Science Test Specifications and Blueprints 2010-2011 - Grade 5 · Tested in grade 5 TEST...

OREGON STATEWIDE ASSESSMENT

Benchmark 2

Science

2010-2011

Tested in grade 5

TEST SPECIFICATIONSand BLUEPRINTS

It is the policy of the State Board of Education and a priority of the Oregon Department of Education that there will be no discrimination or harassment on the grounds of race, color, sex, marital status, religion, national origin, age or handicap in any educational programs, activities, or employment. Persons having questions about equal opportunity and nondiscrimination should contact the State Superintendent of Public Instruction at the Oregon Department of Education.

Developed by the Office of Assessment and Information Services Oregon Department of Education

255 Capitol Street NE Salem, Oregon 97310-0203

(503) 947-5600

Susan Castillo State Superintendent of Public Instruction

Ken Hermens Language Arts Assessment Specialist

Doug Kosty Assistant Superintendent

Leslie Phillips Science and Social Sciences Assessment Specialist

Tony Alpert Director, Assessment and Evaluation

James Leigh Mathematics Assessment Specialist

Steve Slater Manager, Scoring, Psychometrics and Validity

Guillaume Gendre ELPA and Assessment Implementation Specialist

Kathleen Vanderwall Manager, Test Design and Administration

Sheila Somerville Electronic Publishing Specialist

Holly Carter Assessment Operations and Policy Analyst

Kathy Busby Project Manager

All or any part of this document may be photocopied for educational purposes without permission from the Oregon Department of Education and distributed for the cost of reproduction.

TABLE of CONTENTS

Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1

Background ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 1

Content Standards Map ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 3

Item Specifications ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 19

Test Blueprints ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 22

Weighting Chart ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 24

Cognitive Demand and Item Distribution by Difficulty ................................................................................................................................... 26

Achievement Level Descriptors ....................................................................................................................................................................... 27

Local Performance Assessments ...................................................................................................................................................................... 32

Appendices A. Oregon Achievement Standards Summary ............................................................................................................................................ A-1

B. Cognitive Demand and Item Distribution Goals ..................................................................................................................................... B-1

C. Item Development Process ...................................................................................................................................................................... C-1

D. Life of an Item ........................................................................................................................................................................................ D-1

E. Scientific Inquiry Standards for Benchmark 2/Grade 5 ........................................................................................................................... E-1

F. Scientific Inquiry Scoring Guides for Benchmark 2/Grade 5 .................................................................................................................. F-1

G. Periodic Table ......................................................................................................................................................................................... G-1

Science Test Specifications

Introduction

The primary purpose of Oregon’s Test Specifications and Blueprints is to provide the consistency necessary for the development and administration of the Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (OAKS). OAKS provide critical data for Oregon’s accountability system which meets Peer Review Requirements of No Child Left Behind. All students in grades 3 through 8 are required to take the reading and mathematics assessments. All students in grades 5 and 8 are required to take the science assessment, and those in grades 4 and 7 take the writing assessment. In high school, reading, writing, mathematics, and science are required assessments. OAKS is also one way for students to demonstrate proficiency in the Essential Skills of reading, writing, and mathematics, which will be necessary for earning a high school diploma beginning with graduating seniors in 2011-2012. In addition, English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA) is required for non-English speaking students until they acquire enough skills in English to exit the program. Social Sciences is an optional assessment. Test specifications provide guidelines for item writers, who are typically Oregon teachers, on what content may be tested and how items must be written. These specifications lead to test blueprints that outline test design and the number of questions to be tested in each score reporting category (SRC). The Test Specifications and Blueprints document is an important resource, not only for item writers and reviewers, but for educators administering OAKS and the general public who are interested in understanding the content and format of test items.

Background

The purposes of the Oregon Statewide Assessment Program are (1) to provide information on individual student achievement on performance standards set by the State Board of Education at grade and benchmark level; (2) to provide information for federal NCLB requirements and for policy decisions by the legislature, the governor, the State Board of Education, and local school districts; (3) to support instructional program improvement efforts; and (4) to inform the public about student achievement in Oregon schools.

The Oregon Statewide Assessment is different from national, norm-referenced tests used in many districts and states. The Oregon Statewide Assessment is a criterion-referenced assessment based on the Oregon Content Standards. As a result, the types of scores produced from the Oregon Statewide Assessment are somewhat different from those produced by national, norm-referenced tests.

Oregon educators contribute to the test development and alignment process by serving on advisory committees called Content and Assessment Panels. Stakeholders in these committees are involved in each phase of the development of these specifications to assure that they accurately and clearly explain the overall design of the test and describe the specific content that might appear on the test to measure the knowledge and skills described in the content standards.

Oregon’s knowledge and skills test questions use multiple choice and computer scored constructed response (FT in 2010-11) formats. Each multiple choice item has only one correct answer while computer

Science, Benchmark 2/Grade 5

Science Test Specifications and Test Blueprints

1 Oregon Department of Education Office of Assessment and Information Services

scored constructed response items may have multiple correct answers. A computer electronically collects scores responses which are scored against the answer key to produce a raw score. The raw score is converted to a scale score called a Rasch unit or RIT score. Students receive a scale score based on the number of questions answered correctly compared to the total number of questions on the form—taking into account the difficulty of the questions. Students are not penalized for guessing.

The content of these specifications reflects the skill expectations outlined in the Content Standards adopted by the State Board of Education for implementation beginning in the 2002-03 school year. These standards were developed, in part, to correlate to the skills assessed on the science portion of the National Assessment of Educational Progress and align with the National Science Standards. As a result, Oregon uses similar terminology in its descriptions of the science score reporting categories and subcategories (listed later in this document).

Statewide and Local Assessments

Statewide assessments in science are three and four choicemultiple choice tests of knowledge and skills that are developed and scored by the state. Local assessments include performance assessments that may be scored using statewide scoring guides that are administered and scored at the local level (see Appendix F). Local assessments are not included in state accountability reports, e.g. AYP reports.

Paper/Pencil Administration

Paper/Pencil forms are only administered in Braille. On Oregon’s science knowledge and skills Paper/Pencil tests there is one wide range test given at: • grade 5-Benchmark 2 (content instructed at grades 4 and 5), • grade 8-Benchmark 3 (instructed at grades 6, 7 and 8), and • grade 10-High School level (instructed at grades 9 and 10).

Electronic Administration

On the science knowledge and skills OAKS online tests, there are three opportunities to participate in fully-adaptive testing. In this format, the accuracy of the student responses to questions determines the next item or set of items the student will see. Students are allowed to preview test questions if a set of questions link to a specific graphic or stimulus. Having the tests fully adaptive allows for more precision in measurement and less frustration for the students. Electronic administration of the science test for each grade tested includes up to three test opportunities in English or English-Spanish formats. An online practice test of sample items is available for students who may need practice using a scrollbar, or who need practice with new item types .

The following pages contain a more detailed examination of the test content for science. The first column lists the content and benchmark standards assessed for that particular score reporting category. The second column lists the specific eligible content, testable content, and gives a more detailed explanation of how the standard would be assessed. Finally, the third column gives some sample items that are very similar to the type of questions asked on a test related to that eligible content.




PHYSICAL SCIENCE Score Reporting Category 2MATTER

Common Curriculum Goal: Understand structure and properties of matter.

Content Standard Understand structure and properties of matter.

Benchmark 2 Standard Identify substances as they exist in different states of matter.

National Science Education Standards Pgs. 123-127

Eligible Content Distinguish among solids, liquids, and gases. 2.1.51.1

Identify unique properties of each state of matter. 2.1.51.2

Explanation

Matter can exist in different states – solid, liquid and gas. There are differences and similarities among the three states of matter. These include the ability of liquids to take the shape of their container, of gases to fill their container and to exert pressure on the walls of that container, and of solids to maintain their original shape.

Sample Question

“Takes up space” describes

A. solids only.

B. liquids only.

C. gases only.

D. solids, liquids and gases. *




PHYSICAL SCIENCE Score Reporting Category 2 MATTER

Common Curriculum Goal: Understand chemical and physical changes.

Content Standard Describe and analyze chemical and physical changes.

Benchmark 2 Standard Describe the ability of matter to change state by heating and cooling.


Eligible Content Recognize that heating and cooling cause changes in states of matter. 2.2.51.1

Identify changes in states of matter seen in the environment. 2.2.51.2

Explanation

Substances such as water can change state, but are still the same substance. Heating and cooling causes changes in the properties of materials, and many kinds of changes occur faster under hotter conditions. Energy, in this case thermal energy, has effects that go far beyond simply changing the temperature of substances.

Sample Question When water is heated, the temperature at which bubbles of gas form is called

A. the freezing point.

B. the melting point.

C. the boiling point. *

D. the dew point.




PHYSICAL SCIENCE Score Reporting Category 2FORCE

Common Curriculum Goal: Understand fundamental forces, their forms, and their effects on motion.

Content Standard

Describe fundamental forces and the motions resulting from them.

Benchmark 2 Standard Describe and compare the motion of objects.


Eligible Content

Recognize and describe the motion of an object in terms of one or more forces acting on it. 2.3.51.1

Explanation Changes in speed or direction of the motion of any object are caused by forces. The greater the force, the greater the change in motion. Objects of greater mass require more force to change their velocity.

Sample Question

Predict the outcome of rolling a 5-pound iron ball on these surfaces:

- a flat grassy path, - a flat gravel road, and - a flat cement road.

A. The ball will roll farthest on the cement. *

B. The ball will roll farthest on the gravel.

C. The ball will roll farthest on the grassy path.

D. The ball, if rolled with equal force, will roll equal distances on each of the surfaces.




PHYSICAL SCIENCE Score Reporting Category 2 FORCE

Common Curriculum Goal: Understand fundamental forces, their forms, and their effects on motion.

Content Standard

Describe fundamental forces and the motions resulting from them.

Benchmark 2 Standard Identify examples of magnetism and gravity exerting force on an object.


Eligible Content

Recognize that magnets attract and repel each other and other materials. 2.3.52.1

Recognize that things on or near Earth are pulled toward it by Earth’s gravity. 2.3.52.2

Explanation

Forces can act at a distance. Magnetic force creates attraction or repulsion between magnetically charged substances. This magnetic force diminishes with distance. Gravitational force attracts objects and, like magnetism, also diminishes with distance.

Sample Question

An inflated balloon would be attracted by

A. gravity. *

B. magnetism.

C. both gravity and magnetism.

D. neither gravity nor magnetism.




PHYSICAL SCIENCE Score Reporting Category 2 ENERGY

Common Curriculum Goal: Understand energy, its transformations, and interactions with matter.

Content Standard

Explain and analyze the interaction of energy and matter.

Benchmark 2 Standard Identify forms of various types of energy and their effects on matter.

National Science Education Standards 123-127

Eligible Content

Identify various forms of energy including heat, light, sound, and electricity. 2.4.51.1

Explanation

Energy comes in many forms including heat, light, sound, and electricity. The sun is the main source of energy for life systems on Earth.

Sample Question

PAPER CLIP ELECTROMAGNETS

Rachel made four electromagnets by winding coils of copper wire around a nail. She connected each end of the wire to a battery to form an electromagnet which she used to pick up paper clips.

In this experiment, what kind of energy is changed directly into magnetic energy?

A. Heat energy B. Electrical energy * C. Chem ical energy D. Li ght energy




PHYSICAL SCIENCE Score Reporting Category 2 ENERGY

Common Curriculum Goal: Understand energy, its transformations, and interactions with matter.

Content Standard

Explain and analyze the interaction of energy and matter.

Benchmark 2 Standard Describe examples of energy transfer.


Eligible Content

Identify the direction of heat transfer on a diagram showing objects at different temperatures. 2.4.52.1

Identify ways to produce heat including light, burning, electricity, friction, and as a byproduct of mechanical and electrical machines. 2.4.52.2

Identify examples of energy transfer in the environment. 2.4.52.3

Explanation

Heat can be produced by light, combustion, electricity, friction, and as a byproduct of machines. Heat can be transferred from warm areas to cool areas through conduction, convection, and radiation and will transfer until both areas achieve the same temperature.

Sample Question

To heat water using a renewable energy source, you would use

A. natural gas.

B. oil.

C. solar energy. *

D. coal.




LIFE SCIENCE Score Reporting Category 3 ORGANISMS

Common Curriculum Goal: Understand the characteristics, structure, and functions of organisms.

Content Standard

Describe the characteristics, structure, and functions of organisms.

Benchmark 2 Standard Group or classify organisms based on a variety of characteristics.


Eligible Content

Classify a variety of living things into groups using various characteristics. 3.1.51.1

Explanation

All organisms have characteristics, structures, and functions which allow them to be grouped and classified according to similarities and differences.

Sample Question

These animals can be classified together based on all of the following characteristics EXCEPT

A. cold-blooded animals.

B. vertebrates.

C. animals that live both in and out of water.

D. herbivores. *






Content Standard


Benchmark 2 Standard Describe the function of organ systems.


Eligible Content

Classify organs by the system to which they belong. 3.1.52.1

Explanation

Specialized cells perform specialized functions in multi cellular organisms. Groups of specialized cells cooperate to form a tissue, such as a muscle. Different tissues are in turn grouped together to form larger functional units, called organs. Each type of cell, tissue, and organ has distinct structure and set of functions that serve the organism as a whole.

Sample Question

The lung would best be described as an organ in which body system?

A. Circulatory

B. Skeletal

C. Excretory

D. Respiratory *






Content Standard


Benchmark 2 Standard Describe basic plant and animal structures and their functions.


Eligible Content

Associate specific structures with their functions in the survival of the organism. 3.1.53.1

Explanation

Each plant or animal has different structures that serve different functions in growth, survival, and reproduction. For example, humans have distinct body structures for walking, holding, seeing, and talking.

Sample Questions

The long neck of a giraffe best serves which purpose?

A. Protection from predators

B. Gathering food *

C. Increasing speed

D. Protection from heat

Feathers help penguins in the same way that fur helps bears, by making it easier for them to

A. walk.

B. swim.

C. find food.

D. keep warm. *




LIFE SCIENCE Score Reporting Category 3HEREDITY

Common Curriculum Goal: Understand the transmission of traits in living things.

Content Standard

Understand the transmission of traits in living things.

Benchmark 2 Standard Describe the life cycle of an organism.


Eligible Content

Describe the life cycle of common organisms. 3.2.51.1

Recognize that organisms are produced by living organisms of similar kind, and do not appear spontaneously from inanimate materials. 3.2.51.2

Explanation

Plants and animals have life cycles that, while they differ in the details, all include being born, developing into adults, reproducing and, eventually, dying. Some characteristics of plants and animals are inherited from parents; others result from an interaction with the environment and cannot be passed on to the next generation.

Sample Question

Some animals, such as caterpillars, go through changes in form as they become adults. This is called

A. larvae.

B. metamorphosis. *

C. molting.

D. heredity.




LIFE SCIENCE Score Reporting Category 3DIVERSITY/INTERDEPENDENCE

Common Curriculum Goal: Understand the relationships among living things and between living things and their environments.

Content Standard

Explain and analyze the interdependence of organisms in their natural environment.

Benchmark 2 Standard Describe the relationship between characteristics of specific habitats and the organisms that live there.


Eligible Content

Use drawings or models to represent a series of food chains for specific habitats. 3.3.51.1

Identify the producers, consumers, and decomposers in a given habitat. 3.3.51.2

Recognize how all animals depend upon plants whether or not they eat the plants directly. 3.3.51.3

Explain the relationship between animal behavior and species survival. 3.3.51.4

Describe the living and nonliving resources in a specific habitat and the adaptations of organisms to that habitat. 3.3.51.5

Explanation

Populations of organisms can be categorized by the function they serve in an ecosystem. Plants and some microorganism are producers – they make their own food. All animals, including humans, are consumers, which obtain food by eating other organisms. Decomposers, primarily bacteria and fungi, are consumers that use waste materials and dead organisms for food. Food webs identify the relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers in an ecosystem.

Sample Question

According to the food web, what do small birds eat?

A. Grasses and rabbits.

B. Grasses and grasshoppers. *

C. Bacteria and fungi.

D. Hawks and foxes.



Content Standard

Explain and analyze the interdependence of organisms in their natural environment.

Benchmark 2 Standard Describe the relationship between characteristics of specific habitats and the organisms that live there.


Eligible Content

Use drawings or models to represent a series of food chains for specific habitats. 3.3.51.1

Identify the producers, consumers, and decomposers in a given habitat. 3.3.51.2

Recognize how all animals depend upon plants whether or not they eat the plants directly. 3.3.51.3

Explain the relationship between animal behavior and species survival. 3.3.51.4

Describe the living and nonliving resources in a specific habitat and the adaptations of organisms to that habitat. 3.3.51.5

Explanation

Populations of organisms can be categorized by the function they serve in an ecosystem. Plants and some microorganism are producers – they make their own food. All animals, including humans, are consumers, which obtain food by eating other organisms. Decomposers, primarily bacteria and fungi, are consumers that use waste materials and dead organisms for food. Food webs identify the relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers in an ecosystem.

Sample Question

According to the food web, what do small birds eat?

Grasses and rabbits.

Grasses and grasshoppers. *

Bacteria and fungi.

Hawks and foxes.






Content Standard

Describe and analyze diversity of species, natural selection, and adaptation.

Benchmark 2 Standard Describe how adaptations help a species survive.


Eligible Content

Describe changes to the environment that have caused the population of some species to change. 3.4.51.1

Identify conditions that might cause a species to become endangered or extinct. 3.4.51.2

Explanation

Species acquire many of their unique characteristics through biological adaptation, which involves the selection of naturally occurring variations in populations. Biological adaptations include changes in structures, behaviors, and physiology that enhance survival and reproductive success in a particular environment.

Sample Question

Which of the following best describes a condition that might cause a bird to become extinct? A. Additional food sources

B. Additional predators*

C. Additional nesting sites

D. Additional rainfall




EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE Score Reporting Category 4THE DYNAMIC EARTH

Common Curriculum Goal: Understand the properties and limited availability of the materials which make up the Earth.

Content Standard

Identify the structure of the Earth system and the availability and use of the materials that make up that system.

Benchmark 2 Standard Identify properties and uses of Earth materials.


Eligible Content

Recognize that Earth materials are used in different ways based on differences in their physical and chemical properties. 4.1.51.1

Recognize that soils vary in color, texture, components, reaction to water, and ability to support the growth of plants. 4.1.51.2

Recognize that the supply of many resources is limited, and that resources can be extended through recycling and decreased use. 4.1.51.3

Recognize that discarded products contribute to the problem of waste disposal. 4.1.51.4

Explanation

The materials which make up the Earth have many different physical and chemical properties. Materials such as soil vary in color, texture, components, reaction to water, and the ability to support the growth of plants. These differences in physical and chemical properties of materials make them suitable for various uses (e.g. building materials, fuels, mediums for plant growth). The supply of many of these materials is limited and their use can be extended through conservation and recycling. The consumption and disposal of these materials can contribute to environmental problems.

Sample Question

How can police detectives use the dirt on a suspect’s shoes as evidence that the suspect was in a certain location?

A. Shoes react differently to different types of soils.

B. Footprints are often left in the soft dirt.

C. Each shoe leaves a unique footprint.

D. Soils differ from place to place in color and texture. *





Common Curriculum Goal: Understand changes occurring within the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere of the Earth.

Content Standard

Explain and analyze changes occurring within the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere of the Earth.

Benchmark 2 Standard Describe patterns of seasonal weather.


Eligible Content

Describe weather in measurable quantities including temperature, wind direction, wind speed, and precipitation. 4.2.51.1

Interpret data over a period of time and use information to describe changes in weather from day to day, week to week, and season to season. 4.2.52.2

Explanation

Weather changes from day to day and over the seasons. Weather can be described by measurable quantities, such as temperature, wind direction and speed, and precipitation. These quantities can be analyzed over periods of time.

Sample Question

Suppose you recorded these times of sunrise.

May 1 5:02 May 9 4:54 May 17 4:42 May 25 4:37 June 1 4:32

Study the table above and predict approximately what time the sun rose on May 15.

A. 4 :30

B. 4 :40

C. 4 :45*

D. 4 :55





Common Curriculum Goal: Understand changes occurring within the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere of the Earth.

Content Standard

Explain and analyze changes occurring within the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere of the Earth.

Benchmark 2 Standard Identify causes of Earth surfaces changes.


Eligible Content

Identify effects of wind and water on Earth materials using appropriate models. 4.2.52.1 Identify effects of rapid changes on Earth’s surface features including earthquakes and volcanoes. 4.2.52.2

Explanation

The surface of the Earth changes. Some changes are due to slow destructive processes such as erosion and weathering. Some changes are due to rapid constructive and destructive processes such as landslides, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes. These changes all affect the topography of the Earth’s surface.

Sample Question

Which of the following is least likely to be an effect of volcanic eruption?

A. Mudslides

B. Flooding

C. Lava or ash

D. Thunderstorms *




EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE Score Reporting Category 4 THE EARTH IN SPACE

Common Curriculum Goal: Understand the Earth’s place in the solar system and the universe.

Content Standard

Explain relationships among the Earth, sun, moon, and the solar system.

Benchmark 2 Standard Describe the Earth’s places in the solar system and the patterns of movements of objects within the solar system using pictorial models.


Eligible Content

Describe Earth’s position and movement in the solar system. 4.3.51.1

Recognize that the rotation of the Earth on its axis every 24 hours produces the night-and-day cycle. 4.3.51.2

Explanation

The Earth is the third planet from the sun in a system that includes the moon, the sun, eight other planets and their moons, and smaller objects, such as asteroids and comets. Most objects in the solar system are in regular and predictable motion, such as the Earth’s elliptical orbit around the sun. Those motions explain such phenomena as the day, the year, phases of the moon, and eclipses.

Sample Questions

Suppose four spaceships are launched from Earth today. It would take longest for a spaceship to get to which location?

A. Mercury

B. Moon

C. Jupiter

D. Pluto *




Item Specifications Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (OAKS) is a multiple choice statewide assessment. It is arequired assessment that provides the base for the state science accountability system.

Criteria for All OAKS Test Questions

Test items must • be appropriate for students in terms of grade-level

difficulty, cognitive complexity, reading level, interests and experience.

• be free of age, gender, ethnic, religious, socioeconomic, or disability stereotypes or bias.

• provide clear and complete instructions to students. • ensure each Score Reporting Category will have items

with a range of difficulty and complexity levels. • ensure each test item will measure only one Score

Reporting Category

Graphics Criteria

Graphics are used in OAKS to provide both necessary and supplemental information. Some graphics contain information that is necessary for answering the question, while other graphics illustrate or support the context of the question.

• Graphic displays, their corresponding items and answer choices will appear on the same page of the test booklet or on the same screen for online items.

• Shading and color will be minimized. It will be used to make a figure’s size, shape or dimensions clear, and not solely for artistic effect.

• Graphics used for computer scored constructed response items are displayed within a grid space and allow students to manipulate answer graphics and answer choices. (To be field tested in 2010-11)

Item Style and Format Criteria for Multiple Choice Items

• Test items will be in the form of questions or sentences that require completion.

• Each item will have three, four or five answer choices. Students will be told in the test directions to choose the best answer from among the choices.

• Answer choices will be arranged one of three ways beneath the test item: vertically, horizontally, or in two columns (i.e., A and B in the left column, C and D in the right column).

• Neither “None of the above” nor “All of the above” will be used as one of the four an answer choices. “There is not enough information to tell” is an allowed answer choice, but infrequently used.

• Test items may be worded in the negative (“Which of these is NOT …”), but this structure will be used rarely and only when it offers substantial advantages for the item construction.

• Items should be free of absolute wording, such as “always” and “never,” and have qualifying words (e.g., least, most, except) printed in small caps for emphasis.

• Masculine pronouns should NOT be used to refer to both sexes. Plural forms should be used whenever possible to avoid gender-specific pronouns (For example, instead of “The student will make changes so that he ..,” it is best to use “The students will make changes so that they...”).




• An equal balance of male and female names should be used including names representing different ethnic groups.

• Test items aligned to standards may contain extraneous information.

• Stacked English-Spanish test items are used on electronic tests for the English-Spanish OAKS.

Item Style and Format Criteria for Computer Scored Constructed Response (to be field tested in 2010-11)

• Test items will be in the form of questions that ask for at least one object to be created or matched to an existing picture,

• Each item will have up to six discrete and correct answer choices.

• Answer choices will be arranged one of two ways: beneath the test item or to the right of the question.

• Test items may be worded so that not all answer choices are used to construct the correct response.

• An equal balance of male and female names should be used including names representing different ethnic groups.

• Test items aligned to standards may contain extraneous information but only to enhance the students’ understanding of the question.

• Side-by-side English-Spanish test items are under development.

Criteria for SCIENCE OAKS Test Questions Various types of questions will be included in the science test. Selections will align with three Score Reporting Categories (SRC):

- Physical Science (SRC 2) Understand structures and properties of matter and changes that occur in the physical world;

- Life Science (SRC 3) Understand structure, functions, and interactions of living organisms and the environment; and

- Earth and Space Science (SRC 4) Understand physical properties of the Earth, how those properties change and Earth’s relationship to other celestial bodies.

The Test Items

• Each test item will measure only one Score Reporting Category. The number of items in a test form will measure each of the three reporting categories equally (33%).

• Each Score Reporting Category will have items with a range of difficulty levels. This range of difficulty will be approximately the same across reporting categories.

• Test items are designed to be appropriate for students in the assigned benchmark in terms of reading level, interests, and experience.

• Test items will be stated in the clearest manner possible.




Criteria for SCIENCE OAKS Modules A portion of each test will be incorporated into modules. A module is defined as a stimulus containing scientific information, accompanied by two to four knowledge and skills questions or items. The remaining items on each test will be stand-alone knowledge and skills items. Students will not refer to additional material when answering those questions.

• The stimulus for each module will vary in length, format and character. It could be one or a combination of any of the following: data table, diagram, chart, drawing, photo or reading text.

• Each Knowledge and Skills test item within a module will measure only one Score Reporting Category (SRC)-Physical Science, Life Science, or Earth and Space Science. Within a module, though, items may measure more than one SRC.

• Each stimulus will be free of age, gender, and other bias, as evaluated by the Oregon Assessment Sensitivity Panel.

• Although the stimulus for each module will provide scientific information, students will be required to draw on prior knowledge to answer many of the items. In other words, there may not be sufficient information in the stimulus to answer all the test questions associated with it. The stimulus may simply provide a context for some test questions.

• Each module will often include a title, which will serve to identify the accompanying items as a set.




Science Test Blueprint Introduction

The blueprints used to construct Knowledge and Skills Tests for Science prescribe the:

• Score Reporting Categories (SRC) included on each test,

• The cognitive demand and difficulty level of items as distributed on a test form,

• the number and percentages of test items from each SRC included on each test, and

• the total number and percentages of operational and field test items included for each test.

Teachers and other educators have historically played a vital role in the development of these specifications and blueprints by serving on Content and Assessment Panels and other review groups. These groups have advised the Department as content and benchmark standards have been developed, and have helped establish priorities on which standards to assess and the weighting of the strands within each content area assessment. Alignment of Test Items to Benchmark Standards

Test items are carefully aligned to benchmark standards at the appropriate grade level through a rigorous process at two points in the test item development process: 1. At item development workshops, item writers are provided

with adopted content standards to which they must write test items; during a peer review process, this alignment is verified by another benchmark level item developer.

2. Alignment of items to the benchmark standards is further verified during a review by members of a Content and Assessment Panel, who ensure items not only match the benchmark standards, but also verify overall quality and

appropriateness. Reviewers either accept items as a strong match to the targeted standards, edit items to achieve a strong match, or reject items which do not strongly match the standards.

The Appendix to this document includes additional evidence describing procedures ensuring alignment during item, development, including descriptions of the Item Development Process and the Life of an Item.

Content Coverage

Prior to item writing activities, item databases are reviewed to determine the extent that the available items represent the emphasis and content in the standards. If any benchmark standards are underrepresented in the item pool, they are identified and targeted specifically for additional item development. This assures that every year, the proportion of items in the item pools is comparable in both emphasis and content to the content standards. The table on the following page describes the emphasis given to each content strand; this emphasis is reflected in both the item pools and administered tests (adaptive and Paper/Pencil/Braille). For electronic administration, all tests and the item pools from which they are constructed follow the weighting of each content strand as reflected in the tables on the following pages. Items within a strand, or SRC, are selected to provide a range of difficulty so that the progressive nature of the test is maintained as students of varied ability levels are presented with items most appropriate to their ability from that pool. Although a student may not see an item addressing every one of the assessable standards in a single test event, the item pool




contains multiple items for each content standard at a variety of difficulty levels. In addition, the adaptive algorithm specifically considers alignment criteria when drawing test items. As a result, we accomplish the dual purpose of creating a test form that is appropriately developed for each student and it meets the criteria set forth for alignment (e.g., balance of representation, depth of knowledge). In order to report subscores, or strand scores, no less than six items will be used. Online tests report total test scores and subscores.

Additional Test Design Criteria Each item assesses only one SRC at one grade. Each item assesses only one sub-SRC at one grade. Online-adaptive test opportunities provide a range and breadth of items within each SRC and sub-SRC. Test pools attempt to provide a minimum of one item at each difficulty level for each piece of testable content. Test pools range in size from 600 to 900 items. Key placement cannot be controlled for online-adaptive assessments, so to ensure more random correct keys, item writers are instructed to rotate the correct key for their items during item authoring. Modules, or items that have a stimulus and have 1-6 questions, are designed to be presented together on the on-line tests. Between one third and one half of the items from each SRC in each test pool, are Modules. English test blueprints provide the criteria for all English-Spanish tests. Test pools and are designed to match the English test opportunities.




Weighting of Science Score Reporting Categories The chart below shows the score reporting categories for each of the benchmark levels and the percentage of questions on a given test event that assess each score reporting category. For example, at grade 5, 33% of the items on a test assess Life Science, which equals about 13 items on a 40 item test. The second chart is an expanded view of the criteria for test weighting.

Science Score Reporting Category

Percent of Questions on Test Benchmark 2;

Grade 5 Benchmark 3;

Grade 8 HS;

Grades 9-12

Physical Science 33% 33% 33%

Life Science 33% 33% 33%

Earth and Space Science 33% 33% 33%




Science Test Blueprint- Benchmark 2/Grade 5 (OAKS online, Paper/Pencil Braille) Content Coverage and Weighting

Score Reporting Categories

Testable content codes

% of questions assessed per test: P/P and OAKS Online

Number of KS items P/P Braille test

Number of KS items on OAKS Online

2010-11 OAKS Online Test Pool size

Physical Science

2.1.51.(1,2) 2.2.51.(1,2) 2.3.51.1 2.3.52.(1,2) 2.4.51.1 2.4.52.(1-3)

33 % 16-17

12-14 225+

Life Science 3.1.51.1 3.1.52.1 3.1.53.1 3.2.51.(1,2) 3.3.51.(1-5) 3.4.51.(1,2)

33 % 16-17

12-14 225+

Earth and Space Science

4.1.51.(1-4) 4.2.51.(1,2) 4.2.52.(1,2) 4.3.51.1 4.3.51.2

33 % 16-17

12-14 225+

Operational Item Total

- 50

40 Approx. 700

Field Test Item Total

- NA

6 400

Total items on Test

46




Cognitive Demand and Item Distribution by Difficulty The science test pools are designed so that a range of Depth of Knowledge items and a range of difficulty items are included for each student test opportunity. A preliminary range of Depth of Knowledge is included; the tests are designed with an established goal (see Appendix B, Cognitive Demand and Item Distribution Goals). The difficulty distribution goals for test pools are outlined in the chart. The three Depth of Knowledge levels used to qualify Oregon’s test items are: • Recall: Item requires a student to recall a fact,

information or procedure. • Skill/Concept: Item requires a student to use skill or

concept, including thinking that requires two or more steps.

• Strategic Thinking: Item requires a student to use reason, develop a plan or use a sequence of steps.

Paper/Pencil items are arranged so students are first introduced to items of medium or easy difficulty and then given more difficult items. This pattern is repeated throughout the test. Online progressive tests provide students with questions at the beginning of the test at or about the mean RIT level and as the student responds, makes adjustments by selecting appropriate items for each student based upon their correct and incorrect responses.

Difficulty Criteria for Benchmark 2/Grade 5 level

Grade 5 Science Distribution on Test Difficulty

204-214 33%

215-229 33%

230-244 33%

Depth of Knowledge See Appendix B

Recall To be announced

August, 2010 Skill/Concept

Strategic Thinking

RIT Range 204-244

Mean RIT 222




Achievement Level Descriptors Achievement level descriptors describe what students know and can do based on their performance on statewide knowledge and skills tests in the various content areas. These may be used by educators to target instruction and inform parents and students of the expectations for students to be considered proficient at a particular grade level. The Achievement Level Descriptors are based on a sampling of a larger set of testable content outlined in the Oregon Content Standards. Results for individual students are only one indicator of student ability as measured at the time of testing. These statements give a general description of what most students know and can do within a particular band of achievement and are presented in the order of the way they are reported rather than by importance or test emphasis. Students who score at or within a particular level of achievement possess the bulk of the abilities described at that level and generally have mastered the skills described in the preceding achievement levels. Achievement Level Descriptors for each subject area were developed by groups of parents, educators, and business people who worked with state officials to establish the minimum scores required for Exceeds, Meets, Nearly Meets and Does Not Yet Meet.




Exceeds Student scores at this level indicate a very strong academic performance based on the benchmark level knowledge and skills outlined in the state content standards for Science. These students can consistently explain and describe the fundamental properties of matter, force and energy and the basic structures, functions and interactions of living organisms in the environment. They can consistently describe Earth’s properties and correctly explain Earth’s relationship in space.

Students who EXCEED the Benchmark 2 (Grade 5) science standard identify and thoroughly describe substances and their properties as they exist in different states of matter. They thoroughly describe how matter is affected by heating and cooling. They identify changes and recognize effects of changes in states of matter in the environment. Students accurately describe and compare the motion of objects in terms of one or more forces acting upon them. They recognize and apply principles of magnetism and gravity. They identify various types of energy and describe their effect on matter. They identify and describe ways energy produces and transfers heat. Students analyze characteristics that separate organisms into different classifications. Students understand how an organ functions in a system and how different systems interact within an organism. Students evaluate how elements in a food chain or food web inter-relate. Students analyze how an animal’s behavior affects its ability to survive as a species. Students understand how organisms adapt to survive based on living/non-living resources in their habitat. Students analyze environmental changes as they impact adaptation or survival of a species. Students apply their knowledge of properties of Earth materials. They describe weather in measurable quantities and interpret complex data to begin to analyze weather patterns. They describe causes and effects of changes on Earth’s surface features. They describe and apply their knowledge of the Earth’s place and movement in the solar system. They apply principles of conservation and appropriate waste disposal.




Meets Student scores at this level indicate a solid academic performance based on the benchmark level knowledge and skills outlined in the state content standards for Science. These students can explain and describe most fundamental properties of matter, force and energy and the basic structures, functions and interactions of living organisms in the environment. They can describe most of Earth’s properties and can explain Earth’s relationship in space.

Students who MEET the Benchmark 2 (Grade 5) science standard identify and describe substances and their properties as they exist in different states of matter. They describe how matter is affected by heating and cooling. They identify changes in states of matter in the environment. Students recognize and describe the motion of objects in terms of one or more forces acting upon it. Students recognize basic principles of magnetism and gravity. They identify various types of energy and their effect on matter. They identify ways energy produces and transfers heat. Students identify and classify living things into groups based on observable characteristics and their life cycle. (e.g. mammals, insects, fish, birds, reptiles and plants.) Students identify major organs by the system to which they belong and understand that an organism’s structure and function go hand-in-hand with its survival. Students understand components of food chains and webs. Students will recognize that how an animal interacts within its habitat affects its species’ survival. Students recognize adaptations that organisms need to survive and that conditions in an environment cause species to either change, become endangered, or become extinct. Students recognize most properties of Earth materials and begin to apply this knowledge. They describe weather in measurable quantities including temperature, wind direction, wind speed, and precipitation. They interpret data in weather over time. They identify causes and effects of Earth’s surface changes. They describe Earth’s place and movement in the solar system. They apply principles of conservation and appropriate waste disposal.




Nearly Meets Student scores at this level indicate an incomplete grasp of the benchmark level knowledge and skills outlined in the state content standards for Science. These students can partially explain and describe the fundamental properties of matter, force and energy and the basic structures, functions and interactions of living organisms in the environment. They can partially identify Earth’s properties and can recognize some of Earth’s relationship in space.

Students who NEARLY MEET the Benchmark 2 (Grade 5) standard identify some substances and their properties as they exist in different states of matter. Students partially describe how matter is affected by heating and cooling. They identify some changes in states of matter in the environment. Students recognize some of the basic principles of magnetism and gravity. They identify some types of energy and their effects on matter. They identify some ways energy produces and transfers heat.

Students recognize that living things belong in certain groups based on observable characteristics and their life cycle. (e.g. mammals, insects, fish, birds, reptiles and plants) Students recognize some body organs. They sometimes recognize that an organism’s structure and function go hand-in-hand with its survival. Students recognize some elements of food chains and webs. Students have some recognition of how an animal interacts within its habitat and how that interaction affects its survival. Students may recognize that organisms adapt to survive based on the living and non-living resources in its habitat and may recognize that conditions in an environment cause species to either change, become endangered, or become extinct.

Students recognize some properties of Earth materials. They know that resources are limited and that discarded products contribute to the problem of waste disposal. They interpret basic data over a period of time. They sometimes use information to identify changes in weather. They identify some changes of Earth’s surface features. They partially identify Earth’s place and movement in the solar system.




Does Not Yet Meet Student scores at this level indicate a minimal and/or inaccurate grasp of the benchmark level knowledge and skills outlined in the state content standards for Science. These students inconsistently explain and/or minimally describe the fundamental properties of matter, force and energy and the basic structures, functions and interactions of living organisms in the environment. They can minimally identify Earth’s properties and Earth’s relationship in space.

Students who DO NOT YET MEET the Benchmark 2 (Grade 5) science standard have limited knowledge about substances as they exist in different states of matter and students have very basic knowledge about how matter is affected by heating and cooling. They identify some changes in states of matter in the environment. Students have limited understanding of magnetic principles, the motion of objects, and Earth’s gravity. They identify some types of energy and have limited knowledge of energy transfer. Students correctly classify some living things into groups based on characteristics and may identify some organ systems and plant and animal structures. They recognize that organisms are produced by living organisms of a similar kind. They sometimes recognize that some animals depend upon plants for survival. Students identify a few properties of Earth materials. They know that resources are limited and that discarded products contribute to the problem of waste disposal. They identify data collected over a period of time and may use information to identify changes in weather. They identify at least one rapid change on Earth’s surface.




LOCAL ASSESSMENTS REQUIRED BY OAR 581-22-0615 ASSESSMENT OF ESSENTIAL SKILL

Local Performance Assessments School districts and public charter schools that offer instruction at grades 3 through 8 or high school must administer annual local performance assessments for students in grades 3 through 8 and at least once in high school for the skill areas of writing, speaking, mathematics problem solving, and scientific inquiry. The purpose of the local performance assessment requirement is to ensure that students in grades 3 through high school are afforded opportunities to learn and to receive feedback regarding their progress toward meeting specific state standards throughout their years in public schools. A local performance assessment is a standardized measure (e.g., activity, exercise, problem, or work sample scored using an official state scoring guide), embedded in the school district’s or public charter school’s curriculum that evaluates the application of students’ knowledge and skills. Local performance assessments must be designed to closely align with state standards and to promote independent, individual student work. School districts and public charter schools may either use a work sample scored using an official state scoring guide or a comparable measure adopted by the school district or public charter school to satisfy the local performance assessment requirement. Appendix A – Work Samples and State Scoring Guides of the 2009-10 Test Administration Manual provides guidance for those school districts and public charter schools choosing to use a work sample to satisfy this requirement. Assessment of Proficiency in the Essential Skills As part of the new graduation requirements, high school students must demonstrate proficiency in a set of Essential Skills, which are defined as process skills that cross academic disciplines and are embedded in the content standards. Starting

with the graduating class of 2012, high school students must demonstrate proficiency in the Essential Skills of Reading. Students may demonstrate proficiency in these Essential Skills using any of the assessment options approved by the State Board of Education. As of May 2009, the Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (OAKS) is one of the approved assessment options for the Essential Skills of Reading, Writing, and Mathematics. Another approved option for the Essential Skills of Writing, Speaking, and Mathematics is the completion of work samples scored locally using an official state scoring guide. Appendix A – Work Samples and State Scoring Guides of the 2010-11 Test Administration Manual provides guidance for those school districts and public charter schools choosing to use a work sample to satisfy this requirement. The Assessment of Essential Skills Review Panel (AESRP), which consists of experts from school districts and post-secondary education institutions, reviews and recommends additions or changes to the list of approved assessment options. The AESRP bases its recommendations on evidence provided by the school districts, research organizations, and other experts that the proposed assessment option accurately measures the Essential Skill. The State Board of Education then makes the determination whether to adopt the AESRP’s recommendations. ODE anticipates that the State Board of Education will approve additional assessment options based on recommendations from the AERSP in the coming months. In addition, the AESRP is developing a set of criteria for approval by the State Board of Education that school districts and public charter schools may use in developing local assessment options.




Appendices

The Appendices of this document includes ancillary materials provided to students to complete science testing; and additional assessment documents that deal with test construction, design and assessment. Included in this section are:

Appendix A: Oregon Achievement Standards Summary

Appendix B: Cognitive Demand and Item Distribution Goals

Appendix C: Item Development Process

Appendix D: Life of and Item

Appendix E: Scientific Inquiry Standards for Benchmark 2/Grade 5

Appendix F: Scientific Inquiry Scoring Guide for Benchmark 2/Grade 5

Appendix G: Periodic Table


ACHIEVEMENT STANDARDS

2010-11 Achievement Standards Summary

The charts below show the achievement standards (requirements to meet and exceed) for Oregon’s Assessments of Knowledge and Skills (OAKS) by content area and grade or benchmark level. All students are required to take reading/literature and mathematics assessments in grades 3-8 and 11; in writing in grades 4, 7, and 11; and science in grades 5, 8, and 11. Assessments in social sciences are optional; however, they may be required by some districts or schools. For detailed assessment information, refer to the 2010-11 Test Administration Manual (www.ode.state.or.us/go/TAM). It provides timelines, options, and procedures that ensure both test reliability and validity from classroom to classroom, teacher to teacher, school to school, and district to district. Grade 3 MEET EXCEED

Reading/Literature 204 218

Mathematics 212 219

Writing, Speaking, Science, Social Sciences

No state test

Grade 4 MEET EXCEED


Writing • Composite Score • Minimum score in each trait • Conventions score

• 32 to 39* (out of 48)

• 3 (out of 6) • Not doubled

• 40 to 48 (out of 48) • 4 (out of 6) • Not doubled

Voice and Word Choice are not included in the achievement standard. *A composite score of 28 to 31 points conditionally meets the standard. The school district may determine that the standard has been met IF that student has met all writing local performance requirements.

Mathematics 219 227

Speaking, Science, and Social Sciences

No state test

Grade 5 MEET EXCEED


Mathematics 225 234

Science 225 238

Social Sciences # 215 225

# Optional state test; may be required by districts or schools.

Writing, Speaking No state test

Grade 6 MEET EXCEED


Mathematics 227 237

Writing, Speaking, Science, Social Sciences

No state test

Grade 7 MEET EXCEED


Writing • Composite Score • Minimum score in each trait • Conventions score

• 40 to 49* (out of 60)

• 3 (out of 6) • Doubled

• 50 to 60 (out of 60) • 4 (out of 6) • Doubled

Voice and Word Choice are not included in the achievement standard. *a composite score of 35 to 39 points conditionally meets the standard. The school district may determine that the standard has been met IF that student has met all writing local performance requirements.

Mathematics 232 242

Speaking, Science, and Social Sciences

No state test

Grade 8 MEET EXCEED


Mathematics 234 245

Science 234 246

Social Sciences # 231 241

# Optional state test; may be required by districts or schools.

Writing, Speaking No state test

Appendix A


A-1

Oregon Department of Education Office of Assessment and Information Services

http://www.ode.state.or.us/go/TAM

http://www.ode.state.or.us/teachlearn/standards/contentperformance/recommended2010-11mathstandards.pdf

ACHIEVEMENT STANDARDS Continued

High School Achievement Standards for Oregon Statewide Assessments1

Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (OAKS) is one option to provide evidence of proficiency in Essential Skills.

Subject Area Meets Exceeds Notes Essential Skill

Reading/Literature 236 248 Content of the 2010-2011 OAKS Reading/Literature Assessment is based on the Grade Level Content Standards adopted in 2002-2003.

Read and comprehend a variety of text

Writing • Composite Score • Minimum score allowed in

any trait • Conventions score

• 40 to 49 (out of 60) • 3 (out of 6) • Doubled

• 50 to 60 • 4 (out of 6) • Doubled

• A composite score of 35 to 39 conditionally meets the standard. The district may determine that the standards has been met if that student has met all writing local performance requirements. • Score on Voice and Word Choice traits are not included in the achievement standard.

Write clearly and accurately.

Mathematics 236 251 Content of the 2010-11 OAKS Mathematics test is based on the Content Standards adopted in 2009 for high school and 2007 for grades K-8.

Apply mathematics in a variety of settings

Science 240 249 Content of the 2010-11 OAKS Science test is based on the Content Standards adopted in 2001.

Social Sciences 239 249 Optional State Assessment; content of the 2010-11 OAKS Social Sciences Assessment is based on the Content Standards adopted in 2001.

Achievement Standards for Demonstrating Proficiency in Essential Skills for High School Diploma2

Essential Skill OAKS Assessment Required Scores Other Options Reading (Class of 2012 & beyond) Reading/Literature 236 Meets

248 Exceeds Other approved standardized test; Work samples

Writing (Class of 2013 & beyond) Writing Performance Assessment

40 Meets 50 Exceeds

Work samples

Apply Mathematics (Class of 2014 & beyond)

Mathematics 236 Meets 251 Exceeds

Other approved standardized test; Work samples

1 In future years, Achievement Standards may change for the purposes of accountability and earning a high school diploma. 2 For purposes of demonstrating mastery of Essential Skills, students must meet the achievement standards in effect during their 8th

grade year. However, students may use achievement standards adopted in their 9th through 12th grade years that are equal to or lower than the achievement standards approved as of March 1 of the students’ 8th grade year. In addition, students may demonstrate proficiency in the Essential Skills using additional assessment options adopted in their 9th through 12th grade years.

Appendix A


A-2


http://www.ode.state.or.us/teachlearn/standards/contentperformance/recommended2010-11mathstandards.pdf


A Look at Work Samples As Required Local Performance Assessments (Grades 3 – 8 and High School)

Local Performance assessments evaluate the application of students’ knowledge and skills. OAR 581-022-0615 Assessment of Essential Skills requires students to complete one or more local performance assessments for each assessed skill area per year in grades 3-8 and at least once in high school. The table below outlines the achievement standards for work samples scored with an official state scoring guide and used as a local performance assessment. For detailed assessment information refer to the 2010-11 Test Administration Manual at www.ode.state.or.us/go/TAM. It provides work sample guidelines, options, and procedures that help ensure both work sample reliability and validity from classroom to classroom, teacher to teacher, school to school, and district to district.

Skill Area (Official State

Scoring Guide) Grade

Achievement Standard for Purpose of Local

Performance Assessment

Notes about Work Samples

Meets (out of 6)

Exceeds (out of 6)

Writing

Grade 3 3 4 Grade 3 students are not held to a standard in Sentence Fluency.

Grades 4-8 and High School

4 5 Voice and Word Choice may be scored but are not required traits. Exemplars reflect expectations at each grade level.

Speaking Grade 3 3 4 Grade 3 students are not held to a standard in Language.


4 5 Exemplars reflect expectations at each grade level.

Mathematics Problem Solving


4 5 Exemplars reflect expectations at each grade level.

Scientific Inquiry Grades 3-8 and High

School 4 5

Separate Official scoring guides exist for each grade/band (Grade 3, Benchmark 2 (Grades 4-5), Benchmark 3 (Grades 6-8), and High School).

Related Web Links: Official State Scoring Guides: www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=32 Exemplars of scored work samples are currently found on subject-specific assessment pages linked from: www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=1307

Appendix A


A-3


http://www.ode.state.or.us/go/TAM

http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=32

http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=1307


Using Work Samples to Assess Essential Skills for the Oregon Diploma

The graduating class of 2012 will be required to demonstrate proficiency in the first of the Essential Skills, Reading. (See chart below for implementation schedule.) Work samples are one assessment option that high school students may use to demonstrate they are proficient in the Essential Skills. Regarding demonstration of proficiency in the Essential Skills, districts must:

provide students with instruction in and multiple assessment opportunities to demonstrate proficiency in the Essential Skills for the purpose of earning a high school or modified diploma.

allow students to use assessment options adopted in a student’s 9th through 12th grade years.

allow students to use achievement standards adopted in their 9th through 12th grade years that are equal to or lower than the achievement standards approved as of March 1 of the students’ 8th grade year.

At the high school level, students may use work samples to fulfill both the local performance assessment and the Essential Skills requirements. The table below describes the achievement standard for work samples scored for the purpose of demonstrating proficiency in the Essential Skills with regard to conferring a high school diploma.

Essential Skill Number and Types of Work

Samples Scoring Guide

First Year Implemented

Achievement Standard for Purpose of Conferring High

School Diploma (Cut Scores)

Read and comprehend a variety of text

2 total work samples:

at least one must be informative

the second may be informative or literary

Official Reading Scoring Guide

Class of 2012 Total score of 12 (6-point scale) across 3 traits with no trait lower than a 3 with no traits lower than a 3; score of 5 or 6 on all traits to exceed.

Write clearly and accurately


one expository

one persuasive

one narrative sample

Official Writing Scoring Guide

Class of 2013 Score of 4 (6-point scale) to meet in each of the 4 required traits; score of 5 or 6 to exceed.

Apply mathematics in a variety of settings


One each from two of these:

algebra

geometry

statistics

Official Mathematics Problem Solving Scoring Guide

Class of 2014 Score of 4 (6-point scale) to meet in each required trait; score of 5 or 6 to exceed.

Appendix A


A-4


Cognitive Demand and Item Distribution Goals Oregon recognizes the importance of Depth of Knowledge as part of test specification. To that end, we are implementing a strategy to overtly incorporate a test design process that includes the three dimensions of content, difficulty and Depth of Knowledge.

The first step in the process is convening content panels to ask for their determination as to the appropriate allocation of Depth of Knowledge, given the content standards.

The second step is analyzing the gap between the Depth of Knowledge available in the current item pools against the content panel’s recommendations.

The third step involves engaging item writers to write items to fill in the critical gaps. These items would then be reviewed and field tested through our standard processes.

We anticipate being able to include Depth of Knowledge as an explicit part of the test specifications in 2010-11. The three Depth of Knowledge levels to be addressed are: • Recall: Item requires a student to recall a fact, information or procedure.

• Skill/Concept: Item requires a student to use a skill or concept, including thinking that requires two or more steps.

• Strategic Thinking: Item requires a student to use reason, develop a plan or use a sequence of steps.

Cognitive Demand and Difficulty Distribution for Science

Grade 5 Distribution on Test

Grade 8 Distribution on Test

High School Distribution on Test

Difficulty Difficulty Difficulty 204-214 33% 213-226 33% 217-230 33% 215-229 33% 227-239 33% 231-243 33% 230-244 33% 240-253 33% 244-257 33% Depth of knowledge Depth of knowledge Depth of knowledge Recall To be

announced by August, 2010

Recall To be announced by August, 2010

Recall To be announced by August, 2010

Skill/Concept Skill/Concept Skill/Concept Strategic Thinking Strategic Thinking Strategic Thinking

RIT Range 204-244 RIT Range 213-253 RIT Range 217-257 Mean RIT 222 Mean RIT 231 Mean RIT 235

Appendix B Science, Benchmark 2/Grade 5


B-1 Oregon Department of Education Office of Assessment and Information Services

APPENDIX C: ITEM DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

Oregon’s item development process is consistent with industry practice and takes approximately two years, including writing, reviewing, and field-testing new items. Just as the development of Oregon’s content and performance standards is an open, consensus-driven process, the development of test items and prompts to measure those constructs is grounded in a similar philosophy.

Item Writing

For the Knowledge and Skills (multiple-choice) tests and the Writing Performance Assessment, most item writing takes place during either onsite, remote and/or online item writing workshops, in which Oregon teachers across the five main content areas write and review items. The process remains the same regardless of workshop format.

Item writers are typically Oregon teachers who have received training in item construction, are familiar with test specifications, and have demonstrated skill in writing items that pass content and sensitivity panel review. Item writers receive professional development compensation for their time and travel expenses. Among other security precautions, ODE requires item writers to sign confidentiality forms assuring that they will work with the items in a secure manner.

All items are written to measure specific subdomains of the content standards at a variety of specified levels of cognitive complexity. Cognitive complexity is represented by the

following classification, developed from Bloom’s (1956) educational taxonomy:1

• Recall: Recall, label, or locate information; define or describe facts or processes.

• Skill/Concept (Basic Application): Use information or conceptual knowledge, often requiring two or more steps; summarize, classify, or explain information or processes; make predictions or generalizations; solve problems.

• Strategic thinking: Analyze, critique, compare or contrast; create new information; or organize presented information.

• Extended thinking: Make connections and extensions (exclusively assessed in the Writing Performance Assessment and local performance assessments).

During the item writing workshop, writers draft items, document rationale of distracters, and conduct peer reviews of each other’s items. Examples of items are provided, and facilitators provide process guidance and additional review. Writers and reviewers evaluate the strength and clarity of the match between the drafted item and the standard it measures. All issues are worked out or solved multiple times by multiple

1 Bloom, B. S. (ed.), Engelhart, M. D., Furst, E. J., Hill, W. H., & Krathwohl, D. R. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: Handbook I: Cognitive domain. New York: David McKay.

Appendix C Science, Benchmark 2/Grade 5


C-1 Oregon Department of Education Office of Assessment and Information Services

reviewers who verify that distracters are plausible, that answers are correct, and that each item has only a single correct answer.

Figure 1. Sample Oregon Item Writing Form

Following item writing workshops, items are entered into the Item Tracking System (ITS). Oregon’s original graphics are initially entered into the ODE’s Comprehensive Item Management System (CIMS) and then transferred to ITS. Within ITS and CIMS, each item is given a unique item identification number to facilitate the monitoring and tracking of changes to and usage of the item throughout the review process and each item’s history. ITS provides authorized users with access to each item’s alignment and attributes, field-test results and use, response rationales, and previous versions.

Although item writing workshops may still occur annually, ODE has recently moved toward distributed item writing in which consistently strong item writers author additional items throughout the year. Items still go through the review process previously described. Item writers are trained on the use of secure item entry using ITS, and graphic drafts are scanned by the item writers and securely transmitted to ODE.

Committee/Panel Review

ODE convenes a series of advisory groups to advise ODE both on assessment-related policy and on item development. ODE seeks to ensure that membership on these advisory groups reflects the demographics of Oregon’s student population. Each advisory group has approximately 15–35 members who serve three-year terms with one-third of the members rotating out each year and being replaced by new representatives. The following table describes the structure of these groups.




Structure of ODE Assessment-Related Advisory Groups

Committee/Panel Number of Members Meeting Frequency Who Nominates Members?

Assessment Policy Advisory Committee 15–20 2-3 times a year School districts, COSA, OSBA, OEA, ESDs, and OPTA

Sensitivity Panel 15–20 4–6 times a year School districts, OEA, ESDs (application process)

English/Language Arts Content and Assessment Panel 35 4-6 times a year School districts, OEA, ESDs, and self-nominate

(application process) Mathematics Content and Assessment Panel 35 4 - 6 times a year School districts, OEA, ESDs, and self-nominate

(application process) Science Content and Assessment Panel 35 4- 6 times a year School districts, OEA, ESDs, and self-nominate

(application process) Social Sciences Content and Assessment Panel 25 1 - 2 times a year School districts, OEA, ESDs, and self-nominate

(application process) English Language Proficiency Content and Assessment Panel 35 1 – 2 times a year School districts, OEA, ESDs, and self-nominate

(application process)

Note. Oregon’s Accommodations and Modifications Review Panel is not described here. Source: http://www.ode.state.or.us/teachlearn/testing/dev/panels/structurecapanels.doc

Panel members commit up to 6 school days of service with an additional 3 or 4 days during the summer. However, panels will be convened remotely rather than in person as secure technology improvements allow distributed work. Although committee members on district contracts are not compensated for their service, they do receive travel reimbursement for committee travel of more than 70 miles, and substitute teachers are provided for service during the school year. When classroom teacher members work for ODE during non-contract time, they are compensated at an hourly wage as temporary employees

The Assessment Policy Advisory Committee consists of representatives from Oregon school districts, schools, and

ESDs who are knowledgeable about assessment-related issues. The purpose of the Committee is to advise ODE on both the procedural and policy implications of Oregon’s assessment system, as well as the feasibility of proposed improvements to Oregon’s assessment system. Committee members provide input regarding the various elements of the state assessment system such as educational technology, electronic reporting, operational assessment issues, and test administration.

In addition to seeking advice on assessment-related policy, ODE requires that all items generated for use on Oregon statewide assessments must pass a series of rigorous reviews before they can be used in field and operational tests. All items go through both a content and a sensitivity review as part of the




item development process; only those items that measure the grade-level expectations and meet both overall quality and sensitivity criteria are carried forward to the field-test stage.

ODE Content and Assessment Panels exist for each of the content areas for which statewide tests are given: English/Language Arts (this panel reviews Writing and Reading/Literature assessment items), Mathematics, Science, Social Sciences, and English Language Proficiency.

Most members of these panels are classroom teachers, with some representation from higher education, district curriculum and assessment personnel, and related businesses. Criteria for panel selection include the following:

• Knowledge of Oregon’s content standards and expertise in the subject area and its eligible content

• Teaching experience at the grade level or benchmark to which the individual will be assigned

• Geographical location to ensure that all regions of Oregon are represented

• Gender and ethnic diversity to ensure that the panel represents the diversity of Oregon’s student population

Current item writers are not allowed to serve on item review committees. However, in some cases, content and assessment panel experts may be utilized as item writing facilitators.

Items are accepted, rejected, or modified by the Content and Assessment Panel to make sure they represent the constructs embodied in grade-specific content standards and test specifications. In addition to judgments of content relevance,

the panels appraise the technical quality of items, looking for items that are free from such flaws as (a) inappropriate readability level, (b) ambiguity, (c) incorrectly keyed answers and distracters, (d) unclear instructions, and (e) factual inaccuracy. The panels for each content area use the following review process:

1. Three content panel members review each item independently and complete an Item Review Form (IRF) (figure 1) using a pre-assigned reviewer ID.

2. Then, the three content panel members review the item collectively, and item reviewers make a recommendation for each item on the IRF to either (a) accept the item as written, (b) accept the item with revisions, or (c) reject the item (sometimes an alternate question is offered that entails a simple revision).

3. When all three reviewers agree that an item should be accepted or rejected, no further discussion is needed. If one or more of the reviewers feel that an item should be revised, then they attempt to reach a consensus and produce a “master copy” of their recommendation. The same is true if one or two of the reviewers reject an item that another reviewer finds acceptable with or without revisions.

4. In most cases, recommendations are followed and revisions are made, or items are eliminated. The ODE assessment specialist can override the recommendation, but this occurs rarely and only for compelling reasons.




Figure 2. Sample Oregon Content and Assessment Panel Item Review Form

The content panels perform specific checks on items to confirm that:

• the SRC and subcategory match. • the key is correct. • alternate valid interpretations making the distracters

correct do not exist. • the item is grade-level appropriate in content and reading

levels. • the item is of overall high quality (wording and

grammar, graphic quality, curricular importance, etc). • the identified level of difficulty (i.e., easy, medium,

hard) is correct. • Reading/Literature passages are appropriate in content

and reading levels. Science and Social Sciences stimuli align to appropriate content and reading skills.

• the level of cognitive complexity (i.e., recall, skill/concept or strategic thinking) is appropriate to the item and correctly identified.

Following review by the content panel, and according to panel feedback, ODE assessment specialists edit and revise items in ITS in preparation for review by the Sensitivity Panel.

All items that pass review by the content specialist are next presented to the sensitivity panel. The sensitivity panel reviews convenes day-long meetings, four to six times a year. The panel reviews items from all grade levels and content areas for bias, controversial content, and overly emotional issues.




In general, the sensitivity panel ensures that items:

• present racial, ethnic, and cultural groups in a positive light.

• do not contain controversial, offensive, or potentially upsetting content.

• avoid content familiar only to specific groups of students because of race or ethnicity, class, or geographic location.

• aid in the elimination of stereotypes. • avoid words or phrases that have multiple meanings.

Following the sensitivity panels and according to panel feedback, ODE assessment specialists edit and revise items in the ITS system.

EXPERT REVIEW Next, ODE assessment specialists submit the new items for review by experts that have experience in the roles of item writer and content and assessment panel member. Expert reviewers add an additional quality control check for the online assessments. Experts have received extensive professional development in ITS to review items in a web-preview format providing the exact rendering provided in the online assessments. Experts review each item and confirm that:

• the key is correct. • alternate valid interpretations making the distracters

correct do not exist. • the item is grade-level appropriate in content and

reading levels.

• the item is of overall high quality (wording and grammar, graphic quality, curricular importance, etc).

Following the expert review in most cases, recommendations are followed and revisions are made, or items are eliminated. The ODE assessment specialist can override the recommendation, but this occurs rarely and only for compelling reasons.

FIELD TESTING Once the items have been reviewed by the content and assessment panel, the sensitivity panel, and an expert reviewer, all Mathematics, Reading/Literature, Science, and Social Sciences test items are field tested. Field test items identified by the ODE assessment specialists are embedded in the operational tests by content area. As students take the operational tests, they also respond to approximately 5-8 field test items embedded in the test.

ODE then receives data files of the student responses, which ODE analyzes to determine whether the field test items are behaving as expected. The ODE assessment specialists eliminate those items which the data analysis indicate performed weakly. ODE assessment staff calibrate the difficulty level for those items that performed successfully in preparation for using the item operationally.




TRANSLATION OF ITEMS TO SPANISH Concurrent with the field testing of items in English, all Mathematics, Science, and Social Sciences test items are translated into Spanish. All required grade-level and benchmark- level statewide tests for Mathematics and Science are offered in English-Spanish tests. English-Spanish tests are also available for Social Sciences. Stacked English-Spanish items are used on electronic tests. Side-by-side English-Spanish and English-Russian Paper/Pencil assessments are available in Mathematics and Science. Following translation by ODE’s translation vendor, the translated items are reviewed by ODE’s Spanish- and Russian-speaking experts to ensure that each item accurately conveys the intent of the English text. While the procedure described below specifically addresses Spanish translation, ODE follows a similar procedure for translation of Paper/Pencil items into Russian. The following linguistic guidelines are used by ODE’s translation vendor and Spanish-speaking experts:

• Students are expected to have subject knowledge and use proper terminology/vocabulary for that subject. In other words, what is expected from English-speaking students is also expected from Spanish-speaking students.

• ODE uses formal Spanish (usted, not tú) for test items and includes proper verb conjugation.

• ODE strives to use Global Spanish language that will be interpreted and understood by all Spanish speakers from anywhere in the world. Global Spanish language includes words used worldwide by most Spanish speakers.

After the ODE Spanish reviewers complete a review of the newly translated items, extensive research is conducted by a small group of reviewers on any word that has not met group consensus. Every attempt is made to choose the most correct

translation based upon grade level and cultural relevance. A variety of resources are used for selecting the proper translated words including: dictionaries from Mexico, South America and Spain (e.g. Diccionario Hispanoamericano de Dudas, Diccionario de Matemáticas), and ODE’s list of translated terms for Science at http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=517 and for Mathematics at http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=500 .

ADDITIONAL EXPERT REVIEW OF ITEMS On an annual basis, ODE assessment specialists review items from the field test pool for inclusion within the operational test. This level of review acts as an additional quality control for the online assessments. In addition, whenever ODE transitions to a different test delivery system, ODE submits all of its Reading/Literature, Mathematics, Science, and Social Sciences items for an additional level of expert review to ensure that all items appear consistently from year to year when presented to students.

ITEM USE AND RELEASE Approximately every three years, ODE releases one sample test for each content area and grade-level and benchmark-level comprised of items used on previous test forms. These items are no longer secure and are taken out of the pool of eligible test items.

Released items are provided in the form of practice tests. Practice tests for Reading/Literature, Mathematics, Social Sciences, and Science are available on ODE’s Website at http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=1222 .

Sample Writing prompts are also available at http://www.ode.state.or.us/teachlearn/subjects/elarts/writing/assessment/usingsampleprompts.pdf




The complete two-year Lifecycle of a Knowledge and Skills ItemMathematics, Reading/Literature, Science, Social Sciences

PAGE 1

1 Phase 1›Item Writing 2 Phase 2›Item Review 3 Phase 3›Field Testing

A. Assessment staff schedules andcoordinates item writing activities, and recruits Oregon teachers toconstruct items to be entered into an item database

REVIEW

WRITING

SITES SORT

REVIEW

EDIT

REVIEW

FIELD TEST

EMBED

TEST

PROCESSEDITENTRY

C. Teachers review items written bytheir peers.

D. After items are written, assess-ment staff enter items into a database.

A. Assessment Specialist sorts andorganizes items for review.

B. Subject Specific Content and Assessment Panels, consisting ofOregon teachers, review test items with respect to content validity andgrade appropriateness.

C. Assessment Specialist edits and revises items according to content panel feedback.

D. Sensitivity Panel reviews items in two-day meetings, generally heldfour times a year.

E. Assessment Specialist edits andrevises items according to SensitivityPanel feedback.

B. Field test items are embeddedin an operational test.

C. Students complete operational tests with embedded field test items.

D. Data files of student responsesare submitted to ODE for analysis.

A. Assessment Specialist identifiesitems to be field tested.

NEXT PHASE NEXT PHASE

Bank of POTENTIAL items Bank of REVIEWED items Bank of FIELD items

B. Item Writing: Teachers receive professional development training on item development, including a focus on standardsalignment and item content and format. Items are written explicitlyto measure Oregon academic content standards.

Appendix D

D-1

The complete two-year Lifecycle of a Knowledge and Skills ItemMathematics, Reading/Literature, Science, Social Sciences

PAGE 2

4 Phase 4›DataAnalysis of

Field Test Items

5 Phase 5›Test Construction

6 Phase 6›DataAnalysis of Operational

Test Items

A. Assessment staff generatespsychometric data to determine if the item “behaves” as expected.

CALIBRATE

REVIEW

ANALYZE SELECT

RANGE

CONSTRUCT

REVIEW

PRESENTED

SCORES

TEST

PROCESS

TARGETFINAL

C. Assessment staff calibrate the difficulty of field test items thatmeet the successful criteria.

B. Assessment Specialist reviewsdata to determine which items should be “dropped” because of weak performance.

A. Assessment Specialist selects items for operational testing.

B. Assessment Specialist balancesitems across Score Reporting Categories (SRCs) (such as Geometry in Mathematics or Vocabulary in Reading/Literature) and range of difficulty according to test specifications.

C. Assessment staff construct tests, online test pools,and finalize Administration Manual.

D. Assessment staff and expert reviewers proofread testitems and stimuli for errors.

E. Final Operational Tests and poolsare prepared.

E. Item performance tables which describe how well each item performs are used to review itemsand pools of items to identify anyadditional items to be dropped.

B. Students complete the opera-tional test and receive instant scores when using onlinedelivery.

C. Assessment staff analyze itemstatistics to verify the itemperforms as expected

D. Assessment staff analyze item statistics to make sure items are not biased against a particular sub-group (e.g., students with disabilities, ethnic groups, or gender).

A. Tests are sent to contractor forprint distribution or delivery online.

NEXT PHASE NEXT PHASE

Bank of CALIBRATED items

Appendix D

D-2

SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY FORMING THE QUESTION/HYPOTHESIS Score Reporting Category 5

Common Curriculum Goal: Formulate and express scientific questions or hypotheses to be investigated.

Content Standard

Make observations. Formulate and express scientific questions or hypotheses to be investigated based on the observations.

Benchmark 2 Standard

Make observations. Ask questions or form hypotheses based on those observations, which can be explored through scientific investigations.


Eligible Content

See 2002-2011 Scientific Inquiry Benchmark 2 Scoring Guide, Level 4.

Explanation

Students should be able to identify a question, formulate a testable hypothesis and demonstrate logical connections between the scientific concepts guiding a hypothesis and the design of the experiment.

Locally Assessed

Teachers are expected to provide instruction and classroom assessment in all four dimensions of the scoring guide and scores from these assessments* are reported to school district work sample management. Scientific Inquiry Anchor Papers and Support Materials are available at http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=518 *Forming the Question/Hypothesis scores are not required to be reported for Benchmark 2 work sample management.

Appendix E Science, Benchmark 2/Grade 5


E-1 Oregon Department of Education Office of Assessment and Information Services

SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY DESIGNING THE INVESTIGATION Score Reporting Category 5

Common Curriculum Goal: Design safe and ethical scientific investigations to address questions or hypotheses.

Content Standard

Design scientific investigations to address and explain questions or hypotheses.


Design a simple scientific investigation to answer questions or test hypotheses.


Eligible Content


Explanation

Students must be able to design and construct a scientific investigation using proper equipment, procedures and safety precautions. They should provide clarification of ideas that guide the inquiry and obtain scientific knowledge from sources other than the actual investigation. Their investigation should include clarification of the question, method, controls, variables and provide organization of the data.

Locally Assessed

Teachers are expected to provide instruction and classroom assessment in all four dimensions of the scoring guide and scores from these assessments are reported to school district work sample management. Scientific Inquiry Anchor Papers and Support Materials are available at http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=518




SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY COLLECTING AND PRESENTING DATA Score Reporting Category 5

Common Curriculum Goal: Conduct procedures to collect, organize, and display scientific data.

Content Standard

Collect, organize, and display scientific data.


Collect, organize, and summarize data from investigations.


Eligible Content


Explanation

Students summarize varied sources of evidence including their own data and published reports and evaluate the reports of others using scientific criteria.

Locally Assessed





SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY ANALYZING AND INTERPRETING RESULTS Score Reporting Category 5

Common Curriculum Goal: Analyze scientific information to develop and present conclusions.

Content Standard

Analyze scientific information to develop and present conclusions.


Summarize, analyze, and interpret data from investigations.


Eligible Content


Explanation

Students are able to analyze data, taking steps to limit observer and sample bias using mathematical statistics and probability concepts. They are able to formulate and revise explanations and models based on evidence and logical argument while preserving significant information.

Locally Assessed





These standards were adopted by the State Board of Education April 26, 2001. Students were first accountable for meeting these standards in the Spring 2003 statewide assessment.

Instruction in the Common Curriculum Goals of Unifying Concepts and Processes, History and Nature of Science, Science in Personal and Social Perspectives, and Science and Technology is required in all Oregon school districts; however, they are not included in the state assessment except as specifically indicated in

the eligible content in Earth/Space Science, Life Science, or Physical Science.

UNIFYING CONCEPTS AND PROCESSES: Understand and apply major concepts and processes common to all sciences.

COMMON CURRICULUM GOALS: • Understand that any collection of things that have an influence on one another can be thought of as a system. • Understand that a model is a tentative scheme or structure with explanatory power. • Understand that both patterns of change and stability are important in the natural world. • Understand that changes in scale influence the characteristics, properties and relationships within a system.

HISTORY AND NATURE OF SCIENCE: Understand science as a human endeavor, the nature of scientific knowledge, and the history

of science as it relates to and clarifies scientific inquiries.

COMMON CURRICULUM GOALS: • Understand that science is a human endeavor practiced by individuals from many different cultures. • Understand that scientific knowledge is subject to change based on new findings and results of scientific observation and experimentation. • Understand that scientific knowledge distinguishes itself through the use of empirical standards, logical arguments, and skepticism.

SCIENCE IN PERSONAL AND SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES: Understand that science provides a basis for understanding and acting on personal and social issues.

COMMON CURRICULUM GOALS: • Describe the role of science and technology in local, national, and global issues. • Describe how daily choices of individuals, taken together, affect global resource cycles, ecosystems, and natural resource supplies. • Explain risks and benefits in personal and community health from a science perspective.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: Understand the interconnections among science, technology, and society.

COMMON CURRICULUM GOALS: • Understand the relationship that exists between science and technology. • Understand the process of technological design to solve problems and meet needs.




2009-2011 Official Scientific Inquiry Scoring Guide

Grade 3

2009-2011 SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY SCORING GUIDE v.3.8 Oregon Department of Education For scoring guide inquiries contact [email protected] or 503-947-5835 Office of Assessment and Information Services

At third grade, students are expected to complete their first scientific inquiry work sample. Teachers are encouraged to provide assistance as defined. *This dimension is not reported for Grade 3 District Work Sample collection. Teachers assist students in Forming a Question or Hypothesis

for their investigations. **Teacher guidance in safety and ethics is acceptable and encouraged.

Forming a Question or Hypothesis (Teacher-directed*)

Make observations. Based on these observations, ask questions or form hypotheses, which can be explored through simple investigations.

Designing an Investigation (Student-directed with teacher support**)

Plan a simple investigation.

5/6 Exceeds

Links background to the question or hypothesis.

Forms a question or hypothesis that can be answered or tested using data gathered in a simple scientific investigation.

Communicates the question or hypothesis clearly, with details.

Presents a practical plan for a simple investigation that addresses the question or hypothesis and attempts to provide a fair test.

Communicates logical procedures that imply a connection to student’s scientific knowledge.

4 Meets

Forms a question or hypothesis that can be explored using data from a simple investigation.

Communicates the question or hypothesis understandably.

Presents a practical plan for a simple investigation that addresses the question or hypothesis.

Communicates a plan that may lack some details.

3 Nearly Meets

Forms a question or hypothesis that provides limited opportunity for data collection.

Communicates an incomplete question or hypothesis.

Presents a plan somewhat related to the topic that may not fully address the question or hypothesis.

Communicates an incomplete plan.

1/2 Does Not

Meet

Forms a question or hypothesis that cannot be explored through a simple investigation.

Communicates a question or hypothesis that is not understandable.

Presents a plan that is impractical or does not relate to the question or hypothesis.

Communicates a plan that cannot be followed or the plan is missing.

F-1

Appendix F


Grade 3


***Teacher provides a data table for students to use or students may create their own data display.

Collecting and Presenting Data

(Student-directed with teacher support***) Collect data from an investigation.

Analyzing and Interpreting Results

(Student-directed) Use the data collected from an investigation to explain the results.

5/6 Exceeds

Records accurate and complete data and/or observations consistent with the plan.

Designs a data table (or other format) using teacher suggestions.

Uses accurate results to explicitly address the question or hypothesis.

4 Meets

Records reasonable data and observations generally consistent with the plan.

Uses a teacher provided data table.

Uses the data collected to accurately tell about the results.

3 Nearly Meets

Records insufficient data and/or records observations inconsistent with the plan.

Uses a teacher provided data table but the data is incomplete or incorrect.

Communicates results incompletely with only partial accuracy.

1/2 Does Not

Meet

Does not record data, or observations are unrelated to the plan. Does not use a data table.

No results are communicated or the results are completely inaccurate.

F-2

Appendix F


Grade 3


Definition of Grade 3 Score Levels

EXCEEDS = 5/6

The student has enhanced her/his work, making it more complex and detailed. The student not only understands the concepts, but also has produced work that is above and beyond the “meets” level.

MEETS = 4

The student’s work shows more strengths than weaknesses. The student clearly demonstrates understanding.

NEARLY MEETS = 3

The student’s work shows some development. While the student shows some conceptual understanding, additional instruction and practice are needed to earn a “meets” level.

DOES NOT MEET = 1/2

The student’s work shows inaccuracies, is incomplete, and generally is not clear.

F-3

Appendix F

2002-2011 SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY SCORING GUIDE [A= Application of Scientific Knowledge N= Nature of Scientific Inquiry C= Communication] - 1 -

2002-2011 Official Scientific Inquiry Scoring Guide Benchmark 2

Grades 4 and 5

Forming a Question or Hypothesis Make observations. Ask questions or form hypotheses based on those observations which can be explored through scientific investigations.

Designing an Investigation. Design a simple scientific investigation to answer questions or test hypotheses.

6

A) Explains the origin of the question or hypothesis based on background that is relevant to the investigation. N) Forms a question or hypothesis that can be answered or tested using data and provides focus for a simple scientific investigation. C) Communicates (A) & (N) clearly and effectively.

A) Records logical procedures with an obvious connection to the student’s scientific knowledge. (Teacher guidance in safety and ethics is acceptable.) N) Presents a practical design appropriate for answering the question or testing the hypothesis with evidence of recognition of some important variables. C) Communicates an organized design and detailed procedures.

6

5 A) Links background to the question or hypothesis. N) Forms a question or hypothesis that can be answered or tested using data gathered in a simple scientific investigation. C) Communicates (A) & (N) clearly.

A) Records logical procedures that imply a connection to student’s scientific knowledge. (Teacher guidance in safety and ethics is acceptable.) N) Presents a practical design for an investigation that addresses the question or hypothesis and attempts to provide a fair test. C) Communicates a general plan including some detailed procedures.

5

4

A) Provides some support or background (prior knowledge, preliminary observations, or personal interest and experience) which is relevant to the investigation. N) Forms a question or hypothesis that can be explored using data in a simple scientific investigation. C) Communicates (A) & (N) understandably.

A) Records logical procedures with only minor flaws. (Teacher guidance in safety and ethics is acceptable.) N) Presents a practical plan for an investigation that addresses the question or hypothesis. C) Communicates a plan and some procedures, but it may generally lack detail.

4

3

A) Background is either irrelevant or missing. N) Forms a question or hypothesis that provides limited opportunity for data collection. C) Communicates a question or hypothesis that is incomplete or only partially understandable.

A) Records generally logical procedures having flaws. (Teacher guidance in safety and ethics is acceptable.) N) Presents a practical plan related to the topic that minimally addresses the question or hypothesis. C) Communicates an incomplete plan, with few procedures.

3

2 A) Not Applicable N) Forms a question or hypothesis that cannot be explored through a simple scientific investigation. C) Communicates a question or hypothesis that is not understandable.

A) Records procedures that are significantly flawed. (Teacher guidance in safety and ethics, if offered, may not have been incorporated.) N) Presents a plan somewhat related to the topic which may not address the question or hypothesis. C) Communicates an incomplete plan that is difficult to follow.

2

1 A) Not Applicable N) Not Applicable C) Does not express the purpose of the investigation as either a question or a hypothesis.

A) Records procedures that are wholly inappropriate. N) Presents a plan that is impractical or unrelated to the topic. C) Communicates a plan or procedures that cannot be followed.

1

Appendix F

F-4

2002-2011 SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY SCORING GUIDE [A= Application of Scientific Knowledge N= Nature of Scientific Inquiry C= Communication] - 2 -

2002-2011 Official Scientific Inquiry Scoring Guide Benchmark 2

Grades 4 and 5

Collecting and Presenting Data Collect, organize, and summarize data from investigations.

Analyzing and Interpreting Results Summarize, analyze and interpret data from investigations.

6

A) Records accurate data and/or observations consistent with complex procedures. N) Transforms data into a student-selected format that is most appropriate to clarify results. C) Designs a data table (or other format) for communicating observations and/or measurements which is efficient, organized and uses appropriate units.

A) Reports results and identifies simple relationships (e.g., connecting one variable to another). N) Not Applicable C) Explicitly uses results to address the question or hypothesis and illustrate simple relationships.

6

5

A) Records accurate data and/or observations completely consistent with the planned procedure. N) Transforms data into a student-selected format which is complete and useful. C) Designs a data table (or other format) for communicating observations and/or measurements that is organized and uses appropriate units.

A) Reports results accurately and identifies obvious patterns (e.g., noting a pattern of change for one variable). N) Not Applicable C) Explicitly uses results to address the question or hypothesis.

5

4

A) Records reasonable data or observations generally consistent with the planned procedure. N) Transforms original data into a useful format (e.g., graphs, averages, percentages, diagrams, tables) with teacher support and with minimal errors. C) Designs a data table for collection and organization of data using teacher suggestions.

A) Reports results accurately. N) Not Applicable C) Responds to the question or hypothesis with some support from results.

4

3

A) Records reasonable data or observations consistent with the planned procedure, with some obvious errors. N) Does not transform data into a teacher-recommended format. C) Uses teacher-supplied data tables for data collection with minor errors.

A) Reports results incompletely or in a misleading way. N) Not Applicable C) Responds to the question or hypothesis without support from the results.

3

2 A) Records insufficient data and/or observations inconsistent with the planned procedure. N) Not Applicable C) Uses a teacher supplied data table with minimal errors.

A) Reports results inaccurately. N) Not Applicable C) Provides a response(s) to the question or hypothesis that is unrelated to the investigation.

2

1

A) Records data and/or observations unrelated to the planned procedure. N) Not Applicable C) Does not correctly use a teacher-supplied data table.

A) Omits results in reports. N) Not Applicable C) Does not respond to the question or hypothesis.

1

Appendix F

F-5

13 14 15 16 17

18

La57

Ac89

1.008

1

4.003

2

20.18

10

14.01

7

39.95

18

35.45

1719.00

9

16.00

8

83.80

36

131.3

54

(222)

86

12.01

6C

10.81B5

26.98Al13

28.09Si14

30.97P15

32.07S16

6.941Li3

9.012Be

4

22.99Na

11

24.31Mg

12

39.10K19

40.08Ca

20

44.96Sc21

47.88Ti22

50.94V23

52.00Cr24

54.94Mn

25

55.85Fe26

58.93Co27

58.69Ni28

63.55Cu

29

65.39Zn30

69.72Ga31

72.58Ge32

74.92As33

78.96Se34

79.90

35

85.47Rb

37

87.62Sr38

88.91Y39

91.22Zr40

92.91Nb41

95.94Mo

42

132.9Cs

55

137.3Ba

56

178.5Hf72

180.9Ta73

183.9W74

(223)Fr87

(226) (227)

138.9

Ra88

(98)

43

126.9I53

101.1Ru

44

102.9Rh45

106.4Pd46

107.9Ag47

112.4Cd48

186.2Re

75

190.2Os

76

192.2Ir77

195.1Pt78

197.0Au79

200.5Hg

80

204.4Tl81

207.2Pb82

208.9Bi83

(209)Po84

(210)At85

114.8In49

118.7Sn50

121.8Sb51

127.6Te52

Br

1

54

2

3 6 7 1211

175.0Lu71

140.1Ce

58

(232.0)Th90

(231)Pa91

(238)U92

140.9Pr59

144.2Nd60

(257)

103

(147)

61

(237)

93

(242)

94

(243)

95

(247)

96

(247)

97

(249)

98

(254)

99

(253)

100

(256)

101

(254)

102

(150.4)Sm

62

152.0Eu

63

157.3Gd

64

158.9Tb65

162.5Dy66

164.9Ho67

167.3Er68

168.9Tm

69

173.0Yb70

(262)

107

(257)

104

(260)

105

(263)

106

(265)

108

(266)

109

(271)

110

(272)

111

(277)

112

Rf

Cf Es Fm MdPu Am Cm Bk LrNo

Bh

Np

Hs Uub(289)

114

Uuq(293)

116

Uuh(?)

118

UuoUuuDs

Pm

MtSgDb

Tc

9 108

June 2008

Appendix G Science, Benchmark 2/Grade 5


G-1 Oregon Department of Education Office of Assessment and Information Services

Oregon Department of Education

255 Capitol St NE, Salem, Oregon 97310 (503) 947-5600

Science Test Specifications and Blueprints 2010-2011 - Grade 5 · Tested in grade 5 TEST...

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