“We cannot solve problems with the same thinking we used when we created the problems”

1. Short Cycle Assessment…an Instructional ProcessThe Ohio Center for Essential School ReformLiteracy Curriculum Alignment Project

2. “We cannot solve problems with the same thinking we used when we created the problems” Albert Einstein

3. Begin with the end in mind… “Unlike exams, whose purpose it to assign grades based on students’ understanding, the purpose of assessment is to determine the impact of instruction on improving student learning.” M. Sundberg

4. Understanding of State Standards Understanding of State Assessments Literacy Curriculum Alignment Project

5. Why Short Cycle Assessments??? • Short cycle Assessments will help you find out exactly where each of your student’s fall with regards to the Academic Content Standards, and therefore better prepare them for the high stakes test. • Short cycle Assessments will give you information ahead of time, instead of waiting until the results of the high stakes tests come out. • Value Added makes it even more imperative that we know exactly what our students are doing; we are being held accountable for a year’s growth in a year. • The cut scores on the OAT/OGT will be going up; we need to know if our students are keeping up. • It’s what is best for kids.

6. What were the Cut Scores? Here are the cut scores for the 2006-07 school year: OGTOATOAT Reading: 19/48 Gr. 3 Reading:31/49 Gr. 6 Reading: 17/49 Writing: 24/48 Gr. 3 Math: 34/52 Gr. 6 Math: 20/50 Math: 18/46 Gr. 4 Reading: 26/49 Gr. 7 Reading: 20/47 Soc.Studies: 21/48 Gr. 4 Math: 25/52 Gr. 7 Math: 16/50 Science: 22/48 Gr. 5 Reading: 25/49 Gr. 8 Reading: 19/48 Gr. 5 Math: 24/52 Gr. 8 Math: 16/46 Gr. 5 Science: 24/48 Gr. 8 Science:21/48 Gr. 5 Soc. St. 26/48 Gr. 8 Soc. St:23/48

7. What is the Percentage Needed to Pass the Different Sections of the Test in Order to be Considered Proficient? OGTOATOAT Reading: 40% Gr. 3 Reading: 63% Gr. 6 Reading: 35% Writing: 50% Gr. 3 Math: 65% Gr. 6 Math: 40% Math: 39% Gr. 4 Reading: 53% Gr. 7 Reading: 43% Soc.Studies: 44% Gr. 4 Math: 48% Gr. 7 Math: 32% Science: 46% Gr. 5 Reading: 51% Gr. 8 Reading: 40% Gr. 5 Math: 46% Gr. 8 Math: 35% Gr. 5 Science: 50% Gr. 8 Science: 44% Gr. 5 Soc St.: 54% Gr. 8 Soc St.: 48%

8. It is assessment which helps us distinguish between teaching and learning.

9. Understanding of State Standards Understanding of State Assessments Literacy Curriculum Alignment Project

10. Sample Grade 6 ELA Pacing Chart

11. Format of Questions Found on the Ohio Achievement Tests and theOhio Graduation Test

12. Multiple Choice Questions • select the correct response from a list of four • are scored as one item and given one point • can be lower level, or higher level • approximately 2/3 of the questions on the OGT and Achievement Tests are multiple choice (about 14 per 20 questions) • there are not enough points on the multiple choice for a student to pass, even if they score 100%

13. Academic Content Standard: VocabularyGrade Level Indicator: Grade 10, #3: Infer the literal and figurative meaning of words and phrases and discuss the function of figurative language, including metaphors, similes, idioms and puns. What reaction is the poet most likely creating by personifying the moon in the poem? A. fear B. helplessness C. insignificance D. playfulness

14. Academic Content Standard: Data Analysis and Probability Grade Level Indicator: Grade 8, # 7: Identify different ways of selecting samples, such as survey response, random sample, representative sample and convenience sample. Which reflects the convenience sampling method that a health club owner might use to identify the most popular exercise machine in the club? A. Ask the first 20 members who enter the club one morning. B. Ask the members whose phone numbers end with the digit 7. C. Ask members who live on the 6 busiest streets in town. D. Ask all the male members.

15. Academic Content Standard: Reading ProcessGrade Level Indicator: Grade 3, # 5: Make inferences regarding events and possible outcomes from information in text. According to the story, what will probably happen the next time Heather sees a dog? A. She will pet it. B. She will walk past it. C. She will take it home. D. She will run away from it.

16. Academic Content Standard:Algebra and PatternsGrade Level Indicator: Grade 3, # 4:Analyze and replicate arithmetic sequences with and without calculator. Which series of numbers finish the number pattern below? 2, 4, 6, 8, __, __, __, __ 0 A. 10, 11, 12, 13 0 B. 10, 12, 15, 17 0 C. 10, 12, 14, 16

17. Short Answer Questions • require students to generate a written response • require a brief response, usually a few sentences and/or a may be lower level or higher level • may take up to five minutes to complete and student responses receive a score of 0, 1, or 2 points • approximately numeric solution to a straight forward problem • ¼ of the questions on the OGT and the Achievement Tests are short answer (about 5 per 20 questions)

18. Academic Content Standard: Reading Applications: Informational, Technical and Persuasive TextGrade Level Indicator: Grade 9, # 3: Analyze information found in maps, charts, tables, graphs, diagrams, cutaways and overlays. Referring to the chart above, the largest percentage of students are “Lazy/don’t study/didn’t prepare”. Would you agree with this chart? Explain your answer.

19. Academic Content Standard: Mathematics, Data Analysis and ProbabilityGrade Level Indicator: Grade 8, # 5: Explain the mean’s sensitivity to extremes and its use in comparison with the median and mode. Consider the following test score percentages: 70, 71, 72, 75, 76, 80, 82, 50 If the 50% was removed, what is the approximate increase in the mean of the remaining score? Explain your answer.

20. Academic Content Standard: Reading Applications: Literary TextGrade Level Indicator: Grade 4, # 1: Describe the thoughts, words and interactions of characters. What do you think Justin will say to his friends about his birthday gift? Support your answer with words from the story.

21. Academic Content Standard: MeasurementGrade Level Indicator: Grade 2, # 1:Identify and select appropriate units of measure for length – centimeters, meters, inches, feet or yards. Which unit of measure would you use to measure a football field? Why would you choose that unit?

22. Extended Response Questions • require students to generate a written response • demonstrate understanding in greater depth, provide a more in-depth response, or solve a more complex multiple step problem or task • may be lower level or higher level • may require 5 to 15 minutes to complete, and responses receive a score of 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 points • approximately 1/9 of the questions on the OGT and the Achievement Tests are extended response (about 1 per 20 questions)

23. Academic Content Standard: Reading Applications: Informational, Technical and Persuasive TextGrade Level Indicator:Grade 8, # 7: Analyze an author’s argument, perspective or viewpoint and explain the development of key points. After reading the selection “A Glimpse into the Past,” what conclusions can you draw about the author’s attitude about preserving your personal history? How does the author feel about preserving your memories in a time capsule? If the author’s main purpose is to persuade the reader to create a time capsule, rate his/her effectiveness on a scale of 1 – 10, with 10 as the highest. Explain why you gave it this rating.

24. Academic Content Standard: Mathematics, Data Analysis and Probability StandardGrade Level Indicator:Grade 10, # 2: Represent and analyze bivariate data using appropriate graphical displays (scatterplots, parallel box-and-whisker plots, histograms with more than one set of data, tables, charts, spreadsheets) with and without technology. The following is a list of the heights of the Rockets and the Tigers. The basketball coach has asked you to create a parallel box-whisker plot to compare the player’s heights. By examining the parallel box-whisker plot determine the median and upper/lower quartiles of each team. What other measures of data would the coach find useful? Explain your answer.

25. Academic Content Standard: Reading Applications: Literary TextGrade Level Indicator:Grade Kdg., # 3: Retell the beginning, middle and ending of a story, including its important events. Look at each picture I show you to retell the story, The Three Billy-Goats Gruff. Explain what would happen next. Teacher: points to the appropriate picture in the book (a beginning, middle, middle and end picture), then ask the student what happens next. The pictures are up to the teacher’s discretion; the goal is to see if the student can retell the story.)

26. Academic Content Standard: Geometry Grade Level Indicator: Grade 1, # 1: Identify, compare and sort two-dimensional shapes; i.e., square, circle, ellipse, triangle, rectangle, rhombus, trapezoid, parallelogram, pentagon and hexagon. Look at the figures below. Label each figure. How are the figures alike? How are they different? Sort the figures and label how you sorted. Label: _______ _______ _______ _______ Alike: __________________________________________ Different: _______________________________________ I sorted by: _____________________________________

27. Level of Questions Askedon the Ohio Achievement Tests and theOhio Graduation Test

28. Lower Level Questions • Lower level, or recall questions, involve those questions which require the students to identify basic, literal concepts. • According to Bloom’s Taxonomy Level 1 is Knowledge Level 2 is Comprehension Level 3 is Application

29. Lower Level Question What is the setting of the book, To Kill a Mockingbird? A. a big city in the west B. a small town in the south C. a ranch in the southwest D. a fishing village in the northwest

30. Lower Level Question Which of the following shapes is a quadrilateral? A. a circle B. a triangle C. a pyramid D. a parallellogram

31. Higher Level Questions • Higher level, or thinking questions, involve those questions which require the students to interpret, evaluate, critique and analyze information. • According to Bloom’s Taxonomy Level 4: Analysis Level 5: Synthesis Level 6: Evaluation

32. Higher Level Question If the setting of the book, To Kill a Mockingbird had been in the north instead of in the south, how might that have changed the plot of the story? Explain your answer.

33. Higher Level Question Analyze two dimensional figures in a coordinate plane by using slope and distance formulas to show that a quadrilateral is a parallelogram. Is there any instance in which this would not be true? Explain your answer.

34. 4 Things Short Cycle Assessments Can Do For YouOtherwise Known as the “Four E’s” 1. To give planned and purposeful exposure to the benchmarks, indicators and formats. 2. To build resilience and endurance for each student to be able to (1) sit through the test and (2) work through difficult questions. 3. To develop expertise in each teacher’s ability to ask higher level questions, base instructional decisions for delivery on performance data and collaborate for curricular direction across grade levels. 4. To empower students and their parents to become responsible decision makers for learning.

35. Ensuring quality • Validity • Can these scores be used to describe what students have learned? • Can the scores be used to diagnose student strengths and weaknesses? • Can you make predictions based on the data for the achievement or OGT tests?

36. Interpretation • Our tests communicate our goals • What is important? • What deserves focus? • What we expect as good performance?

37. The Third Layer …Grade Level Indicators GLI Level Format

38. Nouns • Are the “what” of what should be taught. • Each content area with standards is set up to encourage a specific set of content specific information to be assessed. They give us this information within the text of the indicator. Adapted from: Wiggins, Stiggins, Ainsworth, McTighe

39. What Are the Nouns? GLI 5.4-7: Analyze the difference between fact and opinion. What are the nouns? Fact and Opinion This tells you what should be taught.

40. Verbs • These are the skills – what the student should be able to do. • The verb will determine the minimum point of the cognitive range at which the instruction should start. • We use Bloom’s Taxonomy to help figure out the range according to the indicator. Adapted from: Wiggins, Stiggins, Ainsworth, McTighe

41. What is the Verb? GLI 5.4-7: Analyze the difference between fact and opinion. What is the verb? Analyze This tells you the level at which the GLI should be taught and assessed.

42. Now, Write a Question… • Make sure you concentrate on the noun. • In this GLI the nouns are “fact” and “opinion” so the question needs to be written to assess these. • Make sure you concentrate on the verb. • In this GLI the verb is “analyze”, so the question has to be written at an analysis level.

43. GLI 5.4-7: Analyze the difference between fact and opinion. Comparing a newspaper article to a journal, one who’s parent related the story compared to someone who lived the story, which would be most likely fact and which one would be most likely opinion? Explain your answer. • Which of the following would most likely be fact? • Journal from a 1st hand experience • Newspaper from a government controlled paper • Parent telling the story a generation later • A paragraph in a history book

44. Questions/Comments • Thank you! • Website: www.ohioces.org