The Alabama Reading and Mathematics Test

1
The Alabama Reading and Mathematics Test

• Michele Hunter
• Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction Mobile
  County Public Schools

2
Pre-Test

• What is the ARMT?
• When will this test be administered?
• To whom will it be administered?
• Why was this test created?
• What is AYP?
• What happens if schools dont meet their goals in
  2 years? 3 Years? 4-5 Yr?
• How will the SAT10 scores differ from ARMT
  scores?
• What is proficiency? How do you know if your
  students are proficient in mathematics?

3
Three Components of the ARMT
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The ARMT

• Piloted in October
• Administered to all students in grades 3-8
• Status of the school will be determined on the
  ARMT, ADWA, and AHSGE
• Criterion Referenced Test based on our states
  standards

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Criterion Reference Tests

• CRTs (ARMT ADAW)
• Developed using course-specific objectives on
  grade level
• Developed to test mastery of state standards
• Content standards are reported by performance
  levels (I, II, III, and IV)
• Performance Descriptors provide a narrative
  description of each level
• Levels III and IV are considered Proficient
• Exemplars provide samples of student work at each
  level
• Cut Scores provide the cut for each level

6
Norm-Referenced Tests

• NRTs (SAT 10)
• Developed using questions that are at and above
  the grade-level curriculum
• Developed to compare individual performance with
  performance of the norming group
• Designed to spread our kids out by reporting
  scores using a bell curve making it
  mathematically impossible for all students to be
  proficient
• Reports relative strengths and weaknesses of
  individuals
• Reported scores by national percentile rank,
  national stanine, national grade percentile band,
  content cluster stanine range, and
  achievement/ability comparison range

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Challenges We Face This Year

• Understanding the NCLB Act of 2001
• Meeting Standards and Accountability through AYP
• Understanding the curriculum
• Using research-based best practices for
  instructional strategies
• Taking a closer look at our classroom assessments

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The NCLB Act of 2001

• Challenges the entire educational community, but
  primarily teachers and administrators, to change
  the way schools do business
• Under this law all public school children, even
  the most disadvantaged, must perform proficiently
  on standardized tests in reading and mathematics
  by the year 2014

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NCLB-Mathematical Proficiency
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AYP- Adequate Yearly Progress

• An individual states measure of yearly progress
  toward achieving state academic standards.
• Adequate Yearly Progress is the minimum level
  of improvement that states, school districts, and
  schools must achieve each year.
• Goals must be reported starting 2005

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Disaggregated Databy Subgroups- AYP

• Race and Ethnicity
• Socioeconomic Level
• Disabilities
• Limited English Proficiency
• Migrant Status
• Gender

12
Flexible, Local Control of Funds

• School districts currently receive federal
  funding from the Dept. of Ed. under 4 major state
  grant programs
• Teacher Quality Grants
• Education Technology
• Innovative Programs
• Safe and Drug-Free Schools
• Under NCLB, every school district can transfer up
  to 50 of these funds between any other program
  or to Title I to meet AYP goals

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Falling Short of AYP Goals- Yr 2

• Corrective Action
• Develop Improvement Plans based on scientifically
  proven teaching methods
• Offer parents public school choice
• Provide transportation to the new school

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Falling Short of AYP Goal- Yr 3

• Title I Funds used for supplemental services
  chosen by parents
• Tutoring
• After-school programs

15
Understanding the Curriculum

• AL- COS for Mathematics
• (new vs.current)
• NCTMs Principles and Standards for School
  Mathematics
• Local Curriculum Guides (Team Math)
• AMSTI- Alabama Math, Science, and Technology
  Initiative

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NCLB Instruction Materials

• Despite the research, many classroom teachers
  still spend the bulk of their classroom time
  demonstrating procedures and supervising students
  while they practice those procedures.
• Textbooks are typically packed with an assortment
  of topics creating a scattered and superficial
  curriculum.
• The New AL COS has reduced the number of
  standards to allow for in-depth instruction of
  content, facilitating mathematical proficiency.

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Instructional Strategies
Identifying Similarities Differences Summarizing Note Taking Reinforcing Effort Providing Recognition
Homework and Practice Nonlinguistic Representations Cooperative Learning
Setting Objectives Providing Feedback Generating Testing Hypotheses Questions, Cues, Adv. Organizers
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Classroom Assessment

• Assess the COS Standards (not just chapters) and
  expect mastery with each standard for all
  students
• Intervention Plan for individual students who are
  not mastering skills re-teach reassess
• Sampling of student work should align to the COS
• Use Blooms Taxonomy
• Available Instructional Time Protected
• Model format of the ARMT with assessment

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Post-Test

• What is the ARMT?
• When will this test be administered?
• To whom will it be administered?
• Why was this test created?
• What is AYP?
• What happens if schools dont meet their goals in
  2 years? 3 Years? 4-5 Yr?
• How will the SAT10 scores differ from ARMT
  scores?
• What is proficiency? How do you know if your
  students are proficient in mathematics?