Becky McCoy, the GISD Assessment Director, presented information on the transition from the TAKS exam to the new STAAR EOC (End of Course) exams. The EOCs will be longer, more complex exams that assess student mastery of individual high school courses rather than subject areas. Students in the graduating class of 2015 will need to pass 12 EOC exams across various subjects and meet an overall passing score. The performance standards and passing scores for the EOCs will be phased in over time to allow schools to improve instruction and close knowledge gaps.

1. Presented
by:
Becky
McCoy
GISD
Assessment
Director
February
2012

2. High School Assessments:
TAKS vs. End-of-Course
TAKS
EOCs
Grade-­‐Level
Assessments
Course-­‐Based
Exams
(unBmed)
(4-­‐hour
Bme
limit)
Gr.
9:
Math
&
Reading
English
I,
English
II,
English
III
Gr.
10:
English
Language
Arts,
Algebra
I,
Geometry,
Algebra
II
Math,
Science,
&
Social
Studies
Biology,
Chemistry,
Physics
Exit
Level
(Gr.
11):
English
Language
Arts,
Math,
Science,
&
World
Geography,
World
History,
Social
Studies
U.S.
History
February
2012
2

3. State Testing Requirements for Graduation
Exit
Level
TAKS
EOCs
GraduaPng
Class
of
2012,
2013,
First
Time
9th
Graders
in
2011-­‐12
&
2014
School
Year
(GraduaPng
Class
of
2015)
Pass
all
secPons
(ELA,
math,
Meet
minimum
requirements
on
science,
&
social
studies)
of
exit-­‐ all
12
EOC
STAAR
exams
and
level
TAKS
meet
a
minimum
cumulaPve
EOC
passing
score
requirement
in
each
of
the
4
content
areas
(English,
math,
science,
&
social
studies)
February
2012
3

4. From TAKS to STAAR EOCs
• QuesPons
are
more
complex
and
require
higher
level
thinking.
• The
most
important
concepts
for
a
student
to
learn
will
have
more
quesPons
on
the
test
(readiness
standards).
• The
test
will
be
longer,
and
there
is
a
4-­‐hour
Pme
limit.
(EOC:
+2
to
13
quesPons)
• English
I-­‐III
will
be
administered
over
2
days.
(1
day
wriPng,
1
day
reading)
February
2012
4

5. From TAKS to STAAR EOCs
• TAKS:
 Did
our
students
learn
what
they
were
supposed
to
learn
in
the
subject
ma`er?
• STAAR
EOCs:
 Did
our
students
learn
what
they
were
supposed
to
learn
in
their
current
course?
 Are
they
ready
for
the
next
course?
 Are
they
college
ready
or
on
the
path
to
college
readiness?
February
2012
5

6. EOC Performance Standards
Texas Education Agency should announce by March 30.
Levels of Performance
Level III: Advanced Academic
Performance
P
E
P
R
E
F
R
O
F
Level II: Satisfactory Academic R
O
Performance
M
R
A
M
N
A
C
N
Commissioner's Minimum Score
E
C
E
Level I: Unsatisfactory Academic
Performance
February
2012
6

7. Phase-In of Performance Standards
• Like
TAKS,
STAAR
will
have
a
phase-­‐in
period
to
provide
school
districts
with
an
appropriate
amount
of
Pme
to:
– improve
instrucPon
– provide
professional
development
to
improve
teacher
effecPveness
– close
knowledge
gaps
• Phase-­‐in
will
apply
to
Level
II:
SaPsfactory
Academic
Performance.
February
2012
7

8. EOC and the 15% Rule
• Required
by
House
Bill
3
from
the
81st
Texas
Legislature
(Regular
Session
2009)
(“…
to
account
for
15%
of
the
student’s
final
grade
for
the
course.”)
• ImplementaPon
deferred
by
Commissioner
of
EducaPon
for
1
year
(earliest
implementaPon:
2012-­‐13)
• Recommend
deferment
to
GISD
Board
of
Trustees
at
regular
March
meePng
February
2012
8

9. All Graduation Plans
• All
students
will
have
to
meet:
 A
minimum
score
on
each
EOC
for
it
to
count
towards
a
student’s
cumulaPve
score.
 A
cumulaBve
score
requirement
for
each
EOC
subject
(English,
math,
science,
&
social
studies).
February
2012
9

10. Other Requirements
• Recommended
High
School
Program
(RHSP):
– Students
must
meet
SaBsfactory
Academic
Performance
(Level
II)
for
English
III
and
Algebra
II.
• DisPnguished
Achievement
Program
(DAP):
– Students
must
meet
Advanced
Academic
Performance
(Level
III)
for
English
III
and
Algebra
II.
February
2012
10

11. Retesting
• Required
for
students
who
do
not
meet
the
Commissioner’s
minimum
score
• OpBonal
for
students
who
meet
the
minimum
score
but
who
do
not
meet
the
Level
II
performance
standard
(but
required
for
RHSP
students
for
English
III
&
Algebra
II)
• Required
for
DAP
students
who
do
not
meet
the
Level
III
performance
standard
for
English
III
and
Algebra
II
February
2012
11

12. Retesting
• For
English
I-­‐III,
the
reading
and
wriBng
tests
are
separate
tests,
so
students
may
retest
on
either
one
or
both
of
them.
• A
student’s
cumulaPve
score
is
determined
by
using
the
student’s
highest
score
on
each
EOC
assessment,
so
retesPng
can
never
hurt
a
student’s
cumulaPve
score.
• Students
should
retest
at
the
next
available
tesBng
date.
• Students
may
retest
for
any
reason.
February
2012
12

13. Cumulative Score
• In
order
to
graduate,
a
student
must
achieve
a
cumulaPve
score
that
is
at
least
equal
to
the
product
of
the
number
of
EOC
assessments
taken
in
each
content
area
and
a
scale
score
that
indicates
Level
II:
SaPsfactory
Academic
Performance.
Cumulative Score ≥ n x passing scale score,
where n = number of assessments taken in a
subject area
February
2012
13

14. Cumulative Score Example
• Let’s
assume
that
a
scale
score
of
1000
indicates
Level
II
performance,
and
the
minimum
scale
score
that
can
count
towards
the
cumulaPve
score
is
900.
• If
a
student
takes
3
math
EOC
exams
and
the
passing
standard
is
1000
for
each,
then
the
student’s
cumulaPve
score
requirement
would
be
3000
(3
x
3000).
Algebra
I
1000
Geometry
1100
Algebra
II
900
CumulaBve
Score
3000
February
2012
14

15. Cumulative Requirement & Minimum Score
• Although
a
minimum
score
on
an
EOC
will
count
in
the
cumulaPve
score,
achieving
only
the
minimum
score
on
all
EOCs
will
not
meet
the
cumulaPve
score
requirement.
• Let’s
assume
that
a
scale
score
of
900
is
the
minimum
score
and
1000
is
a
passing
score
for
all
3
math
EOCs.
Scoring
900
on
all
3
exams
falls
short
of
the
cumulaPve
score
requirement.
• Student
Performance:
900
x
3
=
2700
vs.
CumulaPve
Score
Requirement:
1000
x
3
=
3000
February
2012
15

16. Special Populations
• STAAR
Modified:
Determined
by
the
Admission,
Review
&
Dismissal
(ARD)
commi`ee
• STAAR
Alternate:
Determined
by
the
ARD
commi`ee
• STAAR
L
for
eligible
English
Language
Learners:
Determined
by
Language
Proficiency
Assessment
Commi`ee
(LPAC)
February
2012
16

17. 2012 STAAR Testing Dates for HS Courses
• March
26:
STAAR
English
I
&
III
EOC
WriPng
• March
27:
STAAR
English
I
&
III
EOC
Reading
• March
28:
STAAR
English
II
EOC
WriPng
• March
29:
STAAR
English
II
EOC
Reading
• May
7-­‐18:
EOC
Assessment
Window
(Algebra
I,
Geometry,
Algebra
II,
Biology,
Chemistry,
Physics,
World
Geography,
U.S.
History,
World
History)
• July
9-­‐13:
EOC
Assessment
Window
for
Retests
• November
13-­‐16:
STAAR
English
I-­‐III
EOC
WriPng
&
Reading
• December
3-­‐14:
EOC
Assessment
Window
(Algebra
I,
Geometry,
Algebra
II,
Biology,
Chemistry,
Physics,
World
Geography,
U.S.
History,
World
History)
February
2012
17

18. What can I do as a parent?
• Stay
informed
of
what’s
going
on
in
the
classroom.
• Know
your
child’s
strengths
and
weaknesses.
• Work
with
the
school
to
assist
your
child.
• Encourage
your
child
to
take
Pre-­‐AP
and
AP
classes.
• Be
involved
in
all
ARD/LPAC
decisions
if
your
child
receives
special
services.
• Ensure
that
your
child
is
well
rested
and
well
fed
and
arrives
to
school
on
Pme
on
tesPng
days.
• Stay
calm,
posiBve,
and
encouraging.
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/staar
STAAR Information from the Texas Education Agency
February
2012
18

19. Contact Info: (512) 943-5000, ext. _ _ _ _
• Elementary:
Cheryl
Lang,
ExecuPve
Director
of
Elementary
EducaPon,
langc@georgetownisd.org,
(512)
943-­‐5011
• Middle
School:
Dr.
Jana
Rueter,
ExecuPve
Director
of
Middle
School
EducaPon
&
Federal
Programs,
rueterj@georgetownisd.org,
ext.
6032
• High
School:
Don
Wise,
Director
of
High
School
Curriculum,
wised@georgetownisd.org,
ext.
6039
• Assessment:
Becky
McCoy,
Assessment
Director,
mccoyr@georgetownisd.org,
ext.
6034
February
2012
19