lexington school district one testing...

LEXINGTON SCHOOL DISTRICT ONE ASSESSMENT PLANS

2013-2014

Dr. Janelle L. Rivers Director of Accountability

Dr. Gloria Talley Chief Academic Officer

Dr. Karen C. Woodward District Superintendent

Where Children & Learning Are One

2013-2014 Lexington School District One Assessment Plans 2

Lexington School District One Testing Plan 2013-2014

Page Lexington One Plan for 2013-2014 .................................................... 3 Test Dates 2013-2014 ....................................................................... 5 State-Required Tests ......................................................................... 7 Description of District Instruments ..................................................... 9 Rationale for District Testing Plan .................................................... 13


Plan for Lexington School District One Testing Program in 2013-2014

Grade District Programs State Programs Kindergarten DIBELS Next

Reading Records **Primary MAP in selected schools

Tennessee English Language Placement Assessment (TELPA) Evaluation and Language Distribution Agency (ELDA) for English to Speakers of Other Languages Programs and (ESOL) program

Grade 1 DIBELS Next Reading Records **Primary MAP in selected schools

Tennessee English Language Placement Assessment (TELPA) Evaluation and Language Distribution Agency (ELDA) for English to Speakers of Other Languages Programs and (ESOL) program

Grade 2 **Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) Reading Records DIBELS Next

Project STAR Tennessee English Language Placement Assessment (TELPA) and ELDA for ESOL CogAT & ITBS

Grade 3 **Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) DIBELS Next Reading Records

PASS & PASS Field Tests PASS-Alt Project STAR Tennessee English Language Placement Assessment (TELPA) and ELDA for ESOL Smarter Balanced Field Test

Grade 4 **Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) DIBELS Next Reading Records

PASS & PASS Field Tests PASS-ALT Project STAR CogAT Tennessee English Language Placement (TELPA) and ELDA for ESOL NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) – selected students Smarter Balanced Field Test

Grade 5 **Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) DIBELS Next Reading Records

PASS & PASS Field Tests PASS-ALT Tennessee English Language Placement Assessment (TELPA) and ELDA for ESOL Smarter Balanced Field Test

Grade 6 **Measure of Academic Progress (MAP)

PASS & PASS Field Tests PASS-ALT Tennessee English Language Placement Assessment (TELPA) and ELDA for ESOL CogAT Smarter Balanced Field Test


Plan for Lexington School District One Testing Program in 2013-2014

Grade District Programs State Programs Grade 7 **Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) PASS & PASS Field Tests

PASS-ALT Tennessee English Language Placement Assessment (TELPA) and ELDA for ESOL Smarter Balanced Field Test

Grade 8 **Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) EXPLORE PSAT option

PASS & PASS Field Tests PASS-ALT ***EOCEP, as needed Tennessee English Language Placement Assessment (TELPA) and ELDA for ESOL NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) – selected students Smarter Balanced Field Test

Grade 9 *(*)Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) PSAT option

***EOCEP, as needed Tennessee English Language Placement Assessment (TELPA) and ELDA for ESOL

Grade 10 *PLAN *PSAT must be offered also

HSAP EXIT Exam ***EOCEP, as needed Tennessee English Language Placement Assessment (TELPA) and ELDA for ESOL

Grade 11 PSAT option *PSAT option HSAP EXIT, as needed Tennessee English Language Placement Assessment (TELPA) and ELDA for ESOL ***EOCEP, as needed Smarter Balanced Field Test

Grade 12 HSAP EXIT, as needed Tennessee English Language Placement Assessment (TELPA) and ELDA for ESOL NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) – selected students ***EOCEP, as needed

Adult Education

HSAP EXIT, as needed EOCEP, as needed

* Fall Testing Program ** Fall and Spring Testing Program with Winter Testing Option *(*) Fall Testing, Spring Testing Optional *** Fall Semester and Spring Semester


Test Dates 2013–2014

Date Test

July 16-18, 2013 High School Assessment Program (HSAP) – Summer Grade 12

Reporting Dates: A minimum of 3 times a year (by the end of first, second and end of year).

Text Level Assessment (Dominie or Fountas and Pinnell levels) All grade K-3 students; selected grade 4-5 students

August 27 – September 10, 2013 DIBELS Next Benchmark Testing Grades K-5

September 9 –20, 2013 Regular Testing September 23–27, 2013 Make-ups

Measures of Academic Performance (MAP) – Fall Grades 2-9, and selected 10th grades Primary MAP option for selected schools

October 7-8, 2013 Regular Testing October 9-10, 2013 Make-ups

EXPLORE/PLAN Grades 8 & 10

October 16 & 19, 2013 Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test (PSAT) National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT) Option for Grades 8-11; encouraged for college-bound 10th graders

October 22, 2013 – ELA (Session 1) October 23, 2013 – ELA (Session 2) October 24, 2013 – Mathematics Through November 1, 2013 – make ups

High School Assessment Program (HSAP) – Fall Selected students

October 23-25, 2013 October 28-29, 2013 Through November 5, 2013 – make ups

Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) – Grades 2 & 5 Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) – Grade 2

December 2–16, 2013 DIBELS Next Benchmark Testing Grades K-5

December 12, 2013 - Algebra I December 13, 2013 - English I December 16, 2013 - Biology I December 17, 2013 - US History Make-ups December 18–20, 2013

End of Course Examination Program (EOCEP) – Fall/Winter Selected students

January 13–24, 2014 Regular Testing January 27–31, 2014 Make-ups

Measures of Academic Performance (MAP) - Winter Required Grades 6, 7, 8; optional selected Grades 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10

February 17 – March 6, 2014

STAR Performance Tasks for Gifted & Talented Eligibility Qualified 2nd – 5th Graders

February 24 – April 4, 2014 English Language Development Assessment (ELDA) Students with an ESOL Code, 1-5, A-D

March 18, 2014 – Writing, Day 1 March 19, 2014 – Writing, Day 2 Through March 25, 2014 – make ups

Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (PASS) – Writing Grades 3-8

March 31 – April 11, 2014 Regular Testing April 22–25, 2014 Make-ups

Measures of Academic Performance (MAP) – Spring Grades 2-9, selected 10th graders Primary MAP option for selected schools

April 1, 2014 – ELA (Session 1) April 2, 2014 – ELA (Session 2) April 3, 2014 – Mathematics through April 11, 2014 – makeups

High School Assessment Program (HSAP) – Spring Grades 10, 11, 12, and Adult Education


Date Test

April 28 – May 16, 2014 DIBELS Next Benchmark Testing grades K-4

May 5–9, 2014 May 12–16, 2014

Advanced Placement (AP) Exams

Spring testing window to be announced Smarter Balanced Field Test

May 6, 2014 – ELA (Reading & Research) May 7, 2014 – Mathematics May 8, 2014 –Science or Social Studies May 9, 2014 – Social Studies Through May 16, 2014 – make ups

Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (PASS) Grades 3-8

May 12–16 , 2014 Otis–Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT ) Grades 2-5 – qualified group

May 21 – 27, 2014 Regular Testing Through June 4, 2014 Make-ups

End of Course Examination Program (EOCEP) – Spring Students in respective courses, Grades 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

TBD (Window July 1-31, 2014) End of Course Examination Program (EOCEP) – Summer

July 15, 2014 – ELA (Session 1) July 16, 2014 – ELA (Session 2) July 17, 2014 – Mathematics

High School Assessment Program (HSAP) - Summer Selected students


State Required Tests PASS & PASS FIELD TESTS The State began the administration of the Palmetto Assessment of State Standards in the spring of 2009. These tests are mandatory. The PASS Writing test is administered in March for grades 5 through 8. PASS ELA, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies tests are administered in May. Science and social studies are given to all students in grades 4 and 7. Students in all other grades will be randomly selected to take either Science or Social Studies. For each PASS test the overall performance levels will be reported: Exemplary, Met and Not Met. The Lexington County School District Web site home page has links that provide answers and a variety of questions about PASS. HSAP EXIT The High School Assessment Program (HSAP) has been developed under the direction of the South Carolina Department of Education to meet both federal and state requirements. Unless they meet the state qualifications for alternate assessment, tenth grade students must take HSAP to meet the requirement of the South Carolina Education Accountability Act (EAA) of 1998 that each public school student pass an exit examination to receive a South Carolina high school diploma. Beginning in 2006, meeting standard on HSAP was required for graduating seniors to earn a state diploma. In addition, HSAP group test results were used through 2010-2011 to report Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for each school and each district in the state in accordance with the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2002. Beginning with data from 2011-2012, HSAP scores were combined into an index that was part of South Carolina’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Waiver Report for schools and districts. The HSAP is based on the South Carolina Curriculum Standards for English language arts (ELA) and mathematics that teachers use in classroom instruction. The English language arts examination consists of multiple-choice and constructed-response items and an extended-writing exercise. Students may use dictionaries only during the extended-response writing portion of the examination. The mathematics examination consists of multiple-choice items and three integrated-response items that require students to show their work to support their answer. Students may choose to use calculators while taking any part of the mathematics examination. Information on the HSAP is posted at the South Carolina Department of Education Web site EOCEP The State implemented an End-of-Course Examination Program (EOCEP) with tests in Algebra I and Math for the Technologies II in fall 2002. In fall 2003, State EOCEP scores began counting as 20% of the student’s grade in these two courses. English I, Physical Science and Biology I/Applied Biology were administered for the first time during the 2003-04 school year. The U.S. History and Constitution test was administered for the first time in 2006-07. Biology replaced Physical Science for accountability purposes in 2009-2010. State EOCEP tests establish a common standard of achievement for all schools. This is a mechanism that could be used to check on possible grade inflation. Project STAR Project STAR is a performance task assessment that was developed as one of several options for the South Carolina Gifted and Talented Identification Program. The State requires that this assessment be offered to students who have demonstrated strong performance in certain areas as an additional opportunity to qualify for the program. The test has both verbal and nonverbal sections. Each section


consists of a series of lessons followed by independent application of the concepts taught. The performance tasks are scored with rubrics. Lexington School District One offers the Project STAR assessment to qualified second, third and fourth grade students each spring. ELDA The English Language Development Assessment is a battery of tests designed and developed through collaboration among the thirteen member states of the LEP SCASS, the Council of Chief State School Officers, the American Institutes for Research, the Center for Studies in Assessment Validity and Evaluation at the University of Maryland, and Measurement, Inc. The purpose of the test is to provide an annual assessment of English proficiency and to show annual progress in language acquisition for students whose primary language is not English. ELDA measures both academic and social language proficiency in the four domains of language, listening, speaking, reading, and writing. They are tests of language skills with content drawn from age-appropriate school curricular and non-curricular sources. They are not tests of academic content; in other words, no external or prior content-related knowledge is required to respond to the test questions. The test is aligned with the South Carolina English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) standards. NAEP In the past when schools in Lexington School District One have been selected as part of the sample for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), they have traditionally agreed to participate. Participation for related schools is not mandatory. This national testing program provides no individual student scores, but it does offer a technically sound measure of academic achievement that permits comparison of results for different regions of the country and for different states. Known as “The Nation’s Report Card,” NAEP has conducted assessments periodically in reading, mathematics, science, writing, U.S. history, civics, geography, and the arts since 1969. The “No Child Left Behind” (NCLB) federal legislation, enacted in January 2002, requires participation of sampled schools in biennial assessment of mathematics and English language arts at Grades 4 and 8. SMARTER BALANCED ASSESSMENT The South Carolina State Board of Education adopted the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium assessments in English language arts and mathematics for grades 3-8 and high school on February 8, 2012. Smarter Balanced is a state-led consortium. The twenty-five member states (number as of May 2013) have collaborated to develop next-generation assessments aligned to the Common Core State Standards. Additional information is available at http://www.smarterbalanced.org/. Some elementary schools in Lexington County School District One participated in Smarter Balanced pilot testing in spring of 2013. The South Carolina Education Oversight Committee must review field test results before an assessment can be used for accountability, and a field test of Smarter Balanced is planned for spring 2014. The assessments are scheduled to be administered to students in South Carolina and other states in the consortium beginning in the 2014-15 school year.

http://nces.ed.gov/naep3/reading/

http://nces.ed.gov/naep3/mathematics/

http://nces.ed.gov/naep3/science/

http://nces.ed.gov/naep3/writing/

http://nces.ed.gov/naep3/ushistory/

http://nces.ed.gov/naep3/civics/

http://nces.ed.gov/naep3/geography/

http://nces.ed.gov/naep3/arts/

http://www.corestandards.org/

http://www.corestandards.org/

http://www.smarterbalanced.org/


Description of District Instruments Reading Records, Miscue Analysis, and Text Levels Reading records of reading performance provide a classroom assessment method that aids in planning and improvement of instruction by providing a technique to assess the student’s use of reading strategies and skills. The student reads one or more passage(s) that have been pre-selected while the assessor takes a miscue record of the student's oral reading. This is followed by about 10 comprehension questions based on the passage content. This procedure gives an estimate of the student’s reading text level. The assessments are administered as structured interviews starting with readers in kindergarten and are repeated as needed. English to Speakers of Other Languages Testing Program Tennessee English Language Placement Assessment Within 10 days after enrollment, the Tennessee English Language Placement Assessment is administered to new students who speak other languages. Students whose Language Proficiency Index falls within the Fluent English Proficiency Index falls within the Fluent English proficient range are further assessed to determine if they have the necessary Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency in English for classroom success. If further assessment is deemed necessary, a writing sample and/or a miscue analysis may be administered. Rationale for the Tennessee English Language Placement Assessment (TELPA) The TELPA is scored to classify students into five different proficiency levels subsumed within the broader designations of non-English speaking, limited English speaking, and fluent. It therefore can meet a number of purposes. In Lexington One, it is used as part of the initial identification of LEP students needing an alternative program of services. Depending on how the alternative program is structured, it can place students into different instructional groupings. It can be used to track annual progress in oral English proficiency. It can also form part of the criteria for re-designating students as no longer limited in oral English proficiency and possibly eligible for program exit, although in Lexington One, the ELDA test (described below) is used for these purposes. The TELPA has four operational forms designed for differing levels of academic and developmental language. Thus, there is one test form for each of the following grade clusters: K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12. Rationale for TELPA, Reading and Writing (TELPA R/W) The TELPA provides scores that indicate whether a student is performing at a competent level in reading and writing, and it spans a range from non-reader/writer to competent reader/writer. It can be used as part of the initial identification process, as a means to track annual growth, and as one of the criteria for exit from an alternative program of instruction.


Rationale for TELPA, Speaking and Listening (TELPA S/L) The TELPA provides scores that indicate whether a student is performing at a competent level in speaking and listening. Listening items cover classroom spoken English and listening comprehension. Listening items evaluate students' abilities to process language at a level that integrates skills and knowledge. At a higher level, listening items evaluate inferential and critical thinking skills. Speaking items assess the building blocks of oral language, from vocabulary to social language to more sophisticated verbal expressions with appropriate grammar. Because oral vocabulary and grammar are essential to establishing fluency required to read and write. CogAT

Lexington One administers the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) to 2nd, 4th, and 6th grade students and to 3rd and 5th grade students who do not have an aptitude test score in their permanent records. CogAT measures general thinking and problem-solving skills that students have learned through in-school and out-of-school experiences. It indicates how well the students can use these skills to solve verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal problems. Information from CogAT supplements teacher observations about what students are able to do. As a result, teachers are better able to employ methods and materials that will provide optimal learning conditions for each student. Otis–Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT)

The Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT) is a standardized test of student aptitude that is administered to qualified students as one part of the selection process to identify students who are eligible for gifted and talented programs. Iowa Tests of Basic Skills Tests (ITBS) Lexington One Administers the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills Tests (ITBS) to 2nd grade students. The following areas are tested: Reading Comprehension, Math Concepts, and Math Problem Solving. Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Known as Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), this computer-adaptive norm-referenced assessment is produced by the Northwest Evaluation Association. After a limited fall field test, the District administered MAP to students in Grades 3 through 6 in spring 2003 and expanded to grades 2 through 8 in fall 2004 with an option of testing at other grade levels. In fall 2012, the district opted to begin administering MAP using an item bank that is aligned to the Common Core State Standards. The change to an updated item bank did not affect the scaling of scores, so results can continue to be compared across academic years. The test provides nationally norm-referenced achievement data and Lexile scores, which measure reading performance on a continuous scale across grade levels. Training for administration and for interpretation of results is offered during the school year. Supplementary materials and professional development workshops help teachers use information from the MAP tests to determine specific instructional needs. Standardized test results from MAP are available much sooner than with paper-and-pencil tests. Students who transfer into the District can be tested immediately to provide placement information. The system offers fall, winter, and spring testing, which can be used to show growth in achievement within an academic year.


DIBELS Next Benchmark Testing DIBELS Next, is an assessment instrument that measures how successfully a child is progressing in the critical skills that underlie success in early reading. DIBELS Next assesses several early reading skills and uses the child’s status in these areas to predict whether a child is on track to becoming a reader by the end of third grade. DIBELS Next does this by assessing whether students are achieving critical milestones along the way to proficient reading. DIBELS Next is a screening, outcome, and progress monitoring instrument and is not a formal diagnostic tool. DIBELS Next uses six indicators to measure five early reading skills (phonemic awareness, alphabetic principle (phonics), vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.) The seven indicators measure the following skills:

First Sound Fluency (FSF) – ability to recognize and produce initial sounds in words

Letter Naming Fluency (LNF) – ability to recognize and name a random mixture of uppercase and lowercase letters on a page in several fonts

Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF) – ability to segment a spoken word of two to five phonemes into the individual sounds

Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF) – ability to read two-letter and three-letter nonsense words, primarily consonant-vowel-consonant patterns

Oral Reading Fluency (DORF) – fluency and accuracy in reading grade-level passages aloud, as measured by words read correctly per minute

Retell Fluency (RTF) – ability to retell information from a passage just read, as a measure of comprehension

DAZE – ability to silently read a passage and choose one of three words that makes the most sense in the context of the passage, measures reading comprehension

A students’ score in each skill falls into one of three levels – “Benchmark “ “Emerging” or “At Risk”. These three levels indicate if the student’s skill is developing on track at a given time, compared to the scores of a large group of children in the same grade. EXPLORE EXPLORE is a nationally normed achievement test for 8th graders that is designed to measure students' curriculum-related knowledge and the cognitive skills that are important for future education and careers. EXPLORE requires about 2 hours of test administration time and comprises four separate academic assessments: English, math, reading, and science, plus a career interest inventory. EXPLORE is developmentally and conceptually linked to PLAN and the ACT. The scores are reported both as national percentile ranks and in terms of descriptive standards, called College Readiness Standards that explain what skills and knowledge are represented at each score band. The career interest inventory provides students with a profile, based on six career clusters, that helps identify possible career options. The student guide that accompanies EXPLORE includes a study skills checklist and a coursework planner. Because EXPLORE provides national achievement comparisons and career interest information, the results are valuable for assisting students and their parents in developing a four-year high-school plan of study.


PLAN PLAN is a nationally normed achievement test for 10th graders, which focuses on the knowledge and skills that students in early secondary education should have acquired. PLAN requires about 2 and 1/4 hours of test administration time. It comprises four separate academic assessments: English, math, reading, and science, plus a career interest inventory. The PLAN test is developmentally and conceptually linked to the ACT. The scores are reported both as national percentile ranks and in terms of descriptive standards, called College Readiness Standards that explain what skills and knowledge are represented at each score band. PLAN results would be valuable for assisting students and their parents in adjusting programs of study for the final two years of high school. In addition, since the results predict ACT scores, students can use them as a guide for making post-secondary plans. PSAT PSAT, which is offered as an optional test, focuses on higher-order thinking and is conceptually linked to the SAT. Students whose achievement is average and above should be encouraged to take the PSAT at 10th and 11th grades for practice and prediction. Some students may choose to take the PSAT in earlier grades, as well. At the eleventh grade, PSAT serves as the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. NAEP-LIKE SAMPLED ASSESSMENTS NAEP-like sampled assessments are being utilized by schools in the High Schools That Work (HSTW) network to assist in fulfilling a commitment to raising student achievement in reading, mathematics and science. HSTW sites are expected to demonstrate consistent progress until at least 85% of students meet readiness goals in tested subjects. DISTRICT TESTS TO SUPPORT INSTRUCTION The District provides periodic tests in a variety of subject areas to monitor consistency of instruction and provide timely feedback to students on their achievement. The District encourages teachers at all grade levels to collaborate on common assessments.


Rationale for District Testing Plan Rationale for diagnostic assessment in English language arts for selected students at Grade 2 and above Reading Records offer an evaluative approach to assessment that has been widely used by reading educators, is being used as an option for students in kindergarten through grade 5 who exhibit weaknesses in development of reading skills. Teachers can analyze a “running record” of students’ individual oral reading to determine what strategies they are employing as they attempt to read unfamiliar text, and teachers can evaluate responses to questions about the text to estimate how well students comprehend what they read. Classroom teachers are encouraged to use this approach with selected students at kindergarten readers and above. Rationale for Language Assessment Scales, Oral (LAS-O) The LAS-O is scored to classify students into five different proficiency levels subsumed within the broader designations of non-English speaking, limited English speaking, and fluent. It therefore can meet a number of purposes. In Lexington One, it is used as part of the initial identification of LEP students needing an alternative program of services. Depending on how the alternative program is structured, it can place students into different instructional groupings. It can be used to track annual progress in oral English proficiency. It can also form part of the criteria for re-designating students as no longer limited in oral English proficiency and possibly eligible for program exit, although in Lexington One, the ELDA test (described below) is used for these purposes. Rationale for Language Assessment Scales, Reading and Writing (LAS R/W) The LAS R/W provides scores that indicate whether a student is performing at a competent level in reading and writing, and it spans a range from non-reader/writer to competent reader/writer. It can be used as part of the initial identification process, as a means to track annual growth, and as one of the criteria for exit from an alternative program of instruction. Rationale for aptitude testing at Grade 2 and for selected students at Grades 3 through 5 The regulations for Gifted and Talented programs require that the District offer multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate the necessary skills to qualify. Norm-referenced cognitive skills testing are necessary for the district to offer the required assessment opportunities. Rationale for Iowa Tests of Basic Skills Tests The purposes for using standardized achievement batteries with students in the primary grades are much the same as those for testing in later grades. Giving norm-referenced tests at these grades provides a nationally comparable achievement indicator that will track student progress; help to track trends in curriculum and instruction; and provide multiple measures to aid in placement decisions or in identification of students for various programs. The results can provide unique information about individual students and classes for use in instructional planning.


Rationale for computer-adaptive achievement testing at Grades 2 through 8 Giving norm-referenced tests at these grades provides a nationally comparable achievement indicator that will track student progress; help to track trends in curriculum and instruction; and provide multiple measures to aid in placement decisions or in identification of students for various programs. The District conducted a limited field test of a computer-adaptive norm-referenced test in fall 2002. The computer-adaptive norm-referenced testing system offers several advantages. Testing time is reduced because item presentation is customized based upon the student’s answers. Test results can be produced rapidly. The test produces some types of scores that have not been available in the past. One type of score is correlated to a continuum of learning, which can help teachers identify the specific skills that individual students are ready to learn. Lexile scores, which are available in several norm-referenced testing programs, can be used to match reading materials to students’ achievement levels. Information about Lexile scores is available at www.lexile.com Schools administered the assessment to students in Grades 3 through 6 in spring 2003. In fall 2003, years, the program was expanded to include administration in both spring and fall and to include assessment at grades 2 through 9. In 2005-2006, schools were given an option of a mid-year assessment. In fall 2012, the district began administered MAP with an updated item bank aligned to the Common Core State Standards. The scaling of the test scores was not affected by the change, Rationale for universal screening of early literacy skills at Grades K – 5 (DIBELS Next)

Universal screening is a type of assessment that is characterized by the administration of quick, low-cost, repeatable testing of age-appropriate skills to all students.

The information derived from universal screening provides two useful pieces of information. First, it shows how functional the core curriculum and instruction are in the school. The data can be used to determine whether a class, school or entire district has met critical early literacy goals at benchmark periods throughout the school year. In a multi-tiered model of school support, about 80% of all students in the school should be showing adequate progress using a particular curricular element or program. If more than 20% of the students are not making acceptable gains in an area, the school must improve the core curriculum and/or the manner in which the curriculum is delivered to the students.

Secondly, universal screening is a systematic process for periodically screening all students in kindergarten through fifth grade to determine which students are not meeting critical milestones in early literacy skills.

Data from this screening assessment also helps teachers determine specifically which skills are lacking and require intervention. This helps teachers address students’ needs for differentiated instruction.

http://www.lexile.com/


Rationale for administering EXPLORE at Grade 8 Administering a test that combines nationally normed achievement data with career interest profiles at the eighth grade provides double benefits. The combination of achievement and interest-profile data would be valuable to students and parents in planning high school coursework. The achievement data provides national comparisons for individuals who are preparing to enter high school. EXPLORE scores can be used to predict tenth-grade PLAN scores; therefore, students can use the information to determine whether they are making satisfactory progress or whether they need to increase their academic efforts in order to achieve their career goals. The scores can provide information that would be useful for evaluating the effectiveness of instructional methods and curricular decisions in middle school. Rationale for administering PLAN to all tenth graders and offering PSAT as an option The State has discontinued funding for administration of either PLAN or PSAT to all tenth graders. The district has absorbed the cost of optional PSAT and required PLAN tests for all tenth graders. Offering both provides benefits beyond those that could be achieved by choosing to administer only one of the tests. Fee waivers are available for students who qualify for free and reduced lunch. Both PLAN and PSAT can be used to predict scores on their associated college admissions tests, ACT and SAT. While PSAT emphasizes the concepts of higher-order thinking, PLAN emphasizes mastery of the curriculum. PLAN is designed for administration to all tenth graders, while PSAT is designed for administration to college-bound students only. PLAN provides two sets of norms: (1) norms for comparison with scores of all tenth graders and (2) norms for comparison with scores of college-bound students only. Therefore, administering PLAN to all tenth graders offers the advantage of providing a general measure of the extent to which students in the District have mastered skills commonly expected of tenth graders across the nation. In addition to numeric scores, PLAN, like EXPLORE, has descriptive standards, known as "Standards for Transition," that explain what skill levels are typical of students who score at various points on the score scale. For students who are applying for scholarship assistance, PLAN/ACT scores may be relatively higher than PSAT/SAT scores for many average and above-average students. Administering PLAN with State funds would allow the District to test all tenth-graders with a test that focuses on their mastery of the curriculum and provides data that would allow students to predict their likely scores on the ACT. Offering the PSAT option would allow any college-bound students who are interested in taking the PSAT to predict likely achievement on the SAT. Any tenth-graders who are considering college would have data that could help them determine how they can expect to perform on both ACT and SAT. This information would help students to determine whether their performance is likely to be better on one type of test or the other. The data from these tests can provide a basis for deciding what tests would be likely to produce scores that would meet criteria for scholarships and help them gain admission to programs that would allow them to pursue their academic and career goals. As with EXPLORE, students can use the information from PLAN to determine if they are making satisfactory progress, if they need to increase their academic efforts, or if they need to take certain courses in order to achieve their career goals. The scores can provide information that would be


useful for evaluating the effectiveness of instructional methods and for planning coursework for the last two years of high school. Rationale for NAEP-like Sampled Assessments NAEP-like sampled assessments are a requirement of the High Schools That Work (HSTW) program. Established Key Practices must be met for the school to maintain active membership in the HSTW program. Important aspects of curriculum and instruction promote improved learning for all students are identified through participation in this program. Rationale for Common Assessments Common assessments assist teams of teachers in planning for improvement of instruction based on curriculum standards and pacing guides. By using common assessments and comparing results, teachers are able to identify strengths and weaknesses in student achievement and collaborate on instructional strategies for improvement.

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