Assessment Update

1. Assessment Update What to Plan for in 2014-2015

2. Stay the Course 2014-2015 School Year • The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) have been implemented in all schools and at all grades • PARCC assessments measuring the CCSS will be fully operational • Technology at all grades supports student learning and student assessment

3. Stay the Course Measuring student performance in 2014-2015 • The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) tests align to the CCSS • The National Center and State Collaborative (NCSC) alternate assessments for students with significant cognitive disabilities align to the CCSS

4. Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers

5. PARCC Assessments • ELA/Literacy at grades 3 – 11 • Math at grades 3 - 8 • End-of-Course • Algebra I • Geometry • Algebra II

6. PARCC Assessments • Big shifts • ELA/Literacy testing at grades 9 and 10 • Algebra II end-of-course testing • Online test administration • Accessibly features available to all • Two testing components for each grade/course • Each component has a separate administration window • Some school flexibility in scheduling testing

7. PARCC Assessment Design Summative Assessments Performance-Based Assessment + End-of-Year Assessment • After 75 percent of the school year • Extended tasks, applications of concepts and skills • ELA/Literacy: Writing effectively when analyzing text, research simulation • Math: Solving multi-step problems requiring abstract reasoning, precision, perseverance and strategic use of tools • All grades and courses • After 90 percent of the school year • Innovative, short-answer items • ELA/Literacy: Reading comprehension • Math: Short items that address both concepts and skills • All grades and courses All students take both components for a final PARCC score

8. PARCC in 2014-2015

9. Scheduling PARCC • May schedule a grade cohort anywhere within the window • Grade cohort (or course) must test same unit/session in the same day • At the same time • Back-to-back • Morning and afternoon • Make up testing must be completed within the window • 7th or 8th graders enrolled in Algebra I will take ELA/Literacy, grade-level math and Algebra I

10. Scheduling PARCC PBA example*: school with grades 3 and 4 with 1:1 ratio *Examples use field test times. Final operational unit times TBA.

11. Scheduling PARCC PBA example*: school with grades 3 and 4 with 2:1 ratio *Examples use field test times. Final operational unit times TBA.

12. Scheduling PARCC PBA example* school with grades 9 – 11 with 1:1 ratio *Using field test times.

13. PARCC Assessments Vocabulary shifts • Test Session – A group of students testing together (as setup in PearsonAccess). • Test Unit – The main components of each grade/subject’s test of the PBA or EOY (i.e. Literary Analysis Unit or Mathematics Unit 1). • Test Section – A portion of the Test Unit (i.e. calculator section or non-calculator section). • Mid-year testing - non-summative, optional assessment tool • Fall Block Testing – our former mid-year testing

14. PARCC in 2014-2015 Anticipated window for block testing. More information will be provided when available.

15. PARCC in 2014-2015 Prepare for administration • Technology readiness • IT Planning Assessment Survey results • Locations for testing • Scheduling • New accessibility features • Preparing students • Using the technology • Using the PARCC platform and accessibility features

16. PARCC Accessibility Policies * Available to all participating students **For students with disabilities, English learners, and English learners with disabilities

17. PARCC Accessibility • Tools and support built into the assessment system that can be activated by anystudent • Examples include: magnification, highlighting, eliminate answer choices, line reader • Tools and support availableto all students (i.e., not limited to students with IEPs, 504 plans, or English learners) that must be selected and “turned on” prior to the assessment • Examples include answer masking, text-to-speech for mathematics, background/font color • Review IEP, 504 and LPAC plans

18. PARCC Accessibility

19. PARCC Accessibility • School personnel must be familiar with the available features well in advance of testing • Students must have the opportunity to use the features available to all before operational testing • Administer tutorial and practices tests • http://practice.parcc.testnav.com/#

20. PARCC in 2014-2015 • School teams may determine that any student may require one or more of the following test administration considerations • Small group testing • Frequent breaks • Time of day • Separate or alternate location • Specified area or seating

21. Online Administration Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers

22. Technology Readiness Combined State effort ADE, DIS, Educational Cooperatives • Site visit to check capacity/readiness • PARCC IT Planning Survey (PIPS) • At https:adedata.arkansas.gov/ • Select: • Select:

23. ADE Technology Resources • http://ideas.aetn.org/commoncore/assessment • PARCC Technology Requirements • PARCC Assessment Resources • Technology Set Up • Administrator Training • Accessibility Features and Accommodations with Computer-Based Testing • PARCC Accessibility Features and Accommodations Manual

24. PARCC Technology Resources • www.techreadiness.net • Technology Readiness Tool (TRT) Site • http://www.parcconline.org/technology • PARCC Capacity Planning Tool • www.parcc.pearson.com • Sample Sets and Tutorials • System Check Tool • Proctor Caching Software • PARCC Training Modules • Technology • Test Administration

25. PARCC Resources Assessment information • http://www.parcconline.org • https://www.pearsonaccess.com (select PARCC) Accessibility and Accommodations Manual and Appendices*: • http://www.parcconline.org/parcc-accessibility-features-and-accommodations-manual *the appendices are separate documents and contain vital information for planning

26. Technology Readiness? What happens if our district IS NOT ready? • Option for paper/pencil PARCC testing • Online Assessment Hardship Waiver • Documented lack of bandwidth or devices • Internal infrastructure issues • School-wide decision; not by grade or course • Final decision due to the ADE by August 8, 2014 • See Commissioner’s Memo LS-15-003

27. PARCC Reporting • One goal of PARCC is to provide timely reporting of student performance to schools, parents, and other stakeholders • In the first year of administration, standards must be set before the results can be reported • In the second year of PARCC, reports may not be available before the end of the school year • The ultimate goal is to provide reports as soon as possible after the EOY is completed

28. PARCC Reporting • Standard setting will take place after the operational test is administered and scored • PARCC testing ends in June, 2015 • Standard setting is scheduled for the summer of 2015 • The final performance standards will be determined in early fall of 2015 • Reports should be available to schools mid- to late fall of 2015 • Block* and spring * Note that block students testing in Dec. 2014, will receive results in fall of 2015

30. NCSC* Alternate Assessment • For students with significant cognitive disabilities • An alternate assessment based on alternate academic achievement standards • Will replace the Alternate Portfolio in Literacy and Math • A student’s IEP team will determine if this assessment is appropriate to administer using the NCSC Participation Guidelines http://www.ncscpartners.org/Media/Default/PDFs/Resources/NCSC_Participation_Guidelines-Nov-2013.pdf NCSC* is pronounced like “nick-sick”

31. NCSC Alternate Assessment • Math and ELA testing • Grades 3 – 8 • Grade 11 • Administered online • Approximately 1.5 - 2 hours per content area

32. NCSC Alternate Assessment • The assessment will be administered using technology in a variety of ways • Some students will respond directly into the online system • Some students will take a paper-pencil version of the test • The teacher may enter student responses into the computer for students who are unable to do so

33. NCSC Alternate Assessment Big shifts • Online test administration • HS math testing at grade 11 • no math portfolio at grade 9 • Resource math class does not determine the math assessment • NCSC – most severely, cognitively disabled ~ 1% • PARCC – resource students not qualifying for NCSC • Refer to Commissioner’s Memo LS-14-076 for updated course code and assessment information

34. NCSC Technology Readiness Prepare for online testing • Participate in the NCSC fall pilot to try out the system and their technology • Dates: October 20 – November 14, 2014 • Grades 3 – 8 and 11 • ELA and math, including writing • Contact: Charlotte Marvel at 501-682-5296 or via email at charlotte.marvel@arkansas.gov

35. What is NOT changing in 2014-2015? • Kindergarten Screener (QELI) • Grades 1 and 2 Iowa Test of Basic Skills • Will use a new form that can be reported against the CCSS • Science Augmented Benchmark exams at grades 5 and 7 • Biology End-of-Course exam • Alternate Portfolio Assessment in science at grades 5, 7 and 10 • English Language Proficiency Test (ELDA) • Explore and Plan or PSAT CCR tests

36. 2014-2015 Transitions