The “ New ” Mathematics SOL Assessments

1. The “New” Mathematics SOL Assessments Paula Brown Director of Instructional Accountability Hampton City Schools March 9, 2012

2. Guiding Questions • How do the previous SOL math tests compare to the new ones? • How will the technology enhanced items change the way the test functions? • What can you do to prepare?

3. Comparing Old to New: Outcomes and Pass Rates

4. Comparing Old to New: Repeated Items

5. Comparing Old to New How did we do this? -used the information on the Pearson website -used SPBQs from students who took the new tests -compared the new test item descriptions to items from previous tests

6. Comparing Old to New: The Connection

7. Comparing Old to New: The Conclusion The number of NEW items on each test directly correlates to the amount of increase in the failure rate.

8. What Could That Mean? • Teachers are unfamiliar with NEW content and styles of NEW items • Teachers may be using poorly aligned materials, such as textbooks, hoping for the best • NEW items are not easily accessible for teachers

9. The Rigor is in the Cut Scores

10. The Rigor is in the Cut Scores

11. Technology Enhanced Items • Grades 6, 7, 8, Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry assessments will include technology enhanced items (TEI) that will count towards the student’s score this year. • Grades 3, 4 and 5 assessments will include technology enhanced items that will NOT count towards the student’s score this year.

12. Where to Find Them The website for accessing Technology Enhanced Items is: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/practice_items/index.shtml

13. Brief Descriptions for New Items (TEI) • Drag and drop • Hot spots • Graphs • Fill-in-the blank or short answer

14. Drag and Drop • Drag and drop items contain draggers and drop zones. • Draggers are answer options that are moved to drop zones in response to the question. • Drop zones are areas of an item where draggers will remain once moved there. • Drag and drop items require a student to respond by moving one or more draggers from one place on the screen into a drop zone(s) elsewhere on the screen. • The student will click on the dragger and keep the button down while moving the dragger to the desired location. Once the button is released, the dragger will be in the new location. Students can still move the dragger once it has been dropped into a drop zone.

15. Drag and Drop

16. Hot Spots • Hot spot items contain hot spot zones which represent student answer options. • Hot spot zones are answer options which may be objects, graphic elements, or text labels which are selected in response to a question. • Unlike a traditional multiple-choice item where only one answer option is correct, hot spot items may require the student to select one or more hot spot zones (answer options) in order to correctly answer the item. • The student selects a hot spot by clicking on it. There will be an indication on the screen, such as the zone being outlined in light blue, which confirms that the pointer is over a hot spot. When the hot spot is clicked, the zone will turn burnt orange, confirming that the hot spot has been selected as an answer.

17. Hot Spots

18. Graphs Graphing items require students to create or complete some type of graph. The graphs presented will vary by grade or course level and include graphs such as bar graphs, histograms, line graphs, line plots, and picture or picture graphs.

19. Graphs

20. Fill-in-the-blank • Fill-in-the-Blank items contain a text entry field. For this item type, the student responds to a question by typing a response into a blank box provided in the item. • Some response boxes may limit the characters that can be entered. For instance, if the response is expected to be numeric, the student will not be able to enter letters. • A response typically is no more than six characters long. • Students should carefully follow directions on fill-in-the-blank items, such as providing an answer in simplest form or rounding a number as indicated.

21. Fill-in-the-blank

22. Other Important Notes • A student must read the individual directions for every question on the test. • Unique directions are usually placed in a shaded area at the top of the page. • This area will indicate whether or not there are multiple responses required.

23. Directions Students will actually use the X 10 times in this item

24. Preparing for the New Tests • What have we done so far? • What should we do before May?

25. What Have We Done So Far • Embraced the NEW curriculum and started implementing it last year • Designed crosswalks (locally created) • Created and delivered numerous trainings on new skills • Created and modeled lessons on statistics in Algebra I and Algebra II classrooms • Made pacing guides that accented the new material

26. What Have We Done So Far • Distributed Enhanced Scope and Sequence guides with lesson plans • Elementary, middle, and high school • Created quizzes, mid-nine week tests, and benchmark assessments using the new blueprints as a guide • Created assessments by using released items, using ePAT items and by moving released items from other tests in higher grade levels • Provided a electronic warehouse of support materials for teachers and students

27. Will That Be Enough? • With all of the changes including the new cut scores for passing, it is highly unlikely • Knowing that, what more can we do?

28. Preparing for the New Tests • Informteachers of every new piece of information that comes out and help them manage it in their day to day classroom life • Create a plan for using the information you are receiving today to prevent catastrophic outcomes

29. A Word from the State Superintendent …January 2012 “…Last year, I warned the education subcommittees of the House and Senate money committees that the implementation of these new standards – and corresponding assessments – would have a dramaticimpact on accreditation.  I repeat this warning today. The new mathematics tests debut this spring – middle and high school students on block schedules are already experiencing the new Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II tests – and I GUARANTEE that we will see mathematics pass rates fall sharply when results are reported in the summer…”