PARENTS’ GUIDE TO ASSESSMENTS IN WASHINGTON
PARENTS’ GUIDE TOASSESSMENTS IN WASHINGTONIn the 2014-15 school year, Washington rolled out new assessments aligned to theEssential Academic Learning Requirements. The new assessments, which weredeveloped by the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, gauge how well studentsare mastering the standards—and ultimately how ready they are for the next grade and forcollege and careers after graduation.WHY NEW ASSESSMENTS?Teachers and principals talk a lot about assessments, whichare used to measure students’ academic achievement. Thisdocument highlights the end-of-year summative assessments,which judge (1) student progress toward mastering statestandards and (2) program and school effectiveness. For otherassessments used, see box at right.New summative assessments will address longstandingconcerns that parents, educators and employers have hadabout current state assessments—namely that they measureability to memorize facts, rather than the skills to think criticallyand apply knowledge.Every college in Washington state has agreed to allow studentsin 11th grade who score “proficient” or “advanced” on theSmarter Balanced high school test to be placed in collegiatecredit-bearing courses.Types of assessmentsClassroom-based: Individual tests givenby teachers as needed throughout theyear to assess knowledge and skills inspecific areasInterim: The same test repeated at setintervals to measure student growth overtimeSummative: End-of-year assessmentsadministered by the state to measurestudent performance against a commonset of standardsThis means that high school students who take the SmarterBalanced Assessment in 11th grade have an opportunityto jumpstart their college coursework and bypass remedialcourses.For more information and a list of participating colleges, visit:smarterbalanced.org/higher-educationThis document addresses summative assessments.THIS GUIDE INCLUDES: Overview of the Smarter Balancedassessments, which measure studentproficiency against more rigorous standards Overview of accountability for students,teachers and schools Additional resources for parents
What is different about the new summativeassessments?The new assessments for English and mathematics will enable educators to deepentheir understanding of student progress from grade to grade—and just as importantly,identify any gaps in progress so they can address them well before students entercollege or the workforce. More than 4,700 educators have contributed to thedevelopment and continuous improvement of Smarter Balanced assessments as aresource to improve teaching and learning.New English-language arts assessments: Ask students to read more complex fiction and non-fiction texts and use evidencefrom these texts to answer questions, make inferences and present persuasivearguments. Emphasize literacy across all subjects, not just English. Test writing at every grade level.New mathematics assessments: Go beyond multiple-choice questions and present students with multi-stepproblems, conceptual questions and real-world applications. Ask students to not only get answers correct, but also explain how they arrivedat those answers. Cover fewer topics in greater depth, focusing on the most critical areas.
Benefits of newassessments: Scores provide students, parents and teachers withinsight into college and career readiness early enough toaddress issues and provide extra support where needed. Washington has transitioned to “computer adaptiveassessments,” which replace pencil-and-paper tests andcan adjust the difficulty of questions based on studentresponses. A student who answers correctly will receivea more challenging item, while an incorrect answergenerates an easier question. This method providesstudents with a more engaging test experience, is moretime-efficient and—especially for low-or high-achieving students—produces more accurateresults than traditional methods. The new assessments are designed to provide accurate measures of achievement andgrowth for all students, including those with disabilities and English language learners—allowing these students to perform to their potential. The goal is to make the assessmentsmore accessible and to produce results that are valid for all students. The intention is notto give any student an advantage over other students. For students with disabilities, theonline assessments will addressvisual, auditory and physical accessNOTE: While taking advantage ofbarriers. These students will be abletechnology, new assessments are designedto take a test individualized to meetto work with the computing resources inschools today. The assessments work finetheir needs at the same time as otheron very old operating systems and requirestudents in their class. Tools haveminimal processors and memory. However,also been developed to help Englishstates that have not yet made the transitionlanguage learners demonstrate theirto online testing are offered a paper-andknowledge, regardless of their levelpencil option for the first three years.of proficiency in English.College Readiness DefinedStudents who perform at the college-ready level in English language arts/literacy demonstratereading, writing, listening and research skills necessary for introductory courses in a variety ofdisciplines. They also demonstrate subject-area knowledge and skills associated with readinessfor entry-level, transferable, credit-bearing English and composition courses.Students who perform at the college-ready level in mathematics demonstrate foundationalmathematical knowledge and quantitative reasoning skills necessary for introductory courses ina variety of disciplines. They also demonstrate subject-area knowledge and skills associated withreadiness for entry-level, transferable, credit-bearing mathematics and statistics courses.PTA.org
Sample QuestionsThe following questions are representative of those found on the new assessments.For more examples ance-tasksFIFTH-GRADE MATHEMATICSThe bed of a truck is stacked with boxes of paper. The boxes are stacked 5 boxes deep by 4 boxes high by 4 boxesacross, as shown in the picture.When the driver is in the empty truck, the mass is 2948.35 kilograms.The mass of 1 box of paper is 22.5 kilograms.The driver delivers some of the boxes of paper at his first stop.The truck has to drive over a bridge on the way to the next stop.KEY1 boxof paperTrucks with a mass greater than 4700 kilograms are not allowed todrive over the bridge.Enter the minimum number of boxes of paper the driver must deliver at the first stop to be allowed to drive overthe bridge.X1234 5 678 90.
SAMPLE QUESTIONSIXTH-GRADE ENGLISH-LANGUAGE ARTSA student is writing a report about sleep. Read both sources and the directions that follow.Source 1: “During Sleep” by Dr. Howard DellIf you are like some people, you may think that sleep is a process during which the body and brain shut off, butthis is not the case. The body goes through a series of stages during sleep in which body and brain activitychange. Most of these changes are not noticed nor remembered. However, sleep does usually follow apattern. Muscle activity and breathing slow in the initial stages of sleep. The body’s temperature alsodecreases. Sometimes during sleep, the heart can begin to beat more quickly, blood pressure can rise, andmany muscles experience small movements. These changes often happen during dreams.Source 2: What Happens While You SleepSLEEP STAGEDESCRIPTIONStage 1 Light SleepThe muscles relax, eye movement slows and thoughts begin tofade. A person may be easily awakened.Stage 2 Light SleepEye movement stops, and a person can experience brief dreams.Body temperature begins dropping and heart rate slows.Stage 3 Moderate-Deep SleepThe body temperature lowers, and a person is difficult to awaken.Stage 4 Deep SleepThe brain uses less energy. The body temperature lowers morethan in moderate-deep sleep. A person may sleepwalk.REM Sleep (REM rapid eye movement)Most dreams occur during this stage. The brain uses energy aseyes move quickly, even though the eyelids are closed. Heartrate and blood pressure increase, but many of the large bodymuscles are inactive.The student took notes about information in the sources. Select two notes that correctly paraphrase, or restate,information from both sources.We dream several times each night.People can sleepwalk during a stage of deep sleep.People can be easily awakened from sleep.Our bodies and brains continue to work during sleep.We do not remember what happens during sleep.During some stages of sleep, our bodies decrease in activity.
A student is writing a report on a science project for astronomy class about the planet Jupiter. The studentwants to revise the draft to have a better conclusion. Read the draft of the report and complete the task thatELEVENTH-GRADEENGLISH-LANGUAGE ARTSfollows.Orbiting the sun at an average distance of 500 million miles, Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. Togainan understandingof trulymassiveJupiterwe can compareit to thethe planetvery planetweTheinhabit:Earth.A studentis writing a reportonhowa scienceprojectforis,astronomyclass aboutJupiter.studentWithmassof 5.97219kg,aEarthis halso thathas awantsa torevisethe draftx 1024to havebetterReaddraftof thereportthanandJupiter,completethe taskvolumefollows.equivalent to 1,321 Earths.Infact, Jupiterthat itsmass isofmorethan twiceof allistheplanetsin inoursolarsystemOrbitingthe sunisatsoanlargeaveragedistance500 larsystem. Tocombined.Even from 400milesaway,Jupiterthe planetis largeenough tobetheseenin thenightand isEarth.gain an understandingof milliontruly howmassiveis, wecan compareit toveryplanetweskyinhabit:brightcast a xshadowEarth.With aenoughmass ofto5.972191024 kg,onEarthis approximately 318 times less massive than Jupiter, which also has avolume equivalent to 1,321 Earths.Moreover, the famous red spot we have seen in countless satellite images and artist depictions is, at itswidest,around is3 timeswiderour planet.67 moons,aIn fact, Jupiterso largethatthanits massis moreMeanwhile,than twice onethat ofof Jupiter’sall the otherplanetsGanymede,in our solarhassystemdiameterlargerthanof milesaway,the planet is large enough to be seen in the night sky and isbright enough to cast a shadow on Earth.Choose the conclusion that best explains the significance of the informational text.Moreover, the famous red spot we have seen in countless satellite images and artist depictions is, at itswidest, around 3 times wider than our planet. Meanwhile, one of Jupiter’s 67 moons, Ganymede, has adiameter 8% larger than that of the planet Mercury.The student took notes about information in the sources. Select two notes that correctly paraphrase, or restate,informationboth sources.Choose the fromconclusionthat best explains the significance of the informational text.However, in 2013, astronomers discovered a new planet, HD 106906b, which was estimated to have a mass 11times greater than that of Jupiter.The student took notes about information in the sources. Select two notes that correctly paraphrase, or restate,After Mercury,Venus,Earth, and Mars, Jupiter is the fifth planet from the sun. Indeed, the larger planets – Jupiter,informationfrom bothsources.Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune – are the four most distant.However,in 2013,astronomersdiscoverednewthatplanet,HD 106906b,which wasestimatedbyto largehave ameteorites.mass 11Itis partiallybecauseof Jupiter’senormousasizethe Earthis not frequentlybombardedtimes greaterJupiter.Meteorsof thisthankindthatareofoftendiverted away from Earth’s trajectory to Jupiter’s substantial gravitational field. Inthis regard, Jupiter is Earth’s protector.After Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, Jupiter is the fifth planet from the sun. Indeed, the larger planets – Jupiter,Saturn,and Neptune– areandthe collidedfour mostdistant.In1994, Uranus,a large cometbroke apartwithJupiter in what was the first direct observation of two SolarSystem objects colliding. The impact left a scar that remained visible for several months afterward.It is partially because of Jupiter’s enormous size that the Earth is not frequently bombarded by large meteorites.Meteors of this kind are often diverted away from Earth’s trajectory to Jupiter’s substantial gravitational field. Inthis regard, Jupiter is Earth’s protector.In 1994, a large comet broke apart and collided with Jupiter in what was the first direct observation of two SolarSystem objects colliding. The impact left a scar that remained visible for several months afterward.
What Parents Can ExpectThe Smarter Balanced assessments are designed to measure the new, morerigorous expectations of the state standards. Because the tests measure complexskills, which are different from the skills measured by previous state tests, scoreson the Smarter Balanced test will look lower. But students aren’t doing worse—it’s just that the bar is higher.As students and teachers gain the skills and knowledge needed to meet the newhigher standards, performance will also improve. In other states where morerigorous tests have been implemented, students improved their performance afterthe first year.SCORE REPORTSThe score report gives you a snapshot of how yourchild is progressing and shows where he or sheexcels or needs more support. This information,along with grades, teacher feedback and scores onother tests, will help give a more complete picture ofhow well your child is performing academically. Thenew score reports describing students’ results onthe new tests will be very different from what we’veseen in the past. Scores will be different becausethe English language arts and math tests are basedon a different set of academic standards. Whileno single test tells us everything we need to knowabout how a student is performing in school, thesetest scores along with information about students’work in the classroom give you the information youneed to know about how your child is progressing.Here is what you can expect to learn from the report: Your student’s overall score in the subject area What this overall score means Your student’s strengths and areas for improvement in certain topics in each subjectareaHow well your student performed compared toother students in the school, district, state andother statesState score reports may differ depending on the type of assessmenta state utilizes and also whether or not it chooses to customize thereport. States will report scores in several ways, which can servedifferent purposes for their stakeholders.Understanding Smarter BalancedAssessment Score CardScale scores are the basic units of reporting.These scores, which fall along a continuousvertical scale (from approximately 2,000 to3,000) that increases across grade levels,can be used to illustrate students’ currentlevel of achievement and their growth overtime in a relatively fine-grained fashion.When aggregated, these scores can alsodescribe school- or district-level changes inperformance on the tests and can measuregaps in achievement among different groups ofstudents.Achievement level descriptors (ALDs) forEnglish language arts (ELA) and mathematicsare aligned with the Essential AcademicLearning Requirements and the SmarterBalanced assessment claims. The purposeof these descriptors is to specify, in contentterms, the knowledge and skills that studentsdisplay at four levels of achievement (i.e., Level1, Level 2, Level 3 and Level 4), which in somecontexts may also be described qualitatively interms such as “novice, developing, proficient,advanced” or others.PTA.org
How are students held accountable?To graduate high school, students must: Complete a minimum number of high school credits Pass state tests or approved alternatives to those tests Complete a High School and Beyond PlanBut requirements change, sometimes frequently. In other words, what was required for the Classof 2015 isn’t what is required for the Class of 2017. Please visit the Office of Superintendent ofPublic Instruction website, k12.wa.us/GraduationRequirements/default.aspx, for the most up-todate requirements.How will schools support students during the transition?Schools have created a variety of models to assist students who are struggling with the standards.Remediation and summer courses, in-class adjustments based on ongoing in-class assessmentresults and pull-out tutoring are just a few support strategies.How are teachers and principals held accountable?Teachers and principals are evaluated on eight criteria that fall into the categories of culture, data,content, instruction and community. Student growth impact data (such as test results on the SmarterBalanced Assessment) is considered as part of the evaluation system.How are schools held accountable?Schools are held accountable through a mix of both state and federal measures. The WashingtonState Achievement Index—a joint project of the Washington State Board of Education and the Officeof Superintendent of Public Instruction—considers student proficiency, growth and career andcollege readiness. The Index also allows leadership and the public to compare school performanceacross multiple measures, including student growth, graduation rates and “achievement” gapsbetween different populations of students.
Take ActionParents are their child’s best advocates. As a parent and your child’s first teacher,you should be informed of the assessment and accountability system that is inplace in your child’s school. Parents and families must be at the table with schoolleaders and school districts to ensure that testing is implemented well and withenough resources to ensure success.Washington should include parents and teachers in thoughtful conversations based on trust,collaboration and respect. For additional details about the assessment and accountability system,please call Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, (360) 725-6000. Here are somequestions you might want to ask:Here are some questions you might want to ask: How many assessments will my child take this school year and where can I access/view theassessment calendar? What will happen if my child does not meet proficiency on the new assessments? How will the results of tests be used to support my child’s learning? What can I do, as a parent, to help my child do his or her best? How will school evaluations be affected based on results of the new assessments?Also, be sure to speak with your local school administrators! Ask them to host a parent night in thespring to explain the tests, and in the fall to explain test results.Below is the list of policies and practices that National PTA supports. Check with the Department ofEducation to determine if Washington’s policies and practices are aligned. National PTA believes that valid assessment does not consist of only a single test score, and that at notime should a single test be considered the sole determinant of a student’s academic or work future. National PTA supports nationally agreed upon voluntary standards if they are derived by consensus atthe state and local levels. Parents must be involved in this process. National PTA believes that assessments provide valuable information to parents, teachers and schoolleaders about the growth and achievement of their students. Furthermore, having annual data onthe performance of students can help inform teaching and learning as well as identify achievementgaps among groups of students within a school and among a school district. National PTA believesassessments are essential to ensure that all students receive a high-quality education.PTA.org
Preparing and Supporting Your Child Review the testing calendar and work with your child’s school to ensure there will beregular and clear commun
Body temperature begins dropping and heart rate slows. Stage 3 Moderate-Deep Sleep The body temperature lowers, and a person is difficult to awaken. Stage 4 Deep Sleep The brain uses less energy. The body temperature lowers more than in moderate-deep sleep. A person may sleepwalk. REM Slee
work/products (Beading, Candles, Carving, Food Products, Soap, Weaving, etc.) ⃝I understand that if my work contains Indigenous visual representation that it is a reflection of the Indigenous culture of my native region. ⃝To the best of my knowledge, my work/products fall within Craft Council standards and expectations with respect to
A NEWSLETTER FOR PARENTS OF UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA–LINCOLN STUDENTS Fall 2009 VOL. 26 NO. 1 UNL Parents Association Co-Presidents Welcome, Parents! Welcome to our newest Parent’s Association members, our freshmen parents and our transfer student parents! Welcome also to all our returning Parent Association members!
Dear St Mark's Whanau, Last night we welcomed new parents to our school for 2019 at an evening supported by our wonderful Parents' Association. It was an opportunity for us all to share many aspects of our school and welcome current parents, new parents and "old girls and boys" as new parents.
Risk Assessment 10 Techniques INFORMATION IN THIS CHAPTER † Operational Assessments † Project-Based Assessments † Third-Party Assessments INTRODUCTION Once you have a risk model and a few assessments under your belt, you will want to start thinking strategically about how to manage the regular operational, project, and third-party assessments that will occupy most of your time as a risk .
Assessments. (2016). This study examined how public schools used kindergarten entry assessments, what types of public schools used kindergarten entry assessments, and whether the use of kindergarten entry assessments was correlated with student early learning assessment scores in reading and math in s
Distinguishing between different types of assessments 3 To better understand where and how formative assessments fit into an assessment system, it is important to first draw a clear line of distinction among the types of assessments. Formative, short-cycle assessments: Formative assessments provide crucial information about student learning.
Schools have a variety of assessments available and must make sound decisions about the pros and cons of these assessments. T\൨e interim assessments provide a variety of benefits that are not necessarily available with other assessment platforms. These 對are short, focused assessments that provide data quickly to teachers.
trisomy is discovered, parents have to decide whether to tell their son about this, and if so how to go about this. We found that this was an issue that concerned many parents but very little was known about how parents decide to tell their child or the process through which they do this. Many parents were also concerned about whether to tell .
