1. STAAR Assessment Update Presented by Region 5 ESC February 2013

2. ENGLISH/ LANGUAGE ARTS Stacy Shultz sshultz@esc5.net 409-951-1752 © Texas Education Agency 2011/2012

3. STAAR Assessments Grades 3−8 O 3−8 mathematics O 3−8 reading O 4 and 7 writing O 5 and 8 science O 8 social studies Implemented in 2011−2012 School Year © Texas Education Agency 2011/2012

5. STAAR O STAAR will focus on “clearer, fewer, and deeper”. O Provide a more clearly articulated assessment program O Focus on fewer skills O Address those skills in a deeper manner © Texas Education Agency 2011/2012

6. STAAR Educator Advisory Committees O Reviewed eligible TEKS to determine what should be the focus of the assessment; these are called Readiness Standards O Recommended other assessed TEKS as Supporting Standards © Texas Education Agency 2011/2012

7. STAAR Readiness standards have the following characteristics: O They are essential for success in the current grade or course. O They are important for preparedness for the next grade or course. O They support college and career readiness. O They necessitate in-depth instruction. O They address broad and deep ideas. © Texas Education Agency 2011/2012

8. STAAR Supporting standards have the following characteristics: O Although introduced in the current grade or course, they may be emphasized in a subsequent year. O Although reinforced in the current grade or course, they may be emphasized in a previous year. O They play a role in preparing students for the next grade or course but not a central role. O They address more narrowly defined ideas. © Texas Education Agency 2011/2012

9. In a Nut Shell… ReadinessSupporting FictionPoetry ExpositoryDrama Literary Text with Sensory Language Literary Nonfiction Media Literacy Persuasive Procedural

10. What is the difference? O Readiness genres will be on the test every year. O Supporting genres will be rotated each year, BUT I would just count on them being there!

11. STAAR Resources available O New STAAR Q&A O Description of the new assessment model O Comparison of TAKS and STAAR O Total mandatory STAAR testing days O Assessed curriculum O Assessment blueprints O Reference materials O Griddable item format O Assessing process skills O Graph paper O Resources still to come—sample items Posted on the TEA student assessment website at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/staar/ http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/staar/ © Texas Education Agency 2011/2012

12. New Assessment Design TEKS FOR SPECIFIC GRADE OR COURSE Supporting Standards ASSESSED ACROSS YEARS NOT ASSESSED Readiness Standards FOCUS OF ASSESSMENT © Texas Education Agency 2011/2012

13. Readiness/Supporting Standards © Texas Education Agency 2011/2012

14. Format O STAAR grades 3-8 assessments will be administered on paper only O STAAR EOC assessments will be offered in both online and paper formats. © Texas Education Agency 2011/2012

15. Time Limit O TEA has adopted policy to limit the time a student spends taking STAAR Grades 3-8 and STAAR EOC Assessment to 4 hours on a given day; this helps align Texas’ testing policies with other state and national assessments and better prepare students for timed tests such as SAT, ACT, and AP. O The test will start when students are directed to turn to the first question. O TEA will review the four-hour time limit after the first STAAR administration in spring 2012 to determine if the policy needs to be reconsidered or adjusted for specific grades, subjects, or courses. O Accommodations for extra time or an extra day will be available for students who meet eligibility criteria for their use. © Texas Education Agency 2011/2012

16. Time Limit O Breaks are allowed during STAAR assessments; however the following breaks must be included in the four-hour time limit. O Breaks for water or snacks O Bathroom breaks O Breaks for physical activity (e.g., standing up and stretching) O Routine medical breaks (e.g., to take medicine) O Breaks for lunch are not included in the four-hour time limit; however it is recommended that lunch be scheduled outside of the testing time. © Texas Education Agency 2011/2012

17. Performance Standards Performance Standards for STAAR Grades 3–8 will be set in October 2012, after first administration in spring 2012. O Raw score information will be available in late spring 2012 O Reporting of STAAR grades 3-8 results will be available in late fall 2012 © Texas Education Agency 2011/2012

19. Student Success Initiative

21. Performance Standards For Grades 3-8 and EOC STAAR assessments O There will be two cut scores, which will identify three performance categories. For the general STAAR assessments, STAAR Modified, and linguistically accommodated forms of STAAR, the labels for the performance categories are O Level III: Advanced Academic Performance O Level II: Satisfactory Academic Performance O Level I: Unsatisfactory Academic Performance © Texas Education Agency 2011/2012

22. Performance Standards Level III: Advanced Academic Performance O Performance in this category indicates that students are well prepared for the next grade or course. They demonstrate the ability to think critically and apply the assessed knowledge and skills in varied contexts, both familiar and unfamiliar. Students in this category have a high likelihood of success in the next grade or course with little or no academic intervention. *For Algebra II and English III, this level of performance also indicates students’ postsecondary readiness. © Texas Education Agency 2011/2012

23. Performance Standards Level II: Satisfactory Academic Performance O Performance in this category indicates that students are sufficiently prepared for the next grade or course. They generally demonstrate the ability to think critically and apply the assessed knowledge and skills in familiar contexts. Students in this category have a reasonable likelihood of success in the next grade or course but may need short-term, targeted academic intervention. © Texas Education Agency 2011/2012

24. Performance Standards Level I: Unsatisfactory Academic Performance O Performance in this category indicates that students are inadequately prepared for the next grade or course. They do not demonstrate a sufficient understanding of the assessed knowledge and skills. Students in this category are unlikely to succeed in the next grade or course without significant, ongoing academic intervention. © Texas Education Agency 2011/2012

25. Special Populations O As with the current modified assessments, the STAAR Modified assessments will cover the same content as the general STAAR assessments, but will be modified in format and test design. O Modified assessments will be developed for all content areas for grades 3-8 that are part of the general STAAR program and for nine of the twelve STAAR EOC assessments. Modified assessments are not being developed for Algebra II, chemistry, or physics. O The new STAAR Modified assessments will reflect the same increased rigor and focus of the general assessments and now will include more rigorous item types. O For more information: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/special- ed/staarm/ http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/special- ed/staarm/ © Texas Education Agency 2011/2012

26. Special Populations O The STAAR Alternate assessments will be very similar in design to the current TAKS-Alt assessments. Students will continue to perform standardized assessment tasks linked to the grade-level TEKS that measure student progress on skills aligned with the academic grade-level content standards. O However, STAAR Alternate will incorporate a vertical alignment in the program’s assessment tasks, and the high school assessments will move from grade-level assessments to course-based assessments. O The new STAAR Alternate assessments will reflect the same increased rigor and focus of the general and modified assessments. O For more information: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/special- ed/staaralt/ http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/special- ed/staaralt/ © Texas Education Agency 2011/2012

27. Special Populations O For eligible English language learners in grades 3-8 and high school, plans are being made for the development of computer- based linguistically accommodated versions of STAAR, currently referred to as STAAR L. O Spanish versions of STAAR for grades 3-5 will be implemented in spring 2012. O TELPAS will be adjusted as needed to ensure a strong link between academic language proficiency as defined by TELPAS and academic achievement as defined by STAAR. O Dyslexia Bundle: No proper nouns & Extended Day © Texas Education Agency 2011/2012

28. Reading Test Design Grades 3−8 and High School Genre-based Literary strand: fiction, literary nonfiction, poetry, and drama (drama beginning at grade 4) Informational strand: expository and persuasive (persuasive beginning at grade 5) Fiction and expository reading are considered readiness genres from grade 3 though high school Literary nonfiction, poetry, drama, and persuasive reading are considered supporting genres Procedural elements embedded in informational pieces and media literacy embedded in either literary or informational pieces © Texas Education Agency 2011/2012

29. Reading Test Design Grades 3−8 and High School Test Length Word count attached to overall test rather than to individual pieces, as in TAKS Maximum word count increases from grade to grade but is consistent at high school Number of pieces included on a test can vary from year to year, dependent on length (e.g., at grade 5, 3−4 individual pieces and one pair) Different numbers of questions attached to different-length pieces © Texas Education Agency 2011/2012

31. Sample Blueprint © Texas Education Agency 2011/2012

32. Writing Test Design Grades 4 and 7 and High School Assessments at grades 4 and 7 administered over two days; writing component of English I, II, and III administered on Day 1 of test (with reading component on Day 2) Field tests embedded for grade 7 and English I, II, and III Abbreviated stand-alone field test for grade 4 every three years © Texas Education Agency 2011/2012

33. Revision and Editing Grades 4 and 7 and High School Revision and editing assessed separately, with increased focus on revision as students become more experienced and skilled writers For Grade 4, 32% of multiple-choice score from revision and 68% of score from editing For Grade 7, 40% of multiple-choice score from revision and 60% of score from editing For English I, II, and III, 50% of multiple-choice score from revision and 50% of score from editing © Texas Education Agency 2011/2012

34. Composition Grades 4 and 7 and High School Students will write two one-page compositions addressing different types of writing Grade 4−personal narrative and expository Grade 7−personal narrative (with extension) and expository English I−literary and expository (rubrics available) English II−expository and persuasive English III−persuasive and analytic Compositions will be weighted equally No “gatekeeper” (automatic fail for a 1) © Texas Education Agency 2011/2012

35. Prompts O Stimulus (Quotation, Picture, or Passage) O Quotation or Passage for Expository. O Picture for Personal Narrative & Literary O Stimulus will also tell students what “type” of prompt they are writing. O Think Statement O Prompt

39. Writing & Reading Test Grades 4 and 7 and High School Dictionary use © Texas Education Agency 2011/2012

40. Raw Score Performance

42. How did we do vs. the state? GradeStateRegion 5 3 rd grade76% 4 th grade77%/71% W 5 th grade77%74% 6 th grade75%74% 7 th grade76%/71%W74%/71%W 8 th grade80%79%

43. Reporting Categories: #1 Understanding & Analyzing Across Genres Grade# of questions/# correct% 3 rd grade4.2 correct/6 questions71% 4 th grade6.9 correct/10 questions69% 4 th grade WritingPersonal Narrative Expository 54% 47% 5 th grade6.9 correct/10 questions69% 6 th grade7.4 correct/10 questions74% 7 th grade7.0 correct/10 questions70% 7 th grade WritingPersonal Narrative Expository 58% 47% 8 th grade7.2 correct/10 questions72%

44. Reporting Category 2: Analysis of Literary Text Grade# correct/# questions% 3 rd grade10.7 correct/18 questions59% 4 th grade11.8 correct/18 questions66% 4 th grade Writing6.0 correct/9 questions Revision67% 5 th grade11.6 correct/19 questions61% 6 th grade13.5 correct/20 questions68% 7 th grade13.1 correct/21 questions63% 7 th grade writing11.5 correct/16 questions72% 8 th grade14.3 correct/22 questions65%

45. Reporting Category 3: Analysis of Informational Text Grade#correct/# questions% 3 rd grade10.8 correct/18 question59% 4 th grade10.2 correct/16 questions64% 4 th grade Writing(editing)12 correct/19 questions63% 5 th grade11.7 correct/17 questions69% 6 th grade11.3 correct/18 questions63% 7 th grade12.5 correct/19 questions66% 7 th grade Writing15.4 correct/25 questions64% 8 th grade13.2 correct/20 questions66%

46. Let’s look at Cut Scores

47. Reporting Category 1

48. Some tips to help!

50. O The specific language of the student expectations is reflected on the STAAR reading assessments. O The focus of instruction needs to be on more than the verbs in the student expectations. O Student success on STAAR requires that students know and use the language of the ELA/R TEKS in the classroom. Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division December 2011 50 ELA/R Student Expectations and STAAR

52.   Which idea from paragraph 6 does the author base on an assumption? (Grade 8)  11(B): Students are expected to analyze the use of such rhetorical and logical fallacies as loaded terms, caricatures, leading questions, false assumptions, and incorrect premises in persuasive texts. Texas Education Agency Student Assessment Division December 2011 52 ELA/R Student Expectations and STAAR

56. O Students must also be able to make connections between different genres and strands (and be able to “see” the thematic links). O Instruction must emphasize critical/inferential thinking rather than isolated skills.

62. Questions?? © Texas Education Agency 2011/2012