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Junior High Literacy Assessment

Junior High Literacy Assessment. Scale Scoring. A New Format for Provincial Assessment Reports. Beginning in the 2007-2008 school year, all provincial assessments will be reported on a common scale. Why Use a Common Scale?.

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Junior High Literacy Assessment

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  1. Junior High Literacy Assessment

  2. Scale Scoring A New Format for Provincial Assessment Reports

  3. Beginning in the 2007-2008 school year, all provincial assessments will be reported on a common scale.

  4. Why Use a Common Scale? Imagine trying to accurately compare a student’s or a school’s achievement when given the following raw scores: • letter grades • numerical marks • rubric levels • percentage grades

  5. What is a Scale? A scale is an arbitrarily established set of numbers used for measurement. Different scales may be used to measure the same thing, but they are calibrated differently. (e.g. rulers, thermometers, speedometers, bathroom scales)

  6. What is a Scale? A scale, simply put, is a mathematical conversion of raw scores to a common scale or a derived score.

  7. A scaled score is a conversion of a student's raw score on a test to a common scale that allows for a numerical comparison between students. Provincial assessments use multiple versions of a test over the years. The scale is used to control slight variations from one version of a test to the next. Scaled scores, when equated, are particularly useful for comparing test scores over time.

  8. Equating: A Statistical Process Equating measures the difficulty of each assessment (content, cognition, difficulty) and adjusts the cut score to account for differences among assessment forms. The difficulty level of tests in different years can be equated and this enables us to compare assessment results from year to year.

  9. Advantages of Scale Scores Scaled scores allow better comparison of assessment results: • from year to year • from one grade level assessment to another • of student achievement in different subject areas

  10. Future Advantages Because each successive year’s assessments are statistically equated with a baseline reference year, the scaled scores can also be used to reflect growth. For example, if a future scaled score is higher than the reference year scale score (2007-2008), it can be interpreted as an improvement from that baseyear.

  11. Cautions for Comparisons Many factors impact upon a school’s results. No single assessment result tells the whole story of a student’s or school’s achievement. Sample size does matter! Schools with fewer students will show more variability in scores from one year to the next.

  12. Scale Scoring Provincial Mean Cut score One standard deviation above 65 % of students who wrote this assessment One standard deviation below 389 600 700 800 300 200 400 500 Scale Scores

  13. Cut Score A cut score defines the point at which a certain required level of achievement has been demonstrated on the assessment. Cut scores are set by a panel of educators who look at the actual test questions to determine levels of acceptable performance. A cut score can be above or below the mean.

  14. Cut Score A cut score differentiates between students who are meeting expectations or not yet meeting expectations.

  15. Things to Consider Distribution of Scores: • Scale ranges from 200 to 800 • Provincial mean is set to 500 • Provincial standard deviation is set to 100 • On most provincial assessments, about 65% of students will place between 400 and 600

  16. Things to Consider The cut score for the JHLA was set at 389 Higher scores mean stronger performance relative to other students who wrote the same assessment.

  17. Interpreting ResultsOverall Score Provincial Mean (500) How close or how far away from the mean did the student perform? How did the student perform relative to others who wrote the assessment? How did the student perform this time compared to the time before? (after 2008)

  18. Interpreting Results Overall Score Cut Score: How close or how far away from the cut score (389) did the student perform? Did the student meet expectations for this assessment or has the student not yet met expectations for this assessment? REMEMBER:The cut score only applies to the overall score (section 1) the student received.

  19. Using the Results Overall Score Students Meeting Expectations (390 and above) If the overall score is above the cut score (390) the student is meeting expectations. Benchmarks have been established to help determine the level of performance. If a student’s overall score falls between 390- 600, his/her performance is considered to be satisfactory. If a student’s overall score falls between 601- 800, his/her performance is considered to be strong.

  20. Using the Results Overall Score Students Not Yet Meeting Expectations (Overall Score below 389) For every student who is not yet meeting expectations (overall score is below 389) teachers will be expected to: • provide on-going, in-class support • contact parents/guardians to discuss support options

  21. Using the Results Overall Score Students Not Yet Meeting Expectations (Overall Score below 389) If a student’s overall score falls below 400, his/her score is more than one standard deviation from the mean. For every student who is not yet meeting expectations and whose score is below 389, the teacher is expected to: • Develop a Literacy Support (LS) document • Support student within the class structure The LS document will be on-going for students, with transition meetings at the end of each grade.

  22. Using the Results Overall Score Schools are responsible for tracking Literacy Support (LS) and for monitoring support. Teachers and Principals are expected to: • review LS document and monitor support • Documenting a conversation with the student • ensure parent/guardian signatures on the LS document • ensure that the completed LS document is kept in the student’s cum file

  23. Using the Results The Reading Performance section: • Provides information on student performance in the various genres, cognitive levels and some specific outcomes . • Allows for comparison to the provincial mean of 500. • May help teachers isolate concerns and develop strategies to address these indicators. • Was not factored into a student’s overall score • Is intended to provide to teachers information for planning purposes only.

  24. Overall Performance in Reading • Student overall score for reading is a reflection of all 65 questions are scaled – considers difficulty level of the whole assessment. And should only be compared to the cut score.

  25. Genre • Information Text (largely Literal Comprehension) • Visual Media Text (predominantly Analysis) • Literary Prose (predominantly Analysis) • Poetry/Song ( Non-Literal Comprehension and Analysis)

  26. Using the Results The Writing Performance section: • Provides information on student performance in the elements of writing: ideas, organization, matters of correctness, and word choice. • May help teachers identify concerns and trends.

  27. Using Your Data: Classroom Level Teachers are encouraged to use the student reports to identify trends and patterns in literacy development. Class / grade profiles may be used for classroom instructional decision making and for targeting support to individual students.

  28. Using the Results: School Level In April, The Minister of Education will release the provincial, board and school results in the Minister’s Report to Parents.

  29. For more information Program of Learning Assessment for Nova Scotia (PLANS), Nova Scotia Department of Education, Provincial Assessment Reports: A New Format (2007) http://www.jhla.ednet.ns.ca

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