1. Testing Information 2011-2012 PTA Presentation January 5, 2012

2. 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 6 – September 30 Winter January 9 – February 3 Spring May 7 – June 1

3. MAP-P Measurement of Academic Progress for Primary Grades Gr. K-2 A computer-adaptive achievement test which assesses to 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 WindowAugust 31 – October 14 Winter WindowJanuary 3 – February 10 Spring WindowApril 23– June 1

4. MAP-R Measures of Academic Progress Assessment in Reading Gr. 3-5 A computer-adaptive achievement test which assesses to student’s skill level in the different reading achievement areas. Measures academic growth over time Administered to grades 3-5 in the fall, winter, and spring. MAP-R 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 MSA. Fall WindowAugust 31 – October 14 Winter WindowJanuary 3 – February 10 Spring WindowApril 23– June 1

5. 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 ViewApril 10 – 20 Raven Test: February 27 – June 12

6. 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. Inview Analogies & Quantitave Reasoning & Raven Test: February 27 – June 12 Inview: Gr. 3, 4 & 5 – April 10-20

7. MSA Maryland School Assessment 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 reading and mathematics 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 reading and mathematics content specified in the Maryland Content Standards.

8. Understanding MSA (Maryland School Assessment) Meets the state testing requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 Assesses the Maryland Content Standards, which is the basis for the MCPS curriculum Measures Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) – measure that is used to track academic progress for schools and school systems. Schools must achieve all school targets (reading, math, science, attendance) Describes student performance in reading and math in grades 3-8 Describes student performance in science Grades 5 and 8 Selected response (multiple choice) and Brief Constructed Response (BCR) Reading questions focus on word study, vocabulary, and reading comprehension Performance levels: Basic (not passing grade level academic standards); Proficient (passing grade level academic standards); Advanced (performing above standards)

9. MSA Testing Schedule MSA Reading Grades 3 & 4March 12 - 13 Grade 5March 14 - 15 MSA Mathematics Grades 3 & 4March 16 & 19 Grade 5March 20 – 21 MSA Make-Up TestsMarch 22-27 MSA Science Grade 5April 30-May 1 (Make-Up May 2-4)

10. TN2 for Grade 2 TN2 assesses skills in reading, language, math, language mechanics, and math computation. As a norm-referenced assessment, it compares the performance of tested students with performance of a sample of diverse students across the nation. TN2April 16 – April 20

11. 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. February 6 – March 23

12. Gifted & Talented 2011-2012 Testing and Programming

13. Fall 2011 The GT Screening Process Magnet and Choice Programs Grade 5 Applications mailed to all 5 th grade students in September 2011 Parent Meetings held October 2011 Deadline for applications is November 7, 2011 Magnet testing on December, 2011 Recommendations due to MCPS office by December 12, 2011

14. Highly Gifted Center Grade 4 & 5 MCPS sent applications to all Grade 3 homes in September 2011 Parents return applications directly to DCCAPS – NO applications accepted after November 7, 2011 GT Committee & Grade 3 meet to complete school recommendation and teacher surveys December 2011 Student Folders due in DCCAPS by December 12, 2011 Testing for HGC is January 13, 2012 @ SMES Decisions made April 1, 2012 HGC Open Houses – April 11 – 17, 2012 Deadline for accepting decisions – April 20, 2012

15. Gifted & talented Grade 2 Global Screening New Student Screening Gr. 3-5 InView Test: April 10 - 20, 2012 Parent, Teacher and Staff Surveys GT Committee decisions in May 2012 Parents notified about decisions by June 1, 2012

16. 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. Inview Analogies & Quantitave Reasoning April 10 – 20, 2012 Raven Test : February 27 – June 12, 2012

17. 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.

18. Multiple Criteria for GT Identification Parent Survey Teacher Survey Staff Advocacy Reading and Math Levels InView― Analogies Subtest InView― Quantitative Reasoning Subtest Raven Additional information

19. GT Committee Includes principal, 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

20. Rigorous Programming at Every School Instructional Service Options Reading/Language Arts –Jacob’s Ladder –William and Mary –Junior Great Books –Above level texts Mathematics --Grade 3 w/ enrichment tasks --Grade 4 --Grade 5 --Grade 6 --Grade 7

21. 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

22. 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.

23. Tips for Easing Test Anxiety

24. 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.

25. 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!

26. 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!

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