Who in the World Develops and Writes the MI-Access Items?

1. Who in the World Develops and Writes the MI-Access Items? OEAA Conference 2007 – Day 2 MI-Access Coordinators

2. Session Presenters • Alison Place,Questar Assessment, Inc. • Les Sewall, Questar Assessment, Inc. • Desiree Spikings,Questar Assessment, Inc.

3. Goals for the Presentation • Provide an overview of MI-Access assessment item development • Explain the purpose and activities of the associated committees: APWT, CAC, SRC, RFC, & SSP • Describe how interested participants can share expertise and experience in the development process

4. Assessment Development Process Identify Assessable Content Committee: APWT Design Assessment Plan Committee: APWT Develop Assessment Blueprint Committee: APWT Write Passage or Stimulus Materials Train Item Writers Develop Items

5. Assessment Development Process Edit Items State Internal Item Review Meeting External Item Review Meeting Committees: CAC and SRC Field-Testing Data Review Meeting Committees: CAC and SRC

6. Assessment Development Process Assessment Administration New Form Construction Rangefinding for Field- Tested Constructed Response Items Committee: RFC Scoring the Assessment

7. Assessment Development Process Standard Setting is Conducted Committee: SSP The TAC Reviews and Approves Recommendations of the SSP The Performance Standards are Presented to the SBE Assessment Results Are Released to the Public

8. Advisory Roles and Functions • Assessment Plan Writing Team (APWT) • Content Advisory Committee (CAC) • Sensitivity Review Committee (SRC) • Rangefinding Committee (RFC) • Standard Setting Panel (SSP)

9. Advisory Committees Composition Geographically & demographically diverse representatives of

10. Advisory Committees Composition • Special & general education teachers • Content specialists • Teacher consultants • Administrators • School psychologists, counselors, diagnosticians • Community & business representatives

11. Assessment Plan Writing Teams Purpose: Recommendations for the design of the assessment plan

12. Assessment Plan Writing Teams Activities: • Examine research base & resources. • Extend MI Content Standards, Benchmarks, & Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCEs). • Using the Extended GLCEs and Benchmarks (EBs), identify content assessable at the state level. • Develop the assessment plan.

13. Assessment Plan Writing Teams The Assessment Plan includes • Underlying assumptions • Content area constructs to be assessed • Format of assessment & prototype items • Administration, scoring, & reporting recommendations • Preliminary assessment blueprint (length of time, number of items per EGLCE/EB, administration, accommodations, and item specifications)

14. Sensitivity Review Committee Purpose: • To review all assessment items & materials for fairness & potential bias issues • To make sure assessments are sensitive to cultural & other differences among students

15. Sensitivity Review Committee Activities: Check each item to determine if it includes • stereotypes or negative perceptions • knowledge that is elite or private • cultural insensitivity or misrepresentation • a balance of gender and race

16. Content Advisory Committee Purpose: Review of assessment items for • Alignment with Content Standards, Benchmarks, & EGLCEs/EBs • Appropriate grade & difficulty level • Quality, accuracy, & completeness • Wording clarity

17. Content Advisory Committee Activities: Check each item to determine if it • matches the content of the EGLCEs and EBs • is coded correctly • is appropriate for the grade & developmental level of the students

18. Rangefinding Committee Purpose: From a large sample of student responses for each assessed prompt, the RFC selects sets of papers that can be used for training and qualifying scorers.

19. Rangefinding Committee Activities: • Independently score a variety of actual student responses to a particular Expressing Ideas prompt. • With the group, discuss & attempt to reach consensus on scores for papers that represent the whole range (low, medium, high) of each of the 4 score points. • Repeat process with each prompt.

20. Standard Setting Panel Purpose: To recommend the “cut” scores that delineate achievement at 3 performance levels • Emerging • Attained • Surpassed

21. Standard Setting Panel Activities: • Learn the standard setting technique. • Define & refine the Performance Level Descriptors (PLDs). • “Take” the assessment.

22. Serving on an Advisory Panel • Active role in shaping the assessments • Networking and collegiality • Learning and professional development • Contributions to the quality of education in Michigan

23. MI-Access Committees • How do we apply? Go to www.mi.gov/mi-access Click on MI-Access Committee Application (pdf form) • Who can answer further questions? Peggy Dutcher dutcherp@mi.gov