The New York State 2012 Grades 3–8 Testing Program in English Language Arts and Mathematics

1. The New York State 2012Grades 3–8 Testing Programin English Language Artsand Mathematics Presented by: Marianne Serratore Principal - Montgomery Elementary School

2. Testing Dates Grade 3-8 English Language Arts Tuesday, April 17- Thursday, April 19th Grade 3-8 Mathematics Wednesday, April 25 – Friday, April 27th

3. WHY DOES THIS MATTER? • Scores on NYS Assessments determine student placement in Academic Intervention Services. • Research indicates that scores on NYS Assessments predict success on future assessments.

4. WHY DOES THIS MATTER? • Schools and School Districts are judged on student performance on these assessments. Mandates cost money. • Teachers and principals will be evaluated, in part, by the progress their students make on standardized assessments.

5. The Only Constant is Change! • Length of assessments • Testing formats • High Stakes are Higher • Common Core Standards • PARC Assessments • SEE HANDOUTS

6. What will the 2011-2012 NYS Assessments Look Like?

7. English Language Arts This time does not include time for preparation, reading aloud the listening section, or for breaks. Teachers need to allot for 90 minutes for each test.

8. English Language Arts READING In the reading sections of the English Language Arts Tests, students read several passages representing a variety of genres. For each passage, students apply the skills and knowledge gained in the classroom by answering reading comprehension questions that demonstrate their understanding of the passages.

9. English Language Arts READING Tests at every grade level contain both literary and informational reading passages. Literary passages may include short stories, folk tales, poetry, or other forms of literary writing. Informational passages may include articles, excerpts from biographies or autobiographies, essays, or other forms of informational writing.

10. English Language Arts LISTENING • For the listening sections of the English Language Arts Tests, students listen to a passage and apply skills and knowledge gained in the classroom to answer comprehension questions. The questions are designed to demonstrate students’ understanding of the passage. • Students must take careful notes during the second reading of the listening selection to assist them in answering the questions that follow.

11. English Language Arts Reading/Writing The reading/writing section of the tests will be composed of four short-response questions and one extended-response question. Students will be required to read passages representing a variety of genres. The reading/writing section for Grades 4–8 will include paired passages. Students will write from a variety of prompts and for many different audiences. Student responses will be evaluated on how well the writing addresses the task and demonstrates understanding of the passages.

12. ELA Grade 3

13. ELA Grade 4

14. ELA Grade 5

15. Changes in the ELA Scoring Rubrics for 2012 Writing mechanics has been added to the rubric for scoring extended-response questions in Listening and in Reading/Writing.

16. Rubrics Writing will be scored on………. • How clearly a student organizes their writing and expresses what they have learned. • How accurately and completely a student answers the questions being asked. • How well a student supports their response with examples or details from the text. • How correctly a student uses spelling, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation. SEE HANDOUT

17. Mathematics

18. MathematicsGrade 3

19. MathematicsGrade 4

20. MathematicsGrade 5

21. Percentage of Credits Between 39% and 48% of the math assessment is comprised of questions measuring number sense and operations. SEE VCSD MATH CURRICULMS

22. So What Can We do to Help Our Children Succeed?

23. Talk to Your Child About Testing • Do talk to your child about testing. It is helpful for children to understand why school’s give tests and to know about the different types of tests they may take. • Explain that the results of these tests help teachers to know the strengths and weaknesses of their students.

24. Talk to your Child About Testing • Explain that the results of the tests help teachers to make changes to instruction that will help them to succeed. • Explain that all the students in the State of New York take the very same test so that schools can be compared against schools and districts against districts.

25. Please remind your children to: • Read all of the directions carefully. • Plan their time • Read each question carefully and think about their answer before responding. • Do their best.

26. Avoid Test Anxiety • Encourage your child and praise them for their successes in school. • Remember that tests often reflect a child’s overall achievement. Promote good study habits. • Place importance on school. • Have students attend school regularly and be on time each day.

27. During Testing Week……. • Make sure your child gets plenty of rest. • Make sure your child has a healthy breakfast. Testing week is not the time for “Pop-Tarts”. • Make sure your child is in school and on time.

28. Concerned about Un-Funded Mandates and the Role of High Stakes Testing in the State of New York? CONTACT YOUR LOCAL LEGISTATORS AND THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT See Handout

29. Resources Please take a moment to read “A Parent’s Guide to Testing at your Child’s School”. The following website may also prove useful: http://www.studyzone.org/testprep/ela4.cfm

30. Questions?