The State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness

Parent Information MeetingPresented By Dr. Jodi Duron

February 2012

A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE…• TABS – 1979

– Exit level test question in 9th Grade (3rd grade level)– Beginning of “high stakes” testing in Texas

• TEAMS – 1984Exit level test question in 11th Grade (6th grade level)

• TAAS – 1990– Exit level test question in 11th Grade (8th grade level)– New level for high stakes testing…– 1993 – State law mandates students must pass test to graduate

• TAKS – 2003– Exit level test question in 11th Grade (from Geometry)

• EOC – 2012 (Our Current Reality)– Exit level test question (from Algebra II)

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SHIFT IN ACCOUNTABILITY

• TABS: Basic Skills

• TEAMS: Shift from Basic Skills to Minimum Skills

• TAAS: Shift from Minimum Skills to Academic Skills (represented a more comprehensive assessment of the state-mandated curriculum, the Essential Elements [EE])

• TAKS: Ended social promotion and created a more rigorous testing program to be aligned with the new state-mandated curriculum, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)

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UNVEILING NEW ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM

• A STAAR is Born!!!– Beginning in 2011-2012, the new accountability system,

known as STAAR (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness) will replace the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) for grades 3-8 and End of Course Exams.

– Students in the graduating Class of 2015, who are currently in ninth grade, will be the first students who must meet the end-of-course testing requirements, as well as pass their classes, in order to earn a diploma.

– EOC test results must be included as 15% of the students final grade for course credit.

– The new tests will be significantly more rigorous than previous tests, with an increased focus on high-stakes testing.

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Assessment Differences

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Rigor: STAAR will have a greater focus on college and career readiness.

Vertical alignment of performance standards across grades and linked to post secondary readiness

Course-based assessments at high school

Increased number of test items

A four-hour time limit

Assessments administered over two days: Writing- Grades 4 and 7, and English I, II, and III EOCs

Increased number of open-ended (griddable) items

Separate answer documents instead of scorable test booklets at Grade 3

2011-12 AssessmentsSTAAR

Grades 3-8

Reading(3-8)

Math (3-8)

Science (5,8)

Social Studies (8)

Writing (4,7)

TAKS Grades 10 & 11

ELA, Math, Science, Social

Studies

TAKS Exit Level Re-testers will

take appropriate subject tests

STAAR EOC

English I English II English III

Algebra IGeometryAlgebra II

BiologyChemistryPhysics

World HistoryWorld Geography

US History

6Note - Any Middle School student taking a high school course (i.e. Algebra I) will take the appropriate EOC exam, as well as the grade level subject STAAR test, per local guidelines.

STAAR Alternative Forms

STAAR

Previously TAKS-Accommodated

With allowable accommodations

STAAR SPANISHSTAAR-L

Spanish versions of

STAAR Gr. 3-5

STAAR-L (Linguistically Accommodated STAAR)Phased in as online test

STAAR Modified

Approximately 80% of STAAR

Modified questions –similar proportions Readiness/ Supporting

All grade 3-8 assessments in

English

STAAR Alternative

Very similar to TAKS-

Alternative

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STAAR Phase in

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Grade 2012 2013 2014 2015

9th Grade STAAR/EOC STAAR/EOC STAAR/EOC STAAR/EOC

10th Grade TAKS STAAR/EOC STAAR/EOC STAAR/EOC

11th Grade TAKS TAKS STAAR/EOC STAAR/EOC

12th Grade TAKS* TAKS* TAKS* STAAR/EOC

Typical EOC Assessments by Grade

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Grade Math English Science Social Studies

Grade 9 Algebra I English I Biology World Geography

Grade 10 Geometry English II Chemistry World History

Grade 11 Algebra II English III Physics U.S. History

Are end-of-course assessmentsonly important for secondary schools?

NOThe learning that occurs in elementary schools and middle schools is CRITICAL for students to

meet the EOC assessment standards.

(A) describe the plot (problem and solution) and retell a story's beginning, middle, and end with attention to the sequence of events

A) describe incidents that advance the story or novel, explaining how each incident gives rise to or foreshadows future events

(A) analyze linear plot developments (e.g., conflict, rising action, falling action, resolution, subplots) to determine whether and how conflicts are resolved

A) evaluate how different literary elements (e.g., figurative language, point of view) shape the author's portrayal of the plot and setting in works of fiction;

English Language Arts/Reading

1st Grade

5th Grade

8th Grade

English III

Use patterns to predict what comes next, including cause-and-effect relationships.

Identify and describe patterns in a table of related number pairs based on a meaningful problem and extend the table

Generate a different representation of data given another representation of data (such as a table, graph, equation, or verbal description)

Collect and organize data, make and interpret scatterplots, fit the graph of a function to the data, interpret the results, and proceed to model, predict, and make decisions and critical judgments.

Mathematics

Kindergarten

3rd Grade

8th Grade

Algebra II

STAAR Performance Standards

Note: Standards for Grades 3-8 will be established by October 2012 followed by a Phase-In plan for implementation.

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STAAR, STAAR Modified, STAAR L

STAAR Alternative

Level I: Unsatisfactory Academic Performance

Level II: Satisfactory Academic Performance

Level III: Advanced Academic Performance

Level III: Accomplished Academic Performance

Student Success Initiative (SSI)

• Enacted by the 76th Texas Legislature in 1999 and modified by the 81st Texas Legislature in 2009, the Student Success Initiative (SSI)

• Students in grades 5 and 8 may advance to the next grade level only by passing the reading and math standardized tests or by unanimous decision of his or her grade placement committee that the student is likely to perform at grade level after additional instruction.

• SSI requirements waived for 2011-2012 until performance standards are established for grades 3-8.

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STAAR EOC Performance Standards

UnsatisfactoryPerformance

SatisfactoryPerformance

AdvancedPerformance

Performance

Minim

um Score

Note: Standards for the EOC exams will be set by April 2012. Students must retake the EOC assessment if they score below the minimum cut score requirement.There will be three re-test opportunities every year: Fall, Spring, and Summer.

Not Passing Passing College Ready

Level I Level II Level III

New Graduation Requirements

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Credits• EOC test results must be included as 15% of the students

final grade for course credit• Three graduation plans: Minimum (22 credits),

Recommended(26 credits), Distinguished (26 credits)

Cumulative Score

Requirement

• Students must take 8 to 12 End of Course (EOC) exams• Students must meet a Cumulative Score in each of the four

subject areas• For a Recommended diploma, students must score

Level II (Satisfactory) on the Algebra II and English III EOC• For a Distinguished diploma, students must score Level III

(College Ready) on the Algebra II and English III EOC

Note: Students have the right to retest on the EOC as often as they wish to do so.Students will be able to retake any test, even if previously passed, to get a better score to improve their cumulative score

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Math English Science Social Studies

Algebra I800

English I1000

Biology900

World Geography

1100

Geometry1200

English II1200

Chemistry1100

World History1000

Algebra II1000

English III1000

Physics1000

U.S. History1000

For each subject, adding the score for all three tests must be equal to or greater than the passing standard times the number of tests.

Total Score: 3000 3200 3000 3100

In the example above, if you take all three tests, the total score for that subject would have to be at least 3000.

For example: Level 1 (Minimum Standard) = 800Level 2 (Passing Standard) = 1000Level 3 (College Ready) = 1200

Cumulative Score Requirement

Questions to be Answered

• How will course credit be awarded?• Will EOC be used in calculating GPA and/or

class rank?• How will retest scores be used?• Will students be required to retake the EOC until

they reach the passing standard?• How will we convert EOC to a percentage

score?

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Considerations• Best interest of the student!!!• Least disruptive to current system, but still

in compliance with the law• Fair and equitable• The “known” and the “unknown”• Input

– Campus administrators/staff– Board of Trustees– DEIC– Community at-large

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How will course credit be awarded?• The statute requires the score a student receives on a

STAAR EOC assessment to count for 15% of the student’s final grade in the course.

• Options– Award by semester

• Apply 15% equally across both semesters• Double weight the requirement and apply it to the second semester

only (i.e. 30%)– Award by year

• Apply 15% at the end of the year

• Comal ISD’s recommendation is to continue to award credit by semester– Each semester will count as 42.5% of the student’s grade– EOC will count as 15% of the student’s grade

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Will EOC be used in calculating GPA and/or class rank?

• The statute does not address GPA or class rank; however, TEA suggests that a relationship “should” exist between the 15% requirement and these other calculations.

• Comal ISD’s recommendation is to NOT use EOC in calculating GPA or class rank.

• Reasons:– The uniqueness of grading systems across districts throughout the state

and the fact that GPA/Rank are local decisions;– Validity of the test;– Admission requirements for college;

• http://www.collegeboard.com/student/csearch/index.html– Possible future legislative action to eliminate or standardize the 15%

requirement; and– Best interest of the student

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How will retest scores be used?

• According to the statute, students have the right to retest on the EOC as often as they wish to do so.– Even if previously passed, students will be able to

retake any test to get a better score to improve their cumulative score

• For grading purposes, Comal ISD will only use retest scores for the purpose of earning credit.

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Will students be required to retake the EOC until they reach the passing standard?

• The statute requires students to meet the passing standard (Level II) [or at least achieve a pre-determined minimum score on 8-12 EOC assessments] in order to graduate from high school.

• Comal ISD will not require, but will strongly recommend– Impact on Graduation Plan

• Minimum Plan = 22 credits• Recommended Plan – 26 credits

– Must score at Level II for Algebra II and English III• Distinguished Plan – 26 credits

– Must score at Level III for Algebra II and English III

– Why Recommended Plan?• Texas Scholars Program• Most colleges and universities minimally require the RHSP for admission • Eligibility for scholarships• College Readiness Indicator on AEIS

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How do you plan to convert EOC to a percentage score?

• TEA will not produce a common conversion table to convert EOC scale scores to a percentage score. Rather, TEA has said that the conversion of EOC scores is a local decision.

• Comal ISD recommends using an Anchor Point Method– EOC “converted grades” are anchored to EOC cut points (pg.15)

• Perfect Score - 100• Advanced - 95• Satisfactory – 87• Minimum – 69• Below Minimum – 67

– .85(Average of Sem. 1 and Sem. 2)+ .15(cut point score)

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On the Horizon

• Questions yet to be answered:– Summer school operations– Timeline for report card dissemination– Other internal systems

• Personnel Costs• Staff Development Needs• Technology Programming Needs

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Resource Information• Links

– http://www.comalisd.org/– http://www5.esc13.net/staar/parent_resources.html– http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/staar/

• Contacts: – Dr. Jodi Duron, Assistant Superintendent for Academics and

Student Services• jodi.duron@comalisd.org or 830.221.2000

– Tammy Lind, Director of Staff Development and Accountability• tammy.lind@comalisd.org or 830.221.2000

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Questions, Thoughts, Input?

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