I-SS Common Assessment (MSL) Q&A

I-SS Common Assessment (MSL) Q&A

1.  Based on what I've seen published previously, MSLs will be left to district discretion as to whether they're counted as a part of the grade. Is that still the same? Will the timeline for administration be such that they could be used as the final exam for the course? If so, what's the reporting turn around? Will they be scored in district?

The NCDPI is strongly recommending that districts count the MSL scores as part of student grades. The final decision on that question is up to the district. There is no statemandated testing window, so LEAs have flexibility with when the MSLs are administered. Depending on when grades are due, LEAs can then decide how much time they want to leave for scoring and then "plan backward" to determine when they want to administer the assessments. Teachers will be responsible for grading the performance tasks, but they will bubble in their scores on a section of the student answer sheets. When the answer sheet is run through Winscan, the multiplechoice will be graded and the system will record the points awarded for the performance tasks. The report generated will show a "percent correct" for each student, which can be used as the exam grade. LEAs have the flexibility of implementing a curve. I-SS will implement a curve for HS MSLs and they will count as the final exam grade for HS students.

2.  Will MSLs for core content courses be paper/pencil or online?

The MSLs will be provided in PDF forms. LEAs have the option to administer online as long as the online system used can produce a certain file output. Some LEAs are going to upload the MSLs into assessment programs they use for benchmark exams and administer that way.

I-SS MSLs will be administered in paper/pencil format. The district will provide class sets of copies.

3.  We were under the assumption (based on what we'd been told earlier) that there would be no MSL for Geometry or Alg II this year. Those students wouldn't fall under SBAC exam & could continue on w/ the traditional course path. If we have MSLs this year for Geom & Alg II, will they be based on the new CCSS?

There are MSLs for Algebra II and Geometry. Geometry, Algebra II, and Integrated Math III will be assessed using blueprints designed to acknowledge student understanding of the 2003 standards while infusing the Common Core. Since we have a group of high school students who have missed a significant portion of the common core and whose academic career was based on the 2003 standards, we had to consider the creation of MSLs that infuse the CCSS, but do not penalize students for their knowledge of the 2003 math standards. We acknowledge that math is about building blocks and we see this as an important conversation as we transition to the CCSS. This would be a one year discussion because by the 20132014 school year most high school students will be headed into year 2 of the Common Core.

4.  I think it's worth bringing up that AP Chem and AP Bio are not the same as Chem and Bio. Students must take Chem and Bio before taking the AP course, so in essence a student could take the MSL twice - once this year and then once next year if he/she was to take the AP course next year?

AP English and AP US History are different, but they still follow different curriculum. AP US History aligns much more with the American History 1 and 2 curriculum than the US History curriculum. How will we know what MSL they are taking?

There will be some flexibility with AP/IB courses, based on variety in how LEAs schedule students into those courses. In some situations, the AP/IB class may be the first time that the students have ever learned the content (i.e. students who take AP U.S. History without taking American I/II beforehand). In these cases, the MSL should be administered. However, if the AP/IB course is the second (or more) time that a student has learned the content (i.e. students who take standard Chemistry during junior year and then take AP Chemistry during senior year), the MSL should not be administered and the course would be treated more like an LEA elective in terms of measuring growth.

Since we can't determine valueadded scores on AP/IB exams (and also can't pay for all kids to take them!), the state won't be using them in educator evaluation.

I-SS will administer MSLs at the end of the AP/IB course and it will count as the final exam.

5.  Is the administration of the Geometry and ALg. II MSLs optional this year (up to LEAs?)

No - LEAs must administer the MSLs to students enrolled in Geometry and Algebra II.

6.  Where can we access a copy of the standards that will be accessed in the Geometry and Algebra II MSLs?

The 2003 standards were used to build the Geometry and Algebra II MSLs.

7.  If our current classes in Geometry and Algebra II are using the 2003 standards, what specifically needs to be added to meet proficiency expectations on the MSLs?

(Infusing with Common Core is a little vague and does not provide assistance in communicating with our teachers!)

We will be releasing test specifications on the Measures of Student Learning in the next two weeks. These documents should help provide clarity on this question.

8.  If we are not holding teachers accountable for these scores this year, why are we holding students accountable?

Growth on the MSLs will inform the sixth standard rating for teachers who administer the assessments. Last year's (2011-12) educator effectiveness rating will not count towards the 3 year rolling average used as part of the determination of an educator status. However, this for the school year 2012-13 they will and LEAs can decide if student's scores are part of their grade determination. HS MSLs will count as the final exam grade in I-SS

9.  What standards will the Algebra II MSL assess during the 2013-14 school year? (Several districts are doing a rollout of the Common Core standards and by that plan, Algebra II will still be using the 2003 standards.)

The same type of MSL (based on 2003 standards with an infusion of the Common Core) will be administered.

10.  In the 2014-15 school year, will there be an Algebra II MSL in addition to the SBAC comprehensive math exam?

It's difficult to answer this question until we know more about SBAC and exactly what the assessments are going to look like. I'm sorry that I can't provide any more information at this time.

11.  Question on the way our district schedules AP English III, AP English IV and AP Calculus --- We use the course numbers of 1023 (English III), 1024 (English IV) and 2070 (PreCalculus) as the 1st semester class for our AP course. For the 2nd semester, we use the AP course numbers. Since these courses for 1st semester are not the complete course for the student, should the Common Exam be given to these AP students at midyear even though the student is scheduled in the 1023, 1024 or 2070?

The students should take the exam when they have finished the course and set of standards. It sounds like, for these students, that would mean taking it at the end of second semester. The course codes we provided are suggested, but we know that they don't apply in all cases. Of course, we all want the students to be assessed only when they have learned all standards in the course or grade.

12.  For the MSLs administered in the fall and spring of this school year, will there be a "curve" implemented much like the EOC?

A 0-100 point scale will be provided for MSLs. The district will determine if a curve is implemented.

13.  Have these MSLs/Common Exams been field tested to ensure validity? (Teachers in the ERPD session watched snippets of the webinar Everything You Want to Know about MSLs with Jennifer Preston, so they are privy to the process of developing the test items).

The MSLs have not been fieldtested. They went through more extensive teacher review of the items than our state assessments normally do. In addition, prior to sending any of the data to the SAS Institute for EVAAS, our psychometricians will be conducting various analyses and we will remove any problematic items from the scores.

14.  Where does the "growth" measurement come from for each content-specific MSL? How and when will these be implemented across the next three years?

The following assessments will be used to measure student growth:

End of Grade Tests- ELA (gr. 3-8), Math (gr. 3-8), Science (gr 5 & 8)

End of Course Tests – Algebra/Integrated I, English II, Biology

Measures of Student Learning/Common Exams

Analysis of Student Work for Performance-Based Courses

2012-13 will be the first year of a 3-year cycle of student growth data used as a part of the status determination. Whenever possible, growth will be determined through the use of the Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS).

15.  For individual teacher growth in lieu of Standard 6, how will that be calculated when students may/will have two teachers (i.e. one teacher for Math Foundations and another teacher for Integrated Math I)?

Teacher growth in lieu of Standard 6 would be based on the teacher that administers the MSL/EOG/EOC. If no assessment is available for the course, Standard 6 would be based on the school performance. Teacher of record is determined by NCWISE. If two teachers are responsible for co-teaching a course (inclusion), the score would account for the portion of the time that the teacher actually teachers that class. One teacher may be coded for 70% and the other 30%.

16.  For the CTE MSL in Financial Management, is that the same course as Personal Finance?

See the Course Codes for MSLs

17.  In terms of preparing our OCS students for the MSLs, will it cover the same content as for regular academic students? Will the administration of these MSLs be simliar to Extend II (i.e. fewer answer choices, shorter passages, etc.).

There is no federal requirement to provide EXTEND 2 versions of assessments, only for EXTEND 1. The EXTEND 2 students will need to take the same MSL as the regular education students...of course, with appropriate accommodations.

18.  Are there sample items or materials to help these students and teachers prepare?

http://www.ncpublicschools.org/educatoreffect/measures/specifications/

19.  Will seniors be able to be exempt (i.e. if they qualify) from MSLs since this will technically be a state test?

LEAs will decide whether or not to exempt seniors from the common exams. However, if a value added score cannot be created for a teacher of seniors, the LEA is responsible for creating an alternative way to measure student growth. I-SS will not exempt seniors from MSLs.

Updated: 11/15/2012