1. EQAO Assessments and Rangefinding
Grade 9 Mathematics
February 2008
Tracy
Compliments of
Sandy DiLena,
Content Specialist,
Mathematics

2. Rangefinding Purpose:
To engage Ontario Educators in preparing a high quality set of scoring tools and training materials for scorers.
To select materials that define and illustrate the range of performances within the codes of the rubric. 2

3. Detailed Procedure: Do the item (on your own)
Read and interpret Item Specific Rubric
Score 5 Student Samples (on your own)
Consensus score student samples
Score 10 Student Samples (on your own)
Consensus Score
Repeat 5 and 6 until you complete all samples
Select anchor papers
1-code 10, 2-code 20, 2-code 30, 1-code 40
Write rationales
Review anchors for 4 progressive codes 3

4. Scoring Materials: Anchors Papers:
student responses that illustrate the criteria on the rubric
(usually consensus is arrived at without much discussion) 4

5. Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics
Achievement Chart
The Achievement Chart provides a descriptions of four categories of knowledge and skills.
Knowledge and Understanding
Thinking
Communication
Application

6. Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics
Categories
Knowledge and Understanding (KU): Students are required to demonstrate subject specific content (knowledge) and the comprehension of its meaning and significance (understanding).
e.g. add and subtract polynomials

7. Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics
Categories
Thinking (Problem Solving PS)
Students are required to select and sequence a variety of tools to solve a problem and demonstrate a critical-thinking process.
To answer the question,
students need to make a plan.

8. Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics
Categories
Application (AP)
Students are required to select the appropriate “tool” or get the necessary information and “fit” it to the problem.

9. Generic Rubric: Mathematics Open Response Items9

10. Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics
Generic Rubric: Mathematics
Code
Descriptor 40
demonstration of thorough understanding of concepts and/or
procedures
application of knowledge and skills shows a high degree of effectiveness
due to
- a thorough understanding of the concepts
- an accurate application of the procedures (any minor errors and/or
omissions do not detract from the demonstration of a thorough
understanding)
problem-solving process shows a high degree of effectiveness due to
- a complete solution process
- identification of all important elements of the problem
- a thorough understanding of the relationships between all of the
important elements of the problem
- appropriate conclusions with thorough and insightful supporting
evidence 10

11. Overview of Procedure:
Do the item (on your own)
Examine Item-specific rubric
Score student samples (5)
Consensus score student samples (same 5)
Score student samples (10)
Consensus score student samples (same 10)
Repeat 5 and 6 … anchors, rationales 11

12. Big Bridge 12

13. Materials Booklet of ~ 30 samples of student work of mixed achievement
Item-Specific Rubric
Master Consensus Recording Sheet 13

14. Big Bridge – Item-Specific Rubric14

15. EQAO Important things to take away
GAINS CAMP
Tracy 15 15

16. Important things to know about EQAO Ontario’s large scale assessment process
Framework
Blueprint
Processes
Expectations – overall vs specific

17. Test Development Process
Item Development
Initial Edit
Supporting Documents
Bias/Sensitivity Committee
Assessment Development Committee
Curriculum Blueprints
Development Specifications
Scoring Rubrics
Incorporation of Review Suggestions
Field Test/Data Review
Operational Item Bank
Test Form Construction
Production
Test Administration
Scoring/Reporting

18. All questions (items) are developed by Ontario teachers.
Test Development Process
All questions (items) are developed by Ontario teachers.

19. What is the Purpose of the Grade 9 Assessment?
The purpose of the Grade 9 Assessment of
Mathematics is:
To assess students and report yearly data on the level at which students are meeting curriculum expectations in the applied or academic programs.
To report valid and reliable data for individuals, schools, boards and the province.

20. Grade 9 Applied Blueprint

21. Blueprint – one Overall Expectation

22. Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics
This is found in chapter 4 of the framework document.
There are 2 booklets and students are allowed 50 minutes to complete each of them. It is hoped that the Grade 9 assessment is written during class time.
There are 24 MC questions and 7 OR questions that count towards a student’s score. Each student also completes 3 MC and 1 OR that are embedded in the assessment and are field test questions. These do not count towards the student’s score.
Each student completes 14 multiple choice questions and 4 open response questions in booklet 1 and 13 multiple choice questions and 4 open response questions in booklet 2.
Chapter 4 Grade 9 Mathematics Framework 2007

23. Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics
Multiple Choice Example Applied Winter 2007, Q9, Page 5
Application since there is a choice of tools to decide if the relationship is linear.
Expectation LR2.03

24. Multiple Choice Example Applied Winter 2006, Q4, Page 3
Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics
Multiple Choice Example Applied Winter 2006, Q4, Page 3
NA2.06 Students will multiply a polynomial by a monomial involving the same variable to give results up to degree three.

25. EQAO Website www.eqao.com25

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32. Using EQAO Data to Inform Practice
“What gets measured gets attention
and what gets measured gets improved”
Charles S. Coffey O.C. Executive Vice President
Government Affairs Royal Bank of Canada 32 32

33. Applied Winter 2006 Big Bridge

34. Big Bridge – Item-Specific Rubric

35. Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics
Code 40

36. Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics
Student Sample #2

37. Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics
Student Sample #3

38. Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics
Student Sample #4

39. RangeFinding- Grade 9 Mathematics

40. Codes B and I
Code B
Blank: nothing written or drawn in response to the question
Code I
Illegible: cannot be read; completely crossed out / erased; not written in English
Irrelevant content: does not attempt assigned question (e.g., comment on the task, drawings, “?”, “!”, “I don’t know”)
Off topic: no relationship of written work to the question

41. Code 40 thorough, high degree a strong response
does not have to be perfect
fully answered
concepts, applications and/or processes are accurate and clear

42. Code 10 limited, minimal some aspect related to question
incorrect/inaccurate concepts
procedures inaccurate/incorrect
no supporting evidence

43. Code 20 some answers only part of question
demonstrates partial understanding
partially explained conclusions
little supporting evidence

44. Code 30 considerable, nearly complete answers question
contains minor errors/omissions
lack of clarity

45. Example of Code 20

46. Big Bridge – Item-Specific Rubric

47. Item Specific Rubric Code 20 PS
Problem-solving process to determine the area of the side of the bridge shows some effectiveness due to
an incomplete solution process
identification of some of the important elements of the problem
some understanding of the relationships between important elements of the problem
simple conclusions with little supporting evidence
Rationale:
Student demonstrates an incomplete solution process; accurately calculates the diameter, does not determine the radius, and has an error in the calculation of the area.

48. Example of Code 30

49. Item Specific Rubric Code (30)
Problem-solving process to determine the area of the side of the bridge shows some effectiveness due to:
a solution process that is nearly complete
identification of most of the important elements of the problem
a considerable understanding of the relationships between important elements of the problem
appropriate conclusions with supporting evidence
Rationale:
Student demonstrates a considerable understanding of the relationship between the important elements of the problem; uses accurate problem-solving process, but uses 2 circles to calculate the area of the arches.

50. Rationale Writing
Use the language of the item-specific rubric to justify the choice of code.
Describe the attributes of the student work that caused the code it was given.

51. Questions???