LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT MEMORANDUM

Transcription

1 TITLE: NUMBER: ISSUER: Guidelines for the Implementation of the LAUSD Middle School Mathematics Placement Assessment for the end of Grade 6 DATE: April 10, 2015 Dr. Ruth Pérez, Deputy Superintendent of Instruction Division of Instruction Gerardo Loera, Chief Academic Officer Office of Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Angel J. Barrett, Executive Director Curriculum and Instruction ROUTING Schools Instructional Superintendents Instructional Directors ES and MS Principals Secondary Mathematics Coordinators Mathematics Department Chairs Math Coaches and Teachers Counseling Coordinators APACS SLC Leads PURPOSE: MAJOR CHANGES: BACKGROUND: The purpose of this Memorandum is to provide information and guidelines for the new Middle School Mathematics Placement Assessment. This is a new memorandum. All schools will administer the Middle School Mathematics Placement Assessment at the end of sixth grade. The results will be used to determine appropriate placement and interventions for students as they enter grade 7 in school year. The results of the Mathematics Placement Assessment at the end of grade six, final grades and teacher recommendation, will be used to determine if students continue on the regular pathway (CC Math 7, and CC Math 8) or if students are ready for an accelerated pathway (Accelerated CC Math 7, and Accelerated CC Algebra 1). INSTRUCTIONS: The Middle School Mathematics Placement Assessment items are aligned to the Common Core State Standards domains. The Middle School Placement Assessment will consist of 42 multiple-choice items and two constructed-response items. The teacher will score the two-constructed response items. The blueprint for this assessment is available at: I. Administration of the assessment Between May 18-29, 2015, the Mathematics Placement Assessment will be administered to all 6th grade students except those students in 6 th grade that are taking an Algebra 1 course; those students should take the Algebra 1 Office of Curriculum and Instruction Page 1 of 9 April 10, 2015

2 Summative Assessment, not the 6 th grade Placement Assessment. Unless otherwise stated in a student s IEP, the examination will be administered for 120 minutes in one sitting. Variations, accommodations, and modifications for students with disabilities and English Learners Accommodations for English Learners are allowed on some tests (See Attachment D). Note: Student scores, including constructive responses that must be scored and input by the teacher, not in the system by May 29, 2015 may not be available to placement purposes. Accessing the Assessment Online: Attachment B provides step-by-step procedures for accessing mclass Beacon to log in, print student tickets, and access the assessment online. The information is also contained in the Assessment Administration Guide available on the Math website at II. Test Security School administrators are responsible for maintaining the security and integrity of the examination. All individuals who have contact with secure testing materials must sign an affidavit (Attachment A). All signed affidavits should remain on the school site. One person at the school site should be designated as the Mathematics Placement Assessment coordinator. This person will be responsible for the security during the online administration of the assessment. III. Scoring of Placement Assessment A. Administration of the Assessment 1. Accessing the Assessment Online: Attachment B provides step by step procedures for accessing mclass Beacon for details on scoring the students constructed responses. The information is also contained in the Assessment Administration Guide available on the Math website at 2. The rubric is on the mclass website at in the Assignment window as well as the Scoring window. 3. Constructed response items must be scored by the teachers in a timely manner, as the results of the Mathematics Placement Assessment for Grade 6 will be used to determine students placement. B. Scoring the Constructed Response 1. Teachers will follow the procedures as outlined in the Mathematics Placement Assessment Administration Guide in grading the constructed response items. Teachers will go to and log in Office of Curriculum and Instruction Page 2 of 9 April 10, 2015

3 with your LAUSD Single Sign-On (see Attachment B for instructions). Teachers will follow the directions or steps provided in Attachment C. NOTE: The Constructed Response items can be scored earlier than week two of the assessment window (May 25-29, 2015) and entered into the mbeacon data system found on the Amplify website at 2. If students answer only one constructed response item, give a score of zero ( 0 ) for the second constructed response item. If a student did not attempt any constructed response, score a zero (0) for each constructed response items. C. Training Online professional development for administering the Middle School Placement Assessment is available at beginning March 23, IV. Use of Data A. Results from the Middle School Mathematics Placement Assessments will be available to schools (teachers, counselors, and administrators) on the Amplify website Staff must use the LAUSD Single Sign-On to log in. The data will be reported for each student by: 1. Performance Claims/Level 2. Common Core State Standards being tested 3. Score on each cluster (See the CCSS Mathematics Framework for California Public Schools) B. Teachers, support staff, and administrators at the middle schools will be able to view the results for their incoming 7th grade students in the current school year both on the Amplify website, and through MiSiS. Data should be used to determine whether the students might be placed in accelerated pathway, or continue in a regular pathway and to determine need for intervention. RELATED RESOURCES: California CCSS Draft Framework, November Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI). (2010). Mathematics Appendix A. (accessed April 8, 2013). Office of Curriculum and Instruction Page 3 of 9 April 10, 2015

4 ASSISTANCE: For assistance or further information, please contact Philip Ogbuehi or Laura Cervantes, at the Mathematics Branch of the Office of Curriculum, Instruction and School Support at (213) , or by at or Office of Curriculum and Instruction Page 4 of 9 April 10, 2015

5 LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH PLACEMENT ASSESSMENT TEST SECURITY AFFIDAVIT Attachment A I acknowledge that I have access to the Middle School Math Placement Assessment and materials for the purpose of administering the assessment. I understand that these materials are secure, and it is my professional responsibility to protect their security as follows: 1) I will not divulge the contents of the assessment to any other person through verbal, written, or any other means of communication. 2) I will not copy any part of the assessment or test materials. 3) I will keep the assessment secure until the examination is actually distributed to grade 6 students only. 4) I will limit access to the assessment and test materials by test examinees to the actual assessment periods when they are taking the assessment. 5) I will collect and account for all materials following part of the assessment and will not permit students to remove the assessments or test materials from the room where testing takes place. This includes situations in which the assessment is administered over a two-day time frame. 6) I will not review any assessment questions, passages, or other test items with any student before, during, or after the assessment. 7) I will return all test materials to the designated test site coordinator upon completion of the assessment. 8) I will not interfere with the independent work of any student taking the assessment. 9) I will not compromise the security of the assessment by any means including, but not limited to copying, reproducing, transmitting, distributing or using in any manner inconsistent with test security all or any section of any secure assessment/s or test materials. 10) I will provide students with IEPs and Section 504 Plans with the accommodations or modifications listed in their IEPs and Section 504 Plans. 11) I will make sure testing materials are out of reach to students when correcting constructed response items. Students will not be able to assist in the scoring of these items. 12) I will follow security rules for distribution and returning of secure assessment/s and test materials as directed. SIGNATURE: NAME: DATE: TITLE: SCHOOL: Office of Curriculum and Instruction Page 5 of 9 April 10, 2015

6 Middle School Mathematics Placement Assessment Online Administration Attachment B Accessing mclass Beacon Logging in Step 1: Go to and log in with your LAUSD Single Sign On. If your Single Sign-On is jsmith, enter lausd::jsmith in the username field. Enter the password associated with your Single-Sign On in the password field. Accessing mclass Beacon Printing Student Tickets Step 1: After you login to mclass Beacon, click the mclass: Beacon icon. Step 2: Once in Beacon, click the Assignments link. Step 3: Once on the Assignment Page, click the appropriate test: Middle School Mathematics Placement Assessment. Step 4: Once you have chosen the math test, click Manage in the student logins column. Step 5: If this the first time you are generating student tickets, click Generate all to populate student Usernames and Identifiers (passwords). Note, Generate all will not appear if student tickets have been generated before. Step 6: Click Print all to open screen with student Office of Curriculum and Instruction Page 6 of 9 April 10, 2015

7 tickets. Step 7: Print and cut the student tickets Give to students during the assessment to log in. Collect the tickets before the students leave the classroom. Office of Curriculum and Instruction Page 7 of 9 April 10, 2015

8 Amplify mclass Beacon Logging In and Scoring Constructed Response Items Attachment C Directions for Logging in to mclass Beacon Step 1: Go to and log in with your LAUSD Single Sign On. If your Single Sign On is jsmith, enter lausd::jsmith into the username field. In the password field, enter the password associated with your Single Sign On Accessing mclass Beacon Step 2: Once you are logged in, click the mclass: Beacon icon. Scoring Constructed Response Items Step 1: After students have completed the test and you are ready to score Constructed Response items, log into mclass, click the Beacon icon, then click the assignments link Step 2: Click the score Button to the right of the Assignment you want to view/score. Step 3: To access the CR scoring rubric, click on the CR question. The rubric will open in a popup window. Office of Curriculum and Instruction Page 8 of 9 April 10, 2015

9 Step 4: Click the student name of the student whose CR you wish to score. This step will need to be completed separately for each student. Student response will be included in the pop-up. Step 5: Score the student s work by inserting the appropriate rubric value next to the CR question. Then click Save. Note: There is no auto-save. So be sure to save after each student in case of loss of connection Office of Curriculum and Instruction Page 9 of 9 April 10, 2015

10 Attachment D MIDDLE SCHOOL MATHEMATICS PLACEMENT ASSESSMENT VARIATIONS, ACCOMMODATIONS AND MODIFICATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AND ENGLISH LEARNERS Testing variations, accommodations, and modifications are used if a student requires a testing condition that differs from the standardized materials, directions, and/or procedures. Accommodations or modifications should be used only when the students cannot take the tests unless these adaptations are made. The variations, accommodations and modifications used for testing must be used as part of the ongoing instructional program for the student. They should not give the student an unfair advantage or be used to improve a student s score. Most students with disabilities should be able to take the tests with no accommodations or modifications. Students using an alternative curriculum will not take the assessment. The California Department of Education has identified three categories of variations, accommodations and modifications. Category 1 testing variations are available for any student who regularly uses them during classroom instruction. Category 1 includes variations such as: Using a marker or mask to maintain their place or using a color overlay Having directions clarified or signed for the deaf Testing a student individually Using adaptive furniture, study carrels or special lighting Category 2 accommodations are allowed for students who have these accommodations included in their IEP or Section 504 Plan for use on assessments and for use during classroom instruction. Category 2 accommodations include: Large print or Braille versions of the test Marking responses in the test booklet and having an employee of the school transcribe the student responses to a scorable answer document Having math, history-social science, or science questions read aloud Category 3 modifications change the construct of the test and may only be used for students with IEPs or Section 504 Plans that list these modifications for classroom instruction and assessments. Category 3 modifications include: Having a test examiner read reading/language arts test questions to the student (Check the matrix to verify this category for the test being administered) Allowing a student to use a calculator on a math test when calculators are not allowed for the test Accommodations for English Learners are allowed on some tests. These accommodations include: Translating the directions (No questions may be translated) Additional supervised breaks within a test day or following a section of the test provided that the test section is completed within a test day Access to translation glossaries/word lists (English-to-primary language) Glossaries/word lists shall not include definitions or formulas Note: For additional information about Testing Variations, Accommodations and Modifications go to Office of Curriculum and Instruction Page 10 of 9 April 10, 2015