STATE BOARD OF
EDUCATION – ADMINISTRATIVE RULE SUMMARY
Title/OAR #:
Assessment of Essential Skills, OAR 581-022-0615Date:
4/18/08
Staff/Office: Doug Kosty and
Tony Alpert, OAIS
☒New Rule
☐Amend Existing Rule
☐Repeal Rule
Hearing Date: _5/28/08_ ☐ Hearings
Officer Report Attached
Action Requested:
☒ First
Reading/Second Reading
☐ Adoption
☐ Adoption/Consent Agenda
WHAT THE PROPOSED/AMENDED RULE DOES:
Creates clear state guidance for school
districts and public charter schools on the assessment of Essential
Skills.
ISSUES RAISED:
Whether to distinguish the
local performance assessment requirement from the diploma requirement
(yes).
Whether to include assessment
of Essential Skills in both the high school and modified diploma requirements
(yes).
Whether to give the Superintendant
of Public Instruction authority to make the final determination on the
Assessment of Essential Skills Review Panel (AERSP)’s recommendations
(yes).
When to provide notice of
updated requirements for 8th graders (By July 1, 2008. Thereafter,
informally by December 15 of each year, formally by March 1 of each
year).
How much detail regarding
specific requirements should be included in the actual rule language
(Requirements for students graduating on or after September 1, 2011
and prior to September 1, 2012 are included in the rule. Requirements
for subsequent graduating classes will be published annually as an addendum
to the Administration Manual for Assessing Essential Skills).
Whether to allow students
to use assessment pathways and achievement standards adopted during
their 9th through 12th grade years (yes).
BACKGROUND:
The State Board of Education
tentatively adopted new graduation requirements in January 2007. The
new diploma requirements define what students must know and be able
to do to earn a high school diploma. The Standards and Assessment Task
Force (SATF) was formed to further define the requirements and work
on issues related to implementation. The SATF, staffed and supported
by ODE, is made up of key stakeholders.
The SATF met in November
2007, and January, February, and March 2008. They have focused on issues
related to assessment of the Essential Skills, including recommendations
on assessment options, proficiency levels, an implementation timeline
and phase-in plan, and resource and professional development needs.
Relying on input from the SATF, ODE staff have drafted the following
proposed rule on assessment of Essential Skills.
This rule provides school
districts and public charter schools with clear state guidance on the
assessment of Essential Skills. It requires school districts and public
charter schools to administer local performance assessments to determine
students’ proficiency in the Essential Skills and directs the Superintendent
of Public Instruction to establish a panel of experts to make recommendations
on the phasing in of Essential Skills for assessment, approving assessment
pathways, and setting achievement standards for the assessment of Essential
Skills.
The attached State Board
Discussion Draft for Assessment of Essential Skills was distributed
to various stakeholder groups including the District Test Coordinators;
the Assessment Advisory Committee; the Technical Advisory Committee;
the Content and Assessment Panels for English/language arts, mathematics,
science, and social science; the Oregon Association of Education School
Districts Instructional Leadership Council; Curriculum Directors; the
Standards and Assessment Task Force; 1,400 superintendants and principals;
stakeholders engaged in achievment standard setting; and contacts at
the Oregon Education Association, the Confederation of Oregon School
Administrators, and the Oregon School Board Association.
Board History:
This is the Board’s first reading
of this proposed rule.
Statutory Authority:
ORS 329.045, 329.075, 329.451, 329.485,
and 338.115
Fiscal Impact:
Many of the assessment of Essential Skills
requirements are based on existing policies, procedures, and infrastructure.
Therefore,some of the costs associated with the proposed rule will likely
be consistent with existing annual activities for school districts and
school and will likely be absorbed by existing resources. However, there
will still be some costs to school districts and charter schools to
comply with the proposed rule. These costs will likely relate to Information
Technology and Data Services requirements, local policy development
for assessment activities, and assessment training at both the district
and the school-level for test administration and scoring. A request
for additional resources to address additional costs for school districts
and the Department of Education are included in a policy option package
that will be submitted to the Legislature as part of the 2009-11budget
proposal.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
The Superintendent and ODE Staff recommend
adoption of this rule at the Board’s June 2008 meeting.
Draft Rule
OAR 581- 022- 0615
Assessment of Essential Skills
Definitions. As used in this
rule:
“Assessment pathway” means
an assessment approved to assess proficiency in the Essential Skills
for the purpose of earning a high school diploma or a modified diploma
(e.g., Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, work samples, ACT,
PLAN, Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT)).
“Essential Skills” means
process skills that cross academic disciplines and are embedded in the
content standards. The skills are not content specific and can be applied
in a variety of courses, subjects, and settings.
“Local performance assessment”
means a standardized measure (e.g., work sample, activity, exercise,
problem), embedded in the school districts’ and public charter schools’
curriculum that evaluates the application of students’ knowledge and
skills.
“Official state scoring
guide” means an evaluation tool designed for scoring student work
that includes specific, consistent assessment criteria for student performance
and a 1-6 point scale to help rate student work. It is used by Oregon
teachers to evaluate student work samples.
“Student-initiated test
impropriety” means student conduct that:
A. Is inconsistent
with:
The Test Administration Manual;
or
Accompanying guidelines; or
B.
Results in a score that is invalid.
“Work sample” means a
representative sample of individual student work (e.g., research papers,
statistical experiments, speaking presentations) that may cover one
or more content areas and therefore may be scored using one or more
standardized scoring guide(s). At the high school level, a work sample
can be used to fulfill both the local performance assessment requirement
and the essential skills requirement described in sections (2) and (3)
of this rule.
School districts shall administer
local performance assessments for students in grades 3 through 8 and
in high school. Public charter schools that offer grades 3 through
8 or high school shall administer local performance assessments for
students in grades 3 through 8 and in high school. The assessments
shall consist of:
One work sample per grade
scored using official state scoring guides; or
Comparable measures adopted
by the district.
School districts and public
charter schools shall assess high school students’ proficiency in
the Essential Skills using assessments that are approved by the Superintendent
of Public Instruction for the purpose of student eligibility for :
The high school diploma as
established in OAR 581-022-1130; or
The modified diploma as established
in OAR 581-022-1134.
To be eligible to receive
a high school diploma or a modified diploma:
For students graduating on
or after September 1, 2011 and prior to September 1, 2012, school districts
and charter schools shall assess students’ proficiency in the Essential
Skills listed in Section 14(b) of this rule.
For students graduating on
or after September 1, 2012, school district and public charter schools
shall assess students’ proficiency in the Essential Skills for which
the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) has adopted assessments by
March 1 of the student’s 8th grade year.
The Superintendent of Public
Instruction shall establish an Assessment of Essential Skills Review
Panel (AESRP) to make recommendations on:
The phasing in of Essential
Skills for inclusion in local performance assessments;
The adoption of assessment
pathways to measure students’ proficiency in the approved Essential
Skills; and
The achievement standards
for the purpose of student eligibility for the high school diploma or
a modified diploma.
The AESRP shall base its recommendations
on evidence provided by:
School districts;
Research organizations; and
Other experts.
The AESRP shall consist of
assessment experts from:
School districts, including:
Special education educators;
and
English Language Learners
(ELL) educators;
Post-secondary education institutions;
and
Business partners who have
expertise in:
Assessment design;
Assessment administration;
or
Use of assessments
The Superintendent of Public
Instruction or the superintendent’s designee shall make the determination
regarding whether the ODE shall adopt the AESRP’s recommended assessments
and achievement standards for the purpose of conferring high school
diplomas and modified diplomas. The determination of the Superintendent
of Public Instruction will be final and not subject to appeal.
The ODE shall issue the Superintendent
of Public Instruction’s intentions regarding the AESRP’s recommendations
by December 15 of each year and formal notice of the Superintendent
of Public Instruction’s final determination regarding the AESRP’s
recommendations by March 1 of each year as an addendum to the Administration
Manual for Assessing Essential Skills, which the ODE shall issue by
August 1 of each year.
School districts and public
charter schools shall adhere to the Administration Manual for Assessing
the Essential Skills to:
Administer;
Score;
Manage; and
Document the district and
school assessments of students’ proficiency in the Essential Skills
required to receive a high school diploma or modified diploma.
School districts and public
charter schools shall establish conduct and discipline policies addressing
student-initiated test impropriety.
Assessments and achievement
standards adopted in a student’s ninth through twelfth grade years:
Students may demonstrate proficiency
in the Essential Skills using assessments adopted in their ninth through
twelfth grade years.
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.
The ODE shall publish the
subset of Essential Skills assessments and the associated performance
levels which may be used by each of Oregon’s post-secondary institutions
as defined by those institutions’ policies provided to the ODE by
October 15 of each year.
This rule is effective July
1, 2008. The guidelines that are effective on July 1, 2008 or until
otherwise changed through the process described in this rule are as
follows:
Essential Skills include:
Read and comprehend a variety
of text;
Write clearly and accurately;
Listen actively and speak
clearly and coherently;
Apply mathematics in a variety
of settings;
Think critically and analytically;
Use technology to learn, live,
and work;
Demonstrate civic and community
engagement;
Demonstrate global literacy;
and
Demonstrate personal management
and teamwork skills.
Essential Skills for which
the ODE has adopted assessments:
Apply mathematics in a variety
of settings;
Read and comprehend a variety
of text;
Write clearly and accurately;
and
Listen actively and speak
clearly and coherently.
School districts and public
charter schools shall include one or more of the following as
work samples or local performance assessments:
Writing;
Speaking;
Mathematical problem-solving;
and
Scientific inquiry.
School districts and public
charter schools may include one social science analysis work sample
that is administered in accordance with school district or public charter
school policies.
Stat. Auth.: ORS 329.451 and 338.025
Stats. Implemented: 329.045, 329.075,
329.451, 329.485 and 338.115
State
Board Discussion Draft
for
Assessment of Essential Skills
April
2, 2008
Introduction
This discussion draft outlines the State
Board of Education’s current view of assessment of essential skills.
Based on input from members of the Standards and Assessment Task Force,
the Essential Skills Policy Group, the Assessment Advisory Committee,
and ODE staff and Management Team, the State Board has developed the
following perspectives. To provide a survey response to this discussion
draft, please go to http://www.ode.state.or.us/surveys/template.aspx?sid=283.
Framework
This framework outlines the responsibilities
of ODE and school districts to ensure appropriate assessments of students
in the Essential Skills to meet new diploma requirements.
Ensure Opportunities to
Learn: Districts will be required to implement local performance
assessments/classroom work samples embedded into instruction.
Build on Existing Systems
Assessments:
OAKS (Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) assessments will be
an approved measure to demonstrate proficiency in the Essential Skills
for the purposes of earning a high school diploma.
Expertise: ODE will
establish an Assessment of Essential Skills Review Panel (AESRP) comprised
of members proficient in assessment to make recommendations regarding
additional assessment measures for the Essential Skills. The panel will
have broad membership from K-12, post-secondary, and business/industry.
Additional Pathways:
Other assessments (e.g., Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate)
may be approved to assess the Essential Skills for the purpose of earning
a high school diploma. These assessments and proficiency levels
will be evaluated by the AERSP for alignment and technical quality,
and recommended to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction for
approval.
Establish a Phase-In:
Students currently in 8th grade, graduating class of 2012,
will be responsible for demonstrating proficiency in the Essential Skills
of Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Mathematics prior to receiving a
high school diploma. Later cohorts will be accountable for additional
Essential Skills as they are phased in. Notice of any additional essential
skill requirements and/or assessments of Essential Skills will be issued
by March 1st of a student’s eighth grade year (August 1,
2008 for the class of 2012). 8th graders may also use assessments
that are adopted during their 9th – 12th grade
years.
Provide Clear State Guidance:
By August 1, 2008, and by March 1 of each subsequent year, ODE will
issue a list of Essential Skills required for that year’s 8th
graders to receive a high school diploma. By August 1 of each
school year, ODE will issue an Administration Manual for Assessing Essential
Skills. Districts will use this manual to administer, score, and manage
district assessments of students’ proficiency in the Essential Skills
required for the high school diploma.
Connect with Post-Secondary
Opportunities and their Use of Assessment Data: To allow students
to use the Assessments of Essential Skills data to achieve their post-secondary
goals (e.g., admission, placement), ODE will annually disseminate information
regarding how these data are used by post-secondary institutions.
This information will be used, in part, to inform K -12 continuous improvement.
Table 1: Board Leanings—Assessment
of Essential Skills Decision Matrix.
In order to continue meaningful work on assessment of Essential Skills
and meet the June 2008 timeline for Oregon Administrative Rules adoption,
the State Board of Education is leaning toward the following decisions.
1. The State Board leans toward
accepting the current achievement standards on the OAKS tests for
assessment of Essential Skills as a diploma requirement for 2007-08
8th graders (class of 2012).
Background:
Oregon’s “Achievement Standards” were derived through an NCLB
approved process that is very expensive in both time and resources.
The stated purpose of Oregon’s “cut scores” is to define an accountability
model or demonstrate academic progress over time. Good assessment
practice warrants a study of OAKS assessments in relation to clear stakeholder
values for the diploma.
The current achievement levels were set for the purposes of awarding
CIM certification (optional for students) and Oregon’s accountability
system as it applies to schools. The achievement levels were not set
for the purpose of awarding an Oregon student a High School Diploma;
a socially and personally important decision.
Board Notes:
Evaluating OAKS to set achievement levels for the diploma would be very
costly and would not be possible on the current timeline. The
Board plans to use the current achievement levels as the recommended
way for students to demonstrate proficiency in the
Essential Skills. When the achievement standards are reset (as
part of the standards review and revision process) then the Diploma
must be identified as one intended purpose.
2. The OAKS Mathematics assessment
will be one of the eligible assessments for students to demonstrate
proficiency in the Essential Skill,
“Apply Mathematics in a Variety of Settings.”*
Background:
West Ed (2007) analyzed the degree to which over 5,700 OAKS test items
and scoring guides assess the Essential Skills. They found that
Apply math to solve problems in a variety of settings is assessed
by OAKS Mathematics. It is also
assessed by the Oregon Mathematics Problem Solving Official Scoring
Guide.
However, in January, the Essential Skills Policy Sub-Group proposed
that students must be able to interpret a situation and apply workable
mathematical concepts and strategies, using
appropriate technologies where applicable; produce evidence, such as
graphs, data, or mathematical models, to obtain and verify a
solution; and communicate and defend the verified process and solution,
using pictures, symbols, models, narrative, or other methods.
Some members of the sub-group expressed concern that OAKS Mathematics
is not sufficiently aligned to the Essential Skill as proposed by the
subgroup.
Board Notes:
OAKS Mathematics should be used to assess this Essential Skill along
with required local performance assessments/classroom work samples.
*The State Board did not reach consensus
regarding whether to require use of the Oregon Mathematics Problem Solving
Official Scoring Guide in addition to OAKS Mathematics.
3. Students should have
the option of using eligible assessments recommended by the AERSP and
approved by the Superintendent after their 8th
grade year.
Board Notes:
Newly approved assessments of Essential Skills will open additional
pathways for students to demonstrate proficiency and should be made
available to them.
4. Districts should have a
choice of which of the assessments, recommended by AESRP and approved
by the Superintendent, they offer to their students for purpose of earning
a high school diploma.
Background:
The Assessment of Essential Skills Review Panel will convene several
times a year to review assessments and proficiency levels recommended
by school districts and post-secondary institutions. Potentially
AESRP will recommend approval of additional assessments (with proficiency
levels) for each Essential Skill each year.
This process will ensure that the state
list of approved assessments of Essential Skills with proficiency levels
reflects the current needs of districts and post-secondary institutions.
Board Notes:
The Board will extend flexibility to districts to choose approved assessments.
Districts must provide the OAKS Assessments to all students and additional
approved assessments may be offered at the district’s discretion.
Table 2: Assessment Pathways for Reading,
Writing, Speaking, and Mathematics Essential Skills (Discussion DRAFT)
Beginning with the graduating
class of 2012, Oregon students will be responsible for demonstrating
proficiency in the Essential Skills of Reading, Writing, Speaking and
Mathematics prior to receiving a high school diploma. Later student
cohorts will be accountable for additional Essential Skills1
as approved by the State Board of Education. Additional Essential Skills
requirements will be issued by March 1st of a student’s
eighth grade year. This table summarized the State Board of Education’s
Leanings.
Essential
Skill
Ways
to show Proficiency
Performance
Level
(maximum levels, lower levels may be set by panel/ODE)
Status
of Implementation
Read
and comprehend a variety of text at different levels of difficulty
Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills
(OAKS) Reading Assessment
236
Leaning
ACT/PLAN
College-ready Benchmark
Pending Consideration
Preliminary Scholastic
Aptitude Test (PSAT)
TBD
Scholastic Aptitude
Test (SAT)
TBD
Other states’ assessments
that are used for Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)
Other States’ High School Standards
Advanced Placement
(AP)
International Baccalaureate (IB)
TBD
Write
clearly and accurately
OAKS Writing Performance Assessment
40 (Achievement level) with
4 on each of the four required traits
per sample
Leaning
Other states’ Writing
assessments that are used for AYP
Other States’ High School Standards
Pending Consideration
3 Writing Work Samples
of different modes scored locally with Official State Writing Scoring
Guide
4 on each of the four required traits
per sample
SAT Writing
TBD
AP Writing
TBD
Listen actively
and speak clearly and coherently
3 Speaking Work Samples of different
voice scored locally with the Official State Speaking Scoring Guide
4 on each of the four required traits
per sample
Leaning
Apply
mathematics in a variety of settings
2 Mathematics Work Samples locally scored
with the OfficialState Mathematics Problem Solving Scoring Guide
and one of the following:
2 work samples with a 4 on each of the
four strands, plus accuracy.One sample each from two of these: geometry,
algebraic relationships, and statistics/probability
Leaning
OAKS Mathematics
236 on OAKS
Leaning
Other states’
Mathematics assessments that are used for AYP Other states’
Other States’ High School Standards
Pending Consideration
PSAT
TBD
SAT
TBD
ACT/PLAN
AP
IB
College-ready Benchmark
1Additional Essential
Skills are:
Think critically and analytically
across disciplines;
Use technology to learn, live
and work;
Demonstrate civic and community
engagement;
Demonstrate global literacy;
Demonstrate personal management
and teamwork skills.
2 Panel of statewide
experts will assist with phase-in of additional pathways to demonstrate
proficiency in Essential Skills