Improving ITBS Scores

1. Jeff Spotts Northwest AEA jspotts@nwaea.k12.ia.us Improving ITBS Scores

2. Students Need Teachers

3. ITBS • Riverside Publications is the author of ITBS • All test questions are tested for reliability • All answers are scored by a college graduate • To demonstrate rigor, at least 28% of students need to fail the question • FAQ resources are available at www.riverpub.com/products/itbs/support

4. Types of Answers • Effective Distracters – answers that are good when test taker skims question. • Slash and Trash – automatically can be eliminated because they have nothing to do with the question. • Close Enough- answers that may sound correct when test taker skims question. • Correct Answer – the right one.

5. Question Answer Relationship • Helping students to analyze the question-answer relationships will enable them to become skillful at analyzing these types of questions that they are typically asked to respond to when reading a text. The four question-answer relationships are as follows:

6. Right There QuestionsLevel I Questions on Depth of Knowledge Chart • “Right There” questions require you to go back to the passage and find the correct information to answer the question. These are sometimes called literal questions because the correct answer can be found somewhere in the passage. “Right There” questions sometimes include the words, “According to the passage…” “How many…” “Who is…” “What is…”

7. Think and Search QuestionsLevel II & III Questions on Depth of Knowledge Chart • “Think and Search” question usually require you to think about how ideas or information in the passage relate to each other. You will need to look back at the passage, find the information that the question refers to, and then think about how the information or ideas fit together. “Think and Search” questions sometimes include the words, “The main idea of the passage…” “What caused…” “Compare/Contrast…”

8. Author and You QuestionsLevel IV Questions on the Depth of Knowledge Chart • “Author and You” questions require you to use ideas and information that is not stated directly in the passage to answer the question. These questions require you to think about what you have read and formulate your own ideas or opinions. “Author and You” questions sometimes include the words, “The author implies…” “The passage suggests…” “The speaker’s attitude…”

9. On My Own QuestionsLevel IV Questions on the Depth of Knowledge Chart • “On My Own” questions can be answered using your background knowledge on a topic. This type of question does not usually appear on tests of reading comprehension because it does not require you to refer to the passage. “On My Own” questions sometimes include the words, “In your opinion…” Based on your experience…” “Think about someone/something you know…” • These types of questions will NEVER be on a multiple choice test.

10. Handouts • Depth of Knowledge Levels Chart • Depth of Knowledge Levels for Mathematics • Three Types of Thinking Examples • Teaching Tips and Strategies for Math

11. Where can questions be found? • Released item questions can be found at internet4classroom.com • This gives you free access to over 23 released test items.

12. Three Types of Thinking • Comprehension Questions – Test basic understanding of concepts, facts, and relationships. Usually ask you to identify, describe, and provide examples. • Analysis Questions – Test the ability of the student to break up a concept into various parts to understand it better. They ask you to sequence, explain, or compare. • Inference Questions – Test the students ability to draw conclusions about information or apply it in a new way. Inference questions ask you to draw conclusions, make predictions, or apply knowledge in a new way.

13. Number 1 Strategy to Improve Scores • Read the Whole Question. • Read All of the Answers. • 68% of the time an effective distracter is used for letter A. • 57% of the time an effective distracter is used for letter D. • The reason for this is that most people skim and read only the first and last answer.

14. Vocabulary • To improve vocabulary in each subject area students need to study 10 minutes per day for each subject area. • Games are great • Charades • I have Who has • Microsoft office – flash card maker • Wall swatters – put words on wall and have kids hit them with fly swatter. • Catch Me if You Can – To go to the restroom or library etc… have students write down vocabulary words (the teacher has displayed on the board) used by the teacher during the class. Students must be able to tell when the teacher used it, how the teacher used it, and the definition.

15. Smart 7 • 1) Read and box in the title. Trace and number the paragraphs. • 2) Read every paragraph and Stop and Think. • 3) Read every paragraph and highlight key words. • 4) Read and highlight key words in each question. • 5) Read each answer and put X beside each answer. • 6) Prove the answer. Locate the paragraph where the answer is found. • 7) Mark your answer correctly.

16. Math Reading • Test writers like to put correct numerical answers with wrong units. • Need to determine units before numerical answer. • Cross out anything not related to math. • Circle all units.

17. Three Tried-and-True Tactics for Math • Test assess computation, measurement skills, number sense, and ability to reason. • 1) Make Word Problems a Priority – Weave word problems into the curriculum by having students look for quantifiable situations in the environment, literature, or current events. Have students write word problems. • 2) Stress Number Sense – Investigations such as finding where, how, and in what context numbers are reported in the newspaper, or comparing the area of a tennis court to a football field, help students quantify their world and see the usefulness of numbers. • 3) Focus on Estimation – Develop estimation skills by giving “Flash Quizzes.” Flash a math problem on the wall, such as 367 + 228, and have the students estimate the answer without any written computations. Helps students determine a reasonable range of estimates for each problem.

18. Huge Increase for 60¢ • Did you Know? Riverside scanners will read erased answers twice and be counted wrong. • Use golf pencils because they have no erasers on them. • Issue the students Sanford Magic Rub Eraser and teach students how to erase properly. • Increase your scores by 17% doing this strategy!!!

19. Understanding Your Student • Student can focus on test for 5 minutes + age • Special needs student can focus on test as a rule for their age only. • Classroom environment- Temperature • Restarting the Brain – 30% efficiency is lost if they do not restart their brain. This will bring them back to 92% efficiency. • Peppermints • Breathing techniques • Closing eyes (visualization) • Water • Healthy snack • Standing up/physical activity

20. Brain Dump • Have students write down all the things they think they will forget. • Read this between tests. • Examples: • Mnemonic device • Quadratic equation: ax + bx + c = 0 • Multiplication Table • FOIL

21. The 5 P’s • 1) Prepare, Prepare, Prepare, Prepare! (ITBS is a marathon, practice strategies throughout the year) • 2) Peppermints to stimulate the brain. • 3) Physical Activity – Brain gym – testersizers, laughing, yoga. • 4) Powerful Phrases – Students are subjected to 80,000 negative images, thoughts, or messages a day. They need 11 good messages for every bad one. • 5) Processes – Want it Teach it!

22. Score Improvement Strategies • Calm directions • Use of slow down strategies • Test taking strategies • Pacing / teach time segments • Teach self review of work • Test in the morning • Create a positive environment (story)

23. More Improvement Strategies • Good night of sleep • Good Breakfast • Get to school on time • If test is important, do not assign other work • Advertise and communicate testing dates • Staff t-shirts (water boy story) • Use your cooks, bus drivers and aides for support • Church announcement • Parent volunteers • Pep Rally

24. Overwhelmed!!!!

25. Pre-Test Communication • Teach the language of school- AYP, IEP, NCLB, ITBS, ICC, Safe Harbor, Sub populations, 95% participation • School Improvement Goals • What does the ITBS mean to your school? • Teacher Evaluation • Merit Pay • Future implications

26. Administrator / Teacher Conference • Review past ITBS data • Student goals for this ITBS • Student tells you of test importance • Student Strengths • Student Weaknesses • Staff recommends a Best Practice • Staff member cares about the student • Pre-Test routine • Personal staff story concerning testing • Implications of ITBS (student schedule)

27. After Testing • Celebrate right away • How will you communicate results? • Parent / Teacher Conferences • Open House • Special Meeting • Presentation of information • Student schedules • Interventions, accommodations or modifications

28. Cheering Works

29. Websites of Interest • Mathiscool.com • Instructables.com • Freeology.com • Internet4classrooms.com • Braingym.com (Pay site) • Thewritingsite.org