STATE TESTING 2015 What Parents Need to Know

WELCOME PARENTS! Thank you for all that you do!

NEW TESTS?  Mississippi adopted the new, more rigorous Common Core standards.  MS joined PARCC, which had 19 states and developed our test.  MS announced recently that we have left PARCC.  We still have the test this year, though.  Hybrid scoring: computer and human  Future?

REALITY  Too many in remedial courses at the college level  Too many in vocational fields who aren’t problems solvers  Too many drop-outs because they don’t see the point  Without a skill, your child needs college courses and training to succeed in today’s economy.

WHY PARENTS SHOULD PREPARE  Schools and teachers use the results:  What classes should your child take next year?  What skills have they mastered?  What skills need special intervention time?  Do these students need the 2nd level of the Tier process?

OLD TEST VS. NEW TEST  Paper-based  Basic multiple-choice (A-D) questions  One basic test (three days)  Basic knowledge and some application  Not timed  Computer-based  Multiple-choice (A-D, A-F) questions  Interactive questions (drag- and-drop, typed, highlight, video)  Several days (2 different sections: PBA & EOY)  Critical thinking (basic knowledge is expected)  Timed

OLD TEST VS. NEW TEST  Looking for the right answer  Random questions * “Dirt”  Very little writing or application  Looking for the right answer AND evidence  Real-world problems  Published articles and classic literature  3 writing prompts

OLD TEST SAMPLE ENGLISH MC ITEM

NEW TEST SAMPLE ENGLISH MC ITEM

OLD TEST SAMPLE ENGLISH WRITING TASK 7 th Grade Going to the movies is a major source of entertainment for many students. Imagine that the only discount movie theater in your area is closing. Write a persuasive essay in support of keeping the discount movie theater open. The required evidence is nothing more than opinion.

NEW TEST SAMPLE ENGLISH WRITING TASK 7 th Grade You have read a website entry and an article, and viewed a video describing Amelia Earhart. All three include information that supports the claim that Earhart was a brave, courageous person. The three titles are  “The Biography of Amelia Earhart”  “Earhart’s Final Resting Place Believed Found”  “Amelia Earhart’s Life and Disappearance” (video) Consider the argument each author uses to demonstrate Earhart’s bravery. Write an essay that analyzes the strength of the arguments related to Earhart’s bravery in at least two of the three supporting materials. Remember to use textual evidence to support your ideas.

ENGLISH PBA Literary Analysis TaskNarrative TaskResearch Simulation Read complex texts closely Classic texts most likely Gutenberg.org— lists of classic texts Essay must analyze some aspect of the excerpts: character, character motivation, plot, conflict, etc. After reading a real or fictional narrative, students will create a narrative, real or fictional Also possible: a scientific process, a historical account, a description of an important event **Not the typical “What I Did On Summer Vacation” essay Analyze informational (non- fiction) text (articles, video, audio, etc.) Essay must include references or details from some or all of the resource materials.

OLD TEST SAMPLE MATH ITEM 6 th Grade Ms. August’s class went to the museum on February 14 th, and they had an ice-cream party on March 2 nd. How many days were there between the museum trip and ice-cream party? (not a leap year) This is a simple counting question; little to no mathematical reasoning is expected.

NEW TEST SAMPLE MATH ITEM Mr. Ruiz is starting a marching band at his school. He first does research and finds the following data about other local marching bands. PART A: Enter your answer in the box. Mr. Ruiz realizes there are brass instrument player(s) per percussion player. PART B: Mr. Ruiz has 210 students who are interested in joining the marching band. He decides to have 80% of the band be made up of percussion and brass instruments. Use the unit rate you found in Part A to determine how many students should play brass instruments. Show or explain all your steps. Band 1Band 2Band 3 Number of Brass Instrument Players Number of Percussion Instrument Players411450

COMPUTER-BASED FEATURES  Drag-and-Drop  Students must click on item and hold to drag the item to the correct location. They will be able to change their mind before they go to the next question.

COMPUTER-BASED FEATURES  Select  The student must use the cursor to choose a specific item or items.

COMPUTER-BASED FEATURES  Highlighting  Students must be able to click on a section and drag it over a certain word or section of text to highlight.

COMPUTER-BASED FEATURES  Plot  Students, according to their grade requirements, might be asked to “plot” a point or multiple points on a grid or graph by clicking on the point with their cursor.

COMPUTER-BASED FEATURES  Typing/Entering/Creating/Writing/Showing/Explaining  Students must use the keyboard or the keypad to enter text, equations, etc. in specific location.  Sometimes, they will be given the option to either “show or explain” results.  Students need to be familiar with the keyboard and have practice typing.

PBA & EOY  Performance-Based Assessment  Early Spring ( )  Longer questions that require multiple steps  Measures critical thinking, reasoning, and the ability to apply skills and knowledge  End-of-Year Assessment  At the end of year ( )  Short-answer questions and multiple-choice items

PREPPING FOR THE TEST  Practice tests online at  Reading practice; family discussion  Typing practice; keyboard comfort  Encouragement  Educate yourself about the CC standards

FOR FURTHER INFO   Your child’s teachers