NECAP Results and Accountability

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NECAP Results and Accountability

• A Presentation to Superintendents
• March 22, 2006

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Standard Setting

• NECAP is criterion-referenced not norm-referenced
• All three states agreed to use the same standards
• About 84 teachers from RI were part of the
  standard setting process
• All teachers in grades 3-8 had the opportunity to
  be part of the standard setting process

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Keep in mind

• NECAP and NSRE are not equated
• Its not useful or accurate to say were doing
  better or worse than on the NSRE
• This is the beginning of a new trend line

4
Also keep in mind

• The results are comparable, that is, were seeing
  similar patterns of results
• We have not lowered our expectations for students

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NECAP Achievement Levels Descriptions

• Proficient with Distinction Students performing
  at this level demonstrate the prerequisite
  knowledge and skills needed to participate and
  excel in instructional activities aligned with
  the GLEs at the current grade level. Errors made
  by these students are few and minor and do not
  reflect gaps in prerequisite knowledge and skills

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NECAP Achievement Level Descriptions

• Proficient Students performing at this level
  demonstrate minor gaps in the prerequisite
  knowledge and skills needed to participate and
  perform successfully in instructional activities
  aligned with the GLE at the current grade level.
  It is likely that any gaps in prerequisite
  knowledge and skills demonstrated by these
  students can be addressed during the course of
  typical classroom instruction.

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NECAP Achievement Level Descriptions

• Partially Proficient Students performing at this
  level demonstrate gaps in prerequisite knowledge
  and skills needed to participate and perform
  successfully in instructional activities aligned
  with the GLE at the current grade level.
  Additional instructional support may be necessary
  for these students to meet grade level
  expectations.

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NECAP Achievement Level Descriptions

• Substantially Below Proficient Students
  performing at this level demonstrate extensive
  and significant gaps in prerequisite knowledge
  and skills needed to participate and perform
  successfully in instructional activities aligned
  with the GLE at the current grade level.
  Additional instructional support is necessary for
  these students to meet grade level expectations.

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State Results- Reading
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State Results- Writing
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State Results- Mathematics
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State Results Placing Results in Context for 4th
Grade
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State Results Placing Results in Context for 8th
Grade
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Communicating results

• Provides us with a snapshot of our schools
  (districts) achievement against the GLEs
• Begins a new trend line for all of us
• Able to look at grade-by-grade achievement
• Assists with ongoing instructional and curriculum
  efforts

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Communicating results

• Expect to have fewer wide fluctuations in results
  due to changes in test forms

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RIs Accountability System

• Proposed Revisions in Support of the
• NECAP Tests

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Working assumptions

• Keep as much as possible from the old system
• Adjust when necessary
• Adjust when new flexibilities emerge that benefit
  schools and districts

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Annual Measurable Objectives (AMOs)

• We are able to keep the same AMOs

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AMOs continued

• This is the year that the AMOs jumped to the
  next level
• For example, the Elementary Reading AMO went from
  76.1 to 80.1
• This change had an impact on high schools even
  without a change in assessments

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Index Scale
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Attribution

• NECAP tests measure the learning that occurred in
  the prior school year. Therefore, scores will be
  attributed back to the school where the teaching
  took place.
• Participation rates, however, will be based on
  where the testing occurred.
• Index scores will be based on the 95 of students
  who took the test. Zeros will not be added to
  schools scores.

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Cell Size and Error Bands

• Cell size is 45 for all subgroups and at the
  school/district levels
• Error Bands

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Safe Harbor for this year

• Impossible to calculate because the NSREs and
  NECAP are not equated the scores are not
  comparable
• Appeal Process Two-step process centered around
  the reduction in the gap between the schools
  index score and the states index score on the
  NSREs and the NECAP
• Step 1 Reductions in index scores will be
  compared separately for the two tests (for the
  school level and/or subgroup level)
• 2004 NSRE school to 2004 NSRE state compared to
  2005 NECAP school to 2005 NECAP state
• Step 2 Reductions in the percentage of students
  below Proficient (Partially Proficient and
  Significantly Below Proficient)
• One or the other

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Safe Harbor, continued

• Schools must have more than 45 students in both
  the NSRE and the NECAP groups before a comparison
  can be made.
• This could result in a change in the schools
  classification

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Considerations for principals

• Ensure that student reports get home to families
• Host a School Report Night for families and the
  community
• Think about how to build teacher capacity to use
  assessment results
• Make everyone aware of support materials
• Work with School Improvement Teams to use results
• Take advantage of the test interpretation
  workshops

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Grades Assessed

• About 72,000 Rhode Island students in grades
  three through eight took the exam
• Mathematics Grades 3,4,5,6,7,8
• Reading Grades 3,4,5,6,7,8
• Writing Grades 5,8
• 216,000 students in all three states

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Test Interpretation Workshops

• March 27th Marriott 100 430
• March 28th Marriott 830 1200
• April 5th Radisson 830 1200
• April 6th Radisson 100 430
• April 7th Best Western 830 1200
• WHO?
• Curriculum Directors, Principals
• Lead Teachers, Coaches (substitutes will NOT be
  reimbursed)
• Register online at iregister.measuredprogress.org
  

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Full Academic Year

• Def. Students enrolled October 1 of the previous
  school year
• For testing
• Regardless of length of time enrolled in school,
  all students must take the NECAP test.
• Students will be included in all assessment
  results.
• For accountability
• Students will be removed from accountability
  calculations.

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Communicating Results

• NECAP is directly aligned to RIs Grade Level
  Expectations
• This assessment is designed to be sensitive to
  instructional changes
• This is the first time that we have information
  that looks at grade-to-grade achievement (3 8)

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Communicating Results (continued)

• Districts are in the process of aligning the
  curriculum and instructional practices to reflect
  the GLEs
• Score reports are designed to provide much more
  information to support school improvement and
  foster conversations between families and
  teachers
• Analyses How are we able to support students
  learning with respect to the GLEs not Are we
  doing better or worse than we did on the NSRE?

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Using Results- Some Basics

• Scale Scores Every grade level is reported as 3
  numbers
• The first number is always the grade level that
  was assessed
• The final two numbers reflect the scale- 00 80
• 40 is always proficient