Improving Third Grade Outcomes with K-2 Assessments

1. Using K-2 Summative Assessments to Improve Third Grade Outcomes Joanne Jensen April 30, 2019

2. Presentation Overview • Making the case for the collection of student achievement data for grades K – 2 • Review of state assessment policies for grade K – 2 • Maryland Case Study: Kindergarten Entry Assessment in Comparison to Grade 3 Results • Tennessee Case Study: Use of a Grade 2 Assessment to Inform Instruction

3. A report by the Anne E. Casey Foundation described the importance of reading proficiently by the end of third grade as a make-or-break benchmark. • The inability to read with comprehension is linked to negative outcomes for both individuals and society. Research links success in early mathematics to overall school success. • In addition, gains in mathematics knowledge from preschool to late first grade are more predictive of mathematics achievement at age 15 than preschool knowledge. NAEP results from the 2017 assessment indicated 35% of fourth grades read at a proficient level, and 33% failed to reach the basic level. For fourth grade mathematics, 40% of the students achieved proficiency and, and 21% failed to achieve at the basic level. • A vast majority of students are already behind by grades 3 and 4, and it is increasingly difficult for them to catch up. Making the case for the collection of student achievement for grades K – 2

4. ACT published a report in 2016 in which the author found 35 states have some form of state assessment in grades K – 2; 18 states allowed districts to select assessments from a state-approved list. • In a follow-up released this year, 35 states offered some type of a state assessment in K – 2. Six states offered both a statewide assessment as well another type of test (i.e., an optional assessment or one in development). • In 32 of the 35 states, the state mandated certain assessments for all students, and one state required an assessment for select schools. • Of these state required assessments, only four were end-of-year summative assessments; a decrease from six states requiring summative assessments based on the 2016 study. • There is a growing interest in allowing districts to select an assessment from a state-approved list. Review of state assessment policies for grades K – 2

5. Beginning in 2014, Maryland implemented a Kindergarten Readiness Assessment to be administered to students upon their entry into kindergarten. When projecting the demonstrating readiness cut score for the overall scale to the subdomains of ELA and mathematics, one finds the following: The Maryland Case Study

6. The Maryland Case Study

7. The Maryland Case Study

8. In 2016, the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) issued a request for proposal to support the development of summative assessments in English/language arts and mathematics for grade 2 with the first operational assessment to be administered in spring 2017. The primary purpose of these assessments is to improve teaching and learning. Additionally, these assessment results are used in the Tennessee Valued-Added Assessment System and incorporated as a component of a teacher’s annual summative evaluations for grade 3. Tennessee offers the grade 2 assessments as an optional assessment at the district level. The Tennessee Case Study

9. Reading • 1-point multiple-choice items • Passage-based items Foundational Literacy Phonics and Word Recognition • 2-point multiple-select items • Target words are drawn or based on words from the passage Vocabulary Acquisition • 1-point multiple-choice items • Based on words from the passage Word Composition and Sentence Composition • 1-point multiple-choice items • Based on sentences about the passage Grade 2 ELA Item Types

10. Fluency • 5-point timed item • Requires reading as many sentence as possible within the specified time (60 seconds) and identifying each as true or not true Sample Fluency Sentences: Red is a color. Birds can breathe under water. Bread is a kind of food. The alphabet is made up of letters. Ice will melt when it gets very cold. A snake can walk. Grade 2 ELA Item Types

11. Listening Sentence-based • 1-point multiple-choice items • Graphic answer choices • Sentence and questions read to students Passage-based • 1-point multiple-choice items • Some have graphic answer choices • Some have textual answer choices • Passages, questions, and text answer choices are read to students Grade 2 ELA Item Types

12. Writing 5-point writing prompt Prompt is based on ideas in a short reading passage that is read to students. Requires students to write a response that is at least three to four sentences to answer two passage related questions. Grade 2 ELA Item Types

13. Non-Contextual Fluency 1-point item; aligned to a single standard Fill-in-the-blank and multiple-select formats Multiple Choice 1-point item; aligned to a single standard Multi-part 2-point item; aligned to a single standard Contains multiple parts Grade 2 Mathematics Item Types

14. Areas of Strength: Students demonstrated the ability to grapple with complex text. Students demonstrated the ability to determine the meaning of unknown words and phrases. Students performed significantly better when responding to items associated with literary listening passages versus informational listening passages. Students were able to respond to items dealing with sentence composition with a higher rate of accuracy than items associated with phonics and word recognition. Summary of Findings

15. Areas of Greatest Challenge: Informational text remains more challenging than literary text for students, particularly when determining the central message/main topic of a text and listening to extended texts. Possible consideration: The structure of informational text often varies more than the structure of literary text at this grade level. Students were able to respond to items dealing with sentence composition (conventions of standard English grammar and usage) with a higher rate of accuracy that items with phonics and word recognition skills. Possible consideration: Students’ exposure to phonics instruction is often geared towards identifying sounds orally as opposed to working with them on a paper-and-pencil format. Summary of Findings

16. Areas of Strength Students performed equitably on items read to them as they did on items they read to themselves. Areas of Greatest Challenge Solidifying an understanding of addition and subtraction strategies Developing an understanding of place value Connecting place value with addition and subtraction These standards are foundational in solidifying an understanding of addition and subtraction, especially when it comes to implementing strategies. Without a strong, conceptual foundation in computing with whole numbers, students will struggle as they move beyond whole numbers to other types of numbers (e.g., fractions, decimals). Summary of Findings: Mathematics

17. The areas of greatest challenge at grade 2 demonstrate similar challenges at later grades. Summary of Findings: Mathematics

18. T Summary of Findings: Mathematics

19. Sample Assessments Provide teachers and students with sample items to allow them to become familiar with the format of the assessment, length of the assessment, and the rigor of the assessment Released test items with student work provide teachers and students with test content that actually appeared on one of the operational tests. Annotations of items requiring written responses help teachers to understand the performance expectations for their students and actual approaches used by students when responding. Standard, indicator, and Depth of Knowledge alignment also are provided for the items allowing teachers and instructional leaders to see the variety of ways students may be asked to demonstrate their knowledge and skills. Assessment Supports for Instruction

20. Anne E. Casey Foundation. (2010). “EARLY WARNING! Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters.” Baltimore, MD. Available at http://www.aecf.org/resources/early-warning-why-reading-by-the-end-of-third-grade-matters/. Croft, M. (2016). “State Adoption and Implementation of K–2 Assessments.” ACT Research and Policy Issue Brief. Available at https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/5738_Issue_Brief_State_Adoption_of_K-2_Assess_WEB_secure.pdf. National Center for Educational Statistics, 2017 NAEP Mathematics & Reading Assessments: Highlighted Results of Grades 4 and 7 for the Nation, States, and Districts. Available at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/. References

21. The Aspen Education & Society Program and the Council of Chief State School Officers. 2017. Leading for Equity: Opportunities for State Education Chiefs. Washington, D.C. Available at http://www.aspeninstitute.org/publications/leading-equity-opportunities-state-education-chiefs/­­­. Tyler, W.W., Duncan, G.J., Siegler, R.S., and Davis Kean, P.E.(2014). “What’s Past Is Prologue: Relations Between Early Mathematics Knowledge and High School Achievement.” Educational Researcher, 43(7), pp. 352-360. References

22. For more information please contact: csai@wested.org "The work reported herein was supported by grant number #S283B050022A between the U.S. Department of Education and WestEd with a subcontract to the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST). The findings and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of CRESST, WestEd, or the U.S. Department of Education."