The biology collection of evidencehas arrived with the 2013- 2014 school year. The first submission will occur on June 11, 2014. Biology tasks used in developing a collection of evidence are aligned to the Washington State K-12 Science Learning Standards (June 2009). These tasks assess the same content standards as the end of course exam for biology.
Information about sufficiency and content requirements can be found in theCOE Guidelines, available online by September 13, 2013. To begin creating collections for your students, go to the "Submitting Your COE - Biology" section.
The Biology Collection of Evidence Moodle is available for teachers. Here teachers can find information on how biology COE tasks are developed, along with links to the Biology Test and Item Specifications, and Performance Level Descriptors. The Moodle site will be updated throughout the year with practice tasks. The site will also provide opportunities for COE teachers to share information.http://moodle2.ospi.k12.wa.us/enrol/index.php?id=57
Biology COE GuidelinesThe Biology Collection of Evidence (COE)
The biology COE is a legislatively approved option to the state high school biology assessment. The COE is one way a student can meet the requirements for graduation through the Certificate of Academic Achievement (CAA). A biology COE is a set of exemplary work samples that represent what a student knows and can do with respect to the biology content standards for high school. These are the same skills and expectations assessed on the biology end of course exam (EOC). The COE is a performance assessment administered online through the secure EDS system. The COE tasks consist of constructed response questions which require a student to actively demonstrate what he or she knows and can do. The COE, like the EOC, is administered under the direction and supervision of an educational professional.
The required components of a biology COE
A sufficient biology collection must meet the following requirements:
• The collection consists of at least six and at most eight student work samples. Work samples are tasks which are performance based assessments showing what a student knows and can do in relationship to specified state standards. These six to eight work samples or tasks when completed are submitted together and compose a collection. All work samples must be tasks accessed from the inclusion bank through the online system using a secure Education Data System (EDS) account.
• Biology work is to be completed online under the supervision of an educational professional and following the guidelines under testing and administration http://www.coe.k12.wa.us/Page/ (page to insert here when ready)___ Student diagrams are optional and may be included for some questions. Students must designate the use of diagrams within the online test. The paper version of the diagram will be submitted per guidelines to ESD #113 for scoring with the task.
• There are six strands in biology. Each strand must be represented by at least three different questions with the exception of the Ecosystems (LS2) strand which must be represented by at least four different questions.
• A minimum of two tasks must be chosen as on-demand tasks. (http://www.coe.k12.wa.us/Page/(to be inserted here when ready)
Once completed, all tasks are compiled into the collection online and submitted through the EDS. Any original paper student diagrams are mailed (tracking method required). Be sure to make a photocopy for retention at the district prior to sending to the scoring center at ESD 113. Additional information for District Assessment Coordinators can be found at http://www.coe.k12.wa.us/domain/25.
Eligibility to work on and submit a biology COE
A student who has already taken or is currently enrolled in a biology course may work on the biology COE. A student may submit a COE only after two attempts on the biology EOC exam. Students may only submit one biology COE.
Biology strands
The biology strands are broad statements that group the knowledge and skills defined in K-12 Science Learning Standards that students are asked to demonstrate in biology coursework throughout their high school experience. There are six strands: Systems, Inquiry, Application, Cell Processes (LS1), Ecosystems (LS2), and Evolution/Genetics (LS3).
A biology COE task
A biology COE task is a set of biology questions set in a context. The questions require students to demonstrate their understanding of the content standards for biology by responding to constructed response questions. A typical task requires 60 to 90 minutes for student completion. Biology tasks are available from the biology inclusion bank. All tasks included in student collections must come from the biology inclusion bank. Inclusion bank tasks have been written and reviewed by teams of biology teachers and education professionals throughout the state. This process assures that tasks are aligned to the content standards for biology, meet the required cognitive complexity, are unbiased, and assess the knowledge and skills described in the content standards.
The on-demand COE task
An on-demand task is one that a student completes independently in a single, session while supervised by a teacher or other education professional. An on-demand task may be administered in part over more than one session as long as students are not allowed to return to questions completed in a prior session. Students are allowed access to the same tools as a student completing the Biology EOC: a calculator in test mode and a straight edge. http://www.k12.wa.us/TestAdministration/Instructions/pubdocs/EOC2013DFAWeb.pdf A student biology collection must contain at least two on-demand tasks in order to meet sufficiency requirements.
The extended time COE task
An extended-time task is one that a student completes independently over more than one class period or session while supervised by a teacher or education professional. The extended time task allows students the opportunity for independent reflection, editing, and revising, prior to submitting their final work sample to the collection. In between work sample development sessions/classes, professional educators will secure all COE materials. Extended time tasks (labeled COE biology diagrams) are not to be taken outside the classroom or proctored testing environment. All COE tasks, whether completed as on-demand or as extended time, should be the sole work of the student. Students are allowed access to the same tools as a student completing the Biology EOC: or on demand biology COE a calculator in test mode and a straight edge. http://www.k12.wa.us/TestAdministration/Instructions/pubdocs/EOC2013DFAWeb.pdf
The biology COE Inclusion Bank
A biology inclusion bank is a collection of performance bases assessments measuring students’ knowledge of science content in high school biology course. Teachers and students may access these tasks for use as on-demand or extended time tasks through the secure EDS system. These tasks developed through OSPI by Washington State educators are the only tasks allowed on the biology COE.
Administration of the biology COE
• Room preparation: Remove or cover any aids or prompts that might potentially assist students in answering questions on an inclusion bank task. Please refer to classroom preparation for Biology EOC p. 59 ACM http://www.k12.wa.us/TestAdministration/Instructions/pubdocs/EOC2013DFAWeb.pdf
• Materials preparation: The only materials allowed are the task, calculator (in test mode), and EOC approved Biology sheet. Please refer to EOC Biology guidelines and calculator policy. No scratch paper, graphing paper, notes, thesauruses, dictionaries, or non- approved electronics are allowed on the Biology COE. http://www.k12.wa.us/TestAdministration/Instructions/default.aspx
• Proctors: A student is always proctored by district staff for on-demand and extended response COE assessments. Please refer to the Spring EOC DFA p. 9-10 http://www.k12.wa.us/TestAdministration/Instructions/default.aspx
• Assessment Materials: COE inclusion bank tasks are secure state test materials. Optional student labeled diagrams are never left unattended by district staff. As the COE allows for multiple opportunities to test (unlike the EOC) these materials (labeled biology COE student diagrams) must be kept in a secure location between administration sessions.
English language learners taking the writing, mathematics, and biology collections of evidence may be assessed in their native language. These students may receive an oral presentation of the inclusion bank tasks and prompts from human readers or a word-to-word translation device to read directions, stimuli, and questions to the student in his/her native language. For the writing, mathematics, and science assessments, the oral presentation will include the human reader translating as closely as possible all stimulus materials, such as science scenarios, mathematics problems, test questions, writing prompts, and answer choices.
English language learners may also use bilingual word-to-word dictionaries in generating their responses. Bilingual word-to-word dictionaries will not include synonyms or definitions that would aid the student with identifying or generating correct responses. All responses must be written in English.
Teacher assistance on the biology COE
For all COE tasks, as with the EOC exams, there is no teacher assistance allowed during testing. Appropriate teacher assistance is the timely teaching to the Washington State K-12 Science Learning Standards which prepares students to take the COE assessment, just as teachers would prepare students for the EOC exam. For the Biology COE, it is expected that teachers will assist with concept development but not teach directly to any particular inclusion task, use any part of a task to illustrate a point, or replicate any task in part or entirety In addition, teachers should build science academic vocabulary and concept development through planned instructional activities to prepare students for the biology COE. All responses, whether extended or on demand tasks, reflect the individual work of the student in a proctored testing environment. Refer to test administration and security.
http://www.coe.k12.wa.us/Page/(page to be determined)
Scoring the biology COE
Scoring involves reading and assigning scores to each work sample by trained, professional scorers. The scoring training process has been developed to maintain consistency, reliability, and validity within and across scoring events. Scorers assign a score to indicate the quality of student work using a four point, task-specific scoring rubric for each question. Each biology COE task is independently scored. The total collection score is determined by using a best works model which assigns the two highest scores from the Systems, Application, Ecosystems (LS2), and Evolution/Genetics (LS3) strands and the three highest scores from the Inquiry and Cell Processes (LS1) strands, while also including a score from each of two on-demand samples. Districts receive only one total score for a student collection. Strand scores are not provided.
Proficiency on the biology COE
Similar to the biology EOC, proficiency on a biology COE means that the work samples demonstrate a level of student performance that reflects what a high school biology student should know and should be able to do according to the content standards and performance level descriptors (http://www.k12.wa.us/assessment/StateTesting/PLD/default.aspx). This level of performance is determined through a standard setting process and set by the State Board of Education. The Biology COE is a new assessment and the cut score (meeting standard) will be recommended by a standard setting committee composed of science educators following the first scoring in August 2014 from across Washington State.
Augmentation of the biology COE
When a student comes very close to meeting standard on a biology COE he/she is eligible to submit an augmented collection. The augmentation band for biology will be determined along with the cut score in August 2014. Districts will be notified by OSPI of students who are augmentation eligible. Eligible students may submit the augmentation collection in any subsequent submission window. Augmented collections must contain exactly four new work samples that provide examples of every strand. On-demand work samples are not required in an augmented collection. Students may choose to submit part or all of their augmentation collection work samples as on-demand. Should the student choose to submit new on demand work samples these samples may replace the original on-demand work samples if the score is higher. These new on-demand work samples would then count in the determination of the final score for the collection.
When the augmentation work samples earn higher scores than the original work samples, the student earns additional points. When a student earns enough points as a result of augmenting their COE to achieve the biology cut score for that content area, the collection meets standard.
The Biology Moodle
OSPI maintains a Moodle server. The Moodle provides a virtual space for teachers to share ideas about the biology COE, along with information and updates. Users read information on the Moodle but must create an account in order to log in to the Moodle. The link is http://moodle.ospi.k12.wa.us/course/ . TBD
The Moodle server provides teachers with a number of resources that can be divided into two areas:
• Resources and Up-to-Date Information – The latest information regarding the Mathematics COE is published on the Moodle on a regular basis, from upcoming webinars to information related to tasks and task development. The Moodle also provides links to the latest resources for classroom teachers from the state, region, and nation.
• Courses and Professional Development – Self-directed courses are available for teachers in areas of task writing, task review, and classroom materials.
Calculators and other tools on the biology COE
The biology COE calculator policy is the same as for the EOC. Please review the policy at this link: http://www.k12.wa.us/Mathematics/CalculatorPolicy.aspx. Additional tools allowed on the biology COE are the same as those allowed on the EOC: a straight edge. No other tools are allowed. What TO DO when teaching or preparing students for the biology COE:
• Provide instruction in the content standards assessed for biology at the high school level
• Include conceptual development, general vocabulary, and academic vocabulary appropriate for student success in completion of high school level biology tasks (constructed response questions) based on the Washington State K-12 Science Learning Standards
• Visit the biology COE webpage http://www.coe.k12.wa.us/domain/31 and biology Moodle (http://moodle.ospi.k12.wa.us to familiarize yourself with the COE content, procedures, and expectations.
• Use examples and contexts other than those in the inclusion bank tasks when teaching the concepts that will be assessed in the tasks.
• Use only teacher-developed tasks or the instructional tasks available on the Biology COE Moodle when preparing students for the COE assessment.