TEA Science Update

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TEA Science Update

• Cyndi Louden, Science Manager
• Shannon Miller, Science Specialist
• Student Assessment
• Texas Education Agency

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• End
• of
• Course
• Exams

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Executive Order RP53December 16, 2005

• Development of voluntary end-of-course
  assessments in Science, to measure student
  performance and provide for a potential
  alternative to the 11th grade Texas Assessment of
  Knowledge and Skills.

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Executive Order RP53Rationale

• Increase number of students
• enrolling in higher education
• completing post-secondary degree programs
• being successful in the world economy by having
  strong backgrounds in science, technology,
  engineering, and math
• Decrease number of students
• Requiring remediation in higher education

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End of Course ExamDevelopment

• Online only
• Voluntary
• Biology, Chemistry, Physics
• Educator committees review blueprint, assessed
  curriculum, items

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Participation

• Committee member selection based upon
  demographics
• Recommendation forms available at
  http//www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/deve
  lop/recform.pdf

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Biology End of Course Exam

• Includes all biology student expectations
• Field tested in spring 2007
• Live in 2008
• Online only
• Voluntary

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Chemistry End of Course Exam

• Includes all chemistry student expectations
• Field tested in spring 2008
• Live in 2009
• Online only
• Voluntary

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Physics End of Course Exam

• Includes all physics student expectations
• Field tested in spring 2008
• Live in 2009
• Online only
• Voluntary

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• Whats
• New
• with
• TAKS?

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Grade 8 Science TAKS

• First live test in Spring 2006
• School accountability ratings in 2008
• SBOE approved 33 for Met Expectations and 44
  for Commended Performance
• Phase In 2006 at 2 SEM 27 and 2007 at 1 SEM
  30
• Covers TEKS from grades 6, 7 and 8
• Formula Chart with Ruler
• Periodic Table
• No calculators

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Types of Items

• Multiple choice with four options
• Cluster Items
• Gridable Items
• Use only SI units

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TAKS-Inclusive

• Science Grades 5, 8, 10 and Exit Level
• For students working at or near grade level
• No field test items
• Larger font, more white space
• Expanded accommodations similar to SDAA
• Same standards as TAKS

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TAKS - Alt

• For the severely cognitively disabled students
• Online checklist of TEKS-based activities
• Field test window is January 8-April 13, 2007
• Live test in Spring 2008
• Four online training modules

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For Updates

• Join the science and assessment listserves at
  http//tea.state.tx.us/list/

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2007 ScienceTesting Calendar

• Grade 5 Science April 19, 2007
• Grade 8 Science April 19, 2007
• Grade 10 Science April 19, 2007
• Grade 11 Science
• February 22, 2007 (retest)
• April 19, 2007 (primary)
• July 12, 2007 (retest)
• Biology End-of-Course Field Test
• April 23-May 18, 2007

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Shannon Miller

• shannon.miller_at_tea.state.tx.us
• (512) 463 - 7816

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• Cyndi Louden

cyndi.louden_at_tea.state.tx.us (512) 463 - 0785