New Reading/Writing 3−8 and English I, II, and III EOC Assessments

1. New Reading/Writing 3−8 andEnglish I, II, and III EOC Assessments Victoria Young Director of Reading, Writing, and Social Studies Assessments Texas Education Agency

2. House Bill 3 • New graduation requirements begin with students who will enter the 9th grade for the first time in the 2011−2012 school year. • These students are current 7th graders!

3. Graduation Requirements Current legislation requires the phase-out of high school TAKS and replaces it with 12 EOC assessments for these courses: • English I, English II, English III • Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II • Biology, Chemistry, Physics • World Geography, World History, U.S. History

4. GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS Phase-out of HS TAKS and Phase-in of EOC Assessments *Out-of-school testers and 12th grade re-testers

5. New Assessment DesignSTAAR 3–8 and EOC • “Fewer, clearer, deeper” focus • Linked to college readiness • Will emphasize “core” knowledge and skills, defined as those TEKS considered critical for success in the current grade/course and important for preparedness in the grade/course that follows. • Will focus on these “core” knowledge and skills each year, with others rotating into the assessments across years/ administrations

6. New Assessment Design TEKS FOR SPECIFIC GRADE OR COURSE FOCUS OF ASSESSMENT ASSESSED ACROSS YEARS NOT ASSESSED

7. English I, II, and III Test Design • Two-day administration–writing on day 1, reading on day 2 • Embedded field-test items • Advanced high school course readiness measure for English I and II • College and career readiness measure for English III • Scores reported for reading, writing, and composite

8. Writing Test DesignGrades 4 and 7 and EOCs • Students will write two one-page essays addressing different types of writing • Types of writing include personal narrative, first person (personal narrative with extension), literary, expository, persuasive, and analytic • Revision and editing assessed separately • Field tests embedded for grade 7 and EOCs. • Assessments at grades 4 and 7 administered over 2 days

9. Reading Test DesignGrades 3−8 and EOCs Genres Assessed • Literary strand: fiction, literary nonfiction, poetry, and drama (drama beginning at grade 4) • Informational strand: expository and persuasive (persuasive beginning at grade 5) • Procedural elements embedded in informational pieces and media literacy embedded in either literary or informational pieces

10. Reading DesignGrades 3−8 and EOCs General Parameters • Single pieces and pairs included every year (pairs beginning at grade 4) • Pairs can include any combination of genres eligible for a particular grade • Pieces are different lengths—short, medium, and long • Test based on an overall word maximum rather than on a maximum per piece • Different numbers of questions attached to different-length pieces

11. CONTACT INFORMATION Victoria Young Director of Reading, Writing, and Social Studies Assessments Texas Education Agency 512-463-9536 victoria.young@tea.state.tx.us