SCIENCE FCAT Test Item & Performance Task Specifications Training

1. SCIENCEFCAT Test Item & Performance Task Specifications Training Presented by the Science Capacity Development & School Reform Accountability Team

2. Norms • Tend to personal needs • Open your mind to new information • Organize your thoughts by writing or drawing • Listen respectfully to your colleagues • Share your ideas 

3. How Should We Use the Sunshine State Standards? to PLAN and GUIDE Classroom Instruction

4. What is the Standard for Florida? Sunshine State Standards FCAT Test Item Specifications

5. Let’s explore the Science FCAT Item Specifications

6. Where can I find the FCAT Item Specifications? The Florida Department of Education website: http://fcat.fldoe.org/fcatis01.asp

7. fldoe.org FCAT

8. Educators

9. FCAT Item Specifications

12. Part 1: General Specifications

13. General Specifications Scavenger Hunt

14. Overall Considerations • Items… • Are written to measure primarily one benchmark • Are appropriate for students in terms of grade-level difficulty, life experiences, & reading level • Range in difficulty from easy to challenging • Are approximately one (Reading) grade level below the grade level of the test • Do NOT disadvantage or disrespect any segment of the population

15. Item Context Refers to the situation in which a question is presented • Designed to interest students at the tested level • Presented in real-world context or related to real-world situations • Presented through written text and/or visuals

16. Reference Sheets • Contain appropriate formulas and conversions • Are provided to students in grades 6 - 10 for use during test • Are NOT provided for grades 3 – 5 (provided with each item)

17. What are the criteria for FCAT Science Test Items? • Cognitive Levels • Item Style Format • Scope of Items

18. New Classification Webb’s Depth of Knowledge & NAEP Knowledge Comprehension Level I HIGH Application VS MODERATE Analysis Synthesis Evaluation Level II LOW Bloom’s vs. Webb’s Old Classification Bloom’s Taxonomy

20. FCAT Cognitive Levels of Complexity • Low: Solve a one step problem • Recall and recognize • Moderate: Requires multiple steps • Flexible thinking, informal reasoning or problem solving • High: Requires analyses and abstract reasoning • Abstract reasoning, planning, analysis, judgment and creative thought.

21. Percentage of Points by Cognitive Complexity Level for FCAT Science

22. Determine that Complexity • Using your response card, identify the complexity level of the following questions • Please be prepared to discuss your classification

23. Grade 5 Short Response Sample

24. Expectations of High Complexity Items • High Complexity Items • Construct a model, draw conclusions, design, explain, justify, interpret • Types of Questions • MC, GR (Mathematics) • SR and ER (Mathematics, Science)

25. Grade 5 Multiple Choice Sample

26. Expectations of Low Complexity Items • Low Complexity Items • Identify, recognize, retrieve, calculate • Types of Questions • MC and GR

27. Grade 5 Multiple Choice Sample

28. Expectations of Moderate Complexity Items • Moderate Complexity Items • Apply, infer, predict, compare & contrast, formula • Types of Questions • MC, GR, SR, ER

29. Item Style and Format

30. MC, SR, ER, GR • Multiple Choice • Short Response (not in FY2010) • Extended Response (not in FY2010) • Gridded Response (not in science)

31. Item Style and Format • Express as a question when possible • Capitalize or use bold to emphasize a word (grade appropriate) • Avoid gender-specific pronouns – use plural • Use appropriate balance of male/female names

32. Graphics • Provide necessary information for answering the question • Illustrate or support the context of the question • Depend on the benchmarks • Used with 40% of the Science items

33. Scope of Items Refers to the benchmarks (Appendix)

34. Part II Structure of the Science Specifications

35. Specifications Sections • Strand • Standard • Benchmark • Benchmark Clarification • Item Types • Response Attributes • Sample Items • Content Limits • Definitions • Item Context

36. Strand B: Content Area 5 Strands assessed in Science: • The Nature of Matter • Energy • Force & Motion • Processes That Shape the Earth • Earth & Space • Processes of Life • How Living Things Interact with Their Environment • The Nature of Science For purposes of reporting FCAT scores benchmarks are organized in clusters: • Physical and Chemical Sciences • Earth and Space Sciences • Life and Environmental Sciences • Scientific Thinking Sciences

37. Activity Time!

38. Standard • General statements of expected student achievement within each strand • The same for all grade levels

39. Benchmark • Specific statements of expected student achievement • Different for the different grade levels

40. Item Types Address the types of items used to assess each benchmark at each grade level

41. Benchmark Clarification • Contains the task(s) a student will perform when responding to questions

42. Definitions Describe terms used in the benchmarks that require further explanation Example: Nonstandard units are objects, such as pencils, crayons, or paper clips, used to obtain a measure.

43. Content Limits Contain the range of content knowledge and degree of difficulty that should and should not be assessed in the questions for the benchmark

44. Stimulus Attributes • Defines types of stimulus materials: • e.g., • graphic materials, and • item context or content

45. Response Attributes • Give specific description of the distractors for Multiple-Choice items • Contain specific directions for the types of responses allowable

46. Sample Items • Provided for each type of question assessed • Presented in a format like that used in the FCAT test

47. Appendixes • Contain… • Appendix A - FCAT Science topics • Appendix B - Science Content Assessed by FCAT Item Formats and Assessment Schedule by Benchmark • Appendix C - FCAT Science Scoring Rubrics • Appendix D - FCAT Science Glossary

48. Putting it all together!

49. The Science Classroom

50. Classroom Environment Classroom Environment is Conducive to Teaching and Learning • Instructional goals are clearly posted, defined, and understood by the students. • The classroom is inviting to students and promotes learning through the display of instructionally based resources (i.e. item specifications, student work, word walls, sight words, classroom libraries etc.) and is clear of clutter. • Students are on-task, classroom activities are orderly, transitions between activities are smooth, expectations for behavior are clear, andinstruction is bell-to-bell. • The classroom environment is task oriented while the social and emotional needs of students are met through mutual respect and rapport.