Vermont Grade Level Expectations and Assessment Development

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Vermont Grade Level Expectations and Assessment
Development
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Part 1 The Two Faces of Accountability

• Anxiety

Opportunity
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Three Reasons for Developing Grade Level
Expectations and Assessments

• Inform parents, students and teachers about
  student learning
• Improve instruction
• Comply with the law
• --NCLB Act
• --VT Act 68

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The Challenge How to raise standards in the
NCLBA Accountability Environment?

• High standards with more failing schools(VT)
• Low standards with fewer failing schools..(TX)

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By 2005-2006 - Vermonts Comprehensive Assessment
System

• Requirements in NCLBA

• Requirements in Vermont School Quality Standards
  (Act 68)

Equals an opportunity to improve student learning.
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STATE ASSESSMENT
REQUIREMENTS NCLBA Title I, Part A, Sections
1111 and 1116

• By 2002-2003 States must ensure that all LEAs
  annually assess students who are English Language
  Learners (ELL) for English language proficiency.
• By 2005-2006 States must assess reading/language
  arts and mathematics every year from 3rd through
  8th grade, as well as one year in the 10th 12th
  grade span.
• By 2007-2008 Science must be assessed at one
  grade within each grade span.

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LOCAL ASSESSMENT
REQUIREMENTSSchool Quality Standards (ACT 68)

• Assess student performance in relationship to ALL
  standards in the VT Framework of Standards and
  Learning Opportunities (or comparable local
  standards) at least once for each grade cluster,
  K-4, 5-8 and 9-12 based on a locally developed
  Comprehensive Assessment Plan.

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Why do parallel development of state and local
assessments?

• High stakes tests (state) can narrow the
  curriculum
• Assessment that informs instruction is critical
  to improved student learning.

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Guiding Principles for GLE and Assessment
Development

• Keep high standards for student performance on
  assessment, despite the fact that this may result
  in the identification of many more schools,
• Keep high-end or state-of-the-art assessments
  because they measure higher order thinking and
  performance skills and provide more specific
  standards based performance data to schools,
• Do no harm to schools or students.

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Vermonts Approach to Assessment Development

• Develop state of the art assessments that include
  a national referent
• Ensure optimal match of assessment to GLEs
• Increase involvement of individuals with
  classroom experience at every stage
• Increase credibility and acceptance by Vermont
  educators of assessment and accountability
• Support professional development.

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Part 2 History, Development Description
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A Short History

• 1990 2000 States developed standards
• Assessments developed to the standards
• A range of accountability systems put in place
• National organizations reviewed standards
  Fordham, AFT, Achieve, CBE, and others for the
  paper quality

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More History

• National organizations developed and applied
  protocols for evaluating the quality of the
  alignment of between standards and assessments

Webb(1997), Achieve, WestEd, others.

• And
• NCLBA requires grade level assessments, grade
  level expectations, tight alignment between them,
  and school level accountability systems.

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Findings

• Standards developed in first round were of
  varying quality
• For the most part alignment between assessments
  and standards are weak
• Fear about narrowing the curriculum abounds to
  item types, to over specified content
• Plea to prioritize, focus on the Big Ideas
  (Popham and others)

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More Findings

• Plea to align systems - Large scale assessments
  should be substantially consistent with high
  quality classroom assessments though procedurally
  separate. (Shepard 2000)

• Few states have seen increases in student
  learning on large-scale assessments either
  assessments are not sensitive to the changes
  occurring, or there isnt any change.

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Logical Response

• Use learnings about the quality of standards and
  concerns of researchers in the development of
  grade level expectations
• Use findings from alignment studies for
  assessment development.

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Develop and Use Criteria and GLE Definition
Based Upon Findings and Research (Examples)

• Maintain alignment to Vermonts Framework of
  Standards and Learning Opportunity
• GLEs and assessment should help focus curriculum,
  not narrow it, and promote coherent instruction.
• GLEs should consider both content and cognitive
  demand.
• Some important learning goals (GLEs), are best
  assessed at the classroom and school level, and
  therefore should not be assessed on the
  large-scale assessments, but should be assessed
  locally and
• GLEs should be prioritized for large scale
  assessment.

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Definition of a GLE
A GLE is a stated objective that is aligned with
standards, by grade. A GLE differentiates
performance on concepts, skills, or content
knowledge between adjacent grade levels, and as a
set, leads to focused, coherent, and
developmentally appropriate instruction without
narrowing the curriculum
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More History

• Partner States (VT, NH, RI) worked together to
  develop a common set of Grade Level Expectations
  (GLEs) and a Common State Assessment.

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Who brought what to the table?

• Maine, NH, and RI brought draft reading and
  mathematics GLEs
• Vermont brought its set of GLEs and criteria for
  development of GLEs.

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Where did the TSNE partners start?

• Modified Vermont development criteria
• TSNE Reading and writing started with Vermont
  GLEs
• TSNE Mathematics started with Maine, NH, and RI
  GLEs.

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Two Types of Grade Level Expectations

• Test Specification GLEs for the large scale
  assessment

• Vermont GLEs for local curriculum and assessment.

TSNE Test Specification for large-scale
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Vermont and the Tri-State New England (TSNE) GLEs
Vermont 3 8 GLE Development
Vermont K-2, HS GLE Field Review
Vermont 3-8 GLE Field Review
Vermont K-2, HS GLE Development
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TSNE Development
Summer and Fall 2003
Winter 2004
Vermont K-2, HS Development
Vermont K-2, HS Field Review
TSNE Test Specification GLE Development
Merge VT GLEs and TSNE GLEs K 8 and HS
Vermont GLE Rollout
VT Content Committee Review
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GLEs 101 An Introduction to Vermonts Grade
Level Expectations (GLEs) and Their Implications
for Student Assessment and Learning
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The Importance of GLEs

• GLEs will guide schools in their decisions
  concerning curriculum and instruction.

• GLEs define what students at each grade level
  should know and be able to do in the
  to-be-developed, state-level assessments.

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Looking at a Grade Level Expectation

• Stem main concept/the big idea based on a
  standard
• Underlining indicates progression across the
  grade levels
• State/Local identifies what will be assessed at
  the state and at the local level.

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Math
Number
Stem
Field
Grade
GLE
Specifics for grade
Differences between grades
Fair Game
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Activity GLE Scavenger Hunt
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Part 3 LARGE SCALE AND LOCAL ASSESSMENT
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STATE ASSESSMENT
REQUIREMENTS NCLBA Title I, Part A, Sections
1111 and 1116

• By 2002-2003 States must ensure that all LEAs
  annually assess students who are English Language
  Learners (ELL) for English language proficiency.
• By 2005-2006 States must assess reading/language
  arts and mathematics every year from 3rd through
  8th grade, as well as one year in the 10th 12th
  grade span.
• By 2007-2008 Science must be assessed at one
  grade within each grade span.

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Local Assessment Work

• developing assessments as required by Act 68
• providing solid scaffolding for state assessment
  where those assessments occur, i.e., reading,
  writing, math and science

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Link Between Large Scale and Local Assessment
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Two Types of Grade Level Expectations

• Test Specification GLEs for the large scale
  assessment

• Vermont GLEs for local curriculum and assessment.

TSNE Test Specification for large-scale
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Some Characteristics of Two Types

• Test Specification GLEs
• Must be assessable in an on-demand large-scale
  setting
• Should be a prioritized set.

• Local Curriculum and Assessment GLEs
• Can include concepts and skills not easily
  assessable in an on-demand setting
• Can include foundational skills as they develop
  across grades.

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Examples large scale assessable or not

• Test Specification
• MDSP31 Interprets a given representation (line
  plots, bar graphs, tally charts, or tables) to
  answer questions related to the data, to analyze
  the data to formulate conclusions, or to make
  predictions. (TSNE Draft GLE)

• Local Curriculum and Assessment
• MDSP66 In response to a teacher or student
  generated question, makes a hypothesis, collects
  appropriate data, organizes the data,
  appropriately displays/represents numerical
  and/or categorical data, analyzes the data to
  draw conclusions about the questions or
  hypothesis being tested, and when appropriate
  makes predictions, asks new questions, or makes
  connection to real world situations. (VT Local)

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Where we are now...

• GLEs have been developed for
• Mathematics grades K-8 and HS
• Reading grades K-8 and HS
• Writing grades K-8 and HS

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Where we are now...

• GCEs (grade cluster expectations) for
• Science Inquiry grades PreK-12
• Physical Science PreK- 12
• Arts PreK-12
• Health PreK-12
• Physical Education PreK-12
• Technology

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GCEs Under development

• Science Living World
• Science Universe, Earth and Environment
• Science Human Body
• History and Social Sciences
• Non-Native Languages

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Local Assessment In Progress
Development, alignment, and field testing of
local assessments.
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Supporting GLE, GCE, and Local Assessment

• Networks
• Resource Materials
• Technology
• Technical Assistance
• Linking with others

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Some Characteristics of the Two Types

• Test Specification
• Must be assessable in an on-demand large-scale
  setting
• Should be a prioritized set.

• Local Curriculum Assessment
• Can include concepts and skills not easily
  assessable in an on-demand setting
• Can include foundational skills as they develop
  across grades.

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Relationship Between GLEs and Local Curriculum

• Grade level expectations do not replace local
  curriculum they support it.
• However, local curriculum should reflect the
  GLEs. This does not mean rewriting curriculum
  but, rather, checking for alignment.

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Tri-State New England Criteria for GLE
Development

• Maintain alignment to Rhode Island, Maine, New
  Hampshire, and Vermont Standards
• GLEs and assessment should help focus curriculum,
  not narrow it, and promote coherent instruction.
• GLEs should consider both content and cognitive
  demand.
• Some important learning goals (GLEs), are best
  assessed at the classroom and school level, and
  therefore should not be assessed on the
  large-scale assessments, but should be assessed
  locally and
• GLEs should be prioritized for large scale
  assessment.

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When are the grade level tests being given?

• For 2003-2004 and 2004-2005, the New Standards
  Reference Exam will be given at grades 4, 8, and
  10 in the spring..
• Starting in the fall of 2005-2006 grades 3 8
  and 11 will be tested in language arts and
  mathematics. The Tri-State New England Partners
  tests will be given in the fall on the previous
  years GLEs.

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Using GLEs for State Local Assessment to
Improve Learning
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Part 4 English Language Learners
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Overall NCLBA Requirements for
English Language Learners
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Required Assessments for ELL (NCLBA)

• 2002 onward Annually assess English language
  proficiency (ELP) with the state level ELP Tool
• 2003-2005 Assess mathematics and ELA on grade
  level at grades 4, 8, and 10, and VT DRA at grade
  2
• 2005- 2006 Assessment on grade level in
  mathematics and ELA in grades 3 - 8, and one high
  school grade
• 2007-2008 Assessment of science at one grade in
  each grade grouping
• Note There are currently no alternate content
  assessments for ELLs. Vermont anticipates
  piloting alternate assessment developed through
  the WIDA Consortium by 2005.

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Linking ELP Standards with the GLEs

• VT now has ELP Standards - for ELLs only
• The ELP Standards are already linked to the VT
  Standards, but not yet linked to the GLEs
• To link the ELP Standards and GLEs, tailor
  instruction to integrate language and content
• When tailoring instruction, take into account an
  ELLs ELP level and prior knowledge in that
  content area

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English Language Learners
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Overall NCLB Requirements for
English Language Learners
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Vermonts K-12 English Language Proficiency (ELP)
Standards

• What are they?
• For whom were they written?
• What are they used for?
• What is their relationship to the GLEs?
• Example of 1 linkage to the GLEs
• Helping all learners

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What are they?

• Frameworks that emphasize the developmental
  nature of language acquisition for English
  language learners (ELLs)
• The 5 standards are Social/Instruction English,
  Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social
  Studies
• The 4 domains are reading, writing, listening,
  and speaking
• The 4 grade clusters are K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12
• For each standard/domain/grade cluster
  combination is a 5-level language proficiency
  continuum, from Level 1 (Entering) through Level
  5 (Bridging)

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What an ELP Standard looks like
Standard Mathematics Domain
Reading
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For whom were they written?

• English language learners (ELLs)
• Teachers
• Paraprofessionals
• Administrators
• Test developers

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What are they used for?

• To develop classroom and large scale assessments
  of English language proficiency (social and
  academic functions) for ELLs
• To inform classroom instruction of English and
  other content areas (mathematics, science, social
  science) for ELLs

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English Language Proficiency Alignments and Links
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Linking ELPs to GLEs

• Integrating Language and Content

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Linking ELPs and GLEs
Stop the presentation for video and activity
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Linking ELPs to GLEs1 Mathematics Example

• Sally spent 1.38 on a pen and 4.89 on a
  notebook. How much money did Sally spend
  altogether?
• Solve it
• Define the language and mathematics content in
  this example
• What are the language components of this example?
• What language difficulties might arise for ELLs
  within this task?

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Linking ELPs to GLEs1 Mathematics Example

• ELP M-R-(3-5)-2 Match words/phrases with
  math-related terms and operations (such as prices
  of items or time-related activities)
• GLE MNO34 Accurately solves problems
  involving addition and subtraction with
  regrouping the concept of multiplication and
  addition or subtraction of decimals (in the
  context of money)

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Linking ELPs to GLEs1 Mathematics Example

• GLE- Reading
• R9.1.2 Making connections about information
  within a text (e.g., combining or comparing)

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Linking ELPs to GLEs1 Mathematics Example

• Sally spent 1.38 on a pen and 4.89 on a
  notebook. How much money did Sally spend
  altogether?
• money math-related term
• 1.38, 4.89 prices of items
• altogether operation of addition
• Note and does not mean add the prices of the
  items! For example, the question could have
  asked how much more money did Sally spend on the
  notebook than the pen (comparison - counting up
  or subtraction problem)

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Linking ELPs to GLEs1 Mathematics Example

• Gaps in ELP to GLE link that might confuse
  ELLs
• 1) spend vs. buy unfamiliar vs. familiar
• 2) spend vs. spent verb tense change
• 3) spent on less familiar use of preposition
  on (more common - the plate is on the table, the
  song is on the radio)

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Linking ELPs to GLEsRecommendations

• When planning any content lesson or assessment
  for ELLs, think deeply about the requisite
  content and language needed to facilitate or
  evaluate student learning
• Similarly, take into account content and language
  demands when teaching or assessing student
  communication skills within any content area

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Helping All Learners

• Though these ELP-GLE linkages are designed to
  assist ELLs succeed academically, non-ELLs who
  are struggling with certain language
  proficiencies within a content area can benefit
  as well!

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For more ELL information
Contact Jim McCobb Title III Coordinator

• jmccobb_at_doe.state.vt.us
• [phone]