Setting the Standard

1
Setting the Standard

• Wisconsin Grades 4, 8 10 Reading, Language
  Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social
  StudiesOverview

2
What is standard setting?

• A process that lets experts make judgements about
  the content that the Proficient student should
  know.
• Also, Minimal Performance, Basic, and Advanced
  students.
• Some significant changes were incorporated into
  this standard setting
• Based on advice from TAC

3
Why standard setting?

• Content standards define what students are tested
  on.
• These are things students should be able to do.
• Wisconsin has content standards in Reading,
  Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social
  Studies.
• Performance standards define what students can do
  in each performance level.
• Participants actively discussed their
  expectations of students in each proficiency
  level.

4
Proficiency Levels

• The State of Wisconsin identifies 4 proficiency
  levels per subject area
• Specify the knowledge, skills and abilities a
  student needs to know in order to be classified
  as Minimal, Basic, Proficient, or Advanced.

5
Purpose of the Standard Setting

• Allows cut scores to be set on the test scale
• The test scale represents the ability of students

6
Purpose of the Standard Setting

• Participants set a cut score on the test scale.
• Students who meet or exceed the cut score will
  have enough knowledge, skills and abilities to be
  classified as Proficient on the WKCE tests.
• Also Basic and Advanced.
• Content decisions were based on Wisconsin content
  standards.

7
How did we set our standards?

• Percentages
• Arbitrary
• Does not consider content
• Test-specific

• Content
• Uses pre-established content standards
• Considers our educational objectives
• Bookmark Standard Setting Procedure

8
Bookmark Standard Setting

• Item-centered method
• Content-based decisions
• Draws on the experience of content-matter experts
  (teachers, administrators, etc.)

9
Committee Roles

• Group Leaders
• Table Leaders
• Participants
• Wisconsin DPI
• CTB

10
Agenda Day 1

• Opening Session
• Took the test
• Individual Activity
• Studied the constructed-response items
• Table Activity
• Discussed the target student
• Target Student at the beginning of grade year
• Studied the ordered item booklet
• Table Activity

11
Ordered Item Booklets

• One boxed item per page
• Easiest item first, hardest item last
• Items ascend by difficulty

12
Agenda Day 2

• Made Round 1 bookmark placements
• Individual Activity
• Round 2
• Reviewed Round 1 results in tables
• Presented impact data for Total Group, Low SES
  Students and Students of Color
• Discussed data at tables
• Made new judgments individually

13
Agenda Day 3

• Round 3
• Reviewed Round 2 results as a large group
• Discussed as a large group
• Made new judgments individually
• Reviewed final results
• Table Leaders discussed cross-grade impact
• Descriptor writing
• Evaluated the Standard Setting

14
Conclusion of Process

• State TAC met to review data from standard
  setting
• TAC Recommended to Supt. Burmaster the she accept
  the results of the standard setting
• After discussion with advisors, Supt. Burmaster
  approved cut-scores