Delaware State Social Studies Assessment PRESENTED BY BECKY REED

Presentation Definitions History of Social Studies Assessment in Delaware Current Assessment Proposed New Assessment Timeline Questions

Definitions DSTP – DE State Testing Program ( ) Grades 3, 5, 8, 11 DCAS – DE Comprehensive Assessment System ( ) Grades 4, 7, 11 DeSSA – DE System of Student Assessments (2015- ) Grades 4, 7, 11 DoK – Depth of Knowledge (measure of assessment to standard alignment) DPAS IIR – DE Performance Appraisal System II, Revised DRC – DE Recommended Curriculum LEA – Local Educational Agency SSCD – Social Studies Coalition of Delaware

History 1995 – State Social Studies Standards released 2000 – First State Social Studies Assessments (DSTP) SSCD established 2003 – Social Studies assessment considered Safe Harbor 2008 – DRC appears online 2010 – Standards prioritized by grade No longer Safe Harbor 2011 – First change in state assessment (DCAS) DPAS II – Teacher accountability for Social Studies 2015 – Social Studies to be used in AYP calculation

Current Assessment (DeSSA) Students at grades 4 and 7 are assessed on multiple grade standards Students in high school (typically 11 th grade) take US History End-of-Course Assessment Assessment is delivered online/computerized Fixed form test, one administration Items are selected response (multiple choice) and computer enhanced (drop & drag or grid location) Different system for DPAS IIR accountability

Inherent Problems Standard analysis is unavailable Multiple choice items often measure low DoK Not used for accountability Additional tests for teacher accountability

Inherent Problems Standard analysis is unavailable Multiple choice items often measure low DoK Not used for accountability Additional tests for teacher accountability New Assessment Individual Grades 3-8 & 11 Fall and Spring administration Computer based Teacher created Fixed form

Inherent Problems Standard analysis is unavailable Multiple choice items often measure low DoK Not used for accountability Additional tests for teacher accountability Solutions On-grade level assessment and analysis Multiple Choice and Short Answer Response Questions Will measure growth as required by US Department of Education Eliminates separate assessments for teacher accountability

Organizational Structure Delaware Department of Education Social Studies Coalition of Delaware LEAs Direct Relationship Indirect Relationship

Timeline TimeStageActivities, Supports, and Strategies Year 1Introduction Disseminate the purpose, structure, and format of the new assessment Form Accountability Framework Work Group at the state level Survey all stakeholders about new AYP Report Card format Identify teacher leaders for item writing teams Identify current banked items for first field test Select DRC units that are best suited for revision Year 2Identification Field test the assessment Identify items that can be bi-coded for CCSS Teacher Leaders to create test items and field test items with students SSCD to lead professional development to revise and align current instructional units Add informational text selections to the current DRC units Year 3 & beyond Reflection SSCD to provide on-going professional development on instructional units Teacher leaders to contribute to the item assessment bank Trained teachers to return to districts/charters to train other teachers Analyze the new assessment to identify weaknesses and curriculum in need of improvement Year 4 & beyond Revision Continually monitor for alignment, revisions, and additions to the curriculum Provide professional development for teachers that have been identified as “needing improvement” Systematic replacement of assessment items based on validity data

Conclusion The Delaware State Social Studies Standards have stood the test of time and are currently not expected to be replaced. A new assessment will help counteract the flat test scores by meeting the following criteria: Provide educators and students with much needed goal oriented data Provide students and teachers with a comparative measure Provide a method that can identify areas of need for the individual educator in terms of content and instructional strategies

Questions? Contact information: Rebecca (Becky) Reed