Statewide Assessments – TR 2
GRADE 7 LESSON 30
Statewide Assessments
Research shows that as we use data from a broad array of assessments we better
inform educators of various areas of growth and change. Therefore, educators are
better prepared to meet school and student needs. Statewide consistency of
purpose is our goal as we work towards school improvement and the improvement
of student learning for all students. West Virginia, as a state, has always sought
high standards through the state's accountability practices. Today, we look
forward to meeting the standards of West Virginia's components for a balanced
approach to 21st Century Assessment.
WESTEST 2 (Grades 3-11) is a criterion-referenced test that measures student
mastery of the West Virginia Content Standards and Objectives (CSOs) by the
content area and grade level of the student’s enrollment. The purpose of the
WESTEST is to measure student mastery of the CSOs. The assessment results are
used to determine achievement levels, re-direct instruction and assist in school
improvement efforts in reading/language arts, mathematics, science and social
studies. However, WESTEST 2 results are used to calculate accountability to meet
the NCLB accountability requirements in grades 3-8 and 11 in reading/language
arts and mathematics (See AYP Calculation Chart). CTB/McGraw-Hill is the vendor
for WESTEST 2.
WESTEST 2 Online Writing is a component of the reading/language arts portion of
WESTEST 2. This criterion-referenced test is designed to measure the writing
ability of West Virginia students and is administered to all students in grades 3-11
who are not required to take the West Virginia Alternate Performance Task
Assessment (APTA). WESTEST 2 Online Writing assesses student writing skills
based on Standard 2: Writing of the 21st Century Reading and English Language
Arts Content Standards and Objectives for West Virginia Schools. The purpose of
the WESTEST 2 Online Writing is to inform instruction in the important area of
written communication and to assist teachers in improving the writing skills of
West Virginia students to meet national educational standards, higher education
goals and global economic demands.
WESTEST 2 is a custom-designed assessment for West Virginia students. The
individual content assessments measure a student’s levels of performance on
clearly defined standards and objectives and skills. Student scores are based on
test questions that have been developed and aligned to the West Virginia 21st
Century CSOs. WESTEST 2 Online Writing is a part of the reading/language arts
portion of WESTEST 2. Sample test questions may be found on the Teach 21
website.
The assessment results provide information about a student’s academic
strengths, as well as areas that need improvement. The parent/guardian will
receive a student report that indicates levels of performance in each of the
content areas. Student performance is measured by West Virginia academic
standards rather than a comparison to the performance of a national sample
population of students. Results of the tests will be used by educators to
improve student learning and performance.
The West Virginia Department of Education recently initiated a media campaign
to inform the public how education in West Virginia is changing as schools
move towards Global 21 education. The Test Your Knowledge newspaper ads
along with other media are posted on our website. Also, as a support to
educators in charting student performance in meeting global challenges, the
West Virginia Department of Education has provided instructional benchmarks
designed to assess student progress over the course of the school year. These
instructional benchmarks are available on the Acuity Platform and the Writing
RoadMap 2 Websites.
ACT EXPLORE (Grade 8) is a norm-referenced assessment that generates
measures of English, mathematics, reading, and science skills for 8th grade
students. In addition, information about students' educational career plans,
interest, high school course work plans and self-identified needs for assistance
is gathered and reported. West Virginia State Board of Education Policy 2510:
Assuring the Quality of Education Regulations for Education Programs requires
that career awareness, exploration activities and ACT EXPLORE results be used
by 8th graders to develop their individualized plans for the 9th and 10th
grades. The purpose of this assessment is to provide career awareness,
exploration activities; additionally, it is used by 8th graders to develop their
individualized plans for the 9th and 10th grades. Assessment results assist
students/parents/educators in decision-making about educational career plans,
interest and high school course work plans. ACT is the vendor for ACT
EXPLORE.
ACT Plan (Grade 10) is a norm-referenced assessment that generates
measures of English, mathematics, reading and science skills for 10th grade
students. Information about students' educational career plans, interest, high
school course work plans and self-identified needs for assistance are also
gathered and reported. The purpose of this assessment is to provide career
awareness, exploration activities; additionally, it is used by 10th graders to
revise their individualized plans for the 11th and 12th grades. These
assessment results assist students/parents/educators in decision-making about
educational career plans, interest, and high school course work plans. ACT is
the vendor for ACT Plan.
Online Technology Assessment (OTA) has been built on the National
Education Technology Standards for Students and the work of the Partnership
for 21st Century Skills, the techSteps framework provides a robust set of K-8
technology literacy standards. The techSteps curriculum includes a set of
electronic activity books for each grade level. Using these guides, students are
launched into real-world applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel,
PowerPoint, and Internet Explorer. Here they learn new technology skills as
they work through meaningful Math, Science, Language Arts, and Social
Studies activities. Authentic assessment is possible because students are
building their own information products using real-world software applications.
Assessment and reporting options are available to meet teacher and district
needs. For example, each learning activity includes an assessment rubric tied
to the technology literacy standards.
From: http://wvde.state.wv.us/oaa/