1 Assessments

2 NCTM Assessment Principle Assessment should support the learning of important mathematics and furnish useful information to both teachers and students. Assessment should be more than merely a test at the end of instruction to gauge learning. It should be an integral part of instruction that guides teachers and enhances students’ learning.

3 NCTM Assessment Principle Teachers should be continually gathering information about their students through questions, interviews, writing tasks, and other means. They can then make appropriate decisions about such matters as reviewing material, re-teaching a difficult concept, or providing something more or different for students who are struggling or need enrichment.

4 NCTM Assessment Principle To be consistent with the Learning Principle, assessments should focus on understanding as well as procedural skills. Because different students show what they know and can do in different ways, assessments should also be done in multiple ways, and teachers should look for a convergence of evidence from different sources.

5 NCTM Assessment Principle Teachers must ensure that all students are given an opportunity to demonstrate their mathematics learning. For example, teachers should use communication-enhancing and bilingual techniques to support students who are learning English

6 Assessments – Educational Measures Teachers – to determine students’ progress in learning specific knowledge or skills Students – to ascertain if they are learning what they are being asked to learn Parents – to determine how well their children are doing in school

7 Assessments – Educational Measures Principals – to determine how well their students are learning School psychologists – to assess students’ particular strengths and needs School counselors – to guide students in choosing courses of study and careers

8 Assessments –Educational Measures Lawmakers and policymakers – to set educational priorities and allocate resources Research and evaluation directors – to collect data to extend general knowledge about educational processes or help evaluate the effectiveness of particular schools programs. News reporters – to report on the quality of schooling Lawyers – to argue for or against appropriateness and legality of particular educational practices Measurement and Assessment in Schools (Worthen, B., et. al., 1998)

9 Assessments State National International

10 State and National Assessments Connecticut Assessments – Connecticut Mastery Tests (CMTs) – Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT)

11 National and International Assessments Advanced Placement Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SATs) National Assessment of Educational Progress – “The Nations Report Card” Trends in International Math and Science Study(TIMMS)

12 Connecticut Assessments Connecticut Mastery Tests (CMTs) have been administered since 1985 Limited English proficient (LEP) may be exempt from taking the tests Language arts(reading, writing, listening, and mechanics of language) and mathematics Given in Spring for grades 3 to 8 –

13 Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT) Since 1994 All Grade 10 students Tested on science, math, reading, and writing Part of testing system that provides a logical progression from assessing specific objectives at the lower grades to integration and application of skills at high school level

14 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Department of Education “The Nations Report Card” Group comparison by race and ethnicity, gender, type of community, and region

15 Trends in International Math and Science Study (TIMMS) TIMMS is an educational research project investigating student achievement in mathematics and science in about 40 countries around the world Objective is to measure and interpret differences in national educations systems to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics and science worldwide

16 TIMSS – How did the United States do in 2003? In 2003, U.S. fourth-grade students exceeded the international averages in both mathematics and science. In mathematics, U.S. fourth-graders outperformed their peers in 13 of the other 24 participating countries, and, in science, outperformed their peers in 16 countries.

17 TIMSS – How did the United States do in 2003? In 2003, fourth-graders in three countries-Chinese Taipei, Japan, and Singapore-outperformed U.S. fourth- graders in both mathematics and science, while students in 13 countries turned in lower average mathematics and science scores than U.S. students.

18 TIMSS – How did the United States do in 2003? U.S. eighth-graders improved their average mathematics and science performances in 2003 compared to Moreover, the data suggest that the performance of U.S. eighth-graders in both mathematics and science was higher in 2003 than it was in 1995 relative to the 21 other countries that participated in the studies.

19 TIMSS – How did the United States do in 2003? U.S. eighth-grade boys and girls, and U.S. eighth-grade Blacks and Hispanics improved their mathematics and science performances from As a result, the gap in achievement between White and Black eighth-graders narrowed in both mathematics and science over this time period.

20 Connecticut Mastery Tests For grades 3 to 8 given in Spring…

CMT Grade 3 Results by Content Strand Mathematics Connecticut

CMT Grade 5 Results by Content Strand Mathematics Connecticut

CMT Grade 5 Results by Content Strand Mathematics Hartford,Connecticut

CMT Grade 5 Results by Content Strand Mathematics Avon,Connecticut

25 CMT Mathematics Grade 3 Test Blueprint

26 CMT Mathematics Grade 4 Test Blueprint