Proficiency Guidance on New State Summative Assessments from NWEA.

Proficiency Guidance on New State Summative Assessments from NWEA. PDF Author: Northwest Evaluation Association
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 8

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Book Description
Measures of Academic Progressʼ (MAPʼ) computer adaptive interim assessments serve many purposes, from informing instruction to identifying students for intervention to projecting proficiency on state accountability assessments. To make sure its flagship product does the latter, Northwest Evaluation Association" (NWEA") routinely conducts studies that provide estimates of how MAP RIT scores correspond to "proficient" and other performance levels on summative state accountability assessments. These studies provide schools and districts using MAP assessments with tools to predict whether students will demonstrate adequate reading and mathematics achievement on their state accountability assessments, and allow them to adjust instructional plans accordingly. In recent months, many school districts have requested that NWEA provide similar studies to estimate how MAP RIT scores correspond to "college and career readiness" as it will be measured by various tests. These include the two upcoming Common Core consortia tests-- Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (Smarter Balanced) and Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC)--as well as other non-consortia tests aligned to the Common Core standards. To be clear: NWEA will conduct new studies. However, Smarter Balanced and PARCC have not yet finalized their proficiency level cut scores. Smarter Balanced did release preliminary threshold scale scores in November of 2014, but final cut score values will not be verified and adopted for either assessment until the summer of 2015 (PARCC timeline, Smarter Balanced timeline). This information is critical in conducting a linking study, since students' observed scores on both tests are examined to understand how one test predicts performance on the other. While nobody currently knows what college and career readiness scores on PARCC will eventually be, we can make educated guesses, and some states have already done so. New York, Illinois, and Kentucky have all implemented changes in their state proficiency benchmarks in anticipation of more rigorous standards. Furthermore, the preliminary threshold scale scores released by Smarter Balanced may provide additional insight into what "college readiness" might look like on PARCC once its performance standards have been set. These studies provide a preliminary indication of what college and career readiness may look like for MAP users in other states that align their tests to new standards. But the question remains: What can school districts that use MAP RIT scores do right now to understand whether students are on track to meet college and career readiness performance standards? One approach is to use cut scores that do currently exist from the New York, Illinois, and Kentucky tests, or from the initial estimates for Smarter Balanced, and relate them to MAP RIT cut scores. It's important to note that these state cut scores will not coincide precisely with the college and career readiness values that PARCC or other states will eventually adopt, but they may provide a guide during the interim. The tables and figures shown in the appendix may be used as rough guidelines. The values presented here simply represent an educated guess about what those benchmarks might look like, given that other assessments have defined college readiness similarly. As soon as the new cut scores and performance levels are finalized, NWEA will conduct studies that directly examine the ability of MAP to predict performance on those tests. Contained in the appendix are links used in this document.

How to Become a Straight-A Student

How to Become a Straight-A Student PDF Author: Cal Newport
Publisher: Crown
ISBN: 0767922719
Category : Study Aids
Languages : en
Pages : 226

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Book Description
Looking to jumpstart your GPA? Most college students believe that straight A’s can be achieved only through cramming and painful all-nighters at the library. But Cal Newport knows that real straight-A students don’t study harder—they study smarter. A breakthrough approach to acing academic assignments, from quizzes and exams to essays and papers, How to Become a Straight-A Student reveals for the first time the proven study secrets of real straight-A students across the country and weaves them into a simple, practical system that anyone can master. You will learn how to: • Streamline and maximize your study time • Conquer procrastination • Absorb the material quickly and effectively • Know which reading assignments are critical—and which are not • Target the paper topics that wow professors • Provide A+ answers on exams • Write stellar prose without the agony A strategic blueprint for success that promises more free time, more fun, and top-tier results, How to Become a Straight-A Student is the only study guide written by students for students—with the insider knowledge and real-world methods to help you master the college system and rise to the top of the class.

Linking the Alaska AMP Assessments to NWEA MAP Tests

Linking the Alaska AMP Assessments to NWEA MAP Tests PDF Author: Northwest Evaluation Association
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 26

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Book Description
Northwest Evaluation Association" (NWEA") is committed to providing partners with useful tools to help make inferences from the Measures of Academic Progressʼ (MAPʼ) interim assessment scores. One important tool is the concordance table between MAP and state summative assessments. Concordance tables have been used for decades to relate scores on different tests measuring similar but distinct constructs. These tables, typically derived from statistical linking procedures, provide a direct link between scores on different tests and serve various purposes. Aside from describing how a score on one test relates to performance on another test, they can also be used to identify benchmark scores on one test corresponding to performance categories on another test, or to maintain continuity of scores on a test after the test is redesigned or changed. Concordance tables are helpful for educators, parents, administrators, researchers, and policy makers to evaluate and formulate academic standing and growth. Recently, NWEA completed a concordance study to connect the scales of the Alaska Measures of Progress (AMP) English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics assessments with those of the MAP Reading and MAP for Mathematics assessments. This report presents the 3rd through 10th grade cut scores on MAP reading and mathematics scales that correspond to the benchmarks on the AMP ELA and math tests. Information about the consistency rate of classification based on the estimated MAP cut scores is also provided, along with a series of tables that predict the probability of receiving a Level 3 (i.e., "Proficient") or higher performance designation on the AMP assessments, based on the observed MAP scores taken during the same school year. A detailed description of the data and analysis method used in this study is provided in the Appendix.

Reading, Writing and Learning in ESL

Reading, Writing and Learning in ESL PDF Author: Suzanne F. Peregoy
Publisher: Pearson
ISBN: 9780134014548
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 528

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Book Description
Note: This is the bound book only and does not include access to the Enhanced Pearson eText. To order the Enhanced Pearson eText packaged with a bound book, use ISBN 0134403398. This book is the ideal source for teaching oral language, reading, writing, and the content areas in English to K-12 English learners. In an approach unlike most other books in the field, "Reading, Writing, and Learning in ESL" looks at contemporary language acquisition theory as it relates to instruction and provides detailed suggestions and methods for motivating, involving, and teaching English language learners. Praised for its strong research base, engaging style, and inclusion of specific teaching ideas, the book offers thorough coverage of oral language, reading, writing, and academic content area instruction in English for K-12 English learners. Thoroughly updated throughout, the new edition includes a new chapter on using the Internet and other digital technologies to engage students and promote learning, many new teaching strategies, new and revised activities, and new writing samples. The Enhanced Pearson eText features embedded videos and assessments. Improve mastery and retention with the Enhanced Pearson eText* The Enhanced Pearson eText provides a rich, interactive learning environment designed to improve student mastery of content. The Enhanced Pearson eText is: Engaging. The new interactive, multimedia learning features were developed by the authors and other subject-matter experts to deepen and enrich the learning experience. Convenient. Enjoy instant online access from your computer or download the Pearson eText App to read on or offline on your iPad(r) and Android(r) tablet.* Affordable.The Enhanced Pearson eText may be purchased stand-alone for 50-60% less than a print bound book. * "The Enhanced eText features are only available in the Pearson eText format. They are not available in third-party eTexts or downloads." "*The Pearson eText App is available on Google Play and in the App Store. It requires Android OS 3.1-4, a 7 or 10 tablet, or iPad iOS 5.0 or later." "

Unpacking the Competency-Based Classroom

Unpacking the Competency-Based Classroom PDF Author: Jonathan G. Vander Els
Publisher: Solution Tree Press
ISBN: 1952812461
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 267

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Book Description
When implemented effectively, competency-based education (CBE) promotes high levels of learning for every student. Further, the practices and structures of a professional learning community (PLC) support this work. Explore a variety of perspectives and examples from educators who have shifted to CBE with great results. The book details how to do the work by reevaluating and revamping traditional policies, structures, and procedures, including assessment and instruction practices. Individualized learning educators will: Discover how to make the transition to competency-based education to promote learning for all students. Learn the role PLC practices and structures play in establishing competency-based classrooms and schools. Study real-world experiences and insights from educators from various schools and districts that have transitioned to competency-based systems. Reflect with end-of-chapter questions to enhance their understanding of the material. Receive reproducible templates they can easily use and adapt to fit their needs. Contents: Introduction Chapter 1: Seven Principles for Competency-Based Learning in the Classroom Chapter 2: PLC, Collaborative Teaming, and Competency-Based Learning Chapter 3: Competencies, Essential Standards, and Learning Targets Chapter 4: Meaningful, Balanced Assessment Chapter 5: Structures and Systems to Support Classroom Instruction Chapter 6: Structures for Feedback Chapter 7: The Design Rubric Epilogue Appendix References and Resources Index

Scales, Norms, and Equivalent Scores

Scales, Norms, and Equivalent Scores PDF Author: William H. Angoff
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Educational tests and measurements
Languages : en
Pages : 156

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Book Description


Developing Assessments for the Next Generation Science Standards

Developing Assessments for the Next Generation Science Standards PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309289548
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 296

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Book Description
Assessments, understood as tools for tracking what and how well students have learned, play a critical role in the classroom. Developing Assessments for the Next Generation Science Standards develops an approach to science assessment to meet the vision of science education for the future as it has been elaborated in A Framework for K-12 Science Education (Framework) and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). These documents are brand new and the changes they call for are barely under way, but the new assessments will be needed as soon as states and districts begin the process of implementing the NGSS and changing their approach to science education. The new Framework and the NGSS are designed to guide educators in significantly altering the way K-12 science is taught. The Framework is aimed at making science education more closely resemble the way scientists actually work and think, and making instruction reflect research on learning that demonstrates the importance of building coherent understandings over time. It structures science education around three dimensions - the practices through which scientists and engineers do their work, the key crosscutting concepts that cut across disciplines, and the core ideas of the disciplines - and argues that they should be interwoven in every aspect of science education, building in sophistication as students progress through grades K-12. Developing Assessments for the Next Generation Science Standards recommends strategies for developing assessments that yield valid measures of student proficiency in science as described in the new Framework. This report reviews recent and current work in science assessment to determine which aspects of the Framework's vision can be assessed with available techniques and what additional research and development will be needed to support an assessment system that fully meets that vision. The report offers a systems approach to science assessment, in which a range of assessment strategies are designed to answer different kinds of questions with appropriate degrees of specificity and provide results that complement one another. Developing Assessments for the Next Generation Science Standards makes the case that a science assessment system that meets the Framework's vision should consist of assessments designed to support classroom instruction, assessments designed to monitor science learning on a broader scale, and indicators designed to track opportunity to learn. New standards for science education make clear that new modes of assessment designed to measure the integrated learning they promote are essential. The recommendations of this report will be key to making sure that the dramatic changes in curriculum and instruction signaled by Framework and the NGSS reduce inequities in science education and raise the level of science education for all students.

The Cambridge Handbook of Instructional Feedback

The Cambridge Handbook of Instructional Feedback PDF Author: Anastasiya A. Lipnevich
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1316843777
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
This book brings together leading scholars from around the world to provide their most influential thinking on instructional feedback. The chapters range from academic, in-depth reviews of the research on instructional feedback to a case study on how feedback altered the life-course of one author. Furthermore, it features critical subject areas - including mathematics, science, music, and even animal training - and focuses on working at various developmental levels of learners. The affective, non-cognitive aspects of feedback are also targeted; such as how learners react emotionally to receiving feedback. The exploration of the theoretical underpinnings of how feedback changes the course of instruction leads to practical advice on how to give such feedback effectively in a variety of diverse contexts. Anyone interested in researching instructional feedback, or providing it in their class or course, will discover why, when, and where instructional feedback is effective and how best to provide it.

The Effective School Leader′s Guide to Management

The Effective School Leader′s Guide to Management PDF Author: Jane L. Sigford
Publisher: Corwin Press
ISBN: 1452239037
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 233

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Book Description
Discover how to be a successful school leader and manager! Exploring 15 vital topics, as well as offering strategies and examples, Jane L. Sigford demonstrates how effective schools are a marriage of management and leadership. Organized into three sections—management and leadership theories, managing the school, and managing yourself—this resource helps administrators understand the complexity of leadership and addresses the application of effective management skills to create successful learning communities. Written for new and veteran school leaders, this essential guide: Acts as a handbook, which contains an overview of individual components of school leadership normally scattered among many textbooks and resources Provides suggested resources for more in-depth study Offers individual reflective practice questions throughout for personal use Suggests questions to help facilitate professional development group discussions, especially among peers The Effective School Leader′s Guide to Management illustrates how school administrators can run a school efficiently, balancing their roles as instructional leaders and effective school managers, while still having time to improve professional development, foster parent and community relationships, make data-driven decisions, and nurture personal growth and leadership.

Assessment Literacy for Educators in a Hurry

Assessment Literacy for Educators in a Hurry PDF Author: W. James Popham
Publisher: ASCD
ISBN: 1416626484
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 160

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Book Description
What is assessment literacy? It’s a handful of fundamental understandings about the testing concepts and procedures that influence educational decisions. And it just might be the most cost-effective means of real school improvement. With characteristic humor and aplomb, assessment expert W. James Popham strips away the psychometrician-speak and condenses the complexities of educational testing to six practical and action-oriented understandings about validity, reliability, fairness, score reporting, formative assessment, and affective assessment. This book is for busy educators at the classroom and leadership levels who want • Tests that are worth the valuable time they take to administer. • Tests that accurately measure what student have learned. • Tests that fairly reflect teacher and school effectiveness. • Tests that provide the instructionally useful data that will help students learn faster and better. Assessment Literacy for Educators in a Hurry is the fastest route to acquiring the measurement moxie necessary to understand and advocate for better assessment practices and build a case for stopping ineffective and harmful ones. In just a few hours’ time, you can pick up the knowledge you need to do a whole lot of good—for your students, yourself, and our schools.