Nebraska State Accountability-NeSA Tests What Do School Board Members Need to Know? November 2009

1. Nebraska State Accountability-NeSA TestsWhat Do School Board Members Need to Know?November 2009 Pat Roschewski, Ph.D. Director of Statewide Assessment pat.roschewski@nebraska.gov

2. Agenda • Standards Revision • Nebraska State Accountability – NeSA Tests • New Protocols and Procedures • Accountability

3. Standards Revision Reading –State Board Approved – December 11, 2008 Mathematics– State Board Approved – October 8, 2009 • Districts must adopt within one year – December 2009 and October, 2010 http://www.nde.state.ne.us/ndestandards/AcademicStandards.htm • NeSA-R built on newly revised standards • External validation – Reid Lyon, McRel, Achieve • Science Standards Review Beginning December 2009 • Alternate Assessment (For students most cognitively challenged) - same process

4. Common Core Standards • National discussion • July 1st draft – High School only • January – elementary grades added • Implications? • Assessment to follow – “Race to the Top” grants

5. What do board members need to know about the NeSA-State Tests?

6. 2009 Reading Field Test • Field Tested – 61% of Grades 3-8, 11 90, 0000 72,000 online Balance = Paper/pencil • Field Tested the items • August – Build Operational Tests • September – Alignment Study – Verified the test

7. Testing WindowsNebraska State Accountability-NeSAReading, Writing, Mathematics Field Test, ELDA (English Language Development Assessment, Alternate February 1-19 NeSA-W (Writing) 3 weeks No local scoring State Spanish scoring February 15-March 26 English Language Development Assessment – ELDA March 29-April 30 NeSA Reading Reading Make-up tests NeSA AA-Reading (Alternate) NeSA AA-Mathematics (Field Test)

8. 2010 Operational Reading TestMarch 29-April 30, 2010 • Districts need to plan ahead • Tests Vocabulary and Comprehension • Two session test • Two days or one day w/break • Make-up tests must be administered • 60-70 items (includes embedded field test items) • If taken online – raw score and percent correct available to the building at the end of each day during the testing window

9. What do we know about NeSA-M? • Four concepts will be measured: • number sense • geometric/measurement • algebraic • data analysis/probability • Two sessions, approximately 60 multiple choice items plus embedded field test items • No Calculators, Common Reference sheet

10. What do we know aboutNeSA-AAR(alternate – 1%) • Spring 2009 – Field tested – 350 students • Academic Standards have been extended to be appropriate for students who qualify for alternate • Appropriate academic tasks in vocabulary/comprehension • Approximately 25 multiple choice items plus (5 embedded)

11. Nebraska State Accountability NeSA Protocols and Procedures • Security and Ethics • Accommodations • Scoring Rules What do board members need to know?

12. NeSA Security and Ethics • Standardized Procedures – New state security document • Principal’s Security Agreement (Administrative Manual) must be signed and returned by principal • All teachers to be trained in testing security procedures • District Security Policies are a must • A sample of district policy sent out in August

13. NeSA Approved Testing Accommodations • Testing Administration Practices (all students) • Accommodations for students with disabilities or 504 plans • Accommodations for students learning the English language http://www.nde.state.ne.us/Assessment

14. Approved Accommodations, continued • Accommodations and modifications are not the same thing • State tests cannot be modified to change the test construct or content • No out-of-level testing on the state test • All students are to be tested at grade level enrolled

15. NeSA Scoring Ruleswww.nde.state.ne.us/Assessment 1. All enrolled students in required grade levels are to be included in Nebraska State Accountability in one of three ways: NeSA – General education tests NeSA – General education tests with approved accommodations NeSA – Alternate These rules apply to NeSA-Reading, NeSA-Writing, NeSA-AA (Alternate), English Language Development Assessment (ELDA), NeSA-Mathematics (2011) and NeSA –Science (2012).

16. Scoring Rules, continued 2. If enrolled students are not tested, the district must account for the reason why a student is not tested: • Emergency medical waiver-granted only through the Statewide Assessment Office (waived score) • Recently arrived limited English students who have attended schools in the U.S. for less than 12 months (waived score for reading test only)

17. Scoring Rules, continued 2. If enrolled students are not tested, the district must account for the reason why a student is not tested: • Parent refusal (zero score) • Absent for entire window (zero score) • No longer enrolled (moved-waived score)

18. Scoring Rules, continued 3. All students will be tested at grade level – no “modified tests” 4. Students will receive scores only on the items that are completed. Incomplete items will count as incorrect items 5. Students will be considered a participant if they respond to at least one question or prompt

19. Accountability • State Accountability • Ratings on Assessment Quality • Ratings on Student Performance • New tests – changing everything • State Board in discussions • Multiple Indicators • Improvement over time • Federal Accountability – AYP – Adequate Yearly Progress 3. What’s Ahead??? – Rule 10 will change in the next year

20. Questions?