ELA STAAR Update Grades 3-8

1. ELASTAAR UpdateGrades 3-8

2. Who’s Here? • Grade levels • Capacities • Former testers  • T-CAT • TABS • TEAMS • TAAS • TAKS • Other state exams?

3. HOUSEKEEPING Restrooms Cell Phones Snacks Materials

4. NORMS • Engage as learners • Listen to build on others’ ideas • Stay on time and on task • Be open to all ideas

5. Parking Lot for Questions

6. Schedule • 8:30 – 10:00 Content • 10:00 – 10:15 Break • 10:15 – 11:30 Content • 11:30 – 12:30 Lunch • 12:30 – 1:45 Content • 1:45 – 2:00 Break • 2:00 – 3:30 Content

7. It’s a fine line… One of our goals: ensure that our students have choices! What has changed in the job market since 1971?

8. TAKS vs. STAAR • STAAR is “significantly more rigorous.” • STAAR is vertically aligned to college readiness. • The term “TAKS Objectives” is replaced by “Reporting Categories.” • There is an increased number of testing days for STAAR. • Students can retake EOC assessments for any reason.

9. TAKS vs. STAAR • Five writing rubrics replace one: • Literary • Expository • Persuasive • Analytic • Personal Narrative

10. http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/staar/

11. STAAR • STAAR focus is “clearer, fewer, and deeper.” It will… • provide a more clearly articulated assessment program. • focus on fewer skills. • address those skills in a deeper manner.

12. STAAR Background Educator Advisory Committees… • determined that the majority of the TEKS are eligible for the assessment because they can be tested. • reviewed eligible TEKS to determine what should be the focus of the assessment; these are called Readiness Standards. • recommended other assessable TEKS as Supporting Standards.

13. 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.

14. Supporting Standards… • may be introduced in the current grade or course. • may be emphasized in a previous or subsequent year. • may be reinforced in the current grade or course. • play a role in preparing student for the next grade or course—but not a central role. • address more narrowly defined ideas than Readiness Standards.

15. STAAR Readiness and Supporting Standards • Readiness and Supporting Standards are identified in the assessed curriculum documents. • These documents are posted on the TEA student assessment website at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/staar/

18. STAAR • Readiness Standards • Encompass 30 - 40% of the eligible TEKS • Will make up 60 - 65% of the assessment • Supporting Standards • Encompass 60 - 70% of the eligible TEKS • Will make up 35 - 40% of the assessment

19. STAAR

20. STAAR TEKS FOR SPECIFIC GRADE OR COURSE READINESS STANDARDS FOCUS OF ASSESSMENT SUPPORTING STANDARDS 60-65% of assessment ASSESSED ACROSS YEARS 35-40% of assessment NOT ASSESSED

23. 2012Grades 3-8 Spring 2012 • The first STAAR assessments will be administered. May 2012 • Raw scores for the first spring 2012 assessment will be sent to districts. Fall 2012 • Standard setting for the STAAR 3–8 assessments will occur. • Reports that reflect performance standards on the spring 2012 administration will be delayed until standards are set. • No SSI retests (grades 5 and 8) will be available in the 2011–2012 school year.

24. SSI for grades 5 and 8 • There will be no re-tests in 2012, but SSI requirements still stand. • Grade Placement Committees will have to use other academic information to make promotion decisions. • Fall of 2011 – Grade Placement Committee manual will have more information.

25. Test Content and Design

26. ReadingGrades 3-8 • Word Count • Attached to overall test rather than to individual pieces • Increases from grade to grade • Number of Selections • Can vary from year to year • Dependent on length (e.g., at grade 5, 3−4 individual selections and one pair) • Number of Questions • Different numbers of questions attached to different-length selections

27. Genres Assessed Literary Strand • Fiction • Literary Nonfiction • Poetry • Drama • Assessed beginning at 4th grade • Media Literacy • Embedded Readiness Genre Supporting Genre Supporting Genre Supporting Genre

28. Genres Assessed Informational Strand • Expository • Persuasive • Assessed beginning at 5th grade • Procedural • Embedded • Media Literacy • Embedded Readiness Genre Supporting Genre

29. What’s in a Genre?(as defined by TEA)

30. Know Your Lane – Figure 19

31. Know Your Lane –STARR Eligible TEKS

32. Types of Reading Selections • Grades 3-8 = 50% published • English I, II, III = 100% published • Paired selections begin in 4th grade • Triplet is gone; media is embedded

33. Paired Selections • Can mix strands and genres • Literary−Literary • fiction−poetry • literary nonfiction−drama • fiction−literary nonfiction • Informational−Informational • expository −expository • expository−persuasive • Literary−Informational • fiction−expository • poetry−expository • literary nonfiction−persuasive

34. Grade 6

35. Let’s Explore! • Decide which 3 consecutive grade levels your table will explore (RELEASED READING SELECTIONS AND TEST QUESTIONS). • Answer the following questions: • What must students know and be able to do? • What are implications for instruction?

36. What does this mean for us, instructionally speaking?

37. Let’s Explore Writing

38. Writing in Grades 4 & 7 • Grade 4* • Two Day Writing Test • Day 1 – ½ Multiple Choice & One Composition • Day 2—½ Multiple Choice & One Composition *stand alone field test every 3 years • Grade 7** • Two Day Writing Test • Day 1—Multiple Choice & One Composition • Day 2—Two Compositions **field test embedded

39. Grade 4

40. Multiple ChoiceRevising & Editing Grades 4 & 7 and High School • Revision Focus • Effectiveness • Introduction & Conclusion • Organization • Progression • Development • Language/Word Choice • Sentences • Editing Focus • Correctness • Conventions

41. Revising & Editing in Grades 4 & 7 and High School • Separate Revising & Editing Sections • Grade 4 • 32% Revising (9 items) • 68% Editing (19 items) • Grade 7 • 40% Revising (16 items) • 60% Editing (24 items)

42. Revising and Editing Grades 4 and 7 Example of Grade 4 Revision Stem: David would like to improve his story by adding a strong concluding sentence after sentence 28. Which of these would be the BEST sentence to add? Example of Grade 7 Revision Stem: The transition between the third paragraph (sentences 13–19) and the fourth paragraph (sentences 20–25) is abrupt. Which sentence could Veronica add before sentence 20 to help with this transition?

43. Types of Writing Assessed • Grade 4 • Personal Narrative • Expository (not “how to”) • Grade 7 • Personal Narrative with Extension (extension weaved into writing; not added at the end) • Expository • English I • Literary • Expository • English II • Expository • Persuasive • English III • Persuasive • Analytic

44. CompositionGrade 4 • Students will write two one-page compositions addressing different types of writing. • Personal Narrative: • Write about important personal experiences (TEKS−17A) • Expository: • Create brief compositions that establish a central idea in a topic sentence, contain a concluding statement, and include supporting sentences with simple facts, details, and explanations (TEKS−18 A and i, ii, and iii)

45. CompositionGrade 7 • Students will write three one-page compositions (one a field-test item) addressing two different types of writing. • Personal Narrative with extension: • Write a personal narrative that has a clearly defined focus and communicates the importance of or reasons for actions and/or consequences (TEKS−16A) • Expository: • Write a multi-paragraph essay to convey information about a topic (TEKS−17A; additional information is contained in 17A i−v)

46. Writing Prompts Grades 4 and 7 • Most personal narrative prompts will appear with a photograph. • At grade 7, personal narrative prompts will clearly incorporate the “extension” aspect (e.g., why the experience was important). • Expository prompts will contain a stimulus and will be scaffolded: • Read…, Think about…, Write…, Be sure to….

47. Reporting Categories(Replacing Objectives) • Reporting Category One – Composition • The student will demonstrate an ability to compose a variety of written texts with a clear, controlling idea; coherent organization; sufficient development; and effective use of language and conventions. • Reporting Category Two – Revision • The student will demonstrate an ability to revise a variety of written texts. • Reporting Category Three – Editing • The student will demonstrate an ability to edit a variety of texts.

48. Length of Compositions One page – 26 lines * If students “double-up” on lines (i.e. write 52 lines), scorers will only read and determine a score based on the FIRST 26 LINES!

49. Victoria Young Quote “This is an equity issue; it’s a money issue. The problem (of doubling up on lines) has gotten worse and worse. Students are writing little, tiny font that you can’t even read. We adjusted the rubric to make sure that kids can get 3s and 4s within 26 lines.”

50. Test Length (Number of Hours) • 4-hour time limit • Includes both the STAAR EOC assessments and the STAAR grades 3-8 assessments