1. NEW JERSEY DYNAMIC LEARNING MAPS (DLM) ALTERNATE ASSESSMENT: Standard Setting and Results
State Board of Education Presentation
Jeffrey Hauger, Ed.D.
Peggy McDonald, Ed.D.
Elizabeth Celentano, M.Ed.
January 11, 2016

2. Overview of the DLM Alternate Assessment
DLM measures the performance of students with the most significant intellectual disabilities on skills linked to the CCSS in English Language Arts and Mathematics.
These skills are of lower complexity and difficulty levels than the skills assessed in PARCC.
DLM is an online computer-adaptive assessment that assesses what a student knows and can do.
Approximately 9,960 New Jersey students were assessed by the DLM from grades 3 through 8 and grade 11.
DLM Results

3. Overview of DLM Alternate Assessment
The administration was the first operational administration of DLM.
In prior years, ELA and math were assessed using the Alternate Proficiency Assessment portfolio system.
IEP teams determine whether students with disabilities participate in the PARRC or the DLM based on specific criteria.
The DLM provides an opportunity to assess the knowledge and skills of students with the most significant intellectual disabilities on more challenging concepts.
DLM Results

4. What is a Learning Map? Think of a learning map as a common road map.
Although students may share the same destination, they all begin their journeys from different starting points on the map.
A map shows where a student is starting from, as well as the main route, which is the shortest, most direct way to reach the destination.
However, a good road map does more than show a single route. It also shows several alternate routes in case the main route cannot be taken.
DLM Results

5. DLM Math Major Tested Areas
Example of Tested Concepts Related to Each Claim for Grade 3
Demonstrate understanding of place value to tens.
Recognize that shapes can be partitioned into equal areas.
Use picture or bar graph data to answer questions about data.
Identify arithmetic patterns.
Math Major Claims
Students demonstrate increasingly complex understanding of number sense.
Students demonstrate increasingly complex spatial reasoning and understanding of geometric principles.
Students demonstrate increasingly complex understanding of measurement, data, and analytic procedures.
Students solve increasingly complex mathematical problems, making productive use of algebra and functions.
DLM Results

6. DLM ELA Major Tested Areas
Example of Tested Concepts Related to Each Claim for Grade 11
Recount the main events of the text which are related to the theme or central idea.
Use complete, simple sentences, as well as compound and other complex sentences as appropriate.
ELA Major Claims
Students can comprehend text in increasingly complex ways.
Students can produce writing for a range of purposes and audiences.
DLM Results

7. DLM Results

8. Computer Adaptive Process of DLM
The computer-adaptive assessment assigns the difficulty level of the first group of test items based on teacher-completed survey questions. The answers relate to a student’s current level of demonstrated skill in math and ELA.
Test items for each skill are written at multiple difficulty levels.
Example of the computer adaptive process:
A student completes a small set of test items (3-5) and the DLM system scores the answers.
Then the system delivers another group of test items that are either slightly easier, slightly harder, or about the same level.
The level of the new items depends on how the student answered the previous questions.
This process continues until the student has finished the assessment.
The total number of test items varies depending on the subject area and grade level.
DLM Results

9. DLM Example –Engagement in ELA Reading
The first time the student reads the ELA text acts as the engagement activity.
The first read through is considered a shared reading activity between the test administrator and student.
The test administrator may ask factual questions about the text and graphics. This is to facilitate student interaction and engagement with the information, with the expectation of promoting student comprehension.
m.mp4
DLM Results

10. DLM Standard Setting
States were invited to nominate 6-7 teachers to participate in the standard setting process of setting cut scores.
Six teachers from New Jersey and other consortium state educators met with DLM staff June 15-19, 2015 to set standards on the DLM ELA and math assessments. This was done for each grade level and subject area.
The standard setting process determined the student’s test performance results to be categorized as Emerging, Approaching the Target, At Target, or Advanced.
Department of Education staff reviewed the standard setting committee recommendations based on the statistical data, the method used, and the DLM Technical Advisory committee’s approval of the standard setting method.
DLM Results

11. Results - English Language Arts
Grade
%Emerging
% Approaching
% Target
%Advanced
%Target and Advanced 3
48.3
14.1
33.6 4
37.6
43.5
15.8
35.4
5.3
40.7 5
41.6
17.4
31.2
9.9
41.1 6
35.1
16.2
26.6
22.1
48.7 7
36.4
15.1
23.6
24.9
48.5 8
37.8
19.5
25.3
17.5
42.8 11
35.6
21.6
31.5
11.3
DLM Results

12. Results - Mathematics
Grade
%Emerging
% Approaching
% Target
%Advanced
%Target and Advanced 3
48.3
12.4
23.7
15.5
39.2 4
44.7
16.7
21.6 17
38.6 5 45
18.6
17.4
19.1
36.5 6
47.2
19.7
18.1 15
33.1 7 49
27.8
13.8
9.4
23.2 8
50.7
4.5
21.5 11
56.7
27.6
15.3
0.5
15.8
DLM Results

13. Results – English Language Arts
DLM Results

14. Results - Mathematics
DLM Results

15. Resolution: Threshold Scores for ELA and Math Minimum Raw Scores for Each Performance
Cut Points
Subject
Grade
Approaching
Target
Advanced
ELA 3 36 50 71 4 38 57 75 5 35 53 76 6 27 46 65 7 52 73 8 23 48 72 11 18 47 70
DLM Results