Arkansas Comprehensive Testing, Assessment and Accountability

Program

Note on content: This power point was created using, for

the most part, information directly taken from the Arkansas Department of Education website – arkansased.org

Smart Arkansas Smart Start (K – 4 ) Smart Step (5 – 8) Smart Future (9 – 12)

In 2008, more than 50 percent of Arkansas' public school students at all grade levels scored at grade level or above on the Arkansas Benchmark Exams.

The achievement gap between majority and minority students narrowed for the second year in a row on the 2008 Arkansas Benchmark Exams.

Arkansas Definitions

Accountability Accountability concerns the

obligation of comprehensive school improvement planning, reporting, explaining, or justifying standards, making them responsible, explicable and answerable

Assessment This term refers to any test

instrument or other student achievement evaluation method used to measure student learning and performance.

Benchmark Exams This term refers to the six criterion-

referenced tests that are administered to students in Grades 3-8.

Criterion-Referenced Test (CRT) A criterion-referenced test (CRT) is an

assessment instrument customized around the Arkansas Curriculum Frameworks. The Benchmark Exams are CRTs. In Arkansas, the test items are based on the academic standards in the Arkansas Curriculum Frameworks and are developed by committees of Arkansas teachers, with support from the Department of Education and the testing contractor. CRTs are administered in Grades 3-8, End-of-Course Exams in Algebra I and Geometry, and a Literacy Exam at Grade 11.

Norm-Referenced Test A norm-referenced test (NRT) is a test

where the test items are built around a vendor's set of curricular objectives. The test provides information that compares the performance of students against the performance of a sample of students from across the country. The Iowa Tests are currently given to Arkansas students in Grades K-9.

Performance Assessments A performance assessment requires the

students to use knowledge and skills to act directly in a way that reveals the student's level of accomplishment and expertise. … differs from a conventional paper-and-pencil test in the same way that a driving test for one's license differs from the written test. In the former case, the test is meant to realistically simulate driving "performance" - to replicate some typical "tests" that arise in daily driving. In the latter case, the learner is tested for knowledge of driving facts and rules, not whether the student knows how to employ them in performing the act of driving.

SMART START Kindergarten – Qualls Early Learning

Inventory (QELI)(also 1st graders never in school

before) Norm referenced test

K – 2 (SAT 10 ) Criterion referenced test

3 – 8 (Stanford and Benchmarks called Augmented Benchmark)

Stanford Achievement Test (SAT 10)

Information from publisher is here: http://

pearsonassess.com/haiweb/cultures/en-us/productdetail.htm?pid=SAT10C

Example of a home report: pearsonassess.com/hai/Images/dotCom/sat10/sat10_home_report.pdf

Example of individual student report: pearsonassess.com/hai/Images/dotCom/sat10/sat10_student_report.pdf

Example of group report: pearsonassess.com/hai/Images/dotCom/sat10/sat10_group_report.pdf

QELI

Slides 13 – 45 copied directly from the ADE web site

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Company

QELI Screen all children entering

kindergartenInclude special education and LEP

students Screen all first grade students

who are attending a public school for the first time

School Readiness Educators of primary-grade children

cite school readiness as among the most serious challenges they face in

achieving the educational and developmental goal they have for

their students.

Peter D. Hart Research

School Readiness Children must be ready to make

the transition from home or child care to formal education.

Just as important, schools must be prepared to help ease that transition for children.

Education Commission of the States

OverviewThe Qualls Early Learning Inventory is an assessment tool for use in the primary grades (Pre-K, K, and 1) to identify student development in six behavioral characteristics related to school learning. The Inventory assesses developing behaviors, so it can be used to inform classroom instruction.The QELI is not language dependent and can be used to assess children who are emerging speakers of English.A Pre-K version of QELI is available.

QELI Supports Best Practices

Assessments that are fair for all children Assessments based on realistic settings that reflect a child’s actual performance

Assessments based on multiple, systematic observations and documentation

Assessments that are linked to follow-up instruction

NAEYC calls for: QELI

National Association for the Education of Young Children Position Statement on Curriculum and Assessment, November 2003

Description of the Inventory

Suitable for Pre-K, Kindergarten and early First Grade students

4-page Inventory bookletOne for each child observed

Teacher’s Directions and Interpretative GuideOne for each teacher

Description of the Inventory

General Knowledge—the extent to which the student possesses general information and facts expected of children at this age

Oral Communication—how well a student communicates ideas, describes what has been seen or heard, or asks about things

Written Language—the extent to which the student recognizes and writes letters or simple words

Description of the Inventory

Math Concepts—how well a student understands and uses beginning mathematical ideas and processes

Work Habits—the extent of a student’s persistence, resourcefulness, and independence in completing tasks

Attentive Behavior—the student’s ability to sustain focus on classroom activities

Appropriate Uses To describe the developmental level of a

child in behavioral terms To help identify those students who might

be at risk due to delayed development To report initial status and progress to

families To enhance communication between Pre-K

programs, Kindergarten teachers, and staff

Inappropriate Uses To select students for Kindergarten

Low scores are not necessarily an indication of a disability or deficiency

Remember: Documents learned behaviors Calls attention to skills that can be developed with

proper instructional intervention To retain students To place students in special education

QELI Results

May be used as a Communication and transition tool for PK teachers

Data results should be a “tool” to: Help guide instruction for the PK and K student Share results with all staff Share with PK teachers Strengthen the K and PK teachers knowledge of the

areas of student’s strengths and weaknesses Assist in long range planning

QELI It is NOT a reflection of the school It is NOT a tool to “discourage” the child

from entering Kindergarten

It IS a “snapshot” of the child It IS a tool that will provide the teacher and

parent a “quick” observational overview of the child

Score Reports

Progress is compared to a sample of Arkansas

Kindergarten students.

State

State

State

PUTTING QELI DATA TO WORK

Step 1: Look At “Big Picture”

18% of my class is delayed in the area of Work Habits

Step 2: Find Individuals in Need

Step 3: Focus On Specifics

Preparing Arkansas Teachers and Students

for the Qualls Early Learning Inventory

Arkansas Kindergarten Teachers Kindergarten Readiness Indicator Checklist

(KRIC) Getting Ready for School Calendar Getting Ready for School Teacher’s Guide ADE and DHS Benchmarks and/or

Frameworks Qualls Early Learning Inventory (QELI) LINK For Teachers

http://arkansased.org/parents/readiness_indicators.html

IMPLEMENTATION FALL 2008

Completing the Inventory

Generally completed by classroom teacher Approximately 10 minutes per child

Based on multiple, recent observations of a child in a typical school setting

Which Students Should Be Included?

Suitable for all children Can be used regardless of language

background Useful for students with special

needs

Prior to Completion Read the entire Inventory

Pay attention to wording of statements to accurately document students’ readiness skills

Focus on how frequently you observe a behavior Use the same standard for all students

Come to consensus with other teachers on meanings of terms like “rarely” and “sometimes”

Rubric Response Rarely – The skill is observed once in a

while. Skill must have been observed at least one time.

Sometimes – The skills has been observed consistently or on a regular basis

Often – The skill has consistently been demonstrated.

Rubric Responses cont. Some – The skill has been observed but

not observed consistently or on a regular basis.

Most – The skill has consistently been demonstrated.

Decide What Is Appropriate

For some behaviors, it is more important to consider your most recent observations…

In these examples, a child’s most recent attempts are more relevant than total attempts since the beginning of the school year.

Decide What Is Appropriate

However, some behaviors should be considered based on multiple observations over time.

Certain questions also require thought about how appropriate a child’s response is, not just the frequency. In this example, if the child often uses a complete sentence, but the sentence is seldom relevant to the overall conversation, then “Rarely” describes the behavior more accurately than “Often.”

FYI:Iowa Test of Basic Skills

has been replaced!