New York State Grade 38 Testing in English Language Arts

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New York StateGrade 3-8 Testing in English
Language Arts MathematicsPresentation to
the ME PTAOctober 17, 2005
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• By working together, parents, teachers,
• and students can raise the level of
• achievement in our schools.

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Testing Timeline 2006 English Language Arts

• Jan. 9 Jan. 13
• Jan. 17 Jan. 20

• Gr. 3,4,5 ELA Statewide Tests
• Gr. 3,4,5 ELA Make-up Tests

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Testing Timeline 2006 Mathematics

• Mar. 6 Mar. 10
• Mar. 13 Mar. 17

• Gr. 3,4,5 Math Statewide Tests
• Gr. 3,4,5 Math Make-up Tests

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II. What Will These Tests Look Like?

• The NYS tests are designed to measure student
  achievement in English Language Arts (ELA) and
  Mathematics in grades 3 through 8.
• The tests reflect New York State content/process
  standards in each grade and subject area.
• For ELA independent writing prompts have been
  removed across all grades editing paragraph has
  been added in grades 3, 5, 7.
• All items will be grade specific no overlapping
  items will be included.
• Tests in both subjects will be similar in format
  to existing Grade 4 and 8 assessments.

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IV. How Will These Tests Be Scored?

• Scoring should be conducted by NYS
• teachers immediately following test
• administration to all eligible students
• SED guidelines for scoring will focus on
• scoring training rather than the model
• for scoring (e.g., regional, district,
• school)

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Grade 3 ELA Test Design

• Session 1 (Reading)
• Format
• 3 to 4 passages (literary and informational)
• 20 multiple choice items
• 1 constructed response item (1 minute)
• Standards 1, 2, 3 measured
• Session 2 (Listening/Writing)
• Format
• 1 listening selection (literary)
• 4 multiple choice items
• 2 constructed response items (1.5 minutes each)
• 1 editing paragraph (.5 minutes)
• Standards 1, 2, 3 measured

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Grade 4 ELA Test Design

• Session 1 (Reading)
• Format
• 4 to 5 passages (literary and informational)
• 28 multiple choice items
• Standards 1, 2, 3 measured
• Session 2 (Listening/Writing)
• Format
• 1 listening selection (literary)
• 2 constructed response items
• 1 extended response item (Cluster 2.5 minutes)
• Standard 2 measured (ER also contributes to
  Writing Mechanics score)
• Session 3 (Reading/Writing)
• Format
• 2 paired passages
• 3 constructed response items (Cluster 2.5
  minutes)
• 1 extended response item (ER also contributes to
  Writing Mechanics score)
• Standard 3 measured

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Grade 5 ELA Test Design

• Session 1 (Reading)
• Format
• 3 to 4 reading passages (literary and
  informational)
• 20 multiple choice reading items
• 1 constructed response item (1 minute)
• Standards 1, 2, 3 measured
• Session 2 (Listening/Writing)
• Format
• 1 listening selection (informational)
• 4 multiple choice listening items
• 1 constructed response item (1 minute)
• 1 editing paragraph (.75 minute)
• Standards 1 and 3 measured

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Grade 3 Mathematics Test Design

• Session 1
• Format
• 25 multiple choice items
• Standard 3 Mathematics measured
• Session 2
• Format
• 4 constructed response items (23 seconds each)
• 2 extended response items (30 seconds each)
• Standard 3 Mathematics measured

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Grade 4 Mathematics Test Design

• Session 1
• Format
• 30 multiple choice items
• Standard 3 Mathematics measured
• Session 2
• Format
• 7 constructed response items (23 seconds each)
• 2 extended response items (30 seconds each)
• Standard 3 Mathematics measured
• Session 3
• Format
• 7 constructed response items (23 seconds each)
• 2 extended response items (30 seconds each)
• Standard 3 Mathematics measured

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Grade 5 Mathematics Test Design

• Session 1
• Format
• 26 multiple choice items
• Standard 3 Mathematics measured
• Session 2
• Format
• 4 constructed response items (25 seconds each)
• 4 extended response items (35 seconds each)
• Standard 3 Mathematics measured

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Sample ELA Questions

• Grade 3
• Multiple Choice
• The student reads a story about a chipmunk who
  notices that
• his animal friends are wearing their pants legs
  folded up. He
• asks each animal why but no one is sure of the
  reason for the
• new style. Then he asks Bear who says he folded
  them up to
• keep his pants from getting wet when he crossed
  the river.
• The student then chooses the most appropriate
  response to
• the following question.
• According to the story, which animal started the
  new style?
• A Bear
• B Beaver
• C Rabbit
• D Squirrel

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Editing Task

• The student is given a paragraph and asked to
  correct errors
• in capitalization and punctuation.
• Here is a paragraph a student wrote. The
  paragraph has some
• mistakes in capital letters and punctuation. Some
  sentences may
• have no mistakes. There are no mistakes in
  spelling.
• Read the paragraph and find the mistakes. Draw a
  line through
• each mistake in the paragraph. Then write the
  correction above it.
• Winter is a fun season. It snows a lot where
• i live. I like to play in the snow. My Brother
• likes to play in the snow, too. We make
• snowballs and snow houses. when it gets dark, we
• go inside, but we know we can go out again the
• next day?

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Grade 4Short Response

• The student reads an article about the usefulness
  of maps that includes the following paragraph
• You can use different maps to find
• different kinds of facts. A road map shows
• you how to find your way. Other maps show
• which crops are grown in different places.
• Maps can show how many people live in
• different places. Some maps show what the
• weather is like. Some maps tell you about
• the land. These maps might show mountains
• or tell how high the land is above sea
• level.
• The student then fills in the following web
• What are four different kinds of facts you can
  learn from maps?
• Write your answer in the empty circles of the web
  below.

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Grade 5Short Response

• The student reads a poem about floating down a
  river. The student then describes the meaning of
  a specific phrase in the poem.
• What is the right place mentioned in the title
  of the poem? Use details from the poem to support
  your answer.
• ________________________________________________
• ________________________________________________
• ________________________________________________
• ________________________________________________
• ________________________________________________
• ________________________________________________

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Editing Task

• The student is asked to edit a short passage.
• Here is a report a student wrote. There are some
  mistakes in the paragraph. Some sentences may
  have more than one mistake, and other sentences
  may contain no mistakes at all. There are no
  mistakes in spelling.
• Read the paragraph and find the mistakes. Draw a
  line through
• each mistake in the paragraph. Then write the
  correction
• above it.
• Last weekend, my family and I went to the new
• aquarium downtown. It is one of the most largest
• aquariums in the state. When we first arrive at
• the aquarium, we saw real otters sharks, and
• penguins. Then we went to the aquariums Theater
• and saw a show called The amazing Oceans. I
• learned about different oceans across the world
• and about interesting creatures that lives in
• those oceans. It was so much fun to visit the
• aquarium. I cant wait to go back!

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The Mathematics Test

• The Mathematics Test is given in two or three
  sessions, depending on the grade. The
  multiple-choice questions measure basic skills,
  concepts, and procedures. The short response and
  extended response questions require students to
  support their answers by showing their work or
  explaining how they arrive at their answers.
• Questions that ask students to show their
  solutions, or to explain the mathematics they
  used, measure students understanding of
  mathematical procedures and problem solving
  strategies.
• On the Mathematics Test, students must understand
  what each question is asking know and apply facts
  and definitions select, apply, and modify
  procedures, read and interpret graphs and tables
  recognize, interpret, and apply the signs,
  symbols, and terms used to represent concepts.
• SEE SAMPLE QUESTIONS IN BOOKLET

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Learning Begins at Home

• The New York State Learning Standards require
  students to acquire a working knowledge of
  subjects and apply that knowledge to meaningful
  tasks at each grade level.
• The New York State Testing Program will ask them
  to demonstrate the knowledge and skills they need
  to solve real-life problemsknowledge and skills
  that you can help to improve through daily
  activities and conversations in the home.

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How Parents Can Help

• Parents can play an important role in helping
  their children to do well in school and to
  prepare for these tests.
• Here are some things you can do
• ?? Talk with your childs teacher.
• Getting to know your childs teacher is an
  excellent way
• to stay informed about your childs performance
  at
• school. Attending parent-teacher conferences and
  school
• events is a good way to maintain regular
  communication
• with your childs teacher.
• ?? Be supportive throughout the year.
• Make sure your child comes to school ready to
  learn,
• attends school regularly, and completes all
  homework
• assignments. Ask your child about his or her
  performance
• in school, and be generous with praise.

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How Parents Can Help

• Encourage good work habits.
• You can help your child learn good work habits at
  home
• and at school. Explain the importance of
  carefully
• following directions, avoiding careless errors,
  and
• checking work to make sure its done correctly.
• ?? Present a positive attitude toward the tests.
• Let your child know that you have confidence in
  his or
• her abilities. Explain that some of the test
  questions may
• be difficult and that it does not matter if other
  students
• finish earlier. Let your child know it is okay to
  proceed at
• his or her own pace.
• ?? Be sure your child is physically prepared on
  the day
• of the test.
• Taking a test requires a students full
  attention, so your
• child should have a good nights sleep before the
  test.
• Make sure your child has a healthy breakfast and
  a
• nutritious lunch.

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For the Latest Information
Go to www.nysed.gov and click on Latest
Information