Strengthening the Link Between Assessment and Instruction

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Strengthening the Link Between Assessment and
Instruction
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Presenters

• Scott M. Norton, Ph.D., DirectorDivision of
  Student Standards and AssessmentsLouisiana
  Department of Education
• Jana Deming, ManagerDivision of Student
  AssessmentTexas Education Agency
• Gloria Turner, Ph.D., DirectorStudent
  AssessmentAlabama State Department of Education

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Discussant

• Patricia Porter, Vice-PresidentLarge-Scale
  AssessmentData Recognition Corporation

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Common Goals

• Ensure alignment between
• What is tested
• What is taught
• Foster student success

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Differing Needs

• Further define the expectations of content
  standards and apply those expectations to an
  existing assessment system
• Retool the assessment system to reflect states
  curriculum and good instructional practices

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Commonalities

• Strengthen assessment/instruction link
• Base curriculum/assessment decisions on sound
  research
• Involve educators and lay citizens
• Foster good instruction

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Strengthening the Link Between Assessment and
Instruction Louisianas Comprehensive
Curriculum Scott Norton, Louisiana Department of
Education National Conference on Large-Scale
Assessment San Antonio, June 2005
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Two Initiatives that Merged
Locally-developed curriculum evaluation
NCLB Mandates
GLEs
Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum
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GLE / Assessment / Curriculum Development

• What we had
• Content standards at K-4, 5-8, 9-12
• Standards-based assessments at 4, 8, and high
  school (and NRTs at the other grades)
• What we needed
• Grade-level content standards (or grade-level
  expectations)
• Standards-based assessments at 3-8, and high
  school
• Curriculum to align content (GLEs), instruction,
  and assessment

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What is a Grade-Level Expectation?

• A grade-level expectation (GLE) is a statement
  that defines what a student should know or be
  able to do at the end of a grade level.
• Each grade-level expectation is meant to further
  define a content standard or benchmark.
• For example
• Content Standard
• Benchmark
• GLE
• GLE
• GLE

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The Challenge

• To develop grade-level expectations that would
  progress logically, grade by grade, and fit
  within the existing content standards and
  existing standards-based testing program (4, 8,
  high school).
• What procedures did we develop to make that
  happen?

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GLE Development Process

• Contractor selected
• National consultants
• 3 teacher committee meetings
• Ad hoc advisors
• Initial drafts completed
• Focus groups
• Online public review
• External review (CCSSO)
• Awareness workshops

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GLE Committees

• Divided by grade span and content area
• Were provided
• Suggested grade-level tasks from
• Other states GLEs
• State assessment blueprints (4, 8, high school)
• GLE worksheets (forms for recording ideas and
  information)
• Were guided by a facilitators who were trained to
  use a scripted guide (to ensure a uniform process
  across content areas)

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GLE Committee Procedures

• Review the benchmark
• Review the suggested grade-level tasks
• Assign grade-level tasks to most appropriate
  grade in the span
• Tasks from assessment guide could not go beyond
  the assessed grade (grade 4, for example)
• Do expectations flow from grade to grade?
• Are there gaps or overlaps?
• At what grade does the concept begin? End?

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GLE Subcommittee Procedures

• Working from the suggested task list
• Decide what grade level is appropriate for a
  particular statement
• Using a mapping process, determine if
  prerequisite GLEs are needed at lower grade
  levels
• Write GLEs for lower grades, if that GLE can be
  significantly different than the higher grade
• Determine GLEs needed that are not addressed on
  the suggested task list or assessment indicator
  list
• Review. Repeat.
• Do not wordsmith.

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Guidelines for Committee Members

• GLEs were developed with these goals
• Are appropriate for each grade level
• Progress from concrete to abstract over a
  sequence of years
• Build understanding of the essential ideas across
  years without undue repetition
• Attend to the prerequisite skills at a given
  grade level
• Take into consideration the broad scope all
  students must know and be able to do
• Are easily understood by stakeholders in
  Louisiana

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Background of Comprehensive Curriculum

• State board requested development of a curriculum
  to assist districts in
• Addressing standards via GLEs
• Providing consistency in content across state
• Using best practices for instruction
• Purpose is to ensure alignment between content,
  instruction, and assessment.

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Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum

• The early version Model Curriculum Framework
• Did not meet state board expectations
• Did provide an organizational structure for the
  Comprehensive Curriculum
• Districts had to declare one of three choices
• Write their own GLE-based curriculum
• Expand the state framework
• Use the states Comprehensive Curriculum
• 95 chose the third option

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Comprehensive Curriculum

• Built on the Model Curriculum Framework
• Based on GLEs
• Organized by units
• Provides activities needed for GLE mastery
• Four subjects, PreK-12
• Core courses at the high school level

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Comprehensive Curriculum Development

• Written by 60 Louisiana teachers, with
  assistance from one facilitator per content area
• Reviewed by teachers nominated by districts
• State department guidance and review
• 2005-2006
• Implementation by districts
• Curriculum to undergo external review

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Issues?

• Does Louisiana have a state curriculum?
• Must teachers use the activities exactly as they
  are presented?
• What about our textbooks?
• The curriculum lasts all year, but the state
  tests are in March.
• How do we know the curriculum will work?

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Contact Info
Contact Scott Norton scott.norton_at_la.gov (225)
342-3406
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Strengthening the Link Between Assessment and
InstructionEducators and the TEKS/TAKS
Connection
Jana Deming Student Assessment Division Texas
Education Agency
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Assessment Philosophy

• Assessment should be inside the classroom
• Assessment should reflect good instructional
  practice and accurately measure student learning
• Drill and Kill isnt necessary

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A New Curriculum

• Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
  adopted by SBOE in July 1997 implemented in
  schools 1998-99 school year
• TEKS more specific focused than previous
  curriculum more rigorous in expectations for
  students
• Emphasis on knowledge skills students should
  know be able to do rather than on delivery
  standards expected of teachers

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A New Assessment

• 1999-2000 Development begins on Texas
  Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS)
• Focus on strong, direct, effective link between
  TEKS and TAKS
• Spring 2003 TAKS implemented

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The TAKS Program

• Mathematics 3-11
• Reading 3-9
• Writing 4 7
• ELA 10 11
• Science 5, 8, 10, 11
• Social Studies 8, 10, 11

• Spanish versions in
• Reading 3-6
• Mathematics 3-6
• Writing 4
• Science 5

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Texas Educators Key Players

• In initial TAKS development, educator
  committees
• Reviewed curriculum identified student
  expectations to be assessed
• Advised on models for authentic test items that
  align with good classroom instruction
• Helped draft assessment objectives

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Texas Educators cont.

• Educators around Texas

• Responded to surveys listing draft objectives and
  corresponding student expectations
• Conducted meetings with teachers, administrators,
  parents, community members

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TEKS TAKS A Closer Look

• Objective 4 - The student will apply
  critical-thinking skills to analyze culturally
  diverse written texts.
• (6.12) Reading/text structures/literary concepts.
  The student analyzes the characteristics of
  various types of texts (genres). The student is
  expected to
• (K) recognize how style, tone, and mood
  contribute to the effect of the text (6-8).

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Texas Educators Ongoing TAKS Development

• Item review committees
• Data review committees
• Instructional support materials

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Issues in the TAKS Transition

• TAKS more challenging
• Refining objectives and content

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Issues cont.

• Resource materials
• This doesnt count.

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Issues This doesnt count. Spring 2002 Field
Test
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The Student Success Initiative

• Grade 3 reading
• Grade 5 reading and mathematics
• Grade 8 reading and mathematics

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SSI How It Works

• 3 Testing Opportunities
• Grade Placement Committee
• Academic Support

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Educator Support

• TAKS Information Booklets include

• Overview of the subject
• Test blueprint
• How to read the TEKS
• Each objective and SE included and why
• Information about types of items
• Sample items

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Educator Support cont.

• Scoring guides
• Copying written compositions/open-ended reading
  items
• Released tests

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Educator Support cont.

• TAKS Study Guides
• Personalized Study Guides

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Contact Info/Website
Jana Deming Student Assessment Division (512)
463-9536 www.tea.state.tx.us/ student.assessment
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Strengthening the Link Between Assessment and
Instruction

• National Conference on
• Large-Scale Assessment
• San Antonio, Texas
• June 19, 2005

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Alignment

• Content standards
• Curriculum
• Assessment

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Alabama Courses of Study

• Legal Definition
• The State Board of Education, on the
  recommendation of the State Superintendent of
  Education, shall prescribe the minimum content of
  the courses of study for all public elementary
  and high schools in the state. (16-35-4)

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Alabama Courses of Study

• Working Definition
• A course of study is a curriculum document that
  specifies what students should know and be able
  to do in a particular subject area by the end of
  each grade level.

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Alabama Courses of Study

• Subject-area courses of study are developed by
  state courses of study committees that are
  representative of the states congressional and
  state board districts, city and county school
  systems, and the content areas within a
  subject-area field.

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Alabama Courses of Study Development Process

• Research
• Committee/task force appointments
• Initial public and professional input
• Writing and revision
• Adoption
• Implementation

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Alabama Courses of StudySchedule

• Revision
• Textbook selection
• Implementation
• Duration

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Characteristics of a Course of Study

• Is foundational
• Defines content
• Is developmentally appropriate
• Is reasonable
• Is clearly written
• Is measurable

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Alabama ContentExtended Standards

• Ensure that students with severe cognitive
  disabilities have access to and progress toward
  the state academic content standards that apply
  to all students
• Alabama Content Extended Standards Reading
• Alabama Content Extended Standards Math

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Alabama ContentExtended Standards

• Linked to state academic content standards
• Downward extension of state academic content
  standards
• Contribute to a fully aligned system of
  standards, curriculum, teaching, learning, and
  assessment

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Mandates and Laws Affecting Assessment

• Improving Americas Schools Act (IASA) (1994)
• Alignment of state assessments with state content
  standards
• Participation of all students in grades being
  assessed

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Mandates and Laws Affecting Assessment

• Alabama Law 95-313 (1995)
• A nationally normed achievement test must be
  administered in Grades 3-11
• The results of the norm-referenced test will be
  used in identifying schools and systems in need
  of assistance

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Mandates and Laws Affecting Assessment

• Alabama Law 95-313 (1995)
• Test scores were determined from Stanford
  Achievement Test, Ninth Edition (Stanford 9)
• Schools and school systems were identified as
  Alert, Caution, and Clear beginning in 1996
• This conflicted with IASA

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Mandates and Laws Affecting Assessment

• Alabama Law 2000-753
• Gave authority to State Board of Education to
  determine the assessments to be included in the
  Student Assessment Program
• Gave authority to State Board of Education to
  establish standards for student achievement and
  to determine the accountability program

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Mandates and Laws Affecting Assessment

• No Child Left Behind Act (2001)
• Reinforces participation of all students
• Requires narrowing of achievement gaps
• Requires participation in National Assessment of
  Educational Progress (NAEP)

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Mandates and Laws Affecting Assessment

• Compliance Agreement entered into with U.S.D.O.E
  (April 8, 2002)
• Agreed to develop and administer
  criterion-referenced assessments based on state
  academic content standards
• An interim accountability plan was put into place
  for school years 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 while
  the new accountability system was being developed

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Mandates and Laws Affecting Assessment

• State Board of Education Resolution (July 9,
  2002)
• Norm-referenced achievement test
• Criterion-referenced achievement tests aligned
  with courses of study
• Criterion-referenced tests designed to reflect
  NAEP-like rigor, format, and reporting
• Writing assessment expanded to high school
• Alabama High School Graduation Exam

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Student Assessments for NCLB Requirements

• Augment norm-referenced test in Grades 3-8 for
  reading and mathematics
• Develop criterion-referenced tests in Grades 5
  and 7 for science
• Use existing reading, mathematics, and science
  tests at the high school (Alabama High School
  Graduation Exam)

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Content Validity

• Standards and objectives based on Alabamas
  courses of study
• Item specifications
• Content reviews

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Alignment

• Studies conducted fall 2004/spring 2005
• Reading and mathematics Grades 4, 6, 8, and 11
• Science Grade 11
• Studies to be conducted fall 2005
• Reading and mathematics Grades 3, 5, and 7

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Challenge with High School Science Assessment

• Assessment in existence prior to NCLB
• Physical science content standards are
  problematic because not at high school level
• Change must be made in order to satisfy
  requirement of NCLB

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Other Challenges

• Changes in courses of study every six years
• Continued alignment