West Virginia State Assessments:

What do families need to know?

[INSERT DATE]

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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Overview of Discussion

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

Multiple-choice questions

Short-answer questions

Technology-enhanced questions

Machine-scored

o Performance Task

o Longer multi-step questions, including essays

o 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?

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English Language Arts

• Whether students can read and understand texts of varying complexities.

• How well students use information from several sources to make a persuasive argument.

• Whether they can write, using what they’ve read and multi-media to support their arguments.

Math

• Whether students can understand and use important math ideas (i.e., number sense, algebraic thinking, geometry, and data analysis).

• How students use math facts and reasoning skills to solve real-world problems.

• How well students can justify their answers using math concepts.

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?

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• These tests may take longer.

• Thinking critically, reading deeply, and writing a well-thought 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

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

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Previous WESTEST 2 Example:

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New West Virginia General Summative Assessment

Example:

EXAMPLE: 5th Grade Math Test

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Previous WESTEST 2

Example:

EXAMPLE: 6th Grade Math Test

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New West Virginia General Summative Assessment Example:

EXAMPLE: 6th Grade Math Test

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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Previous WESTEST 2 Online Writing Example:

EXAMPLE: 6th Grade Writing Prompt

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New West Virginia General Summative Assessment

Example:

EXAMPLE: 6th Grade ELA Performance Task

.

EXAMPLE: 7th Grade ELA Test

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Previous WESTEST 2 Example:

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?

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Level Description

4 Exceeded the Standard

3 Met the Standard

2 Nearly Met the Standard

1 Has Not Met the Standard

• Reports will include scale score and an achievement level.

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

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• It will take more time to score the performance-based and

writing components since it has never been done before.

Transition Year Two

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• Will be able to compare the scores from this year’s

to see progress and strengths and weaknesses.

Thank You To Our Teachers

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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

Where Can I Find More Info?

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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

West Virginia’s New State Assessments:

Questions?