1010p12d1

From: Subject: 1010p12d1 Date: Thu, 21 Oct 2010 10:49:56 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="text/html"; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0000_01CB710D.B3114C80" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.5994 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0000_01CB710D.B3114C80 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.regents.nysed.gov/meetings/2010Meetings/October2010/1010p12d1.html 1010p12d1

3D"SED &= nbsp; &n= bsp;=20 = &= nbsp; =20 = &= nbsp; =20 =

THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE = UNIVERSITY OF THE=20 STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234 =

TO:	P-12 Education Committee
FROM:	John B. King, Jr.
SUBJECT:	Testing Program Update
DATE:	October 1, 2010
STRATEGIC GOAL:	Goals 1 and 2
AUTHORIZATION(S):

SUMMARY

Issue for Discussion

The Board of Regents has requested an update on the following Testing = Programs: Grades 3-8 ELA and Mathematics; Comprehensive Regents = Examination in=20 English; and the PARCC and NCSC Test Consortia.

Proposed Handling

This Item will come before the P-12 Education Committee for = discussion at the=20 October 2010 meeting.

Background Information

Grades 3-8 Testing Program

The New York State Testing Program (NYSTP) is designed to evaluate = the=20 implementation of the State Learning Standards at the student, school, = district, and statewide levels. These tests present the opportunity = to:=20 annually assess the implementation of the State=92s learning = standards; measure=20 individual student and cohort progress; and gather data on student = readiness=20 for study at the next level. New York State is required to administer = tests in=20 English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics under the No Child Left = Behind Act=20 (NCLB). These tests must: address the depth and breadth of the = State=92s=20 Learning Standards; be valid, reliable, and of high technical quality; = and be=20 designed to provide a coherent system across grades and = subjects. The=20 Grades 3-8 Testing Program is administered to approximately 300,000 = students=20 per grade in both public and nonpublic schools. With the = exception of=20 the small population of severely disabled students who qualify to take = the New=20 York State Alternate Assessment (NYSAA), all students, general = education,=20 students with disabilities (SWDs), and English Language Learners = (ELLs) in all=20 public school districts are required to take these tests.

After the administration of the 2010 ELA and math exams, the = Department=20 reset cut scores to signal student progress towards college and career = readiness. The established cut scores classify student proficiency = into one of=20 four Performance Levels based on their test performance:

Level 1: Below=20 Standard
&nbs= p; =20 Student performance does not demonstrate an understanding of the = ELA/mathematics=20 content expected at this grade level.

=20 Level 2: Meets Basic=20 Standard
&n= bsp; =20 Student performance demonstrates a partial understanding of the = ELA/mathematics content expected at this grade level.

=20 Level 3: Meets Proficiency=20 Standard
&n= bsp; =20 Student performance demonstrates an understanding of the=20 ELA/mathematics content expected at this grade level.

=20 Level 4: Exceeds Proficiency=20 Standard
&n= bsp; =20 Student performance demonstrates a thorough understanding of = the=20 ELA/mathematics content expected at this grade level.

The Department has made changes to the format of the testing = program for=20 the Spring 2011 exams. For ELA and math exams, the number of = multiple-choice=20 questions have been expanded to allow for greater performance = indicator=20 coverage and to provide more precise estimates of student abilities in = all=20 four performance levels. The grades 3, 5, and 7 ELA exams will contain = an=20 extended response question (essay).

The administration time has been extended to account for changes = in the=20 length of the tests and the exams will be administered in May to = ensure that=20 schools will have time to teach the tested curriculum.

The Department will continue its research studies by conducting = another=20 audit test function. This will allow for: more complete measurement of = NYS=20 Learning Standards; stronger interpretations of year-to-year trend = results;=20 and comparisons between NYS students their and achievement to the = nation as a=20 whole. Analysis of the data from the audit test function can be used = for=20 verification of the test equating results and for monitoring for = potential=20 score inflation.

Comprehensive Regents Examination in English

In February 2009, the Board directed Department staff to redesign = the=20 English Regents so it can be administered in one, three-hour session. = This=20 work has been completed and the first administration of the redesigned = English=20 Regents Exam is scheduled for January 2011. A Test Sampler was = released to the=20 field in June 2010.

The Department will standard set the exam in January and expects = to return=20 scores to schools in late January (tentatively). Staff is researching = standard=20 setting approaches to ensure that the data from the English Regents = and the=20 Grades 3-8 Exams are aligned and that the cut scores on the assessment = denote=20 college and/or career readiness.

Race to the Top Assessment Competition: Partnership for the=20 Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers Consortium (PARCC)=20 Update

PARCC is a state-led assessment consortium with 26 member states = with over=20 31 million students; New York is also a member of the Governing Board. = PARCC=20 originally received a $170 million Race to the Top award from USED to = design=20 and develop the system. Recently, USED awarded an additional $15.87 = million=20 dollars to the consortium.

PARCC states are committed to building an assessment system that = is=20 internationally benchmarked; proficient scores on the assessments will = mean=20 students are on track for the next steps in their education, including = postsecondary education and training after high school.

PARCC will design a computer-based assessment system that will = contain=20 innovative item types and provide teachers feedback on student = progress=20 throughout the school year, helping them to target and adjust their=20 instruction. The consortium is designing a =93through-course = assessment system=94=20 that will emphasize performance-based work and higher-order critical = thinking=20 skills. At certain points during the year, students will complete=20 performance-based items and at the end of the year, a concluding = summative=20 test. All scores will be rolled into one comprehensive test score that = will be=20 used to evaluate student achievement and for accountability system=20 determinations.

All states in the PARCC consortium will adopt common assessments = that are=20 aligned to the Common Core Standards and performance standards, which = will=20 allow for legitimate cross-state comparisons.

PARCC is also developing formative tools including: 1) the = Partnership=20 Resource Center, an online resource that will include released items = with item=20 data, student work, and rubrics; 2) a Test Complexity Diagnostic Tool; = and 3)=20 K-2 Assessments in ELA and mathematics.

To ensure college and career readiness, PARCC is working with over = 200=20 postsecondary systems and institutions across all 26 PARCC states. = Higher=20 Education will partner with PARCC to help develop college=96ready high = school=20 assessments; guide strategy to engage all colleges and universities in = PARCC=20 states; and lay the groundwork for implementation of college-ready = high school=20 assessments as valid placement instruments for credit-bearing courses. = PARCC=20 will form a College-Ready Advisory Committee.

PARCC is actively planning to issue RFPs to start the test design = and=20 development work later this fall. The tests are slated for = administration in=20 the 2014-2015 school year.

National Center and State=20 Collaborative (NCSC) General Supervision Enhancement Grant Project=20 (GSEG)

This is a test consortium that was organized by: the National = Center on=20 Educational Outcomes; the National Center for Improvement of = Educational=20 Assessment; the Universities of Kentucky and North Carolina, = Charlotte; and=20 EdCount. There are 19 states participating. While this is not a Race = to the=20 Top Assessment Grant, the organizing groups utilized the same approach = to=20 structuring their consortium.

The Consortium was awarded a grant of approximately $43.7 million = for a=20 four- year period from the USED=92s Office of Special Education=20 Programming.

The NCSC Consortium will design an alternate assessment based on = alternate=20 achievement standards (AA-AAS) to develop a comprehensive assessment = system=20 for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. The new = AA-AAS=20 system will be designed to measure individual student growth and = produce=20 scores to fully address other demands being placed on these = assessments=20 through Race to the Top innovations and ESEA = reauthorization.

The project will create a comprehensive system that will = coherently=20 address state needs by: 1) producing technically defensible formative, = interim, and summative assessments; and 2) supporting evidence-based=20 instruction and curriculum models.

Organizational meetings to start the test design and development = work are=20 scheduled for later this month.

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