Implementing High Quality Assessments for All Students Lessons

Implementing High Quality Assessments for All Students: Lessons Learned Kentucky Department of Education – CCSSO 2015 National Conference on Student Assessment 1

The Future of KY Science Assessment Goal Develop new summative and through-course assessments aligned to Next Generation Science Standards Kentucky Department of Education – CCSSO 2015 National Conference on Student Assessment 2

BACKGROUND Kentucky Department of Education – CCSSO 2015 National Conference on Student Assessment 3

Where did the new Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) come from? • 2010 - An independent collaboration of groups came together to develop a Framework for K-12 Science Education: Ø Led by 18 nationally and internationally recognized science experts. Ø Groups: National Academy of Sciences, American Association for the Advancement of Science, National Science Teachers Association and Achieve Inc. It was from this framework that the NGSS were developed. • September 2011 - Kentucky became a lead state partner with 25 other states. • June 2013 - Kentucky Board of Education adopts NGSS as the Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS) for Science. • Development of standards led by states and organizations. No federal funding or federal involvement. Link to KAS Science: http: //education. ky. gov/curriculum/sci/Pages/Next-Generation-Science-Standards. aspx Kentucky Department of Education – CCSSO 2015 National Conference on Student Assessment 4

What is the purpose of NGSS? NGSS significantly alters the way science is taught in schools by making science education resemble the way scientists work and think. The three dimensions of science standards are: A. Dimension 1: Science and Engineering Practices (SEP) B. C. Ø Practices through which scientists and engineers do their work. Ø Example: Planning and carrying out investigations. Dimension 2: Crosscutting Concepts (CCC) Ø Crosscutting Concepts that link different science disciplines. Ø Example: Cause and effect. Dimension 3: Inter Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI) Ø Core Ideas of the disciplines of science. Ø Example: The faster an object moves, the more energy it possesses. Kentucky Department of Education – CCSSO 2015 National Conference on Student Assessment 5

Kentucky Testing Expectations and Legal Requirements Kentucky Department of Education – CCSSO 2015 National Conference on Student Assessment 6

Ideas for the new assessment system A. Assessment design is bottom-up, not top-down Ø A system of assessments and not a single test. Ø The assessment system must support classroom instruction and validate science achievement from classroom to district to state. Ø Performance Based Tasks Kentucky Department of Education – CCSSO 2015 National Conference on Student Assessment 7

Ideas of the new assessment system (continued) B. The assessment types include: Ø Classroom-embedded assessments designed by teachers. Ø External assessments such as through-course designed at the state level to be used to validate student learning. Ø State administered summative assessment given at the end of year for state accountability purposes. C. The assessment format must include rich and deep tasks where students use Scientific and Engineering Practices, Crosscutting Concepts and Disciplinary Core Ideas just as real scientists do. Kentucky Department of Education – CCSSO 2015 National Conference on Student Assessment 8

Online Assessment • Assessments to have technology enhanced items, innovative items and performance based tasks in addition to multiple choice and constructed response. • Application shall support 300, 000 concurrent students testing online. • Student/technology ratio is currently 1. 9 to 1. • Application to support all major operating systems and hardware. • Testing happening in a test secure environment. Kentucky Department of Education – CCSSO 2015 National Conference on Student Assessment 9

Summative Assessments (SSA) Administered at grades 4 and 7. Comprehensive of grades 3 & 4 and 5, 6 & 7 Blend of common and matrix sampling Limited amount of hand scoring Item Clusters approximately 20 minutes in total length Coverage of all three DCI domains Assessments meet requirements/restrictions in Kentucky Revised Statute KRS 158. 6543 • Reports to provide overall student performance and domain results where feasible. • • Kentucky Department of Education – CCSSO 2015 National Conference on Student Assessment 10

Through-Course Assessments (TCA) • Structure with flexibility • Administered 3 times a year at each grade 3 -8 Ø 4 testing intervals (the 4 th will have NO TCAs, reserved for SSAs) • Focus is on Science and Engineering Practices/ Crosscutting Concepts intersection • Emphasis on strength of stimuli and usability of item sets across stimuli • Little “a” vs big “A” accountability • Assessments have overall time restrictions - Kentucky Revised Statute KRS 158. 6543 Kentucky Department of Education – CCSSO 2015 National Conference on Student Assessment 11

Item Cluster Overview Kentucky Department of Education – CCSSO 2015 National Conference on Student Assessment 12

Where Kentucky is Today Kentucky Department of Education – CCSSO 2015 National Conference on Student Assessment 13

Activities Underway • Contract with West. Ed for assistance in the Design of Kentucky Science Assessments. • CCSSO Science Assessment Item Collaborative (SAIC). • Building Capacity of District Teams - Leadership Networks Ø District leadership teams – Teacher leaders, school and district administrators, higher education. Ø Educational Cooperatives – Content specialists and instructional Specialists Kentucky Department of Education – CCSSO 2015 National Conference on Student Assessment 14

Lessons Learned • Still a lot to learn. • 10 X more complex that was developed for PARCC and Smarter Balanced. • No state has ever developed state summative and through-course assessments this complex. • Expect schedule slippage. • Obtain assistance from national experts. Kentucky Department of Education – CCSSO 2015 National Conference on Student Assessment 15

Lessons Learned (continued) • Item writing is extremely complex and different. Is there a test vendor that can create the needed item clusters? • Psychometric considerations not fully addressed. • Need for phase in of through-course assessments. • Possible political considerations at the state and federal levels. Kentucky Department of Education – CCSSO 2015 National Conference on Student Assessment 16

Future Activities • Fall 2015 - Issue science summative and though-course operational RFP • Fall/Winter 2015 – Award contract • Spring 2017 – Fully operational summative assessment and some through-course assessments • Fall 2017 and beyond – Continued development of through-course assessments Kentucky Department of Education – CCSSO 2015 National Conference on Student Assessment 17

Contact Information Roger Ervin Systems Administrator Kentucky Department of Education Office of Assessment and Accountability roger. ervin@education. ky. gov 502 -564 -2256 Kentucky Department of Education – CCSSO 2015 National Conference on Student Assessment 18