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2004-2005 Assessment Schedule
Students are assessed in school for a variety of reasons. Teachers give exams in their classes to check for student understanding, prior to moving on to another topic. In some cases, classroom exams may count for a major portion of the student’s semester grade. Likewise, districtwide assessment serves multiple purposes. Millard administers a number of assessments between 1st and 11th grade to ensure that students are able to perform up to our district standards, which we refer to as our Essential Learner Outcomes (ELOs). We also give students in selected grades a nationally normed standardized test so that we can gauge how our students and programs stack up against nationwide norms. This document includes important information on the assessment program in the Millard Public Schools. We have also included a discussion of some test-taking tips. Important areas covered are: Essential Learner Outcomes (ELOs) Millard ELOs were developed
to ensure that students are ready to transition from one level to the
next, producing competent and qualified students who are able to succeed
after leaving Millard Schools. The ELO assessment program is also designed
for school and district accountability. Basically, we have divided up the kindergarten through 12th grades into "blocks" of years and we have specified the level of performance expected as students pass through the gateways between those blocks. The blocks of years are:
Within each of these blocks of years, assessments (tests) are given at different times. We have ELO assessments in writing, reading, mathematics, science and social studies. In years past, we only had a commercial
standardized (nationally normed) achievement test as a common measure given
at the same time across the whole district. That sort of test gives information
about how Millard students compare with the national (normative) sample, but
does not give us an indication of how our students perform in relation to our
local preset determination of competency. Now we are assessing student performance
in relation to competency standards. We will still give the norm-referenced,
standardized test each year (currently given in grades 3, 4, 6, 7, 9 and 10),
but will also be using a variety of measures to assess competency on our ELOs. The standards are set by teachers who work with the curriculum and with Millard students every day. The achievement of mastery or proficiency of any ELO assessment is noted by a "cutscore" in the distribution of student scores. Students who are at or above that cutscore are presumed to be proficient enough in that area to proceed in their education without specially-designed additional instruction. The cutscores are the results of a rigorous "standard setting workshop." The cutscore on each of the tests has been established by the combined judgment of 20-25 teachers in each workshop. We have been guided through this process by testing experts from the Buros Mental Measurement Institute at the University of Nebraska. The process involves having the teachers in the workshop come up with a common understanding of a "proficient" student in a particular content area. Then, the teachers examine the assessment, in detail, and estimate how the hypothetical "just proficient" student would do on the assessment. Their ratings are evaluated and aggregated together, which then produces the cutoff score. This process of setting a standard
is very much different from arbitrarily picking a number, like 70%, and saying
that students have to score 70% correct to pass. We feel it is important to
have a non-arbitrary, legally defensible method of setting the standard-because
a student who scores below the cutoff would reap some consequences. We do have
some relatively difficult tests as part of the assessment program. By having
teachers who have expertise in the curriculum (and who know the students) set
the cutoff, we are on firm ground with respect to the defensibility of those
cutscores. What will happen with students who do not score at or above the cutoff indicating mastery? We have multiple strategies to help students reach the learning objectives. Some of the strategies involve in-class, within-the-day programs. Are the students grouped appropriately for instruction? Could additional materials be used to improve performance? Parents also are involved as part of the solution. Parents may be given specific materials, programs, and/or homework to extend the school day into the home. Some strategies involve programs
in the school, but outside the usual school hours (for example,
some schools offer before- and after-school tutoring programs while others offer
a special summer school program). Students who are still unable to attain the
standard, after re-testing, will get additional help and will have a formal
individualized plan, similar to a contract, that states what the staff will
do, what the student will do, and what the parents will do. In middle schools and high schools they have specific courses. How do these new ELO assessments relate to the course grades and course assessments for example, say, in 9th grade algebra? The simplest way to answer the question
is to say that the ELO assessments - take for example, the high school math
competency test - will occur without regard to what course
a student is enrolled in. And the standard cutscore will be applied consistently
across all students. That is, teachers will continue to do what they are currently
doing in the area of assessing students in particular courses. But the district
math competency test is given to measure the standard for performance in high
school mathematics and all students in the appropriate grade-level
(10th) will take the assessment and will be held to the standard. At the high
school level, all of the standards and related assessments are currently being
implemented when students are in the 9th and 10th grades,
or early in the 11th grade year. This accomplishes two things: 1)
It allows two years (11th and 12th grades) to apply interventions
to get all students up to the standard, and 2) It focuses on the time during
which all high school students have relatively similar curricular offerings
and have not yet started course selection which take them into electives or
areas of specialization. We make sure that we test on the content to which all
students have been exposed. The freshman class of 2000-2001
(senior class of 2003-2004) was the first high school class that fully passed
through the new system. Those students were fifth graders in 1996-97, when the
new assessment program was in place in the elementary grades. In addition to
having to master the assessments, these students had to achieve a higher number
of course credits (225 instead of 205), beginning in 2003-04. Standardized tests have long been a part of the American educational scene. The results of the tests can be affected by the manner in which students approach the tests. The purpose of this information is to give students, parents and the community a better understanding of testing and some ideas for being successful in taking tests. Standardized tests are designed to determine how far students have progressed in various content areas such as mathematics, reading and grammar, science, and social studies. Standardized scores make use of national norms, which allow teachers, employers, and institutions of higher learning to compare student achievement across the country. Standardized tests are administered in a controlled setting and, traditionally, have followed a multiple-choice format (although some of the newer ones also require some open-ended responses). Multiple-choice questions typically have four or five possible answers for each question. The best answer is to be chosen. The wrong answers are often designed to distract the reader. Sometimes "none of these" or "all of these" is included as a choice. In dealing with multiple-choice questions, these three things are important: analyze (see what the question asks); eliminate (reject obvious wrong answers); discriminate (select the best answer from among those remaining). Should the test-taker guess? The best rule of thumb is: if the test-taker has a reasonable idea and/or has eliminated one or more of the distractors, then guess. Testing time should be budgeted.
Poor use of time is the biggest problem in taking standardized tests.
All questions usually count the same, so students should not get stuck
on the hard ones. Since standardized tests are not based on specific
course content, preparation should be limited to practicing sample test
questions in order to become familiar with the format and the objectives
of the test. Classroom tests are designed to determine if the student has mastered specific content and where further instruction is needed. These tests have different types of formats. Here are some specific suggestions to follow in preparing for and taking classroom tests:
Tips for Taking Objective Tests
Important Standardized Tests In Millard’s Schools Listed below are standardized
tests used by the Millard Schools. For additional information, check
with the guidance counselor and building principal. Achievement and Aptitude Tests The TerraNova Multiple Assessment
and the Test of Cognitive Skills, Second Edition (TCS/2) are given to
all students in grades 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, and 10 to measure achievement and
aptitude. The American College Testing Assessment (ACT) is required for admission by most colleges, especially in the Midwest. It is offered five times a year and may be taken the spring of the junior year or early in the senior year. The student pays a fee to take the test. This test may be retaken. The Scholastic Assessment
Test (SAT) is required for admission by many colleges, especially
on the east and west coasts. It is usually offered about five times each
year and should be taken early during the senior year. The student pays
a fee to take this test (and, this may be retaken as well). Interest Inventories are given individually by the counselors to any student who wants to take them. These inventories can indicate students’ areas of occupational interest. 2004 - 2005 ELO Assessment Schedule
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Administrator Site Last Updated: 11/22/04 |
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