Dear Families,
In a few weeks, the New York State Grades 3-8 English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics Tests will be administered to students. The ELA exam will be given on two consecutive school days, March 29 and 30, and the math exam will be given on two consecutive school days, April 26 and 27. While some districts have chosen to administer the tests on a computer, North Colonie will continue to have students take the test on the paper version.
Below you will find a summary of the changes that were made to the Grades 3-8 English Language Arts and Mathematics Tests over the past several years.
- New York State Educators involvement in test development. While teachers have always been included in the Grades 3-8 Test Development Process, since 2016 NYSED had expanded the number of opportunities for New York State educators to become more involved. New York State educators provide the critical input necessary to ensure that the tests are fair, valid, and appropriate for students through their participation in many test development activities. The process includes the review and approval of passages, the development of items for these passages, the construction of field and operational test forms, rangefinding (setting scores for the field test constructed responses), final approval of test forms prior to administration, and the development of scoring materials.
- Reduction in the number of test sessions. In June 2017, the Board of Regents decided to reduce the number of days of student testing on the Grades 3-8 English Language Arts and Mathematics Tests from three sessions for each test to two. This change took effect beginning with the tests that were administered in 2018.
Grade 3
- Average Time to Complete Session 1: 60-70 minutes
- Average Time to Complete Session 2: 70-80 minutes
Grade 4
- Average Time to Complete Session 1: 60-70 minutes
- Average Time to Complete Session 2: 70-80 minutes
Grade 5
- Average Time to Complete Session 1: 80-90 minutes
- Average Time to Complete Session 2: 70-80 minutes
Grade 6
- Average Time to Complete Session 1: 80-90 minutes
- Average Time to Complete Session 2: 90-100 minutes
Grade 7
- Average Time to Complete Session 1: 80-90 minutes
- Average Time to Complete Session 2: 90-100 minutes
Grade 8
- Average Time to Complete Session 1: 80-90 minutes
- Average Time to Complete Session 2: 90-100 minutes
As a result of the change to a two-session test design, panels of New York State educators from across the State were brought together to engage in a standards review process. These panels of educators established new performance standards for each grade level. They followed a standardized, research-based process to discuss expectations for students in each performance level, reviewed the actual test questions, and made recommendations on the knowledge and skills required of students at each grade level. These recommendations form the basis for the performance standards that are applied to individual student tests to make proficiency level determinations from 2018 onward.
- The 2022 3-8 ELA and Math assessments will be untimed. Students will be given as much time as they need to complete them within the confines of the regular school day.
While we understand that some students may find testing stressful, we want to assure you that we will do everything possible to create the most appropriate testing environment for all children. The information gained from this testing helps us to evaluate our program, and, more importantly, better plan our students’ academic programs in the upcoming school year.
You can find more information about the State tests on the State Education Department’s website (http://www.p12.nysed.gov/assessment/ei/eigen.html).
Sincerely,
D. Joseph Corr
Superintendent of Schools