Math and Science Update

1. Math and Science Update Presentation of TEA Updates at Texas Assessment Conference Facilitated by Michelle Wilson Region 16 ESC

2. TEA Update on the STAAR Mathematics and Science Program Original presentation designed and presented by Julie Guthrie, Director of Math & Science Assessments Larry Duncan, Manager of Math Assessments Jonathan Harris, Manager of Science Assessments Student Assessment Division Texas Education Agency Texas Assessment Program December 2011

3. Overview of the STAAR mathematics and science program • STAAR EOC assessment requirements • STAAR testing performance overview AGENDA

4. Overview of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) Mathematics Program

5. State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness • STAAR will • Be a more clearly articulated assessment program • Focus on fewer skills • Address skills in deeper manner

6. Clearly Articulate • General resources available at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/staar/ • Description of the new assessment model • Informational brochures • PowerPoint presentations • Updated questions and answers • Comparison of TAKS and STAAR • Total mandatory testing days • Performance labels and policy definitions • Optional test administration procedures and materials

7. Clearly Articulate • Subject-specific resources available at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/staar/ • Release test questions • Assessed curriculum • Assessment blueprints • Assessing process skills • Reference materials • Griddable item format • Graph paper

8. Clearly Articulate Reference Materials • Consist of formulas, constants, conversions, periodic table, etc. • Are used for grades 3–8, Algebra I, geometry, and Algebra II • Are used for grade 8, chemistry, and physics • Are not used for grade 5 or biology

9. Focus on Fewer In general, Readiness Standards • Are essential for success in the current grade or course • Are important for preparedness for the next grade or course • Support college and career readiness • Necessitate in-depth instruction • Address broad and deep ideas Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

10. Focus on Fewer In general, Supporting Standards • May be introduced in the current grade or course and emphasized in a subsequent year • May be emphasized in a previous year and reinforced in the current grade or course • May play a role in preparing students for the next grade or course but not a central role • May address more narrowly defined ideas Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

11. Focus on Fewer When identifying Readiness Standards • High school educators considered the College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) • Middle school educators considered the Readiness Standards for high school • Elementary school educators considered the Readiness Standards for middle school Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

12. Focus on Fewer Linking Standards Through the Curriculum-Math • CCRS—translate among multiple representations of equations and relationships • Algebra II—relate representations of quadratic functions, such as algebraic, tabular, graphical, and verbal descriptions • Algebra I—represent relationships among quantities using concrete models, tables, graphs, diagrams, verbal descriptions, equations, and inequalities Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

13. Focus on Fewer Linking Standards Through the Curriculum-Science • CCRS—understand forces and Newton’s Laws. • Physics—calculate the effect of forces on objects • Grade 8—demonstrate and calculate how unbalanced forces change the speed or direction of an object’s motion • Grade 5—design an experiment that tests the effect of force on an object Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

14. Focus on Fewer Linking Standards Through the Curriculum • Grade 8—generate a different representation of data given another representation of data (such as a table, graph, equation, or verbal description) • Grade 7—use words and symbols to describe the relationship between the terms in an arithmetic sequence (with a constant rate of change) and their positions in the sequence • Grade 6—use tables and symbols to represent and describe proportional and other relationships such as those involving conversions, arithmetic sequences (with a constant rate of change), perimeter and area Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

15. Focus on Fewer Linking Standards Through the Curriculum • Grade 5—describe the relationship between sets of data in graphic organizers such as lists, tables, charts, and diagrams • Grade 4—describe the relationship between two sets of related data such as ordered pairs in a table • Grade 3—identify and describe patterns in a table of related number pairs based on a meaningful problem and extend the table Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

16. Focus on Fewer Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

17. Focus on Fewer STAAR Geometry Blueprint Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

18. Focus on Fewer STAAR Grade 5 Science Blueprint Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

19. Deeper Manner • More questions with a higher cognitive complexity level to match TEKS • Assessing process skills with content skills • Greater number of open-ended (griddable) questions • More questions that have multiple steps • More questions that have context Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

20. Deeper Manner Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

21. Deeper Manner Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

22. Deeper Manner • Mathematics process skills for grades 3–8 will be assessed in context not in isolation. • They will be incorporated into at least 75% of the test questions. • For the current versions of the spring 2012 mathematics tests, the range of questions that incorporate process skills is 75% to 87%. Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

23. Deeper Manner • Scientific process skills will be assessed in context not in isolation. • They will be incorporated into at least 40% of the test questions. • For the current versions of the spring 2012 science tests, the range of questions that incorporate process skills is 43% to 66%. Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

24. Deeper Manner Griddable questions • A type of open-ended question used on all mathematics assessments • Purpose is to give students opportunities to derive answers independently without being influenced by answer choices provided with the questions Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

25. STAAR End-of-Course Assessment Requirements Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

26. STAAR EOC Assessment Requirements • Who is required to test? • When and how does the 15% grading requirement apply? • What are the cumulative score requirements? • Who is required to achieve specific performance levels? Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

27. STAAR EOC Assessment Requirements • Who is required to test? • Any student enrolled in grades 3–9* who is enrolled in and completing a high school course that has a related assessment including • Students who are earning credit through • Correspondence courses • Dual credit courses • AP/IB courses • Credit by exam • Students on the Minimum High School Program • *First enrolled in grade 9 in the 2011–2012 school year Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

28. STAAR EOC Assessment Requirements • How does the 15% grading requirement apply? • The 15% grading requirement must apply to the final course grade which is used to award course credit. • Districts should establish local policies to implement this statutory requirement. Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

29. STAAR EOC Assessment Requirements • When does the 15% grading requirement apply? • The 15% grading requirement applies to the final course grade as students are earning course credit including • Students in grades 3–8 who are earning high school credit • Students who earn credit by semester • Students receiving special education services who take the general assessment • Students on the Minimum High School Program • Students enrolled in dual credit courses • Students enrolled in correspondence courses • The 15% grading requirement does not apply to students taking STAAR Modified or STAAR Alternate. Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

30. STAAR EOC Assessment Requirements • What are the cumulative score requirements? • A student must achieve a cumulative score that is at least equal to the product of the number of EOC assessments taken in that content area and a scale score that indicates satisfactory performance (Level II). • For each of the four core content areas, the cumulative score ≥ n x passing scale score, where n = number of assessments taken. • A student must achieve a minimum score for the score to count towards the student’s cumulative score. Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

31. STAAR EOC Assessment Requirements • What are the cumulative score requirements? • Cumulative score requirements will vary by student depending on • Graduation plan (RHSP and DAP versus MHSP) • Whether course credit was earned prior to spring 2012 • Whether course credit was earned outside of Texas public schools • Whether he or she is receiving special education services • Cumulative score information will be available in the Texas Assessment Management System. • Cumulative score requirements do not apply to students taking STAAR Modified or STAAR Alternate. Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

32. STAAR EOC Assessment Requirements • Who is required to achieve specific performance levels? • Students graduating on the Distinguished Achievement Program must meet Level III: Advanced Academic Performance (postsecondary readiness) on • English III • Algebra II • Students graduating on the Recommended High School Program must meet Level II: Satisfactory Academic Performance on • English III • Algebra II Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

33. STAAR EOC Assessment Requirements • Who is required to meet specific performance levels? • In some cases, a student will not have to meet Level II or Level III requirements on English III or Algebra II if he or she • Earned course credit prior to spring 2012 • Earned course credit outside of Texas public schools • Is receiving special education services Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

34. EOC Assessment Results Algebra I EOC Assessment Performance *This assessment was built based on STAAR blueprint and test design. Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

35. EOC Assessment Results Geometry EOC Assessment Performance *This assessment was built based on STAAR blueprint and test design. Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

36. EOC Assessment Results Algebra II EOC Assessment Performance *This assessment was built based on STAAR blueprint and test design. Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

37. EOC Assessment Results Biology EOC Assessment Performance *This assessment was built based on STAAR blueprint and test design. Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

38. EOC Assessment Results Chemistry EOC Assessment Performance *This assessment was built based on STAAR blueprint and test design. Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

39. EOC Assessment Results Physics EOC Assessment Performance *This assessment was built based on STAAR blueprint and test design. Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

40. For More Information… • Go to the STAAR Resources Webpage http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/staar/ • Read the updated STAAR Questions & Answers http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/staar/faq.pdf • Sign up for the listserv http://miller.tea.state.tx.us/list/index.html Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division

41. E-mail the student assessment mathematics team at math.test@tea.state.tx.us • E-mail the student assessment science team at science.test@tea.state.tx.us Questions?