Performance Level Descriptors

1. Performance Level Descriptors Mount Diablo Unified School District Department of Student Achievement and School Support September 2011

2. What Are Performance Level Descriptors?PLDs • Performance Level Descriptors are narrative descriptions of student performance representative of each proficiency (e.g., below basic, basic, proficient, advanced) • These performance level descriptors describe the content and processes that a student at a given proficiency would be expected to know, demonstrate, or perform.

3. Proficiency Performance Level Descriptors

4. California’s PLDs

5. In HumRRO Document • Proficiencies are defined by score ranges on an assessment tied to how test results are used. • Descriptors of the knowledge and skills associated with different proficiencies are provided. • The performance level descriptors developed here are empirically based descriptions of what students at each proficiency know and what they are able to do.

6. It is critical, however, that teachers understand that the skills listed are only examples of what students at each level need to know and be able to do and not a comprehensive list.

7. Some Examples from

10. Our Work Create Performance Level Descriptors for the Essential Standards we have selected.

11. As We Begin… Select an Essential Standard. Define what Proficient performance looks like for that standard. Define what Basic and Advanced performance would look like for that standard.

12. Our Guiding Definitions

13. Important to Consider Levels are not simple, discrete categories. There is a continuum of performance within each level. Students who are just barely proficient are somewhat less likely to answer a given question correctly than students who have almost reached the advanced level. Nonetheless, averaging across the range covered by each achievement level provides a clear and reasonable summary of results for students at that level.

14. Degree of Proficiency on a Continuum Below Basic Basic Proficient Advanced Barely Basic Upper Basic Barely Proficient Upper Proficient

15. Ways of Showing Progress Depth of Knowledge recognize understand apply evaluate Extent very limited limited (unqualified) extensive Frequency rarely infrequently usually always Consistency inconsistently usually consistently

16. In Summary • PLDs are NOT a substitute for the Content Standards. • PLDs are NOT a substitute for more detailed diagnosis by the teacher. • PLDs illustrate what students at each proficiency know and can do. • PLDs communicate to parents & students what students can do and what they need to be able to do to reach the next level.

18. Calibration Activity The CST sample questions, at www.starsamplequestions.org are tied to a particular proficiency. Items were selected to illustrate what a majority of students at a performance level could answer correctly. For example, if the question is a Proficient Sample, that indicates that most of the students who achieved an overall “Proficient” score were able to answer that particular question correctly. Less than half of the students with an overall “Basic” score could not answer it correctly. In other words, that question typifies what a “Proficient” student knows and can do.

19. 3rd Grade Measurement & Geometry 1.3 Find the perimeter of a polygon with integer sides

20. All sides labeled Not complex Small numbers Below Basic Proficient Not all sides are labeled Basic All sides are labeled Complex Figure

23. Prime Factorization Prime Number: a positive integer that is not divisible without remainder by any integer except itself and 1, with 1 often excluded: Examples: 2, 3, 5, 7, 11 Prime Factorization: the process of breaking a number into its prime numbers Example: 12 = 2² x 3 4 3 2 2 3

24. Exponent 5³ = 5 x 5 x 5 = 125 Base Number Common Mistake: 5³ = 5 x 3 = 15

25. 5th Grade Number Sense 1.4 Determine the prime factors of all numbers through 50 and write the numbers as the product of their prime factors by using exponents to show multiples of a factor.

26. Proficient Uses one exponent Advanced Uses two exponents Basic Showing multiples of a factor

27. Performance Level Descriptor CA Standard: Content Area: Mathematics NS 1.4 Number Sense Determine prime factors of numbers up to 50 using exponents to show multiples of a factor 5th Score • factor numbers up to 50 using more than one exponent • factor numbers up to 50 using one exponent • factor numbers up to 50 with no exponents • demonstrate understanding that exponents represent multiples of a factor

28. An Advanced student will be able to answer: • What is the prime factorization of 36? • What is the prime factorization of 72? • A Proficient student will be able to answer: • What is the prime factorization of 45? • What is the prime factorization of 12? • A Basic student will be able to answer: • What is the prime factorization of 15? • 5³ = (answer: 5 x 5 x 5)