benchmark assessment system and assessing math concepts … · completed an evaluation for the...

Benchmark Assessment System

and

Assessing Math Concepts

Review

2011-12 to 2015-16

Office of Assessment and Evaluation

Clear Creek Independent School District

Office of Assessment and Evaluation

Benchmark Assessment System (BAS)

and

Assessing Number Concepts (AMC) Review

Presented to Board of Trustees on May 8, 2017

2016-2017 Board of Trustees Review Team Laura DuPont, Ph.D., President Page Rander, Vice President Charles Pond, Secretary Ken Baliker, Member Jay Cunningham, Member Ann Hammond, Member Win Weber, Member Greg Smith, Ph.D., Superintendent

Steven Ebell, Ed.D., Deputy Superintendent, Curriculum & Instruction Laura Adlis, K-5 ELA Coordinator, Curriculum & Instruction Rachel Powell, K-5 Math Coordinator, Curriculum & Instruction Marny Doepken, Intermediate School ELA Coordinator, Curriculum & Instruction Jon Maxwell, Ph.D., Executive Director, Assessment and Evaluation Laura Gaffey, Data Analyst, Assessment and Evaluation Pat McKenna, Data Analyst, Assessment and Evaluation

BAS and AMC Evaluation 2011-12 through 2015-16

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Table of Contents

Contents CCISD’s Strategic Plan Alignment.................................................................................................................. 2

Summary of Findings .................................................................................................................................... 3

Background Information on BAS and AMC ................................................................................................... 4

1. How are BAS and AMC used for instructional purposes? ........................................................................ 5

2. What types of Professional Learning are available to staff? ................................................................... 8

3. What is the cost of BAS and AMC per student? ....................................................................................... 9

Superintendent’s Recommendations ......................................................................................................... 10

Resources .................................................................................................................................................... 11

Appendix A: Fountas & Pinnell’s Text Level Gradient ................................................................................. 12


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CCISD’s Strategic Plan Alignment

The purpose of evaluating programs in CCISD shall be multi-faceted and shall result in findings, recommendations, and/or conclusions that:

Ensure program alignment with the District strategic plan;

Assess strengths and weaknesses of the program;

Measure the success of the program in meeting its expressed goals; and/or

Result in improvements in, revisions to, or discontinuation of the program.

As part of CCISD’s program evaluation process, the Office of Assessment and Evaluation has completed an evaluation for the Benchmark Assessment System (BAS) and Assessing Math Concepts (AMC) encompassing the five-year period from the 2011-12 through 2015-16 school years.

CCISD’s Strategic Plan includes the following seven strategies, and the BAS and AMC align with the strategies as detailed below:

I. We will inspire learning through an array of personalized opportunities and experiences. Curriculum coordinators work with instructional coaches and teachers on a continual basis to support data informed, personalized learning options once each assessment has been administered. Students are placed in small groups based on their strengths and needs, so teachers can challenge each student by working within each student’s zone of proximal development.

II. We will provide student support to meet the needs and aspirations of each student. A systematic approach of research-based instructional practices has been implemented through professional learning opportunities regarding assessment administration and practical components related to classroom management in order to meet the needs of each student.

III. We will ensure safe and nurturing learning environments. Students have opportunities for small group instruction, which include purposeful, focused lessons that challenge students to work within their individual zone of proximal development while celebrating their successes and building on each student’s needs.

IV. We will ensure each student understands and assumes his or her role as a productive citizen. Throughout the course of each administration of assessments and corresponding small group instruction based on assessment results, students learn and practice effective means of communication as well as interpersonal skills which will help them in the classroom and beyond the walls of the classroom. This occurs as students communicate effectively with the teacher as well as his/her peers.

V. We will broaden and strengthen connections within our communities. BAS and AMC are standardized assessments, which provide data to PK-12 communities in which student mobility exists.

VI. We will ensure mutual understanding and support through effective communication. Students, parents, and staff communicate the progress students are experiencing through various means of communication.

VII. We will build capacity for organizational change. A professional learning plan exists for both BAS and AMC, and ongoing professional learning sessions occur at the campus level. An instructional coaching model facilitates the building of teacher capacity. Job-embedded professional learning opportunities also exist.


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Summary of Findings

Below is a summary of findings for each of the program evaluation questions: 1. How are BAS and AMC used for instructional purposes?

The Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System (BAS) is a formative reading assessment used by CCISD to measure students’ reading levels two times per year. BAS results drive instruction, and based on BAS data, small groups of students who have similar levels of reading development are placed into guided reading groups and are supported by the teacher as they encounter "increasingly challenging levels of difficulty" (Fountas & Pinnell, 1996).

According to Kathy Richardson (2014), author of Assessing Math Concepts, “The Assessing Math Concepts Instructional Levels identify the particular level of insight and facility a student has reached with a given mathematical concept. They are organized into categories that describe the kind of instruction the student needs. The data collected from the administration of AMC assessments are used to assist teachers in planning for whole group, small group, and individual instruction.

2. What types of Professional Learning are available to staff? Formal training (3 hours) was provided to all K-5 literacy teachers in the 2011-2012 school year. Campus coaches followed up with individual teachers who needed further support/professional learning. A DVD of training videos is also included in each BAS kit and available for teachers or teacher teams to watch for follow-up training. In addition, intermediate ELA teachers and literacy coaches also have begun participating in PL sessions.

The Professional Learning for Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2 assessments is embedded in the Course 1 for new teachers and Curriculum Studies/Previews for those units on District PL days. Instructional math coaches provide PL on campuses for their teachers as needed. A bi-annual summer math institute is also offered.

3. What is the cost of BAS and AMC? BAS 1 and SEL were designed for K-2, so the cost per student is based on K-2 total enrollment in CCISD for each year shown above (using enrollment data from page 8). Some CCISD students in grades 3-8 are also tested using BAS 1 and/or BAS 2; however, the cost per student was determined solely based on K-2 enrollment since BAS is a required assessment in those grade levels. While the initial cost per student (in 2009-10 and 2010-11) was $8.66 per student, the average cost over the past five-year period has diminished to $0.41 per student. If students in grades 3-8 had been included in the calculations, the cost per student would be even less.


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Background Information on BAS and AMC

Texas Education Agency Guidelines for Early Assessments in Math and Reading

Federal guidelines are still being determined by the State plan that must be accepted as per the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for math. The only requirement for math (beginning in grade 3) was to address the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act.

Assessments must directly address early reading skills, preferably as they are specified in the TEKS (e.g., letter recognition, letter sounds, phonemic awareness, word reading, passage comprehension etc.) The measurement of early reading skills is desired, so instruments used must measure skills beyond those skills that are simply reading-related.

According to the State Compensatory Education Fund FAQ (2014), “The Texas Education Code, Section 29.018 defines the State criteria used to identify students at risk of dropping out of school. The criterion that pertains to the readiness test, reads as follows, “Is in prekindergarten, kindergarten or grade 1, 2, or 3, and did not perform satisfactorily on a readiness test or assessment instrument administered during the current school year.”

Specific Assessments Used in CCISD CCISD uses BAS and a variety of designated mini-assessments as the official Early Reading Instrument as required by the Texas Education Agency (in grades K-2). It is also used for students in grades 3-5 on most campuses. There is no requirement that the BAS assessment be given to students in grades 3-5, but it is encouraged for students who are new to the district or who have demonstrated at risk indicators for reading, including below average performance on STAAR, low report card grades in reading, or previous retention.

Formal BAS testing assesses students’ word reading and passage comprehension. Additional mini-assessments are designed to assess reading-related skills such as concepts of print, letter recognition, letter sounds, phonemic awareness, and isolated word reading. The mini-assessments are chosen based on suggestions from TEA and grade-level curriculum expectations at the beginning and ending of the school year. Each grade level has designated specific ‘mini-assessments’ to give in the fall and spring of the school year to track student progress on priority targets for the specific grade level and time of year.


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1. How are BAS and AMC used for instructional purposes?

Benchmark Assessment System (BAS) Levels The Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System (BAS) is a formative reading assessment used by CCISD to measure students’ reading levels. In CCISD, BAS is administered twice a year (fall and spring) to students in grades K-2, and as an option, in grades 3-5. In grades 6-8, BAS is used in Target Reading courses. Depending on whether a campus elects to implement Target Reading as a full year or semester course, instructional reading levels are found 2-3 times across the course of a year. In the full year course, the initial level is determined in August /Sept, mid-year level is determined in January, and the end of year level is determined in May.

BAS is recommended for students new to the district, and it is often used for students who demonstrate At-Risk indicators, including below average performance on STAAR, low report card grades in reading, or previous retention. Based on these test results, flexible guided reading groups are formed within the classroom setting. On average, a BAS administration typically takes 30-45 minutes per student.

BAS is “comprised of 58 high-quality, original titles, or ‘little books’ divided evenly between fiction and nonfiction. The assessment measures decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension skills for students in kindergarten through grade 8. The set of books, recording forms, and other materials serve as an assessment tool for teachers, literacy specialists, and clinicians to use in determining students’ developmental reading levels for the purpose of informing instruction and documenting reading progress” (Fountas & Pinnell, 2012).

Each grade level has expected beginning and ending reading levels, which are based on a letter system. Teachers use a battery of assessments when administering this one-on-one reading assessment to students, which includes accuracy, comprehension, and fluency measures. In addition to those measures, beginning readers in grades K-2 are also assessed on phonemic awareness, which may include rhyming, blending, as well as early literacy skills (phonics skills) for kindergarten students.

Fountas & Pinnell’s Text Gradient The Benchmark Assessment System is currently in its third edition. BAS System 1 is designed for grades K-2, while BAS System 2 is designed for grades 3-8; however, both systems can be used in various grade levels. For example, the K-2 system may be used for students in grades 3-8, and the 3-8 system may be used for students in grades K-2. The differences between each system are shown below in Appendix A.

BAS in CCISD CCISD piloted BAS on a small number of campuses in 2010-11 and began using the assessment district-wide during the 2011-12 school year as the early reading instrument. Prior to BAS, the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) was utilized in CCISD.


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Assessment-Driven Instructional Practices BAS results drive instruction, and based on BAS data, small groups of students who have similar levels of reading development are placed into guided reading groups and are supported by the teacher as they encounter "increasingly challenging levels of difficulty" (Fountas & Pinnell, 1996). Teachers provide effective literacy strategies in order for students to become independent thinkers and apply their understanding to new texts each day using processing strategies. Students also learn problem solving skills as teachers provide prompts to assist with how to problem solve not just in the text in which they are currently reading, but in all texts they encounter (Hanover, December 2014). Based on assessment results, students also engage in meaningful station work and work toward meeting individual goals.

The data collected from the administration of BAS assessments are used to assist teachers in planning for whole group, small group, and individual instruction. Teachers in CCISD design learning experiences to meet individual students in their zone of proximal development, helping them develop requisite skills on the next level of the developmental learning progressions in reading.

The chart below details CCISD’s suggested timeline for students in grades K-5 to progress between instructional reading levels and corresponding grade levels.

Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. March April May

Kindergarten A A/B A/B B/C C C/D D D/E

Grade 1 D/E E E/F F F/G G/H H/I I I/J J/K

Grade 2 J/K K K K K/L L L M M M/N

Grade 3 M/N N N N/O O O O/P P P P/Q

Grade 4 P/Q Q Q Q/R R R R/S S S S/T

Grade 5 S/T T T T/U U U U/V V V V

Students in grades 6-8 are administered the BAS three times per year, and students participate in goal-setting, which is an important part of adolescent literacy. For grades 6-8, the results of BAS are used to inform the small group reading instruction that occurs two days a week in full Target Reading curriculum implementation. There is a resource (The Continuum of Literacy Learning) closely associated with BAS, published by the same trusted authors, Fountas and Pinnell, that provides clarity on the specific characteristics of readers at each level, text features at each level, possible word work at each level, and reading goals at each level.

Response to Intervention (RtI) and BAS The BAS reading assessment is a global reading screener used to identify students who are not meeting grade level expectations for reading. This global screener is a red flag that indicates a need for careful analysis of other isolated skill assessments that are given in conjunction with the BAS reading assessment. Specific and discrete goals are then set for students on such skills as phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, word solving, and comprehension.


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Assessing Math Concepts (AMC) According to Kathy Richardson (2014), author of Assessing Math Concepts, “The Assessing Math Concepts Instructional Levels identify the particular level of insight and facility a student has reached with a given mathematical concept. They are organized into categories that describe the kind of instruction the student needs. The following describes what each Instructional Level means in general. However, the Instructional Levels for each assessment are defined with very specific indicators, thus providing teachers the information they need to provide appropriate and effective instruction. Ready to Apply (A) – The student can already do a particular task and is ready to use this skill in other settings. Needs Practice (P) – The student can do a particular task with some level of effort but still needs more experiences to develop consistency. Needs Instruction (I) – The student has some idea of what a task is about but needs support. Needs Prerequisite (N) – The student does not yet understand the concept and needs to work with mathematical ideas that precede the concept being assessed.”

On average, an AMC administration takes 10-20 minutes per assessment, per student. AMC is based on three overall categories:

Counting/Number Relationships

Number Composition and Decomposition

Place Value/Numbers as Tens and Ones Assessment-Driven Instructional Practices The data collected from the administration of AMC assessments are used to assist teachers in planning for whole group, small group, and individual instruction. Teachers in CCISD design learning experiences to meet individual students in their zone of proximal development, helping them develop requisite skills on the next level of the developmental learning progressions in math.

Response to Intervention and AMC AMC assessments are not used specifically for RtI. The data from the administration on grade level is used to note that a student is struggling on grade level material. The assessments may be used to find students’ skill deficits if all teachers were trained in the usage and administration of the assessments. Currently training in the use of these assessments is only per grade level where the assessment is used in Tier 1 instruction or upon request in a Student Success Team (SST) meeting. Each assessment assesses a particular skill in the mathematics journey; the AMC assessments are not global assessments that find a specific mathematics level. They are each stand-alone assessments, checking on one particular strand of the mathematics process.

BAS and AMC: Assessment Alignment to TEKS and District Standards and K-2 Enrollment Additional components of BAS and AMC are available; however, pieces of each assessment (BAS and AMC) which align with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and CCISD’s identified high priority standards are used. Each student in grades K-2 is assessed on each assessment tool (BAS and AMC). The following chart shows the number of students in grades K-2 over the past seven years:

Year Kindergarten Grade 1 Grade 2 Total

2009-10 (AMC only) 2,590 2,704 2,677 7,971

2010-11 (pilot year for BAS) 2,594 2,745 2,751 8,090

2011-12 2,613 2,701 2,812 8,126

2012-13 2,706 2,750 2,740 8,196

2013-14 2,725 2,816 2,844 8,385

2014-15 2,795 2,860 2,866 8,521

2015-16 2,789 2,876 2,916 8,581

Five Year Total (2011-12 through 2015-16) 13,628 14,003 14,178 41,809

Seven Year Total (2009-10 through 2015-16 18,812 19,452 19,606 57,870 Data sources: TAPR for 2012-13 through 2015-16 and AEIS for 2011-12 and preceding years

The number of students shown in the table above is based on the snapshot date of each school year; however, the numbers do not reflect students who enter CCISD after the fall snapshot date. All students are assessed in K-2 on BAS and AMC regardless of their entry date.


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2. What types of Professional Learning are available to staff?

BAS Formal training (3 hours) was provided to all K-5 literacy teachers in the 2011-2012 school year. Campus coaches followed up with individual teachers who needed further support/professional learning. A DVD of training videos is also included in each BAS kit and available for teachers or teacher teams to watch for follow-up training.

In the fall of each school year, training is offered (either at the campus or district level) for teachers who are new to CCISD who need formal BAS training. Individual campuses hold ‘refresher’ training for all teachers who have previously used BAS. Both Professional Learning sessions include administration and implementation techniques.

Beginning in the 2012-2013 school year, BAS training has also been offered each school year for intermediate Special Education teachers and those working with at-risk readers.

Annual updates occur, which occur at the campus level, including practical components of the assessment, such as calibration and entering scores in Aware.

For teachers in grades 6-8, BAS trainings are provided to the intermediate ELA team each year. These include BAS training as a part of each Target Training (part of each of 4 days), many BAS trainings on campuses, as requested, and summer training. Additionally, most of the intermediate literacy coaches are now trained, and they can support their campuses at the precise moment it is needed.

AMC The Professional Learning for Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2 assessments is embedded in the Course 1 for new teachers and Curriculum Studies/Previews for those units on District PL days. Instructional math coaches provide PL on campuses for their teachers as needed. A bi-annual summer math institute is also offered.

Video examples of each assessment and examples of teachers thinking through student responses are included in the curriculum in itslearning.

Campuses that do not have math instructional coaches are supported through math coaches who serve as math teacher leaders for Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2. They notify teachers on campuses that do not have instructional math coaches about upcoming assessment windows and answer questions about the assessments as needed.


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3. What is the cost of BAS and AMC per student?

AMC The following table shows the cost per student for AMC purchases over the past five-year period.

AMC Costs

Year Amount Cost per student

2012 $1,506 $0.19

2013 $3,422 $0.42

2014 $2,333 $0.28

2015 $1,538 $0.18

2016 $1,320 $0.15

Total $10,117 $0.24

Source: Didax AMC purchase history BAS The following table shows CCISD’s initial purchase history from Heinemann for BAS 1 (K-2), SEL (Sistema de evaluación de la lectura) (K-2), and BAS 2 (3-8) beginning in the 2009-10 school year.

BAS Initial Investment in CCISD

Year

BAS 1 SEL BAS 1 and SEL BAS 2

Total Number

of Units Amount

Number of Units

Amount BAS 1 and SEL Total

BAS 1 and SEL

Cost per

student

Number of Units

Amount

2009-10 180 $37,100 0 $0 $37,100 $4.65 83 $17,920 $55,020

2010-11 456 $91,640 35 $10,850 $102,490 $12.67 624 $125,680 $228,170

Two Year Total 636 $128,740 35 $10,850 $139,590 $8.66 707 $143,600 $283,190

The following table shows CCISD’s purchase history from Heinemann for BAS 1 (K-2), SEL, and BAS 2 (3-8) beginning in the 2011-12 school year.

BAS 1 SEL BAS 1 and SEL BAS 2

Year Number of Units

Amount Number of Units

Amount BAS 1 and SEL Total

BAS 1 and SEL Cost

per student

Number of Units

Amount Total

2011-12 7 $2,485 13 $4,390 $6,875 $0.85 1 $355 $7,230

2012-13 1 $355 7 $2,485 $2,840 $0.35 0 $0 $2,840

2013-14 2 $710 1 $375 $1,085 $0.13 5 $1,775 $2,860

2014-15 0 $0 2 $750 $750 $0.09 2 $750 $1,500

2015-16 0 $0 14 $5,432 $5,432 $0.63 0 $0 $5,432

Five Year Total 10 $3,550 37 $ 13,432 $16,982 $0.41 8 $2,880 $19,862

Seven Year Total 646 $132,290 72 $24,282 $156,572 $2.77 715 $146,480 $303,052

Source: Heinemann purchase history

BAS 1 and SEL were designed for K-2, so the cost per student is based on K-2 total enrollment in CCISD for each year shown above (using enrollment data from page 8). Some CCISD students in grades 3-8 are also tested using BAS 1 and/or BAS 2; however, the cost per student was determined solely based on K-2 enrollment since BAS is a required assessment in those grade levels. While the initial cost per student (in 2009-10 and 2010-11) was $8.66 per student, the average cost over the past five-year period has diminished to $0.41 per student. If students in grades 3-8 had been included in the calculations, the cost per student would be even less.


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Superintendent’s Recommendations

1. Remove BAS and AMC from the program evaluation schedule as these are assessment instruments.

2. Continue to monitor the use and effectiveness of BAS and AMC through annual curriculum reviews and updates.


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Resources

Fountas, I. & Pinnell, G.S. (1996) Guided reading: Good first teaching for all children. New Hampshire: Heinemann.

Fountas, I. & Pinnell, G.S. (2012) Benchmark assessment system, 2nd Ed: Executive summary. New Hampshire: Heinemann. http://www.heinemann.com/fountasandpinnell/research/basexecsummary.pdf

Fountas, I. & Pinnell, G.S. (2010). The Continuum of Literacy Learning: Grade PK-8. New Hampshire: Heinemann.

Hanover Research (December 2014). Practices for guided reading. Washington, DC: Hanover Research.

Heinemann. http://www.heinemann.com/fountasandpinnell/pdfs/WhitePaperTextGrad.pdf

Heinemann.http://www.heinemann.com/fountasandpinnell/supportingmaterials/bas/10monthprogressbyinstructionallevel.pdf

http://www.heinemann.com/fountasandpinnell/research/basexecsummary.pdf

http://www.heinemann.com/fountasandpinnell/pdfs/WhitePaperTextGrad.pdf

http://www.heinemann.com/fountasandpinnell/supportingmaterials/bas/10monthprogressbyinstructionallevel.pdf

http://www.heinemann.com/fountasandpinnell/supportingmaterials/bas/10monthprogressbyinstructionallevel.pdf


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Appendix A: Fountas & Pinnell’s Text Level Gradient

Text Gradient graphic obtained from http://www.fountasandpinnell.com/shared/resources/FP_BAS_2ED_Research_Executive-Summary_v2012-08.pdf

http://www.fountasandpinnell.com/shared/resources/FP_BAS_2ED_Research_Executive-Summary_v2012-08.pdf

http://www.fountasandpinnell.com/shared/resources/FP_BAS_2ED_Research_Executive-Summary_v2012-08.pdf

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