1	FCTM Leadership Conference Up-to-Date on the FCAT Tracy Halka Supervisor of Scoring and Reporting Florida Department of Education
2	Topics to discuss Released Tests Testing Schedules Other Subject Areas FCAT Computer Based Retake SSS Revisions FCAT Cycles FCAT Committees Interpretive Products and Resources FCTM Presentations
3	"Released" Released Tests!!
4	2007 To Be Released Reading and Mathematics Grades 5 and 6 2007 Operational Tests Science Grade 8 2007 Operational Test
5	Planned Release Science 2008 Operational Test Grade 5 Grade 11
6	Released Tests The 2007 test release in reading and mathematics ends the release cycle for these subjects. The 2008 test release in science ends the release cycle for this subject.
7	Released Tests The released test is formatted to remove field-test items. All items on which scores were based will be released. The released test was reformatted to fit into one document, so answer spaces and grids are with each item. http://www.firn.edu/doe/sas/fcatrelease.html
8	Testing Schedules
9	2007-08 FCAT Testing Schedules Fall Retakes: September 24-28 OR October 1-5, 2007 Exact week was chosen by district FCAT Writing+: February 12-15, 2008 FCAT SSS (Reading, Mathematics, Science): March 11-March 24, 2008 FCAT NRT: same period as FCAT SSS Summer Retakes: June 16-20 OR June 23-27, 2008 Exact week was chosen by district
10	"Assessment Calendar Online:" Assessment Calendar Online: http://firn.edu/doe/sas/sasshome.htm
11	"Other" Other Subject Areas
12	FCAT Writing+ 10^th grade class of 2007-2008 (graduating class of 2009-2010) will need to pass FCAT Writing+ as graduation requirement. Sample Test Materials created this year for Writing+ will have accompanying PDFs that provide a crosswalk to link items from previous benchmarks to new benchmarks.
13	FCAT Writing+ 2008 Writing+ Grade 10 FCAT will have only one essay mode assessed, persuasive or expository. Essay mode will not be revealed before the test administration. Essay mode will be randomly chosen each year and will have no dependence on previous year’s mode.
14	Science Science Lessons Learned process is beginning. It is due out next year. FCAT Explorer for Grade 5 is available. Software is in production for Grade 8 and it is expected in early 2008. Grade 11 is expected mid-2008.
15	Statewide Uses of the FCAT Document explains where each grade and subject area assessment is used for statewide purposes.
16	Computer-based FCAT Retake
17	Computer-based FCAT Retake Benefits Reduction in burden of document handling Accommodations Student attentiveness Goal for Spring 2008 Earlier reporting for students who have taken the computer-based FCAT Retake Summer 2007 had the largest participation yet Possible only computer based in Summer administrations 2008 and forward
18	SSS Revisions
19	SSS Revisions and FCAT Science Revisions process has begun. Goal is to have Science SSS revisions to the state board December 2007 or January 2008. Language Arts (Reading and Writing) New SSS have been approved and are in place for this school year 2007-2008
20	SSS Revisions and FCAT FCAT Reading All skills being previously assessed are still being assessed, however, benchmarks have changed. Performance tasks are staying at current grades. Reading Content Advisory met in April and August to review new Reading standards and correlate them to the new test Work on a new Item Specifications document has begun.
21	SSS Revisions and FCAT Mathematics Content Advisory Committee met April 17-19, 2007, and August 8-9, 2007, to review the newest version of the standards and to discuss changes needed to FCAT based on the new standards Participants included Content Advisory members and a few of the Writers
22	SSS Revision’s Impact on FCAT Mathematics The new standards are slated to go to the State Board of Education for approval in September A revised Mathematics FCAT will be necessary
23	Why is the process so complex? High stakes testing is important and litigious Debra P. vs Turlington – Landmark case from Florida Development must be careful, deliberate, & inclusive Accepted best practice should be followed (Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing) Instructional validity is a must (instruction in new standards) Adequate resources & opportunity to learn
24	Why is the process so complex? NCLB requirements for Standards and Assessments Alignment to content standards (external review) Involvement of Educators (thorough processes) Technical studies of quality (reliability, validity, scaling, reporting, standard setting, etc.)
25	SSS Revision’s Impact on FCAT The following slides are a general timeline (with approximated dates) of the subsequent steps that must be taken now that a revised FCAT is needed
26	SSS Revision’s Impact on FCAT Fall 2007 – Spring 2008: New FCAT Item Specifications prepared for Item Writer Training. Development begins on next-generation FCAT items. Development of new test design (which items are assessed with which item types). Fall 2008: First cycle of next-generation FCAT item development complete. Statewide educator committee meetings held for the review of new test items for content, bias, and sensitivity. Spring/Summer 2009: Test construction process begins for following year’s test, including field test items of new SSS items.
27	SSS Revision’s Impact on FCAT Spring 2010: Field test items of next-generation FCAT items. Spring 2011: Baseline NEW test First test year in which next-generation FCAT items count toward students’ scores. Conduct vertical scaling study on new tests. Summer/Fall 2011: Set new Achievement Levels and Graduation Scores Spring 2012: Report results with new achievement levels, student growth scores, and norm-referenced scores.
28	SSS Revision’s Impact on FCAT Graduating class of 2014: First senior class to graduate using next-generation FCAT.
29	Recommended Changes to FCAT The following slides contain proposed changes to the FCAT assessment recommended by the Content Advisory Committee. Please keep in mind that these recommendations are still pending approval from FDOE, and at this point only make up a wish list.
30	Recommended Changes to FCAT Wish List Gridded items (grades 4-10) Negative grid bubbles (grades 7-10) Expanded grid bubbles (grade 5) Tailored reference sheets to particular grades Revising formulas currently on reference sheets, adding and removing others Scientific calculators at grades 9 and 10
31	Recommended Changes to FCAT Wish List Grade 9: Largely Algebra-based assessment Grade 10: Geometry-based assessment
32	FCAT During Transition In the transition phase of the new standards, it is important that teachers and administrators continue to use the standards alignment for the currently assessed standards while becoming familiar with the new standards.
33	FCAT During Transition At this time, it appears that districts can expect: Tests designed to support, to the extent possible, 21^st Century teaching and learning, Increasing use of computer-based testing, Different reporting categories (not performance tasks), and Mathematics tests that are more narrow in the scope of content tested, but with questions that measure deeper understanding of this content
34	Old to New State Tests The Department must gather technical and policy guidance for: Linking OLD FCAT scores to NEW Florida Standards Assessment scores Use of equipercentile method to link OLD achievement levels for achievement level reporting in 2011 Determine a graduation measure for 10^th graders in 2011
35	Old to New State Tests cont’d Determine legality and validity of use of a concordant score for students needing to retake Grade 10 assessment beginning in spring, 2011 Determine a Grade 3 Reading promotion measure for 2011 and a concordant score for retained students in 2012
36	Alternative Assessments As part of the Standards revision, access points are embedded in the SSS The access points are expectations written for students with significant cognitive disabilities to access the general education curriculum Access points reflect the core intent of the standards with reduced levels of complexity The three levels of complexity include independent, supported, and participatory
37	FCAT CYCLES
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40	Participation in FCAT Committees Assessment and Accountability Advisory Committee Subject Area Content Advisory Committees Interpretive Products Advisory Committee Technical Advisory Committee Computer-Based Assessment Advisory Committee
41	Participation in FCAT Committees Prompt Review Committee Community Sensitivity Committee Bias Review Committee Item Content Review Committee Science Expert Review Committee
42	Participation in FCAT Committees Rangefinder Committee Rangefinder Review Committee Gridded-Response Adjudication Committee Standards-Setting Committees Special Ad Hoc Committees
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45	Information about 2008 School Grades: http://firn.edu/doe/schoolgrades/pdf/2007SchoolGradesTAPcom.pdf http://firn.edu/doe/evaluation/presentations.htm
46	"Interpretive" Interpretive Products and other FCAT Resources
47	NEW FCAT HOMEPAGE www.fcat.fldoe.org
48	Registered trademark ®
49	Registered trademark ®
50	"The Results Folder has been..." The Results Folder has been made generic (no year written on the folder) for this year and the future. They will only be distributed to new students and to incoming third graders.
51	2007 Spring Deliveries Delivered Mid-May Florida Inquires! (Grades 5, 8, 11) Florida Reads! (Grades 4, 8, 10) Florida Solves! (Grades 5, 8, 10) Florida Writes! (Grades 4, 8, 10)
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53	"CD of training set from..." CD of training set from report item to be sent to districts. Mathematics, Reading, Science, and Writing+ Rangefinder (Anchor) set One Qualifying set Due in District in Fall 2007 These materials will be augmented to replace Florida Solves!, Florida Writes!, Florida Inquires!, and Florida Reads! in 2008 and beyond.
54	Sample Test Materials Due in districts in early September Mathematics (Grades 3―10) Reading (Grades 3―10) Science (Grades 5, 8, 11) Writing+ (Grades 4, 8, 10) Keys to FCAT 2008 Due out in January 2008
55	FCAT Handbook— A Resource for Educators Program-level information about the FCAT Audience: EDUCATORS AND ADMINISTRATORS Delivered to districts in print October 2005, also posted to Web
56	FCAT Mathematics Lessons Learned:
57	"Purpose:" Purpose: To provide insights about our statewide progress and to provide implications for continued improvement of instruction
58	"Each subject will be a..." Each subject will be a separate document. Grades 3-10 will be analyzed for Reading and Mathematics. First Lessons Learned covered test years 1998-2000
59	"Graphical presentation of student performance..." Graphical presentation of student performance by Strand and by Achievement Levels, with analyses
60	"Narratives on what students are..." Narratives on what students are doing well in for each strand, what students are struggling with, and the implications for classroom instruction Instructional implications will be based on input from a committee of Florida educators Findings are pertinent and valid regardless of what standards are in place
61	"Science and Writing+" Science and Writing+ are on a later schedule to enable more historic data on the current test formats to be collected. Science has an estimated Fall 2008 release. Writing+ has an estimated Fall 2009 release.
62	For the Latest Information Join the Florida Department of Education Paperless Communication System at: www.firn.edu/doe/menu/communications.htm
63	Other FCAT Resources Department of Education Web Address - www.fldoe.org FCAT Publications (General Public) FCAT Publications (Educator) FCAT Scores and Reports FCAT Developmental Scores
64	Other FCAT Resources FCAT Web Address - http://www.firn.edu/doe/sas/fcat/fcatpub2.htm Test Design Summary provides details about the structure of the test Content Focus Reports For each content cluster More specific description of content measured in each cluster, each year
65	FCTM Presentations
66	TDC Staff Changes Mathematics Coordinator Steve Ash Mathematics High School Specialist Stewart Elizondo Mathematics Middle School Specialist Vacant (any takers??) Reading Coordinator Lyla Springfield Reading Elementary School Specialist Nanette Barber Writing Specialist Shelia Veatch
67	QUESTIONS?? Contact Information: Tracy Halka Supervisor of Scoring and Reporting Florida Department of Education (850) 245-0720 tracy.halka@fldoe.org Steve Ash FCAT Mathematics Coordinator Test Development Center (850) 922-2584, ext. 225 ashs@mail.leon.k12.fl.us