The Georgia Milestone Assessment System is

designed to be a comprehensive, coherent and

consolidated assessment system.

The 4th Grade Milestone will have 3 item

types.

Selected-Response (Multiple Choice)

(ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies)

Constructed Response

ELA and Mathematics - These items require

the student to generate a response as

opposed to selecting a response.

Extended-Response

ELA - These items require more elaborate

answers and explanations of reasoning.

Writing prompts and performance tasks

are examples of extended-response items.

New Assessment Introduced

Cobb County School District– 4th Grade Edition

Milestone Messenger 9/3/2014 Volume 1, Issue 1

milestone (noun) 1. A stone by the side of a

road that shows the distance in miles to a specified place.

2. An important point in the progress or development of something: a very important event

Norm-referenced performance information is provided in

the form of national percentiles, representing how students’

achievement compares to peers nationally. (Note: Only

the items aligned with the Standards will affect the CCRPI

and TKES results)

Criterion– referenced performance information is shared in

the form of four performance levels, indicating students’

mastery of state standards.

Office of Assessment and Personalized Learning Address Questions to margaret.moss@cobbk12.org —Elementary Assessment Supervisor

Implications for Instruction/Practices to Cultivate:

ELA Test Parameters:

40 Selected Response

(10 Norm-referenced items

aligned to standards)

2 Constructed Responses

1 Constructed Response —

Narrative Writing

1 Extended Response –

Close reading of two cold

reads and writing Informa-

tive/explanatory or opinion/

argumentative with text

evidence

Math Test Parameters:

50 Selected Response

(10 Norm-referenced items

aligned to standards)

3 Constructed Responses

(1 weighted more heavily)

Formative Assessment

Practices

Facilitate/Gradual Release

Questions—DOK Levels 2-4

Teacher Models

Show work, detail

thoughts, provide rationales,

cite evidence to support

answer or claim

Close Reads (all content

areas)

Develop reading stamina

“Cold Passages”

Incorporate analysis of

primary sources

Use of rubrics

Grammar in context

Page 2 In this first edition of the Milestone Messenger, sample test items have been provided to demonstrate

the question types students will experience on the new test. It is recommended that teachers include

these types of questions in their own assessments.

Read the selection below. Then answer the questions that follow.

Grade 4 ELA Sample Items

Selected Response

Which idea for a picture would work best to represent the first three stanzas of "Barn Swallows"?

A. birds flying above a large barn

B. birds flying with fish in their beaks

C. birds flying in a sky with puffy clouds

D. birds flying in a clear sky near an ocean beach

Constructed Response

What do the words "a thousand beakfuls of mud" tell us about the nature of barn swallows?

Extended Response

Use both passages to answer the questions that follow.

Eyes, Ears, and Voices in the Sky

In 1957, the Soviet Union launched a machine into space. This small machine was designed to travel around and around Earth. It was the first human-made satellite ever sent into space. This satellite was Sputnik . It couldn't do much. It circled Earth and sent radio signal pulses. Basically, it beeped. Less than a year later, the United States launched its own slightly more advanced satellite. These two small satellites paved the way for the future launching of many more eyes, ears, and voices in the sky. Today, many human-made satellites circle Earth. They are launched by many different countries to handle many different jobs. For example, the International Space Station is a satellite that gives scientists a safe place to work in space. The scientists conduct experiments that tell us more about living in space and on Earth. Another example is the Hubble Space Telescope, a satellite that looks out into deep space. The Hubble relays pictures of distant galaxies and events far beyond the reach of any telescope on Earth. The path of a satellite is called the "orbit." Both the International Space Station and the Hubble Space Telescope orbit high above Earth. In lower orbits, thousands of satellites take photos of Earth, collect information about storms, help us navigate and determine location, strengthen and bounce television signals, and much more.

Satellites and Television Before satellites, television signals could not reach very far. Television signals travel in a straight line. They cannot follow the curve of Earth. Mountains and even tall buildings can block them. Sending the television signal through cables helped. It was still difficult to reach remote areas, though. Now, with satellites, the signal can be sent straight up to a satellite. The satellite can boost the signal and then bounce it back down to many different places on Earth. This allows television signals to reach unexpected places like oilrigs in the ocean, remote research stations, or even airplanes in flight.

Satellites and Navigation

A group of more than twenty satellites make up the Global Positioning System (GPS). Signals from multiple satellites

help a GPS device determine its exact position on Earth. Today, GPS is an important part of normal life. GPS in cars

helps us navigate from one place to another. GPS helps fire trucks and ambulances reach emergency locations

quickly. GPS helps pilots determine their location in the air and to fly and land in bad weather.

Satellites that Park

Some satellites are said to be "parked" above a specific area of Earth. This parked orbit is called "geostationary." For

a satellite to be geostationary, it must circle Earth at the same speed that Earth turns. Geostationary satellites are

parked 23,300 miles above the equator. This location gives the satellite the best view of the largest amount of Earth's

surface.

By staying in a fixed spot, a geostationary satellite can watch for signs of severe weather conditions building over a

wide area. These storm warnings save lives by giving people time to seek safety before disasters strike.

Taking Our Pictures from Space

Some satellites take digital photographs of Earth that are used to create accurate maps. The photographs also allow

scientists to study changes in Earth over time. The photographs have helped scientists study changes in coral reefs,

the loss of tropical rainforests, and the movement of glaciers in Antarctica.

Whether taking pictures, collecting data about storms, or helping us communicate, satellites are essential to modern

society. Without them, there would be no Internet, no early warning about violent weather, and much less

television, to name just a few things. So from Sputnik to today, satellites have changed the world–from far above it.

Treasure Hunt

This was supposed to be the best summer of Jack Henson's whole life. He and his brother, Thomas, were supposed to be heading 2,000 miles away to Yellowstone National Park with their uncle. Uncle Roger was a wildlife photographer, and he had promised to take his nephews with him on his trip to Yellowstone. The problem was that their mom thought they were too young to go.

Jack's mom looked at the brothers. "Still not speaking to me?"

In reply, they scowled harder. "Well, I have something for you," she said as she handed them a package with a puzzled look. "I think it's from Uncle Roger."

Thomas ripped the box open and pulled out a strange gadget. "Hey, I've read about portable global positioning devices like this."

To Jack, the gadget looked like a hand-held electronic game with an unusually small screen. "Do we play some kind of game with that?"

Thomas shook his head. "No, this connects to satellites in the Global Positioning System, usually just called GPS. It uses the signals to tell you exactly where you are by using geographic coordinates. This note says he programmed three proximate locations into this GPS."

Jack rolled his eyes at his brother's love of big words. "Proximate?"

"Proximate means 'nearby.' Anyway, we're supposed to find something that he left at these three locations."

Jack perked up. "Like a treasure hunt?"

They turned pleadingly to their mom, and she waved them toward the door. The brothers snagged their back-packs and water bottles and headed outside. Thomas turned on the GPS, and they waited while it located the closest satellites. In a couple of minutes, the small screen displayed their latitude and longitude. Thomas showed Jack the numbers. "These are our exact geographic coordinates."

Jack rolled his eyes at the numbers and asked, "Where's the treasure?"

Thomas scrolled through the preset destinations and picked the one labeled "Treasure One." The screen showed a digital graphic of a compass. Instead of pointing north, the compass pointed toward the woods that bor-dered their backyard. The GPS always pointed straight toward the marked destination, but sometimes Thomas and Jack couldn't walk straight to it. They had to walk around two fallen trees and then follow a creek until they found a spot to cross. Still, they soon found the first destination.

After a quick search, they discovered a plastic box in the hollow of an old tree. Inside, they found two plastic grizzly bears and a note that said, "Never sneak around in the territory of Ursus arctos horribliis, the grizzly bear of the Western North American uplands."

"Good advice," Thomas said, "except we live in the South."

Jack chose the next destination from the menu, but it seemed to take the GPS a while to find it. He looked at his brother, hoping he hadn't broken the GPS already.

"It's OK. I read that sometimes, thick tree cover makes it hard to find the satellites. Let's go to the top of the hill and try."

The GPS easily determined the next location from the top of the steep hill, and they unearthed the box nearby in a pile of stones. Jack took out two wooden bison and another note. "An American bison can run more than thirty miles per hour."

"More animals that don't live near us," Jack responded.

To reach the next destination, they hiked through the woods and came out at a clearing where someone was using a tent to camp. They could hear the babble of a nearby stream.

Thomas checked the screen. "This is the spot."

Jack scratched his head and asked, "Why would Uncle Roger want us to have a tent?"

Thomas snorted. "Don't be goofy. Someone's just camping here."

They found the box dangling from a nearby tree branch by a bungee cord. Jack climbed up to get it and tossed the box down to Thomas. This time, the boys found inside a pair of plastic wolves and a note. "Yellowstone has over 300 geysers, but fewer than 100 gray wolves, or Canis lupus."

Jack turned one of the wolves over in his hands. "Grizzlies, bison, and wolves all live in Yellowstone. It's nice to learn about the park, but I would have rather had the trip."

Thomas agreed with a sigh.

"Well, then, I guess you should have the trip."

The two boys recognized the voice even before they whirled around. Uncle Roger stood nearby holding a fishing pole and a small fish.

Really?" said Jack.

"I talked your mom into it," Uncle Roger said. "Since you're so good with the GPS, I'll let you two be the head navigators on our visit to Yellowstone National Park."

"That sounds like a perfect summer," Jack said with a grin, and Thomas enthusiastically agreed.

Extended Response

This task has more than one (1) part. Read each part carefully and respond.

Part A Using information from "Eyes, Ears, and Voices in the Sky," explain why Uncle Roger gives Jack and Thomas the gadget in "Treasure Hunt." Part B Using information from both "Eyes, Ears, and Voices in the Sky" and "Treasure Hunt," explain how Uncle Roger's gift to Jack and Thomas works. Part C Using information from both passages, explain how the events in "Treasure Hunt" help readers to understand the information about the satellites discussed in "Eyes, Ears, and Voices in the Sky."

Grade 4 Mathematics Sample Items

Selected Response

The table shows the length and the width of the gym floors in four schools. Each floor is in the shape of a

rectangle. Which school’s gym floor has the greatest area?

A. Adams

B. Brooks

C. Carter

D. Dunbar

GYM FLOORS

School Length of Floor Width of Floor

Adams 95 ft 40 ft

Brooks 90 ft 55 ft

Carter 100 ft 50 ft

Dunbar 85 ft 60 ft

Constructed Response

Mrs. Rodriguez has a rectangular rug in her classroom. The area of the rug is 60 square feet and the pe-rimeter is 32 feet. What is the length and width of the rug?

Constructed Response

Mark is trying to buy enough origami paper to make his class Valentine’s Day cards. He has figured out that there are 17 students in his class. He knows he needs one 3-inch-square piece to make 1 card but he can only find paper in 9-inch-square size pieces.

Help Mark determine the number of sheets of 9-inch-square paper he needs to buy. Remember that he does not want to buy too much and waste this expensive paper! Explain your thinking.

Key Findings from Pilots of Formative Open-Ended Items

Overall performance shortfalls

Students are not familiar with these types of items and make the following errors:

• Many respond ‘dnk’ – as in ‘do not know’

Students did not “show” their work, detail their thoughts, rationales, cite evidence to support their

answer or claim

• The tendency is to cite the answer only – as if a multiple-choice item

• Students did not read carefully and answer all parts of the question/item

Grade 4 Sample Social Studies Item (Selected Response)

Why is it important that Congress has the power to override a presidential veto?

A It is an example of how much more powerful the president is than Congress.

B It helps ensure that the laws that are passed are constitutional.

C It guarantees that the laws are developed fairly and are necessary for the health and well-being of all

Americans.

D It helps to limit the president’s control of which bills become laws.

Grade 4 Sample Science Item (Selected Response)

Table 1. Star temperature and color. Use the data on the chart to answer the following question.

Which star listed below is the hottest?

A. Spica – Appears blue-white in the night sky

B. Betelgeuse – Appears red in the night sky

C . Rigel – Appears white in the night sky

D. Aldebaran – Appears orange in the night sky

Temperature (K) Star Color

30,000 + Blue

11,000 – 30,000 Blue - White

7,500 – 11,000 White

6,000 – 7,500 White – Yellow

5,000 – 6,000 Yellow

3,500 – 5,000 Orange

<3,500 Red

Georgia Milestones Content Weights

for the 2014-2015 School Year

The chart below shows the approximate weight for each domain on the Georgia Milestones End of

Grade measures. Each Georgia Milestones measure is aligned to the state-adopted content standards.

Georgia Department of Education

John D. Barge, State School Superintendent

September 5, 2014

All Rights Reserved

Supporting Resources:

Content Standards (frameworks, formative lessons) at www.georgiastandards.org

Evidence Statements (PARCC) at http://www.parcconline.org/assessment-blueprints-test-specs

Accomodations Manual and FAQ

http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Assessment/Pages/Information-For-

Educators.aspx

Content Weights

http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Assessment/Pages/Georgia-Milestones-

Assessment-System.aspx

Assessment FOR Learning Modules (more to come) http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-

Assessment/Assessment/Pages/Eliciting-Evidence-of-Student-Learning.aspx

Sample items (more to come)

Georgia OAS/GOFAR—available to CCSD September 30th-

www.georgiaoas.org

PARCC— http://practice.parcc.testnav.com/#

SBAC- http://www.smarterbalanced.org/sample-items-and-performance-tasks/

NAEP- http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/about/naeptools.aspx

Delaware Department of Education— http://www.doe.k12.de.us/aab/English_Language_Arts/

linking_documents.shtml and http://www.doe.k12.de.us/aab/Mathematics/assessment_tools.shtml

Kentucky Department of Education- http://education.ky.gov/AA/items/Pages/K-PREPItems.aspx

New York State Education Department- http://www.engageny.org/resource/new-york-state-common-

core-sample-questions

Louisiana Department of Education- http://www.louisianabelieves.com/resources/library/practice-tests

Parent’s Guide- http://www.pta.org/advocacy/content.cfm?ItemNumber=3816

Milestone Messenger - found on CCSD Blackboard Learn under Assessment 2014-2015

Resources Currently Under Construction:

Student Study Guides

Unit of Study for Writing Constructed/Extended Response