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Sarah McManus and Hope Tesh-Blum

North Carolina Department of Public Instruction

Division of Accountability Services/Testing Section

North Carolina High School Exit Exam:

Overview and Update

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North Carolina Department of Public InstructionDivision of Accountability Services/Testing SectionFebruary, 2002/Accountability Conference

Competency Tests: History &What will happen?

Old Competency Minimum performance levels in areas of Math, Reading, and Writing(prior to 1994-95)

New Competency Levels of performance in Reading and Math (during or after 1994-1995)

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North Carolina Department of Public InstructionDivision of Accountability Services/Testing SectionFebruary, 2002/Accountability Conference

GATEWAYS

•Statewide Student Accountability Standards

Grades 3, 5, 8, and 12

•New Student Promotion StandardsAPA Policy 16CAC6D.0305Approved by SBE 4/1/99

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North Carolina Department of Public InstructionDivision of Accountability Services/Testing SectionFebruary, 2002/Accountability Conference

Measurement Goals

•Essential Skills•Higher Order Thinking Skills •Integration•Application•Evaluation

•Big Concepts/Ideas•Math •Science•Social Studies•English

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Gateways

GradeLevel

MeasurementTool

EffectiveDate forStandard

Grade 3 End-of-GradeGrade 3 (in place)

2001-02

Grade 5 End-of-GradeGrade 5 (in place)

2000-01

Grade 8 End-of-GradeGrade 8 (in place)

2001-02

Grade 12 Exit Exam (indevelopment)

* GraduatingClass of 2005

* State Board Decision February 2, 2001

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North Carolina Department of Public InstructionDivision of Accountability Services/Testing SectionFebruary, 2002/Accountability Conference

Six Domains

•Communication

•Processing Information

•Problem Solving

•Using Numbers and Data

•Technology

•Team Work

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North Carolina Department of Public InstructionDivision of Accountability Services/Testing SectionFebruary, 2002/Accountability Conference

Development of Learning Objectives (for each domain)

•Division of Instruction Services

•Division of Accountability Services/Testing

Section

•Research

•Previous studies of what students should

know and be able to do

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North Carolina Department of Public InstructionDivision of Accountability Services/Testing SectionFebruary, 2002/Accountability Conference

NCHSEE Key Characteristics

•Active Involvement

•Scenarios and Situations

•Real-World Applications

•Use of Primary Source Materials

•Variety of Presentations (i.e., not simply reading or math)

•Integration of Content (i.e., not facts tested in isolation)

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North Carolina Department of Public InstructionDivision of Accountability Services/Testing SectionFebruary, 2002/Accountability Conference

Who’s on the

Development Team?

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Test Development Team:

Riverside Publishing Company

Producing items, tests, technical documents, & resource materials

Standard setting

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NCHSEE CommitteeApproves all of Riverside’s Work

• Division of Accountability Services

• Division of Instructional Services

• Division of Exceptional Children

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NCHSEE Advisory Boardprovides feedback and advice to NCHSEE Committee about

administrative procedures, etc.

• NCAE

• Test Coordinators

• Principals

• Central office staff

• Division of Accountability Services

• Division of Instructional Services

• Division of Exceptional Children

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North Carolina Department of Public InstructionDivision of Accountability Services/Testing SectionFebruary, 2002/Accountability Conference

Technical Advisory Committee

•Purpose: To provide advice about field test

design, standard setting, etc.UNC-Chapel HillUniversity of MichiganUNC-GreensboroAmerican Institute of Research

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North Carolina Department of Public InstructionDivision of Accountability Services/Testing SectionFebruary, 2002/Accountability Conference

Item Development

•N.C. Educators, Curriculum Specialists and

professional item writers

•NCDPI Instructional Services

•NCDPI Accountability Services/Testing

•NCDPI Exceptional Children

•Riverside Publishing Company

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North Carolina Department of Public InstructionDivision of Accountability Services/Testing SectionFebruary, 2002/Accountability Conference

November 2001

•NC State Board of Education approves

several changes to the test format of the Exit

Exam

•Delay in funding and the need to reduce

amount of time spent testing

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North Carolina Department of Public InstructionDivision of Accountability Services/Testing SectionFebruary, 2002/Accountability Conference

Exit Exam Format Revisions

Original Format•Multiple-Choice•Four separate tests• 60-80 items per test •Two hours test time per test / 4 days

Revised Format•Multiple-Choice•One test/Four sections• @100 items total (25 per section) •Three hours total test time / one day

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North Carolina Department of Public InstructionDivision of Accountability Services/Testing SectionFebruary, 2002/Accountability Conference

What four sections

(domains) are tested?

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North Carolina Department of Public InstructionDivision of Accountability Services/Testing SectionFebruary, 2002/Accountability Conference

Four Assessed Domains

•Communication

•Processing Information

•Problem Solving

•Using Numbers and Data

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North Carolina Department of Public InstructionDivision of Accountability Services/Testing SectionFebruary, 2002/Accountability Conference

Communication Section

Two types of items:

•Embedded Error: Evaluate critically and

analyze printed material

•Scenarios: Understand and apply

accurately the rules of Standard English

•LISTENING ITEM REMOVED

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North Carolina Department of Public InstructionDivision of Accountability Services/Testing SectionFebruary, 2002/Accountability Conference

Processing Information Section

Requires Students to:

•Process multiple Types of data

•Interpret, analyze, synthesize

•Make appropriate inferences, predictions,

or plans

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North Carolina Department of Public InstructionDivision of Accountability Services/Testing SectionFebruary, 2002/Accountability Conference

Problem Solving Section

Requires Students to:

•Analyze and evaluate problems in a variety

of scenarios

•Identify potential solutions or choices

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North Carolina Department of Public InstructionDivision of Accountability Services/Testing SectionFebruary, 2002/Accountability Conference

Using Numbers and Data Section

Requires Students to:

•Apply mathematical and data analysis skills

and concepts to solve problems in a variety

of contexts

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North Carolina Department of Public InstructionDivision of Accountability Services/Testing SectionFebruary, 2002/Accountability Conference

Timeline (as of February 18, 2002)

2000-2001: Item Tryout (all 11th graders)

2001-2002: Field Test (*@34,000 11th graders)

2002-2003: Field Test (*All 11th graders)

2003-2004: Operational (*All 11th graders)

2004-2005: *Graduation Requirement for

Class of 2005* 11th grade students following the C/U Prep, C/T Prep, or Career Prep Courses of Study.

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North Carolina Department of Public InstructionDivision of Accountability Services/Testing SectionFebruary, 2002/Accountability Conference

Samples for Testing (as of February 18, 2002)

2001 Item Tryout

•Every High School•All 11th grade students•@ 64,000 students •Accommodations•Scored by contractor•2 hours per test

2002 Field Test

•Sample of High Schools•All 11th grade students in a selected high school•@34,000 students•Accommodations•Scored by contractor•180 min. total test adm. time

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All students should be given sufficient time to complete the tests.

NOTE: A few minutes of additional time will be needed at the end of the testing period to check answer sheets, complete coding, and collect test materials.

Estimated Test Administration Time

Estimated TestAdministration Time

Test Activity

15 minutes Assemble students, distributetesting materials, providegeneral instructions, and codestudent background information

60 minutes (180 minutes total) Three test sessions continuouswith stretch breaks

3 minutes (6 minutes total) Two stretch breaks

201 minutes (3hr, 21 min.) Estimated Total Testing Time

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North Carolina Department of Public InstructionDivision of Accountability Services/Testing SectionFebruary, 2002/Accountability Conference

Other Test Materials

• Calculator Use:

›Graphing Calculator is required for the

entire test

• Blank Paper

X No Graph paper

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North Carolina Department of Public InstructionDivision of Accountability Services/Testing SectionFebruary, 2002/Accountability Conference

Real Deal: Class of 2005 and Beyond

•Administered to all 11th grade students in

Spring of 2004

•Class of 2005 must pass this test to receive

a diploma

•Retesting opportunities available

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Re-testing Opportunities

• Summer School (Junior year)

• Fall (Senior year)• Spring (Senior

year)• Last month (Senior

year)• Age 21

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Students Following C/U Prep., C/T Prep., or Career Prep. Courses of Study:To Receive a

Diploma (Class of 2005 and beyond)

• Local Requirements

• Existing State Requirements

• Passing score on exit exam (class of 2005)

• Passing score on computer skills tests

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North Carolina Department of Public InstructionDivision of Accountability Services/Testing SectionFebruary, 2002/Accountability Conference

Resource Materials

•Information Guide/Brochure (February

2002)

•Student Handbook (February 2002)

•NCDPI Websites (Testing and Instructional

Services)

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Testing Website:

http://www.NCPublicSchools.org/ accountability/testing/ highschoolexitexam/

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Instructional Services Website:

http://www.learnnc.org/dpi/instserv.nsf/Category11/

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Questions?