TAKS

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TAKS

• Sue Borders and Paula Gustafson
• Texas Education Agency

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TAKS

• Texas
• Assessment of
• Knowledge
• Skills

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Part I

• What are
• the new components of TAKS?

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Ready or not-here we come

• TAKS

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General Overview on TAKS

• New assessment mandated by SB 103
• Exit level graduation requirement at grade eleven
• Exceeds the cognitive rigor of prior statewide
  assessments
• Includes technology at the high school level

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Item Development for TAKS

• Items written by educators
• Items reviewed edited by contractor
• Items reviewed edited by TEA
• Items reviewed edited by Educator Committees

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• Items field tested
• Item data reviewed by Educator Committee
• Tests constructed for 2003
• Committee Recommendation Forms at
  www.tea.state.tx.us

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Griddable Items

• Included at all levels to some extent beginning
  spring 2003
• Majority of items on the test will remain
  multiple choice with only a couple of these
  response types included
• Allow students to work the problem and find the
  solution, independent of answer choice influences

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Things to keep in mind instructionally

• Students should be offered opportunities to
  practice gridding answers
• Leading zeroes are not required, and will not be
  scored as incorrect during electronic scoring
• Gridding should match the current approach to
  recording numbers used in the classroom

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Other assessments use gridded response

• SAT
• PSAT

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Sample Grids-Elementary Level
GRADE 4/5
GRADE 3
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Sample Grids-Secondary Level
GRADE 6/7/8
GRADE 9/10/11
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SampleGriddable Item
Grade 7 Objective 1
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Mathematics Charts

• New shading for easier reading
• Two-sided, conversions and rulers on the front,
  formulas on back
• Formulas represented in two ways
• Closely aligned with instructional materials

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Measurement Items

• Precision to the nearest 1/8 of an inch in
  customary
• Precision to the nearest millimeter in metric
• Application based
• Strong connection to measurement found in
  real-life situations
• Identified by Use the ruler on the Mathematics
  Chart to

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Use the ruler on the Mathematics Chart to measure
the dimensions of the cone to the nearest
centimeter. Find the total surface area of the
cone to the nearest square centimeter.
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Use the ruler on the Mathematics Chart to measure
the dimensions of the figure to the nearest tenth
of a centimeter. Find the total surface area of
the figure to the nearest square centimeter.
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TAKSTEKS Assessment

• All items developed align with the state
  curriculum standards
• Alignment between grade level assessments
  (difficulty level assumed)
• Student expectation statements introduced at one
  grade level and not assessed, will most likely be
  tested the following year

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TEKS StatementGrade 3

• (3.11) The student selects and uses appropriate
  units and procedures to measure length and area.
  The student is expected to
• (B) Use linear measure to find the perimeter
  of a shape

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Objective 4TAAS
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Objective 4 TAKS
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TEKS StatementGrade 7

• (7.9) The student solves application problems
  involving estimation and measurement. The
  student is expected to
• (A) Estimate measurement and solve application
  problems involving length (including perimeter
  and circumference), area, and volume.

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Objective 4TAAS
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Grade 7 Objective 4
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TEKS StatementExit Level

• G(b)(4) The student uses a variety of
  representations to describe geometric
  relationships and solve problems.
• (A) The student selects an appropriate
  representation (concrete, pictorial,
  graphical, verbal, or symbolic) in order to
  solve problems.

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Objective 3TAAS
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Objective 7TAKS
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Calculator Specifics

• Elementary and middle school audiences should
  fast forward to Part II of the video

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• Required in the TEKS for mathematics instruction
  since 1997
• All grade levels included

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Calculators

• Calculators may only be used on the high school
  TAKS tests (grades 9, 10, and 11).
• Each student must have a graphing calculator
  during the entire administration of the
  mathematics test.
• Any graphing calculator may be used except one
  with a typewriter-style keypad (known as QWERTY)
  or one that includes a computer algebra system
  (CAS).

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Calculators

• Handheld minicomputers, digital personal
  assistants, or laptop computers may not be used.
• All types of memory must be cleared both before
  and after testing, including standard memory,
  ROM, and Flash ROM.
• In addition, any programs or applications must be
  removed prior to the test administration.

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Clearing Memory

• Contact the vendor for specific keystrokes and/or
  applications
• Critical because some applications loaded on
  certain calculator models would give students an
  unfair advantage over other students

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Students Using Calculators

• Have higher math achievement than non-calculator
  users even when they can choose any tool desired
• Do better on mental computation than
  non-calculator users

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Students using calculators

• Experience more varied concepts and computations
• Have improved attitudes toward mathematics
• Do not become overly reliant on calculators
• Source EdThoughts, 2002

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Technology Facilitates

• Visualization of mathematical ideas
• Organization and analysis of data
• Computational efficiency and accuracy

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TAKS Question Objective 3
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Answer Choice A
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Answer Choice B
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Answer Choice C
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Answer Choice D
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Appropriate Use of Technology is the KEY
Problem solving - NOT keystrokes
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Part II

• Preparing for TAKS

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Alignment is KEY!
Curriculum
Instruction
Assessment
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Texas Mathematics
Instruction
TEKS
TAKS
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How to Prepare

• TEACH THE TEKS
• Develop a variety of ways to explore each Student
  Expectation
• Stay away from test prep materials
• Use technology often

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Prepare by

• Critically reading and reflecting on TEKS
  statements
• Individually
• With colleagues
• With students
• With parents

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• Review all TEKS statements
• Interpret each into learning experiences for
  students
• Determine what mastery would look like in the
  classroom
• Think about interventions that might be used with
  struggling students

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Curricular Alignment

• At a minimum, study the TEKS statements for the
  grade above and below your level
• Use curriculum that matches the intent of the
  TEKS
• CLOSE is not acceptable
• Select and use instructional materials that meet
  the spirit of the TEKS

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Curriculum should

• Involve challenging activities and lessons that
  force students to think critically in order to
  solve problems
• Be rigorous and require students to apply
  mathematical knowledge in meaningful ways

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Teachers should

• Motivate and involve all students, even those
  struggling with the content, in difficult
  mathematics problem solving on a daily basis.
  All students should be required to communicate
  and process mathematics from the conceptual to
  symbolic level.
• They are counting on you to help them meet the
  new graduation requirements in mathematics.

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Ten Practical Strategies for Helping Our Students
Beat the Tests Through Better Instruction

• Steve Leinwand
• Consultant, NCTM

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• Embed math in real world contexts that are rich
  and engaging and lead to more math questions

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• Incorporate on-going cumulative review into
  instruction every day

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• Create a language-rich classroom

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• Use every number as a chance to build number sense

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• Draw pictures
• Create mental images
• Foster visualization

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• Build from charts, graphs and tables

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• Dont leave out measurement

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• Adapt from what we know about teaching reading

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• Minimize what is no longer important

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• Create a thinking curriculum by asking questions

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The Assessment PrincipleNCTM, 2000

• Six standards for exemplary mathematics
  assessment
• Reflect the mathematics that students know and
  are able to do
• Enhance mathematics learning
• Promote equity
• Open process
• Promote valid inference
• Coherent process

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Assessment

• Conduct informal assessment often
• To determine students level of knowledge
• To individualize instruction
• To catch up students that are struggling with
  the content

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Conceptual Knowledge (WHAT)

• Classification and categories
• Principles and generalizations
• Theories, models and structure
• Students should be able to determine how
  different parts or bits of information are
  interconnected interrelated in a more
  systematic manner.

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Procedural Knowledge (HOW)

• Subject-specific algorithms
• Subject-specific techniques and methods
• Criteria for determining when to use appropriate
  procedures
• Students should determine which method to use in
  solving algebraic equations which statistical
  procedure to use with data collected in a
  particular investigation.

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Communication (WHY)

• Clear, detailed, and organized analysis to
  justify the solution using correct terminology
  and notation
• Presentation clearly displays the thinking
  process
• Communicates effectively to the target audience
• Reflects on the concepts required, processes
  used, and the results drawn to conclusions

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Forms of Assessment

• Interviews
• State developed diagnostics
• Portfolios
• Performance Tasks
• Homework
• Class work
• Group work

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Resources

• Use resources that are aligned to TEKS
• Be cautious of materials that claim to be
  TAKS-based

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Information Booklets

• TEA developed resources that mirror previous
  Educators Guides
• Include objectives and Student Expectation
  statements assessed on TAKS
• Include additional information to clarify the
  TEKS measured
• Include sample items

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For TAKS reference

• Use Information Booklets, not Educators Guides
  to plan for the new assessment
• Do not anticipate that items will reflect the
  TAAS items, this is an entirely new assessment
  system

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Dana Center Resources

• Clarifying activities, lessons and assessments
• Staff Development through TEXTEAMS
• Assessments for Algebra I and Geometry
• Links to other resources
• Much, much more
• www.tenet.edu/teks/math

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Web Resources

• Texas Education Agency www.tea.state.tx.us
• TAKS Information Booklets
• www.tea.state.tx.us/TAKS/booklets/math

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Believe

• In all students ability in mathematics
• All students are mathematicians
• You are a teacher who can prepare all students
  for this difficult assessment

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Contact Information

• Paula Gustafson/Barbara Montalto
• TEA Curriculum and Professional Development
• 512.463.9585
• pgustafs_at_tea.state.tx.us
• Sue Borders/Julie Guthrie
• TEA Student Assessment
• 512.463.9536
• sborders_at_tea.state.tx.us