West Virginia State Assessments:
What do families need to know?
[INSERT DATE]
Overview of Discussion
1. What the new state tests mean for your child
2. What your child can expect
3. Ways to support your child
4. How to interpret test results
5. Additional resources for parents
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What the New
State Tests Mean
for Your Child
New Statewide Tests
•
West Virginia adopted higher, more focused standards–the Common Core
State Standards–in 2010 to better prepare students for college, technical
schools, and careers.
•
Our education system was falling short in developing the critical-thinking
and problem-solving skills needed to compete with students from elsewhere
in the world.
•
New standards require new state tests that better measure these skills and
allow students to show what they know and what they can do.
•
Example Third Grade Reading Standard: “Determine the main idea of a text;
recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.”
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New Statewide Tests
•
•
Students in grades 3-11 will take the English Language Arts (ELA) and
Mathematics tests. These tests are divided into two components that can
each be taken online.
Students will take the tests in two parts:
o
Computer Adaptive Test
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


o
Performance Task
o
o
•
•
Multiple-choice questions
Short-answer questions
Technology-enhanced questions
Machine-scored
Longer multi-step questions, including essays
Hand-scored
Students in grades 4, 6 and 10 will take a fixed-form science test online.
The statewide testing window is April 1-June 24, 2015.
o
Each district has a 36-day testing window based on its last day of instruction.
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What is Smarter Balanced?
The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium
• A group of states that have worked together to develop high quality
tests in English and Math that are aligned to the new standards.
• West Virginia joined Smarter Balanced to create a new test aligned
to our standards. West Virginia teachers were involved in the
development of the new test.
• The tests were field-tested in
Spring 2014 by more than
4 million students in 21 states,
including in West Virginia.
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What Do the Tests Measure?
• Whether students can read and understand texts of varying
complexities.
• How well students use information from several sources to make a
persuasive argument.
English
they can write, using what they’ve read and multi-media
Language Arts • Whether
to support their arguments.
• Whether students can understand and use important math ideas
(i.e., number sense, algebraic thinking, geometry, and data
analysis).
Math
• How students use math facts and reasoning skills to solve realworld problems.
• How well students can justify their answers using math concepts.
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How Do I Know What My Child is Expected to
Learn This Year
• The PTA developed grade-specific
“Guides to Student Success” so
you know the skills your child
should master and what he or she
is expected to know every year:
www.PTA.org/CommonCore
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What Students
Can Expect
What’s Different About the Tests?
The new tests go beyond the “bubble test.”
Students show their work through:
• Extended writing, and multi-step questions which require students to apply the
skills they have learned.
They measure:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Problem-solving
Writing
Critical thinking
Reading Comprehension
Listening
Research
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How Long Will the Tests Take?
• These tests may take longer.
• Thinking critically, reading deeply, and writing a wellthought response takes more time than simply filling in a
bubble.
• Necessary skills to practice and master.
• 36-day County testing window
• 5-8 sessions per student, depending on administration
schedule and grade level
• Estimated Time: 7-8 1/2 hours total
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What Will be Different in Math?
Students will:
• Show their work and demonstrate that they understand a concept in
addition to memorizing the formula.
• Compute math problems quickly and accurately.
• Know multiple ways to solve problems, allowing them to choose the
method that is best.
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EXAMPLE: 5th Grade Math Test
Previous WESTEST 2 Example:
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EXAMPLE: 5th Grade Math Test
New West Virginia General Summative Assessment
Example:
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EXAMPLE: 6th Grade Math Test
Previous WESTEST 2
Example:
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EXAMPLE: 6th Grade Math Test
New West Virginia General Summative Assessment Example:
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What Will be Different in English Language Arts?
Students will:
– Show they can read and understand complex passages.
– Use evidence to support their ideas in written responses at
every grade level.
– Research a topic and use the findings to make a claim and
draw a conclusion.
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EXAMPLE: 6th Grade Writing Prompt
Previous WESTEST 2 Online Writing Example:
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EXAMPLE: 6th Grade ELA Performance Task
New West Virginia General Summative Assessment
Example:
.
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EXAMPLE: 7th Grade ELA Test
Previous WESTEST 2 Example:
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EXAMPLE: 7th Grade ELA Test
New West Virginia General Summative Assessment Example:
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Ways to Support
Your Student
How Can I Help at Home?
• Take a moment to review a practice test with your child:
• http://wv.portal.airast.org/training-tests/
• Talk with your child and reassure him/her that these tests aren’t the kind
you “cram” for, but just measure what they’ve mastered from their
classwork.
• Assure your child they have enough time to finish.
• Have them read a variety of materials at home, including fiction and
informational texts.
• Involve learning in everyday activities. Mix math into cooking or
shopping. Ask children to express opinions and to back their views.
How To Interpret
Test Results
How will tests be scored?
• Reports will include scale score and an achievement level.
Level
Description
4
Exceeded the Standard
3
Met the Standard
2
Nearly Met the Standard
1
Has Not Met the Standard
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New Tests New Baselines
• These upgraded tests are harder.
• With a greater emphasis on deeper learning, we have raised the bar for
our students, parents, and teachers.
• This new bar cannot be compared to the old one.
• The scores are not higher or lower, just different.
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How Will Scores be Used?
Test results will help schools to:
•
Make instructional decisions.
•
Determine individual needs of students:
 Extra support?
 More challenging work?
 Recommendations for future classes?
•
Scores do not impact GPA, class ranking, or college acceptance.
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Transition Year One
• It will take more time to score the performance-based and
writing components since it has never been done before.
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Transition Year Two
• Will be able to compare the scores from this year’s
to see progress and strengths and weaknesses.
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Thank You To Our Teachers
A Transition:
• Learning the new standards
• Engaging lessons
• Helped develop the Smarter Balanced ELA and mathematics assessments
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Resources for
More Information
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Where Can I Find More Info?
Great Web Sites
• Smarter Balanced Practice Tests: Reading, Writing, Math
• Practice Tests http://sbac.portal.airast.org/practice-test/
• Smarter Balanced Info: www.smarterbalanced.org
• Parent Friendly Information and Resources: BeALearningHero.org and
Facebook.com/bealearninghero
• West Virginia Department of Education: http://wvde.state.wv.us/
• West Virginia Assessment Portal: http://wv.portal.airast.org/
www.PTA.org/CommonCore
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West Virginia’s New State Assessments:
Questions?