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AzMERIT Toolkit for Educators
UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2015
Expect More Arizona developed this communications toolkit in partnership with the Arizona Public Engagement Task Force to help educators communicate with parents about the new AzMERIT test and scores. It is critically important to educate parents about what AzMERIT is, what it means for their child and what to expect when scores are released. We need to get the word out to families now, so they are prepared when they receive their child’s individual score reports in the coming weeks. It will also be important to continue to communicate with parents about how to read the reports and to encourage them to speak to their child’s teacher if they have any questions.
It’s equally necessary to ensure we are equipping educators and administrators with the tools they need to help support parents, since they will be on the front lines during the score release. Our collective outreach efforts are vital to ensuring we maintain a meaningful assessment in Arizona that accurately measures how are students are performing.
Please use the content in this document as you see fit and modify it according to the specific details for your school. Contact us if you have any questions on the content.
Many thanks,Christie SilversteinExpect More [email protected](602) 648-6616
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Parent Teacher Conferences
II. AzMERIT Resources
III. Frequently Asked Questions
IV. Talking Points
V. How to Talk to Students about AzMERIT
Questions? Contact Christie Silverstein at Expect More Arizona at [email protected] or (602) 648-6616.
ArizonaAimsHigher.org
I. PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCESParent-teacher conferences are an important time for you to connect with your student’s families.
Use a few minutes in your parent teacher conferences to let parents know that AzMERIT scores are coming in late October/early November.
o Parents will receive one score report (two-sided) for both English language arts and math.
o Your school will get two hard copies of each score report. One set goes home to the parent and the other stays at the school.
Share with them how your school plans to share the results (by mail, in backpacks, etc.)Encourage them to contact you once they get their child’s results. Offer to set up a time to talk with them.
Reassure them that you’ve been working with their child this year and if you’ve seen progress or areas where you can work together to help your child improve.
Reinforce that AzMERIT is just one measure that helps you know how their child is doing. Share the other tools that you use on a daily/weekly/monthly basis to help their child succeed.
If they express concerns about too much testing:o Let them know the purpose of the tests their child is taking and why each is important
(e.g. formative, reading, summative, etc.). Explain what you learn from each assessment and how they help you improve instruction. Explain what each assessment tells the parent.
Share resources:o Give parents a sample copy of the AzMERIT score report so they know what to expect.o Grade-by-grade parent guide with activities they can do at home. o Share the FAQ on AzMERIT
Sample elevator speech: In a few short weeks, we will be sharing your child’s AzMERIT results with you. [Add in details about how your school will be delivering the reports – via mail, sent home in backpacks, hand delivered at parent meetings]. You will receive a comprehensive family score report with detailed information about how your child performed on both the English language arts and math parts of the AzMERIT test. Please know that the AzMERIT test represents just one of many measures that gauge your student’s progress. The results, while meaningful, should be considered in the context of your child’s grades, homework, class participation, and other tools. When you receive your score report, I want you to call me or set up a time for us to talk so I can walk through all of that information with you.
General Tips to Make Parent-Teacher Conferences Successful Parent-teacher conferences are two-way conversations. Encourage parents to share their
perspectives about their child’s strengths, needs, learning styles, and interests. Focus the conversation on learning. Take the opportunity to talk to parents about how their
child is doing and show them examples of their child’s work. Balance the conversation with the good things and areas for improvement. Be persistent in reaching out to and communicating with families and have a dedication to
following up after you meet with them. Adopt both online and in-person communications and encourage home-school collaboration
throughout the year. Use student data as a tool to guide conversations with families about student strengths and
areas for improvement.Source: Harvard Family Research Project
Sample Parent Questions What are the most important things my child will be learning this year? Can I see examples of my child’s work? How could it improve?
Is my child on track to be successful in this class? Will he be prepared for next year? What do you see as his or her strengths? How could he or she improve? Share your perspective
about what your child is good at and areas where you think your child could improve. How should we work together to address those things? What services are available at school or
in the community that I can access? What activities should we do at home? When should I expect to receive my child’s AzMERIT scores? What do you expect they will look
like? Do you have any resources that can help me help my child or learn more about AzMERIT?
II. RESOURCES TO HELP YOUR SCHOOL TELL PARENTS ABOUT AZMERIT Expect More Arizona has a number of parent resources you can use for free:
o AzMERIT Communications Toolkit o AzMERIT Parent Presentation Template o Parent overview of AzMERIT (English and Spanish) o FAQs o Grade-by-grade parent guides in English language arts and math for kindergarten
through high school (English and Spanish) o AzMERIT Parent Webinar o AzMERIT Parent Video o In person presentations – invite us to present to your parents or parent group on
AzMERIT ([email protected]). o What’s next for AzMERIT scores? Webinar by the Arizona School Boards Association
The Arizona Department of Education has shared examples of Parent Score Reports for AzMERIT at AzMERITportal.org
o Sample parent score reportso Sample parent guide to the score report
Arizona PTA has funding to support local PTAs in hosting school events on AzMERIT for parents. For more information email Paula (Arizona PTA President) at [email protected] or Anne (Arizona PTA Vice-President) [email protected] or call 602-279-1811.
Math Power Book created by The Rodel Foundation of Arizona. This book was designed for parents and families who want to help their children make sense of math and covers concepts introduced in first grade all the way through sixth grade.
III. HOW ARE OTHER PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT AZMERIT?Here are some messages that other educators and community leaders have been using to talk about AzMERIT. You are welcome to use these and modify them for your use.
AzMERIT is like an annual checkup – an important opportunity to find out how your child is doing in school. Just as doctors check height and weight, teachers and parents use the test to check how students are doing in English and math.
AzMERIT is better aligned with what students are learning in the classroom. It goes beyond multiple choice questions to measure real learning, with a focus on assessing critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.
Parents will now have more accurate information to know how their students are doing and whether they are ready for the next grade and ultimately for college and career.
Arizona’s educators and students have been working diligently over the past five years to implement higher expectations and improve achievement for all students.
AzMERIT is another step on our path to higher expectations and achievement for all students – and now we have a definition of proficiency for this assessment that truly means that a student is on track for his or her next step.
AzMERIT scores show us what the NAEP (a rigorous multi-state assessment) results have been highlighting for years. If we want our students to be globally competitive and for Arizona to be the best place to live and do business, then we need to embrace these results and take action to make education the top priority in our state.
AzMERIT sets a more realistic benchmark for student performance. Because it is a completely new test, scores look different than AIMS and may seem lower than before; however, this doesn’t mean that students are doing worse. Instead, the scores provide a more accurate view of how students are doing academically.
We know there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure more students are proficient in every grade. We are confident that if we provide resources to our educators and support our students, they will be successful and we will see improved outcomes for students at every level.
No one likes taking tests – but they are one important way for us to understand how our children are doing, and find ways to improve learning in our schools.
A new law was adopted in 2015 to provide students, teachers and schools with a two-year transition period to adjust to the new AzMERIT exam in the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 school years. During this time, our state’s accountability system, including school letter grades, will be placed on hold.
Learn more about the test and what your child needs to know to be successful at ArizonaAimsHigher.org/AzMERIT.
IV. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What does my child’s test score mean? The new state test measures how well your child is performing in English language arts and
math. AzMERIT scores are just one of several measures, including report card grades, classroom performance, and feedback from teachers, that can be used to measure your child’s academic progress.
Why does my child’s score look different than scores on previous tests? Because AzMERIT is a new test, these first year test scores set a new baseline from which
progress will be measured. Your child’s score, as well as school and district results, may look lower this year because the test measured more complex skills including critical thinking, problem solving, and analysis. A low score does not mean your child did not improve or learned less. It simply means that the expectations have been raised for students. It is also important to know that AzMERIT is a very different test than we’ve had before, so it is not possible to compare our old test to AzMERIT. In addition, as a new test, students and teachers still need time to adjust to the new assessment. Given time and our support, we know that our students will rise to the challenge.
How will my child’s score be used? Scores will be used to better tailor instruction to individual student needs and give us a tool to
see how students and schools across the state are doing.
What types of questions were on the test?
AzMERIT includes a number of different types of questions, including performance tasks that are multi-step assignments that ask students to apply their knowledge and skills to address real-world problems. In English, students have to apply their research and writing skills, and in math, they solve complex problems and then describe and defend their reasoning. The test also includes traditional multiple choice questions, as well as interactive questions that require students to drag and drop their answers into a box, create equations, and fill in the answer.
What if my child did well on his or her report card last year, but not as well on this test? Report card grades include multiple sources of information, including participation, work habits,
group projects, and homework, all of which are important in determining a child’s academic achievement. These sources are not reflected on the test, so there may be some differences. To further explore your child’s academic achievement, talk with his or her teachers.
How can I use these test results to help my child improve? You can use the test results to guide a discussion with your child’s teachers about additional
supports or challenges that may be needed in class, as well as ways to support your child at home. Your child’s performance is broken down into categories in each subject. Therefore, you can use also this information to locate activities online that were designed specifically for each category at every grade level.
Why am I first receiving last year’s score now? Arizona is working hard to get the scoring right on these new tests; therefore, students are
receiving last year’s results this fall. We know it is frustrating for parents and teachers, but in subsequent years, the goal is to have scores available by the end of the school year.
How long will it be before I can see progress in my child’s score? As teachers spend more time focusing on the content outlined in the new standards and
students gain more practice with the skills, scores are expected to improve over time.
How are the new tests different? They focus on measuring real-world skills. For example, students were asked to read complex
passages, analyze them, and write thoughtful responses, which is different from previous tests. This was also the first time a statewide test included a writing section at every grade level.
AzMERIT does not lend itself to teaching to the test. By moving away from simple fill-in-the-bubble tests, the temptation to teach to the test was eliminated. The new tests emphasize applying skills over memorization. Strong teaching coupled with engaged learning throughout the year is the best way to prepare for this test. Since the standards ensure students are learning what they need to know, and the new tests are aligned to the standards, schools can now focus on what is most important, instead of test prep.
How was AzMERIT graded? All of the test items are reviewed and approved by Arizona educators. That review includes
confirming the answer key for items and any scoring rubrics. Items that require hand scoring are scored by trained scorers using the appropriate scoring rubric.
Where can we get the draft score reports? Examples of the family score reports and the report guide are available at AzMERITportal.org.
When are the test results being released? According to the Arizona Department of Education, initial AzMERIT scores will be sent to
districts and charters by early October. Districts and charters will receive copies of each student’s family score report by mid-October.
How will I receive my child’s score report?
Districts and charters will receive copies of each student’s family score report by mid-October. Schools and districts will be responsible for distributing the score reports to each student’s family. Schools can decide to send them home in backpacks, schedule parent meetings or mail them home.
What resources are available to help my child? Arizona Aims Higher: information about Arizona’s College & Career Ready Standards and
AzMERIT, along with tips and resources to help your child succeed in school. ArizonaAimsHigher.org.
Math Power Book: created by The Rodel Foundation of Arizona, this book was designed for parents and families who want to help their children make sense of math and covers concepts introduced in first grade all the way through sixth grade. RodelAZ.org/home/the-math-power-book
Do Your Homework Arizona: a free tool created by Stand for Children Arizona to help parents better understand homework related to Arizona’s new academic standards in math and English in kindergarten through eighth grade. D oYourHomeworkArizona.org
Are there any ways to see if a child is not doing well due to lack of effort versus lack of understanding? Comparing student performance on AzMERIT with other English Language Arts and/or math
assessments or course work can help determine whether poor performance on AzMERIT is due to not trying or due to not understanding. A student who did not try on AzMERIT would likely show better performance on other tests or course work.
V. TOOLS FOR TEACHERS TO TALK WITH STUDENTS ABOUT AZMERITAs teachers, your students look up to you. They trust you and appreciate you every day, even though it may not feel like it sometimes! You can help your students understand why we use tests and that they are a part of life.
Explain how this test matters because it will help them prepare for college and career. If they see an area they need to improve in, they can use this time to get caught up and not have to waste time or money in college backtracking!
Emphasize that AzMERIT is information. It does not determine where they will go in life or how successful they will be. It is one check point along the way to see how they are doing.
Tell them that AzMERIT is one way that you know how they are doing – and that you have many other ways to see where they need help along the way.
Reinforce that no one really likes testing, but that it is a part of life. You have to take tests to get a driver’s license or to get into many different careers – doctor, cosmetologist, realtor, lawyer, etc.
Most of all, encourage them and show them your support. Show them that you have their back and will do everything you can to help them succeed. Let them know that you believe in them and are here to help them every step of the way.