Measures of Student Learning/
Common Exam Update
WS/FCS Board of Education
November 13, 2012
Purpose of Common Exams:
To measure educator effectiveness
Setting the Context
For those
grades and
subjects that
are currently
non-tested, we
need ways to
measure
growth:
Common Exams
Setting the Context
Measures of Student
Learning/Common Exams
• Exams designed for currently non-tested
subjects (does not replace any existing tests)
• Built by the state – every district will have the
same exams
• Intended to replace final exams in high school
• Not part of the accountability model
Measures of Student
Learning/Common Exams
• FALL 2012-13:
Measures of Student
Learning/Common Exams
• SPRING 2013:
*
*
*
*Elementary subjects are not required
Elementary CEs
Elementary CEs are not
required, as teachers will
have EOG reading and/or
math measures
Measures of Student
Learning/Common Exams
HIGH SCHOOL EXAMS:
• 80-minute test
– Two 40-minute sessions
• Multiple-choice and constructed response
– Students write in answers; for example:
• Math – students provide numeric answer and show
their work
• English – short answer (paragraph or less) and
extended response (up to 3 paragraphs)
Measures of Student
Learning/Common Exams
HIGH SCHOOL EXAMS:
• Constructed response is weighted based
on how much time is spent on CR items
– If students are expected to spend 25% of the
test time on CR items, then approximately 25%
of the score will be based on CR responses
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/educatoreffect/
measures/specifications/
Constructed Response
% of time on
CR
% of total pts
attributed to CR
# of
# of
CR
MC
items items
3337
2732
ELA
20-25%
17-23%
3-4
Math (Adv. F.
and Pre-Cal)
20-25%
34-44%
8
25%
23-28%
5
40
8-10
1821
Science
Social
Studies
50%
48-52%
Measures of Student
Learning/Common Exams
• How/if it counts as grades are determined by each
school system
– High School: just like a final exam - 25% of final grade
– Middle School: just like how EOGs are currently
counted – 20% of final grade in the respective subject
• Scores returned by software will be percent of
total possible points (no proficiency cut score)
– We will be creating a district ‘curve’ that reflects a
similar pattern to EOC grades
Measures of Student
Learning/Common Exams
• Each school system is responsible for
scoring the exams
– Multiple choice – scanned at central office
– Constructed response - scored by school
personnel
• Scoring processes are determined by each district;
DPI offers the possibility of one or two scorers
– Teacher of record cannot be the sole scorer
– WS/FCS will have two scorers; the teacher of record and
another subject matter expert
Concerns
• Constructed Response
– Amount of time it takes to score
– Availability of scorers
– Training on rubrics/scorer reliability
– Items not field tested
• Other
– Senior Exemptions: while students will not be
allowed to exempt, seniors will be allowed to
test early
Measures of Student
Learning/Common Exams
• Middle School
– We expect the length of the test to be similar,
but no specifics released for these yet
Questions and
for more
Information:
http://www.ncpublicschools.org
/educatoreffect/measures/