Race to the Top General Assessment Session Atlanta, Georgia November 17, 2009 Louis M. (Lou) Fabrizio, Ph.D. Director of Accountability Policy & Communications NC Department of Public Instruction 1

Disclaimer The contents of this presentation are not necessarily endorsed by the NC Department of Public Instruction, the NC State Board of Education or the National Assessment Governing Board. It is the creation of the presenter. 2

Important Terms to Remember Individual Student Achievement Summative Assessments Annually Internationally Benchmarked College and Career Ready Standards Demonstrate Mastery of Knowledge and Skills On Track to College and Career Readiness by Time of High School Graduation Reflect and Support Good Instructional Practice Accessible Varied and Unpredictable Item Types Usable in Informing: Teaching, Learning and Program Improvement; School Effectiveness; Principal and Teacher Effectiveness Appropriate Use of Technology Valid, Reliable, and Fair Sustainable Cost Over Time 3

First Things First… Should Have New Content Standards Before New Assessments are Developed Teachers Must Receive Professional Development on the New Content Standards Students Must Have Opportunity to Learn New Content Standards BEFORE Taking Field Tests Based on New Content Standards It is Difficult to Separate Assessment from Accountability – Some of the General Requirement Are Accountability Issues – Principal and Teacher Effectiveness 4

General Assessment Questions 1 and 2 Proposed Assessment System A.Interim Assessments Periodically Throughout the School Year For Diagnostic Information B.End-of-Year Assessments For Summative But NOT Diagnostic Information Note – Formative Assessments are to be used by teachers on a day-to-day basis 5

A. Interim Assessments Combination Multiple-Choice and Constructed-Response Items and Occasional Performance Tasks Criterion-Referenced Diagnostic Information Used for Student Improvement, Parental Information Principals Use to See How Teachers Change Instruction Based on Diagnostic Information Central Offices Use to See How Principals Work With Teachers To Improve Instruction 6

B. End-of-Year Assessments Mostly Multiple-Choice Items With a Few Constructed-Response Items Computer Adaptive if Possible, No Need for Subtest Scores Used for Monitoring Student Growth From Year-to-Year Norm-Referenced 7

Teachers Scoring Constructed-Response Items and Performance Tasks Image Scan Student Responses (At LEA if Equipment Available or at Regional Centers) Use Distributive Scoring to Involve Teachers Can Include Regional Centers as Well Artificial Intelligence (AI) Scoring Could Be Considered as a Complement to Human Scorers Professional Development and Training are Keys to Success Explore Learning Management Systems 8

PURPOSE OF ASSESSMENTS 9

High School Assessments End-of-Course Assessments vs. Comprehensive Exams Who is Held Accountable? Student? Teacher? School? High Stakes for Students? College and Career Ready – Which Colleges and Which Careers? 10

Assessing Students With Disabilities Technology Is A Wonderful Thing… When It Works! Comparability of Item Types Can Be Problematic and Not Practical. Is This OK? Conflicts with IDEA and ESEA? Individualized Education Programs, Grade- Level Content, 1% & 2% Rules We Have Yet to Find the Balance Between What is Right for Students and How to Hold Schools Accountable 11

Over 200 Languages 12

Assessing ELL Students Developing Tests in Native Languages Is Very Expensive Tests in Native Language are Not Appropriate if the Student Is Not Instructed or Was Never Educated in that Native Language We Have Yet to Find the Balance Between What is Right for Students and How to Hold Schools Accountable 13

Transitioning to New Assessments Phase in Subjects Over Time Require Statewide Field Testing and Do Not Require (Former) Operational Assessments in the Same Subject in the Field Test Year – This Allows Teachers to Focus Instruction on the New Content Standards and Not Have to Teach Old and New Content Simultaneously 14

Transitioning to New Assessments Devil Is In the Details Need Time To Do Correctly Will Be Expensive Discussions Needed on Intended vs. Unintended Consequences Balance Between Instruction and Assessment Collaborations with Universities Should Be Encouraged 15