Transcript Slide 1

END OF COURSE
STAAR TESTING
What every 9th grade student and
parent need to know
Sept. 2011
• All information in this presentation is current as
of September 14, 2011.
• All slides are taken directly from TEA material
unless noted as a local slide. (red)
• Information presented may change prior to the
actual End of Course testing.
• We will do our best to keep you up to date
regarding changes.
• What is STAAR?
• STAAR is a more rigorous standardized testing
program that will replace the Texas Assessment of
Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) for elementary,
middle, and high school students. The new STAAR
program will emphasize “readiness” standards,
which are the knowledge and skills that are
considered most important for success in the
grade or subject that follows and for college and
career.
What tests must you take in high
school?
• Students first entering ninth grade in the 2011–2012 school
year will notice the biggest difference in the new testing
program. Under the TAKS program, students were required
to take two tests in the ninth grade and four tests in both
the 10th and 11th grade. In order to graduate, students
were required to pass four exit-level tests given at 11th
grade. With the new STAAR program, the exit-level tests
will be replaced with 12 end-of-course (EOC) assessments,
which students will take as they complete the
corresponding course.
• The 12 EOC assessments are:
• • English I, English II, English III (2 parts each,
graded separately)
• • Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II
• • Biology, Chemistry, Physics
• • World Geography, World History, and U.S.
History
How is STAAR different from TAKS?
• The new end-of-course assessments will only
assess the Texas Essential Knowledge and
Skills for a given course, unlike the high school
TAKS tests that cover material from multiple
courses.
• The questions on the new STAAR will be
deeper and more complex than TAKS.
• • In reading, greater emphasis will be given to
critical analysis rather than to literal
understanding.
• • In writing, students will be required to write
two essays instead of one, and the English EOC
assessments will be administered over two days.
• • In science and math, the number of openended (griddable) questions will increase to
allow students to derive an answer
independently.
TIME LIMITS
• There will be a four hour time limit to
complete the test unless the student obtains a
special exception
15% Rule
• A student’s score on the STAAR EOC
assessment will count 15 percent towards the
student’s final grade in that course.
If a student has a passing grade in a course before the EOC
score is calculated but a failing grade once the EOC score is
included, can the student still be given credit for the course?
• No! TAC §74.26(c), regarding credit for high school graduation,
stipulates that ―credit for courses for high school graduation may
be earned only if the student received a grade which is the
equivalent of 70 on a scale of 100, based upon the essential
knowledge and skills for each course.‖ A student whose final grade
for a course is less than the equivalent of a 70 on a scale of 100 may
not be given credit for that course, since by law the grade must
include the student’s score on the EOC assessment. Districts retain
the same options that have always been available: (a) to use
summer school or other remediation for purposes of allowing the
student to reach a passing grade for the course or (b) to take the
EOC assessment in subsequent administrations to increase that
portion of the final grade.
What happens if you pass the course
but fail the test?
• If a student passes the course, but does not earn
the required minimum score on the EOC
assessment, the student may retake the test. The
student is not required to retake a course as a
condition of retaking the test for that course.
• The school is required to provide accelerated
instruction to each student who fails to perform
satisfactorily on any EOC assessment
• . Districts retain the same options that have
always been available: (a) to use summer
school or other remediation for purposes of
allowing the student to reach a passing grade
for the course or (b) to take the EOC
assessment in subsequent administrations to
increase that portion of the final grade.
• City View Policy is still under review by TASB.
Performance Labels
• There will be two cut scores, which will
identify three performance categories for the
general STAAR assessments.
– The labels for the performance categories are
– Level III: Advanced Academic Performance
– Level II: Satisfactory Academic Performance
– Level I: Unsatisfactory Academic Performance
Performance Standards for EOC
Assessments
• Standards will be set in February 2012 prior to
first high stakes administration in spring 2012.
• First reports with performance standards
applied will be available in June 2012.
• First retests will be offered in July 2012.
Implications:
• We will NOT have scores until after school
dismisses in May. (They are due in the district
by June 8.)
• Expect “Incompletes” on initial report card
when school is dismissed or a delay until mid
June in receiving Freshmen report cards.
•
(Local Interpretation: not a TEA slide)
Cumulative Scores
• In order to graduate, a student must achieve a
cumulative score that is at least equal to the
product of the number of EOC assessments
taken in that content area and a scale score
that indicates satisfactory performance, Level
II: Satisfactory Academic Performance.
• A student must achieve a minimum score, as
determined by the commissioner, for the score
to count towards the student’s cumulative
score.
• A student’s cumulative score is determined
using the student‘s highest score on each EOC
assessment.
• There will be a “minimum score” established that is
below “Satisfactory Academic Performance”(Level
II) that will be allowed to be used toward reaching
the cumulative total.
• For example: If the Level II cutoff was 70, and a
student had a 68, they wouldn’t have “passed” but
they could still count that score towards their
cumulative total. If they scored a high score on one
of their subsequent tests in that core area, they
would still meet the cumulative score requirement.
• This “minimum score” range has not been
established yet.
• (local slide: not developed by TEA)
Retesting
• Students are encouraged to retest as soon as
possible if it is needed to either pass a test or
to raise their cumulative average.
• We are still awaiting “legal” policy, but grades
will only be recalculated if the retest will allow
a failing grade to change to a passing grade.
• (Local slide: not developed by TEA)
What are the STAAR EOC
assessment requirements for
the different graduation
programs?
Minimum Plan
• Students graduating under the Minimum High
School Program (MHSP) must take STAAR EOC
assessments for all courses in which they are
enrolled and for which there is a STAAR EOC
assessment available and meet a cumulative
score requirement in each of the four foundation
content areas. It is possible that some students
graduating on the minimum plan will need to
perform satisfactorily on as few as eight EOC
assessments.
Recommended Plan
• Students graduating under the Recommended
High School Program (RHSP) must take all twelve
STAAR EOC assessments (Algebra I, geometry,
Algebra II, biology, chemistry, physics, English I,
English II, English III, world geography, world
history, and U.S. history) and meet the
cumulative score requirement in each of the four
foundation content areas. Additionally, these
students must achieve Level II: Satisfactory
Academic Performance on the Algebra II and
English III assessments in order to receive a
diploma under the RHSP.
Distinguished (DAP)
• Students graduating under the Distinguished
Achievement Program (DAP) must take all twelve
EOC assessments and meet the cumulative score
requirement in each of the four foundation
content areas. In addition, these students must
meet Level III: Advanced Academic Performance,
the postsecondary-readiness performance
standard, on the Algebra II and English III
assessments in order to receive a diploma under
the DAP.
Accelerated Instruction
• Accelerated instruction will probably include a
summer program and a before or after school
program in 2012-2013 (sophomore year) and
beyond.
• (local slide: not developed by TEA)
Credit By Exam/Learning Lab
• Students may use credit by examination to
fulfill their course requirements; however,
they are still required to take STAAR EOC
assessments to fulfill their testing
requirements.
Special Populations
• There are specific provisions regarding testing
for special education students, English
Language Learners, Dyslexic students and
students who are covered by Americans with
Disabilities Act, section 504. Since these are
handled on individual case by case incidents
they are not covered in this presentation.
Please do not hesitate to contact the school
about how any of this applies to your child.
• (Local slide: not developed by TEA)
Where can I go to find more
information about the STAAR
program?
• For more information about the STAAR
program, visit the TEA Student Assessment
website at
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessmen
t/staar.
Dates for 2012 EOC Testing
• March 26 (Monday) English I Writing
• March 27 (Tuesday) English I Reading
• May 7-May 18 Testing window: Specific dates
to be assigned later
• July 9-13 First retest opportunity
Who should I contact with questions?
• At City View:
• Contact your student’s teacher regarding
course work and preparation
• Contact the Guidance Office (Mrs.
Finn)regarding graduation plans and credits
• Contact Mrs. Talbott concerning testing
specifics
• (Local Slide)
What we know:
• 12 EOC tests starting in Freshman year
• EOC’s will count as 15% of course grade
• There are cumulative score requirements
overall as well as in each core area
• There are different testing requirements for
each graduation plan
• There is a 4 hour time limit
• (Local slide summary)
What we still don’t know:
• What will be the passing standard for each
EOC?
• Will the passing standards be “phased in”?
• What will be the minimally acceptable score
(not passing but able to be counted in the
cumulative total)?
• How will City View address the 15% rule?
What remediation will City View offer during
the summer of 2012 and the school year of
2012-2013?
• (Local slide)