The Alabama Reading and Mathematics Test

1. The Alabama Reading and Mathematics Test Michele Hunter Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction Mobile County Public Schools

2. Pre-Test • What is the ARMT? • When will this test be administered? • To whom will it be administered? • Why was this test created? • What is AYP? • What happens if schools don’t meet their goals in 2 years? 3 Years? 4-5 Yr? • How will the SAT10 scores differ from ARMT scores? • What is proficiency? How do you know if your students are proficient in mathematics?

3. Three Components of the ARMT

4. The ARMT • Piloted in October • Administered to all students in grades 3-8 • Status of the school will be determined on the ARMT, ADWA, and AHSGE • Criterion Referenced Test based on our state’s standards

5. CRT’s (ARMT &ADAW) Developed using course-specific objectives on grade level Developed to test mastery of state standards Content standards are reported by performance levels (I, II, III, and IV) Performance Descriptors provide a narrative description of each level Levels III and IV are considered “Proficient” Exemplars provide samples of student work at each level Cut Scores provide the cut for each level Criterion Reference Tests

6. Norm-Referenced Tests • NRT’s (SAT 10) • Developed using questions that are at and above the grade-level curriculum • Developed to compare individual performance with performance of the norming group • Designed to spread our kids out by reporting scores using a bell curve making it mathematically impossible for all students to be proficient • Reports relative strengths and weaknesses of individuals • Reported scores by national percentile rank, national stanine, national grade percentile band, content cluster stanine range, and achievement/ability comparison range

7. Challenges We Face This Year • Understanding the NCLB Act of 2001 • Meeting Standards and Accountability through AYP • Understanding the curriculum • Using research-based best practices for instructional strategies • Taking a closer look at our classroom assessments

8. The NCLB Act of 2001 • Challenges the entire educational community, but primarily teachers and administrators, to change the way schools do business • Under this law all public school children, even the most disadvantaged, must perform proficiently on standardized tests in reading and mathematics by the year 2014

9. NCLB-Mathematical Proficiency

10. AYP- Adequate Yearly Progress • An individual state’s measure of yearly progress toward achieving state academic standards. • “Adequate Yearly Progress” is the minimum level of improvement that states, school districts, and schools must achieve each year. • Goals must be reported starting 2005

11. Disaggregated Databy Subgroups- AYP Race and Ethnicity Socioeconomic Level Disabilities Limited English Proficiency * Migrant Status * Gender

12. Flexible, Local Control of Funds • School districts currently receive federal funding from the Dept. of Ed. under 4 major state grant programs *Teacher Quality Grants *Education Technology *Innovative Programs *Safe and Drug-Free Schools • Under NCLB, every school district can transfer up to 50% of these funds between any other program or to Title I to meet AYP goals

13. Falling Short of AYP Goals- Yr 2 • Corrective Action • Develop Improvement Plans based on scientifically proven teaching methods • Offer parents public school choice • Provide transportation to the new school

14. Falling Short of AYP Goal- Yr 3 • Title I Funds used for supplemental services chosen by parents • Tutoring • After-school programs

15. Understanding the Curriculum • AL- COS for Mathematics (new vs.current) • NCTM’s Principles and Standards for School Mathematics • Local Curriculum Guides (Team Math) • AMSTI- Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative

16. NCLB – Instruction & Materials • Despite the research, many classroom teachers still spend the bulk of their classroom time demonstrating procedures and supervising students while they practice those procedures. • Textbooks are typically packed with an assortment of topics creating a scattered and superficial curriculum. • The New AL COS has reduced the number of standards to allow for in-depth instruction of content, facilitating mathematical proficiency.

17. Instructional Strategies

18. Classroom Assessment • Assess the COS Standards (not just chapters) and expect mastery with each standard for all students • Intervention Plan for individual students who are not mastering skills; re-teach & reassess • Sampling of student work should align to the COS • Use Bloom’s Taxonomy • Available Instructional Time Protected • Model format of the ARMT with assessment

19. Post-Test • What is the ARMT? • When will this test be administered? • To whom will it be administered? • Why was this test created? • What is AYP? • What happens if schools don’t meet their goals in 2 years? 3 Years? 4-5 Yr? • How will the SAT10 scores differ from ARMT scores? • What is proficiency? How do you know if your students are proficient in mathematics?