Parent University
Preparing for End-of-Grade Tests
…Standardized tests help educators
determine which skills students
have mastered and which ones
they still need to be taught.
…At the schoolhouse, testing provides
information on the progress students
are making according to the
academic standards of the state
• Overview of North Carolina EOG
testing program
– Reading EOG (3 – 8)
– Math EOG (3 – 8)
– Science EOG (5 & 8)
• Academic Preparation
• Test-taking Strategies
• Practice Tests
Preparing for EOGs Overview
Assessment Flow Chart
• May 10 - 13 (End-of-Grade tests
administered grades 3 – 8)
• May 11 - 26 (Regular EOG Make-up:
Math, Reading & Science)
• May 24 - 27 (NC EOG Retesting
Reading & Math)
*Only one subject can be given on a
regular school day (math and reading
must be scheduled on consecutive
days, science can be scheduled the
same week or on a consecutive
week).
Testing Window - 2010
End-of-Grade
Reading
• Measures reading comprehension and
knowledge of vocabulary
• Based on the North Carolina English
Language Arts Standard Course of
Study (NCSCOS)
• Provides students with selections to
read and questions to answer related
to those sections
• There are eight (8) sections at grades
3 -5 and nine (9) at grades 6 – 8
Reading EOG
Grade Span
# of items
3-5
50
Time limit
(minutes)
115
6-8
56
115
Reading EOG Test Breakdown
End-of-Grade
Math
•
Measures student understanding and
knowledge of five strands or goals:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
•
•
Number and operations
Measurement
Geometry
Data analysis and probability
Algebra
Based on the North Carolina Standard
Course of Study (NCSCOS) for
mathematics
There are calculator active and
calculator inactive sections
Math EOG
Calculator
Grade Span
# of items
Time limit
(minutes)
Active
3-7
54
*135
Inactive
3-7
28
*60
Calculator
Grade Span
# of items
Time limit
(minutes)
All Active
8
80
*150
* The Math EOG is virtually untimed
Math EOG Test Breakdown
End-of-Grade
Science
•
•
•
Administered at grades 5 and 8
Measures student understanding
and knowledge of principles,
concepts, interpret laboratory
activities and relate scientific
information to everyday situations
Administration allows calculators
on the test and students at grade 8
will also use periodic tables during
administration of the test
Science EOG
Calculator
Grade Span
# of items
Time limit
(minutes)
All Active
5 and 8
92
*130
*The Science EOG is virtually untimed
Science EOG Test Breakdown
Question
Stems
Knowledge
• Tell, list, describe, relate, locate, fine,
state, name
Organizing
• Explain, interpret, outline, discuss,
distinguish, predict, restate, translate,
compare, describe
Applying
• Solve, show, use, illustrate, construct,
complete, examine, classify
Question Stems and Thinking
Skills
Analyzing
• Analyze, distinguish, examine, compare,
contrast, investigate, categorize, identify,
explain, separate, advertise
Generating & Integrating
• Create, invent, compose, predict, plan,
construct, design, imagine, propose,
devise, formulate
Evaluating
• Judge, select, choose, decide, justify,
debate, verify, argue, recommend,
assess, discuss, rate, prioritize,
determine
Question Stems and Thinking
Skills
Academic
Preparation
• Discuss your child’s academic
performance with him or her – how he or
she is doing in school
• Encourage your child to ask questions
about things he or she doesn’t
understand
• Work with your child on his or her
homework
• Communicate with your child’s teacher(s)
• Encourage your child to make a
commitment to do well in school and set
goals
Academic Preparation
• Make sure your child eats and rests
well the night before the test
• Make sure your child is on-time the
day of the test
• Use flash cards to review concepts
and vocabulary before the test
• Reduce anxiety by reminding your
child to do his or her best, but not
with daily reminders about expected
performance
Academic Preparation
Test-taking
Strategies
• Read all directions carefully
• Skim selections to attempt at
identifying the main idea
• Skim questions so that you know
what to look for when reading the
passage
• Use the process of elimination on
multiple choice questions
Test-Taking Strategies
• Use confident answers to previous
questions to assist on difficult
questions
• If you are stuck on a question, move
on and return to it later
• Take time to answer all questions. A
blank response is the same as an
incorrect response
Test-Taking Strategies
Practice Tests
How Did You Do?
Gateway
Students must:
• Meet local promotion requirements
• Demonstrate grade-level proficiency
by scoring at or above Achievement
Level III on state end-of-grade tests
in reading and mathematics
Grades 3, 5 and 8 – Gateways
Questions?
Resources:
www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability
http://www.cms.k12.nc.us/departments/instrAcco
untability/resources.asp