paleolithic era-1750) • Global History & Geography II (Grade 10: 1750-present) • It was recommended to the BOR that the new Regents Exam in Global History & Geography measure student knowledge and skills in the second course only. Staff will proceed with drafting regulations for the Board.

11. Test Development Timeline • Spring 2015 • Training of item writers • Spring 2016 • Piloting of new items • Spring 2017 • Full-scale field testing of items • June 2018 • Global History & Geography II first administration • June 2019 • US History & Government first administration Note: the above timeline was presented to the Board of Regents for approval on September 15

12. Test Development Timeline • The proposed timeline is intended to allow schools to development curriculum and teachers opportunities to become familiar with the skills, practices, and content in the new Social Studies Framework as well as to make shifts in instruction • It is also to allow for the development, piloting, and field testing of new types of items linked to the new framework that will be used on the new Regents Exam

13. Scaling and Equating Dr. Zachary Warner Project Coordinator

14. Scaling • Scaling is the process by which test results are mathematically transformed to numeric scores. • Why scale scores? • Score scales provide context for interpreting test results (e.g., score of 324…?) • A baseline scaleis established when a new test is introduced.

15. Equating • Equating is a statistical process that places results on subsequent test forms on the baseline scale (i.e., make different forms comparable to each other). • Cannot have perfectly parallel tests unless all items are identical. • “Equating adjusts for differences in difficulty, not for differences in content” (Kolen & Brennan, 2004)

16. Scaling & Equating: Grades 3-8 • Post-equating • The statistical analyses to place the test results on the baseline scale take place after the test is administered using student test results to determine difficulty. • This is what happens between administration/scoring and score release. • Results must be compiled, analyzed, and equated to baseline scale so that results are comparable to prior forms.

17. Scaling & Equating: Regents Exams • Pre-equating • The statistical analyses to place the test results on the baseline scale take place before the test is administered using results from field testing to determine difficulty. • This is why scale score conversions are available on the day of testing – the equating of test forms to the baseline has already taken place.

18. Performance Levels • Equating ensures that the meaning of scale scores is consistent from form to form • a score of 65 in 2014 and in 2015 must demonstrate the same performance • This ensures that performance levels retain the meaning from the standard setting meeting where educators recommended the required performance to achieve at each level.

19. Thank you. Questions?