End of Course Exam (EOC) for
th
11 Grade United States History
An Introduction
Why an End of Course Exam in U.S.
History ?
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Senior high school U.S. History is a
mandated course for high school graduation.
Senior high school U.S. History has a large
enrollment in the state of Florida.
Florida legislators recognized the importance
of U.S. History education for students.
On what is the U.S. History End of
Course Exam based?
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Based on Florida’s Next Generation Standards for
Social Studies, Grades 9-12, American History
Standards (covering Civil War and Reconstruction
through the present).
Questions based on historical documents will be
included.
EOC exam questions are written on the low,
moderate, or high complexity level (see slide on
complexity levels).
EOC exam questions are based on 18 American
History Content Benchmarks and 1 American
History Skill Benchmark (see slide on Test Blue
Print).
In what format are the questions
presented and how with the test be
administered?
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The questions are strictly multiple choice (see
sample question slides).
The test will be administered entirely via
computer, except for students with pertinent
IEPs or 504 plans.
What is the timeline for implementing the
End of Course Exam in U.S. History?
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Academic Year:
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2011-2012: Field Tested
2012-2013: Base Line Established
2013-2014: Standard Setting
How will the EOC assessment be utilized?
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No final decision has been made by the
Florida Department of Education as to how
the EOC assessment will be utilized. Nothing
on this question was included in the original
legislation which mandated the creation of
an End of Course Exam for U.S. History.
Possible Uses of Assessment
Possible uses COULD INCLUDE one of the following:
 Used as an accountability piece to evaluate student
performance in the Race to the Top initiative;
 Used as an accountability piece to evaluate teacher
performance in the Race to the Top initiative;
 Used as an accountability piece to become a small part
in the final calculation of a school grade;
 Used as a tool that a history teacher could use as a
component of a final course examination; and/or
 Used as an exit level examination students would have
to earn a certain score to receive credit in the course.
Which students will actually be assessed by
the examination?
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Students in regular American History (course code 2100310) and
honors American History (course code 2100320) will be
assessed by the EOC exam for U.S. History.
Inclusion of other students (e.g., AP U.S. History, A.I.C.E. U.S.
History, and American History IB) has not been determined.
It is imperative that when planning for instruction for the regular
American History and honors American History courses, teachers
strictly follow the Pacing Guides for U.S. History, which are
based on the NGSSS-SS and available on the District’s Social
Studies website: http://socialsciences.dadeschools.net/
All other U.S. History courses at the senior high level should
follow the content guides approved by the organizations for those
courses (e.g., the College Board for AP courses).
Next Generation Standards for Social Studies are based
on Depth of Knowledge. What is Depth of Knowledge?
EOC Exam - Percentage of Questions per
Cognitive Level of Complexity
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Low Cognitive Complexity Questions:
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Moderate Cognitive Complexity Questions:
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20% - 30 %
45%-65%
High Cognitive Complexity Questions:
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15% - 25%
What are some examples of Complexity
Level Questions for U.S History?
Sample EOC Multiple Choice Questions for Senior High
School U.S. History- Low Cognitive Complexity Level
Answer = C
Sample EOC Multiple Choice Questions for Senior High
School U.S. History- Moderate Cognitive Complexity
Level
Answer = B
Sample EOC Multiple Choice Questions for Senior High
School U.S. History- High Cognitive Complexity Level
Answer = B
EOC Test Blueprint- 18 content benchmarks, 1 skill benchmark, 52 MC Items
Information taken from….
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Dr. Randy Felton, Social Studies Coordinator,
Test Development Center, FLDOE
feltonr@leonschools.net.
District Resources to Assist in EOC Exam
Preparation
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The District’s senior high school U.S. History Pacing
Guide should be the driving force for instruction in
order to address the NGSSS-SS Benchmarks.
EOC Exam Benchmarks that are of a content nature
are highlighted in RED in the Pacing Guide.
EOC Exam Benchmarks that emphasize a skill are
highlighted in GREEN in the Pacing Guide.
Links to lesson plans that support the teaching of
the EOC Exam Benchmarks are highlighted in
yellow in the Pacing Guide.
Sample Pacing Guide Page- Screen Shot
RED = EOC EXAM CONTENT
BENCHMARK
YELLOW = EOC EXAM
BENCHMARK LESSON PLAN
LINK
GREEN = EOC EXAM SKILL
BENCHMARK
District Resources to Assist in EOC Exam
Preparation
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The Division of Social Sciences, with assistance from several
talented teachers across the District, has produced stand alone
lesson plans for each content Benchmark that will be tested on
the U.S. History EOC exam.
Each lesson contains the following:
 A detailed lesson plan with steps to deliver instruction; all
readings, attachments, graphic organizers, etc., needed to
effectively teach the material; a home learning assignment; and a
15-20 question multiple choice assessment that can be used as
both a pre- and post-test to track student learning gains in
mastering the benchmark.
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Links to the lesson plans are found in the Pacing
Guides and highlighted in yellow
Edusoft Exams
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In addition to the lesson plans with matching
assessments, teachers can access exams
per 9 week grading period to be used as a
pre-and post-test measurement of student
knowledge of the tested Benchmarks that
should be covered for that particular 9 week
grading period.
To find these exams, log in to Edusoft, find
“District Exams,” and click on the file “Senior
High School U.S. History.”
Questions
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Please contact the Division of Social
Sciences and Life Skills at (305) 995-1982
should you need additional information or
have questions regarding this information.