Race to the Top Assessment Program: Public Hearing on High School Assessments November 13, 2009 Boston, MA Presenter: Lauress L. Wise, HumRRO Aab-sad-nov08item09 Attachment 1 Page 1 of 20

November 13, 2009Panel on Commen Assessments - High School 2 Options and Issues 1.Intended Uses: –High school accountability (or K-12 system accountability) –Teacher or principal performance indicator –High school graduation requirement –Providing diagnostic information about student deficiencies 2.Test Content: –A single test covering all of the reading or math readiness standards –A number of end-of-course assessments aligned to course content 3.Test Administration: –Once at (toward) the end high school –At the end of several school years to chart progress over time –More than once during a school year to chart within-year progress 4.Test Format: –Large group administered paper-and-pencil test –Individually scheduled computer-based assessments –Portfolio approaches, scored by (independent) teachers 5.Validity Evidence Required to Support Interpretations of Results

November 13, 2009Panel on Commen Assessments - High School 3 Intended Uses An overall readiness test will not meet most goals announced for the common assessment –Measures very little of what high schools teach –Does not measure what most teachers are teaching –Inconsistent with the idea that students might excel at different things End-of-course tests do support most goals –Covers more of what high schools teach –Provides feedback on different courses and teachers –A better assessment of goals for student readiness Prepared through 10 th Grade English and Algebra 1 Advanced in 3-5 other courses of interest to the student

November 13, 2009Panel on Commen Assessments - High School 4 Test Administration Consider mid-term assessments –Provides more comprehensive information on student work than a single end-of-year test –Can be used diagnostically to identify students needing additional help to complete the course Summative assessment –Include measures of student progress during the course –Combined with end-of-year test results to give a summative measure of individual student success

November 13, 2009Panel on Commen Assessments - High School 5 Test Format At high school, student work is increasingly evaluated by extended projects and papers Consider multiple measures of student success in mastering different courses –A short, challenging, machine-scored test or tests –A portfolio of student work: papers and projects Might be collected and evaluated during the course and used diagnostically Evaluated by independent panels of teachers Used to confirm or modify performance levels estimated from the end-of-year, machine-scored test

November 13, 2009Panel on Commen Assessments - High School 6 Validity Evidence Alignment Studies –Align course content to overall readiness goals –Mapping to assure coverage of all course objectives at appropriate depths of knowledge Convergent Validity Studies –Agreement with AP test results –Agreement with NAEP preparedness measures Predictive Validity Studies –Prediction of college entrance and placement –Prediction of early career outcomes Consequential Validity Studies –Impact on curriculum and instruction

November 13, 2009Panel on Commen Assessments - High School 7 Recommendations 1.Fund multiple approaches to see what works best. –At least one approach should focus on end-of- course (and possibly within-course) tests –Consider Achieve/Pearson Algebra II end-of-course test as a starting point –Common end-of-course tests will also help to standardize content of courses across classrooms, schools, districts, and states

November 13, 2009Panel on Commen Assessments - High School 8 Recommendations (Continued) 2.Consider multiple ways that students might demonstrate readiness for college and work. –Every student should be good at something –Need to cover the breadth of high school courses E.g., foreign language and world history, what about P.E.? –Consider assessing writing through course-specific essay questions

November 13, 2009Panel on Commen Assessments - High School 9 Recommendations (Continued) 3.Consider possibilities for tests that are diagnostic and formative (interim) as well as providing summative information. -Include funding for initial content analyses Study sequencing of objectives within each course Also map course objectives to overall readiness 4.Measure student progress in terms of the number of end-of-course tests passed -Also count courses passed “with distinction” -Include retest options for courses not passed

November 13, 2009Panel on Commen Assessments - High School 10 Recommendations (Continued) 5.Fund collection of validity evidence –To support readiness interpretations of individual test results and summative measures –To identify improvements in content and format of assessments