Connecting the Data Seizing the Opportunities

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Connecting the DataSeizing the Opportunities

• Les Morse, Director
• Assessment Accountability
• Alaska Department of Education Early
  Development
• 39th Annual Fall Principal Conference
• October 17, 2005
• Anchorage, Alaska

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Instructional LeadershipConnecting Data to
Instruction

• Grade Level Expectations
• Standards Based Assessment Items
• Test Results
• Connecting to Instruction

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StandardsGrade Level Expectations
The standards book includes Grade Level
Expectations (GLEs)
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StandardsGrade Level Expectations
Grade Level Expectations
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Proficiency Level Descriptors

• What does performance at the different
  proficiency levels look like?
• Advanced
• Proficient
• Below Proficient
• Far Below Proficient

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Alaska Comprehensive System of Student Assessment

• Standards Based Assessments
• Grades 3-10
• Criterion, based on Alaska GLEs
• Reading, writing, and mathematics
• Meets NCLB and state accountability requirements
• Multiple choice and constructed response

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Alaska Comprehensive System of Student Assessment

• Each test developed to meet the Standards for
  Educational and Psychological Tests, including
• Rigor-level alignment
• Grade-level appropriate
• Depth-of-knowledge alignment
• Universal design requirements
• Bias/Fairness/Sensitivity

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Where Test Item Comes From?
Test Item
Performance Level Descriptor
Grade Level Expectation Standards
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Test Blueprint
Area of emphasis is the reporting category.
Grade Level Expectation addressed.
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Reading Grade 4
Example 1

• Mole-Rat Keeps His Feet Dry
• a Kenyan Folk Tale
• Retold by Gail Jarrow and Paul Sherman
• On the vast plains near Mount Kenya, it
  rained day after day for so many days that the
  animals became worried.
• My fur will never dry out, said Lion, shaking
  his soggy mane.
• I dont like waterfalls dripping down my
  neck, said Giraffe. Its most uncomfortable.
• The ground trembled as Elephant approached.
  A little water is fine with me, he remarked,
  flapping his large ears. But I can hear the
  river

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Reading Grade 4
Example 1

• According to the passage, what are two ways in
  which Elephant and Giraffe are similar? In what
  two ways are they different? Use details from the
  passage to support your response.

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Reading Grade 4
Example 1

• GLE
• Identifying or describing plot (e.g., main
  conflict or problem, sequence of events)
• Settings (e.g., how it affects the characters or
  plot)
• Characters (e.g., physical characteristics
  personality traits, motivation) in fiction

• What Students Must Know and Be Able to Do to
  Answer the Question
• Read and comprehend the passage
• Understand the terms, similar and different
• Discriminate among details to determine which
  details provide relevant support for their ideas
• Write a coherent response

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Mathematics Grade 5
Example 2

• William is buying equipment for his bicycle. He
  buys a helmet for 19.99, a tire pump for 8.86,
  and a new seat for 13.45. What is the total cost
  of the items he purchased rounded to the nearest
  10?
• 20
• 30
• 40
• 50

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Mathematics Grade 5
Example 2

• GLE
• The student determines reasonable answers to
  real-life situations, paper/pencil computations,
  or calculator results by identifying or using a
  variety of L strategies (e.g.)
• rounding to appropriate place value
• multiplying by powers of ten
• using front-end estimation to estimate the
  results of addition or subtraction computations
  from tenths to 100,000, including money, or
  simple multiplication or division

• What Students Must Know and Be Able to Do to
  Answer the Question
• Understand the relationship between buying items,
  total cost, and purchasing
• Understand the concept of rounding to the nearest
  10.00
• Be able to round each number to the nearest
  10.00
• Be able to add the three rounded numbers

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Mathematics Grade 5
Example 3
Samuel asked his friends how many brothers and
sisters each of them have. Their answers are
shown in the table below. Brothers and Sisters

• What is the median number of brothers and sisters
  Samuels friends have? Show all of your work or
  explain your thinking and write your answer in
  the box below.

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Mathematics Grade 5
Example 3

• GLE
• The student demonstrates an ability to analyze
  data (comparing, explaining, interpreting,
  evaluating or drawing or justifying conclusions)
  by using mode, median, or range with up to 10
  pieces of data with a value of 10 or less each.

• What Students Must Know and Be Able to Do to
  Answer the Question
• Interpret information
• Understand the statistical meaning of median
• Order numbers from smallest to largest, including
  repeated numbers
• Find the median from an ordered list by
  recognizing that the median is that middle
  number
• Write the median on the line provided in the
  answer booklet
• Show their work

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Mathematics Grade 5
Example 3

• 5
• 3
• 2
• 1 ?this is it cuz its in the middle
• 0
• 0
• 0

• I put all the numbers in order. I started with
  the biggest and went down to the littlest. Then I
  counted in to the middle number and I just knew
  it was the median.

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Writing Multiple-choice Items
Example 4

• 1There is a muscle in the human body. 2 It
  is the smallest in the human body. 3 It is not
  where you would expect. 4 It is in the ear.
• 5 This muscle is not surrounded by blood
  vessels instead, it is surrounded by a special
  fluid. 6 The fluid helps carry sound to your
  brain. 7If there was blood in the ear, the
  sharp hearing nerves would not be able to hear
  anything above your own pulse.

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Writing Multiple-choice Items
Example 4

• Which of the following best combines Sentences
  1, 2, and 3?
• There is a muscle in the human body and it is the
  smallest and it is not where you would expect it.
• The smallest muscle in the human body is not
  where you would expect.
• There is a muscle in the human body, the
  smallest, and it is not where you would expect
  it.
• The smallest muscle in the human body but not
  where you would expect it.

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Writing Multiple-choice Items
Example 4

• GLE
• The student revises writing by
• Combining sentences for fluency, using precise
  and descriptive words and/or eliminating
  irrelevant details to improve quality and
  effectiveness of writing
• Requires mental processing and has a level 2
  depth-of-knowledge

• To successfully complete the item, students must
• Be familiar with sentence combining
• See the relationship between of ideas in the
  sentences and be able to connect the ideas
  smoothly
• Understand language to discern which option has
  the best flow
• Recognize redundancy (option A)
• Recognize that the use of commas to set off extra
  (Option B)
• information does not always result in a smooth
  sentence (Option C)
• Recognize a sentence fragment (Option D)

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Writing Grade 7 Constructed Response Item
Example 5

• Think of one invention that has had a positive
  effect in peoples lives.
• Name this invention and explain how it has
  made life easier for people. Be sure to write at
  least three paragraphs.

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Writing Grade 7 Constructed Response Item
Example 5

• To successfully respond to this item, students
  should
• Understand the concept of paragraphing, including
  having a beginning, a middle, and an end
• Synthesize multiple ideas
• Decide on a topic
• Decide on the mode of delivery
• Organize ideas in a logical pattern
• Support ideas with details and examples
• Establish an engaging voice
• Maintain focus
• Apply Standard English conventions and write
  legibly

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Results DataIndividual Student Report
Proficiency Level Descriptor for 7th grade level,
content, advanced, proficient, below, far below.
Student scale score by reporting category, and
reported with error band.
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Results DataSchool Report
Scale Score Information by school, district and
state (300 is proficient)
Proficiency level information
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Results DataResults to Blueprint
Reporting category focused collection of GLEs
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Results DataInstructional Program
Test connected to standards.
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Results DataInstructional Program
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How do we increase student success on statewide
assessments?

• Connect instruction to standards
• GLE is what students should know and do.
• GLE is part of the curriculum, not the full
  curriculum.
• Instructional design model is necessary.
• Vary Depth of knowledge
• Expect written responses
• Encourage reading for understanding

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Tools
Check EED Web Site!

• Coming in January are
• Alaska Practice Tests
• Expanded Item Sampler
• and
• Participation Guidelines
• Reaching All
• EED Web Site

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www.eed.state.ak.us/tls/assessments
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Connecting Data Instructional Change