1. Testing Information 2014-2015 PTA Presentation January 14, 2015

2. Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) The KRA provides a framework to assess what kindergarten students should know and be able to do when they enter kindergarten to ensure they are ready to learn. It provides data that teachers can use to individually instruct students and ensure quality early learning opportunities for children by building on the strengths of every child. August 25 – October 31, 2014

3. Primary Reading Assessment – Grades Pre-K – 2 An assessment tool designed to help teachers determine a student’s reading performance in terms of meeting benchmarks. Fall September 2 – October 3 Winter January 5 – January 30 Spring May 5 – May 29 Pre-K Primary Reading Assessment FallSeptember 15 – October 16 WinterJanuary 5 – February 6 SpringMay 4 – June 5

4. MAP-P Measurement of Academic Progress for Primary Grades Gr. K-2 A computer-adaptive achievement test which assesses student’s skill level on different math concepts. Measures academic growth over time. Administered to grades K-2 in the fall, winter, and spring. MAP-P results identify the skills and concepts students have learned and diagnose instructional needs. MAP-P is the newest MCPS assessment tool under Curriculum 2.0. Fall WindowSeptember 8 – October 30 Winter WindowJanuary 5 – February 27 Spring WindowMarch 30 – June 10

5. MAP-R and MAP-M Measures of Academic Progress Assessment in Reading & Math Gr. 3-5 A computer-adaptive achievement test which assesses to student’s skill level in the different reading and mathematics achievement areas. Measures academic growth over time. Administered to grades 3-5 in the fall, winter, and spring. MAP-R and MAP-M results identify the skills and concepts students have learned and diagnose instructional needs. Schools can use this info to implement interventions to increase the likelihood of students’ scoring proficient or advanced on PARCC. Fall WindowSeptember 8 – October 30 Winter WindowJanuary 5 – February 27 Spring WindowMarch 30 – June 10

6. Gifted & talented Grade 2 Global Screening New Student Screening Gr. 3-5 The purpose of Global Screening is to: Recognize those students whose performance, motivation, or potential ability indicates the needs for accelerated and enriched instruction. Match student strengths with instruction and programs that will support and extend these strengths. 5 subtests administered: Sequencing, Analogies, Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning (Words & Context) In ViewDecember 3 - 16

7. Gifted & Talented Rescreening (GR 3-5) Take another look at a student who has already been screened. Recognize those students whose performance, motivation, or potential ability indicates the needs for accelerated and enriched instruction. Match student strengths with instruction and programs that will support and extend these strengths. 5 subtests administered: Sequencing, Analogies, Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning (Words & Context) In ViewDecember 3 – December 16

8. MSA SCIENCE – Grade 5 MSA provides national norm-referenced and Maryland criterion-referenced data. The norm-referenced items provide national percentile ranks to describe how well a student performed in science compared to his/her peers nationally. The criterion-referenced items provide proficiency scores (expressed as Basic, Proficient, or Advanced proficiency level) to describe how well a student has mastered the science content specified in the Maryland Content Standards. MSA Science Grade 5April 13 – May 1 (Online) April 20 – April 24 (Paper/Pencil)

9. Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) The PARCC assessments are aligned with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and will measure the essential literacy and problem-solving skills that students need to be successful in college and careers. PARCC will test writing skills and critical thinking and problem solving skills in depth. These critical thinking skills are an integral part of the MCPS Curriculum 2.0. PARCC Performance Based Assessment (PBA) English/Language Arts/Literacy and Math Grades 3-5March 2 – 26, 2015 PARCC End of Year (EOY) English/Language Arts/Literacy and Math Grades 3-5April 20 – May 15

10. PARCC Testing Schedule (PBA) PARCC Reading Grades 3 & 4March 2 - 4 Grade 5March 6, 9 - 10 PARCC Mathematics Grades 3 & 4March 11, 13 Grade 5March 16 – 17 PARCC Make-Up TestsMarch 18 - 26 MSA Science Grade 5April 13– May 1 (Online)

11. PARCC Testing Schedule (EOY) PARCC Reading Grade 3April 22 Grade 4April 28 Grade 5May 4 PARCC Mathematics Grade 3April 24 & 27 Grade 4April 29 & May 1 Grade 5May 5 & 6 PARCC Make-Up TestsMay 7 - 15

12. PARTNERSHIP FOR ASSESSMENT OF READINESS FOR COLLEGE AND CAREERS (PARCC) PARCC is an alliance of states working together to develop common assessments serving approximately 23 million students. PARCC’s work is funded through a four-year, $185 million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Partners include about 200 higher education institutions and systems representing hundreds of campuses across the country that will help develop the high school component of the new assessment – and then put it to good use as an indicator of student readiness. PARCC is led by its member states and managed by Achieve Inc., a nonprofit group with a 15- year track record of working with states to improve student achievement by aligning K-12 education policies with the expectations of employers and the postsecondary community. PARCC’s ultimate goal is to ensure all students graduate from high school college- and career-ready.

13. The PARCC summative assessments in English Language Arts (ELA)/Literacy and Mathematics will include a rich set of performance-based tasks which will enable teachers, schools, students and their parents to gain important insights into how well critical knowledge, skills and abilities essential for young people to thrive in college and careers are being mastered.

14. In order to promote improvements in curriculum and instruction and support various forms of accountability, the PARCC assessments are designed to measure the full range of the CCSS and full continuum of student abilities, including the performance of high and underperforming students. To effectively carry out the PARCC design, assessments in both content areas will be administered in two components: A performance-based assessment (PBA) component, administered after approximately 75% of the school year, and An end of year assessment (EOY) component, administered after approximately 90% of the school year.

15. PARCC ELA/Literacy Assessments The ELA/Literacy PBAs at each grade level will include three tasks: a research simulation, a literary analysis, and a narrative task. For each task, students will be asked to read one or more texts, answer several short comprehension and vocabulary questions, and write an essay that requires them to draw evidence from the text(s). The ELA/Literacy EOYs at each grade level will include 4-5 texts, both literary and informational (including social science/historical, scientific, and technical texts at grades 6-11). A number of short- answer comprehension and vocabulary questions will also be associated with each text.

16. PARCC Mathematics Assessments The mathematics PBAs at each grade level will include both short- and extended-response questions focused on applying skills and concepts to solve problems that require demonstration of the mathematical practices with a focus on modeling, reasoning, and precision. The mathematics EOY assessments will be comprised primarily of short- answer questions focused on conceptual understanding, procedural skills, and application.

17. WIDA (Worldclass Instructional Design & Assessment ACCESS for ELL Under the No Child Left Behind legislation, states must measure the development of the English language proficiency skills of their English language learners (ELL) in grades K-12 on an annual basis within the domains of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Members of the WIDA Consortium use ACCESS of ELLs to fulfill the requirement. Therefore, the primary purpose of ACCESS for ELLs is to measure English proficiency growth tied to the criteria of the WIDA Consortium’s English language Proficiency Standards, which are aligned to the academic content area standards of every WIDA state. January 12 – February 14 Make – up dates: February 17 - 25

18. Gifted & Talented 2014-2015 Testing and Programming

19. Fall 2014 The GT Screening Process Magnet and Choice Programs Grade 5 Applications mailed to all 5 th grade students in September 2014. Parent Meetings held October 2014. Deadline for applications was November 7, 2014. Magnet testing was in December 2014. Recommendations due to MCPS office by December 12, 2014

20. Highly Gifted Center Grade 4 & 5 MCPS sent applications to all Grade 3 homes in September 2014. Parents return applications directly to DCCAPS – NO applications accepted after November 7, 2014. GT Committee & Grade 3 met to complete school recommendation and teacher surveys December 2014. Student Folders due in DCCAPS by December 12, 2014. Testing for HGC was January 8, 2015 @ SMES. Decisions made March 14, 2015. HGC Open Houses – March 26 – April 2, 2015. Deadline for accepting decisions – April 4, 2015.

21. Gifted & talented Grade 2 Global Screening New Student Screening Gr. 3-5 InView Test: December 3 - 16, 2014 Parent, Teacher and Staff Surveys GT Committee decisions in May 2015 Parents notified about decisions by June 5, 2015.

22. Gifted & Talented Rescreening (GR 3-5) Take another look at a student who has already been screened. Recognize those students whose performance, motivation, or potential ability indicates the needs for accelerated and enriched instruction. Match student strengths with instruction and programs that will support and extend these strengths. 5 subtests administered: Sequencing, Analogies, Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning (Words & Context) InViewDecember 3 - 16, 2014

23. Why do we screen the students? Screen students to : Recognize students whose performance, motivation, or potential ability indicates the need for accelerated and enriched instruction. Match student strengths with instruction and programs that will support and extend these strengths.

24. Multiple Criteria for GT Identification Parent Survey Teacher Survey Staff Advocacy Reading and Math Levels InView― 5 subtests administered: Sequencing, Analogies, Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning (Words & Context) Additional information

25. GT Committee Includes school administrator, classroom teachers, and other staff in the building, such as ESOL teacher, resource teacher, reading teacher, counselor Collects and analyzes student data Makes recommendations about instruction based on data Makes decisions about identification based on data

26. Rigorous Programming at Every School Instructional Service Options Reading/Language Arts –Jacob’s Ladder –William and Mary –Junior Great Books –Above level texts Mathematics Curriculum 2.0 with enrichment and acceleration

27. It is not about a label. It is about… Access to opportunity ― no gatekeeping, no barriers Equity in high expectations for all students Quality of a challenging instructional program Access + Equity + Quality = Success Access + Equity + Quality = Success

28. POTENTIAL What educators and psychologists recognize as giftedness in children is really potential giftedness, which denotes promise rather than fulfillment, and probabilities rather than certainties, about future accomplishments. How high the probabilities are in any given case depends on the match between a child’s budding talents and the kinds of nurturance provided.

29. Tips for Easing Test Anxiety

30. 1. Reassure your child Tell your child that the test will be used to evaluate how well a school or school district is educating its students. It's important for kids to have a sense of the broader context.

31. 2. Put the test in perspective Explain that test scores are looked at along with many other pieces of information in determining your child's achievement level. Her grades and progress over time, for example, are also very important. This may be a big test, but it is still just one test!

32. 3. Take a deep breath If your child is a very nervous test taker, have her do deep breathing exercises before the test. She can take a deep breath and count to ten. Then have her take shorter deep breaths in between passages or sections of the test -- counting to three only. This exercise is fast and simple, but it really works!

33. Finally… remind your child to relax and do his/her best!