Atlantic Education International Educational Assessment by Stephen Parks, NB EECD Presented at the AEI Summer Institute July 2015

1. Educational Assessment
Stephen Parks, Learning Specialist - Mathematics
Assessment and Evaluation Branch (Anglophone Division)
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
Atlantic Education International
July 21, 2015
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2. 1. Educational Assessment
2. New Brunswick Assessment Program - NBAP (Current)
3. Realignment of the NBAP
4. Grade 9 ELPA – Grade 11/12 ELPA/R
5. Protocols for Accommodations and Exemptions
6. Assessment and Item Development Process (Grade 6)
7. Provincial Mathematics Assessment at Grade 8
TOPICS

3. © 2005, Dynamic Measurement Group 3
GPS On Where are we?
You are
Here
Port
Where do we want to be ?
How do we get there?
How are we doing?
Actual
Course
Desired
Course

4. Assessment is the GPS
for Educators
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S c o r e s
J a n .
S c o r e s
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S c o r e s
A p r il
S c o r e s
M a y
S c o r e s
J u n e
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5 0
Reading
Aimline

5. New Brunswick Assessment
Program (NBAP)
Mission Statement
The mission for the Provincial Assessment and Evaluation Branch is to inform all
stakeholders of student achievement by constructing valid, educationally beneficial,
evaluations at critical points in the system.
The purpose of the New Brunswick Assessment Program (NBAP) is to:
determine if students demonstrate the skills and concepts outlined in New
Brunswick curriculum documents;
report provincially on how well students have achieved provincial standards at
given points in their schooling;
assist schools, districts, and the province in monitoring student learning and;
coordinate the administration of national and international assessments.

6. Current Assessment Program
•Pan-Canadian Assessment Program (PCAP) as well as the
Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).
•Scientific literacy
•Administering assessments as single units.
•Feedback for high schools.
•The current regime of provincial assessments
•French Language Programs

7. Realignment of the Provincial
Assessment Program

8. Recommendation # 1
• To create a New Brunswick Balanced
Assessment Framework document
incorporating assessment as a holistic concept
from formative to benchmarking to large scale
and to develop a systemic implementation plan
that includes accountability measures.

9. Balanced Assessment
• No single assessment approach is 'better' than another
as each serves a slightly different role.
• All types of assessment must be planned with its
purpose in mind.
Standardized testing, particularly, is justified as one resource to aid learning
and should not be mistaken for a comprehensive verdict on learning or school
quality. ~ Peter Grimmett & Paul Shaker

12. Recommendation #2
To realign the Provincial Assessment Program to
correspond with PCAP and PISA as well as respond
to the current challenges.

14. “New” New Brunswick Assessment Program (NBAP)
Grade 6 and Grade 10 (Census) and Grade 4 (Field Test)
•Reading, Mathematics and Scientific Literacy
Grade 6 Reading will be by program of instruction; PIF booklets will include a short section in French Reading;
Math and Scientific Literacy will include bilingual booklets for students in the FI Program.
Grade 10 Math and Scientific Literacy will include all students and booklets will be bi-lingual where appropriate.
English literacy will be assessed in the ELPA/R at Grade 9 and will not be included.
Grade 2 Reading (annual, census, administered in May)
Grade 2 Reading will be in English to ensure the gains in early literacy are sustained and continued growth is
monitored.
Grade 9 ELPA (Graduation Requirement) - Grade 11/12 ELPA/R
Grade 6, 10 French Oral Proficiency (10% stratified by Program)
Grade 12 French Oral Proficiency Certification
The existing Grade 12 will become mandatory for all students in French Immersion.

15. English Language Proficiency
Assessment – ELPA/R

20. ACCOMMODATIONS
AND EXEMPTIONS
Provincial assessments are
compulsory for all students enrolled in
New Brunswick schools.
In certain circumstances, it is
necessary and appropriate for
students to be exempted from
participating in provincial assessments
if the testing format does not allow
demonstration of their learning, even
with accommodations.
Exemptions fall into three broad
categories: academic,
social/emotional and unforeseen.
Typically, academic exemptions are
sought for students following an
individualized Special Education Plan
(SEP-I). Students who are exempt
due to an SEP-I should be assessed
on those goals that are set out in their
Special Education Plan(SEP).

21. ACCOMMODATIONS
Accommodations are those supports,
methods and practices that are used
in the classroom enabling a student to
participate as independently as
possible.
There are many ways in which
accommodations can be used to
support students when they are
participating in a provincial
assessment. Within the context of
provincial assessments, students may
require either universal or justifiable
accommodation.
For the purpose of large scale
assessment, accommodations are
alterations that do not jeopardize
the integrity or content of the test,
yet give students an equal
opportunity to demonstrate what
they know and can do as part of the
assessment process.

22. Types of Accommodations
UNIVERSAL
Universal accommodations are
those strategies, technologies or
adjustments that enable a student
to reach prescribed outcomes and
can be used at the teacher’s or
student’s discretion. Universal
accommodations do not
necessitate an SEP or prior
approval for provincial
assessments.
JUSTIFIABLE
Justifiable accommodations
are documented strategies,
technologies or adjustments
without which the student would
not be able to demonstrate
knowledge. These
accommodations are
documented within the SEP and
require prior approval to be
accessed during provincial
assessments.

23. EXEMPTIONS
In certain circumstances, it is not
appropriate for students to participate
in provincial assessments. Any
decision to exempt a student from any
provincial assessment must be made
in collaboration with the student’s
parent(s) or guardian(s).
Within the context of provincial
assessments, students may require
an exemption for academic,
social/emotional or unforeseen
reasons.

24. Types of Exemptions
ACADEMIC
The student has been identified with
exceptionalities and has a current
individualized Special Education Plan
(SEP-I) that identifies the need for the
requested exemption in the assessed
subject area.
Typically, these students are following
an SEP-I and are not expected to
attain the curricular outcomes and
standards. This has been
communicated to parent(s) or
guardian(s) and an alternate
evaluation of progress has been
determined within the SEP-I.
Typically, this constitutes the largest
category of exemption requests.
SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL
If the student has been identified with a
significant social, emotional or behavioural
impairment and cannot be accommodated
by such means as alternate location, extra
time, etc., an exemption may be sought.
Typically, these students are following an
Individual Behaviour Support Plan (IBSP)
and are not expected to attain the curricular
outcomes and standards at their grade
level. This has been communicated to
parent(s) or guardian(s) and an alternate
evaluation of progress has been determined
within the IBSP.
.
UNFORESEEN
In the event of serious illness,
bereavement or other exceptional and
unforeseen circumstance, an on-the-
spot exemption can be granted.
These situations require that the
director of education be contacted
immediately..

26. New Brunswick Assessment Program
 Operational Standards
 Processes
 How items are chosen

27. Standards for Educational and
Psychological Testing
The Standards for Educational and
Psychological Testing, 2008 edition are a
collaborative publication from the American
Educational Research Association, the
American Psychological Association and the
National Council on Measurement in
Education. The intent of the Standards is to
promote the sound and ethical use of tests
and to provide a basis for evaluating the
quality of testing practices.
The New Brunswick Assessment and
Evaluation Branch adheres to the Standards
when developing, administering, scoring and
analysing large scale assessments within the
scope of our mandate.
Operational Standards

28. Standards for Educational
and Psychological Testing

29. The Assessment Cycle
There are four (4) stages within the
overall Assessment Cycle for each of
the 13 assessments; the (1)
Development Stage, (2)
Administration Stage, (3) Data Stage
and the (4) Communication Stage.
Within each of the stages, there are
several phases which require the
expertise from a variety of staff.
Each of these stages require strict
adherence to the Standards for
Educational and Psychological
Testing and the Principles for Fair
Student Assessment in Canada..
These standards and principles will
be referenced where appropriate.
Processes

31. 0
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Probability
Item Characteristic Curve: ITEM 0001
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32. 1 - 7
8 - 14
15 - 21
22 - 28
29 - 35
36 - 42
43 - 48
Matrix Plot of Item CharacteristicCurvesforBook A
1 - 7
8 - 14
15 - 21
22 - 28
29 - 35
36 - 42
43 - 48
Matrix Plot of Item CharacteristicCurvesforBook A

33. Development of the Provincial
Assessment at Grade 6

34. Blue Print
Assessment Blue Prints are developed to guide the
item development process. The Blue Print may
include: (Mathematics Example)
Assessment Type:

35. Items Per Booklet: Mathematics

36. Assessment Format – 4 Booklet Matrix Sample
Science and Mathematics will be written in the same booklet by Prime and French
Immersion students. Each booklet will be bilingual (English on the left-hand side
and French on the right-hand side).
•Mathematics section
•Scientific Literacy section
•Literacy (English) section
•Literacy (French) section
Booklet A
Science
and Math
Booklet B
Science
and Math
Booklet C
Science
and Math
Booklet D
Science
and Math

37. 2014-2015 Provincial Mathematics
Assessment at Grade 8
Items and Rubrics