New England Common Assessment Program NECAP

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New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP)
Regional Collaboration as an Alternative to
National Standards and Testing
Jan McLaughlin NH Department of Education
Science Curriculum Assessment President,
Council of State Science Supervisors (CS3)
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Cooperation for NCLB Assessments

• Mathematics and Reading
• Required to be online first.
• Science Delayed until 2008

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The New England Common Assessment Program

• It started with NCLB, but became a shared vision
  of high standards and quality assessment.

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In the beginning

• All the New England States were invited to
  discuss the ideas of developing a regional
  assessments.
• Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont
  decided to continue discussions.
• At some point Maine withdrew from discussions
  leaving NH, RI and VT to develop the New England
  Common Assessment Program (NECAP)

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Why Collaborate

• Shared Vision for High Quality Standards and
  Assessment
• Shared Costs of Standards Revision
• Shared Costs of Test Development
• Close proximity of states to one another
• Save Money

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Mathematics, Reading and Writing

• The process
• NH, RI, and VT agree to develop common Grade
  Level Expectations (GLEs) in Mathematics and
  Reading at grades 3-8 and High School.
• Each year new materials are indicated in the
  standards.

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Mathematics Reading

• Fall Testing
• Test previous years content
• Grades 3 to 8 and, now grade 11
• MC, Short Answer, and CR
• Writing tested in Grades 5,8, and 11 only
• Each state determines there own methods of
  inclusion in AYP

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Involving Educators (all subjects)

• Development of Grade Level Expectations (Grade
  Span in Science)
• Test Item Review Committees
• Bias and Sensitivity Review Committees
• Classroom Teacher Judgment data
• Standard Setting Panelists
• Technical Advisory Committee

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Science Planning Starts

• Each state had or was writing new science
  standards
• Concern about moving instruction forward K-12
• Agreement about need for Inquiry Task at all
  grades

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Resources

• Each States Frameworks (old and new)
• National Science Education Standards
• Benchmarks for Science Literacy (Atlas 1)
• Emerging knowledge about how children learn
  Science

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Common Assessment Targets
Big Ideas or Unifying Themes
Nature of Science (NOS)
Models and Scale (MAS)
Form and Function (FAF)
Systems and Energy (SAE)
Inquiry (INQ)
Patterns of Change (POC)
Domains of Science
Earth Space Science ESS1, ESS2, ESS3 Life
Science LS1, LS2, LS3, LS4 Physical
Science PS1. PS2, PS3 Inquiry 4 Broad
Areas 13 Constructs
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Choosing Assessment Targets
Big Ideas or Unifying Themes
Systems and Energy (SAE)
Nature of Science (NOS)
Models and Scale (MAS)
Form and Function (FAF)
Inquiry (INQ)
Patterns of Change (POC)
Domains of Science
Life Science
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Reduced Targets?

• Focus on Prime Concepts and Skills
• Limit Testing Time
• Encourage Full Curriculum not one just set for
  success on test
• Choose Targets that work well on an on-demand test

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Inquiry Task Key Element

• Choose 1 Target with INQ code
• Develop a task that addresses Inquiry through
  that content
• Collaborative work grade 4 8 Data Analysis at
  grades 8 11
• Students scored on individual work only
• Developed GDIT Document for teachers

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Questions?
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NECAP States
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New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP)
Jan McLaughlin NH Department of Education
Science Curriculum Assessment President,
Council of State Science Supervisors
(CS3) jmclaughlin_at_ed.state.nh.us
www.ed.state.nh.us/necap