Preparing for the Midyear Benchmark
Window open now until Jan. 15, 2021
Alpha Plus Summative B assessments for Grades 3-8 reading and math classes are usually administered by teachers just before Thanksgiving or early in December. Preparing for this midyear benchmark – no matter when students take it – is key to ensuring they are ready for the state test in the spring.
- First, use the midyear summative as a nine-weeks or semester test by grading the questions aligned to OAS objectives taught and remediated this fall.
- Your Objective Accountability Graph (OAG) shows the objectives that have been taught and assessed on a formative.
- The Summative B Objective List provides the OAS objective code for each question on the assessment. List the question numbers that match the objectives on your OAG.
- When you review for B (and A2), tell students they will be graded on the questions from your list only but will receive extra points for other questions answered correctly.
- Second, see it as an opportunity for all students to demonstrate test-taking procedures and students with disabilities to practice using accommodations.
- Use Alpha Plus common formative quizzes to teach best-answer strategies including a plausible / non-plausible evaluation of answer options. See packet in Teacher PD Resource Binder or click here for “Teaching Students How to be Good Test Takers" updated for 2020.
- After a period of focused instruction on an objective in the Success with OAS curriculum, administer the aligned Formative Assessment Tests to determine level of mastery.
- If fewer than 70% of students scored proficient, reteach the objective.
- If more than 70% score proficient, plan remediation for those students, then reassess up to two more times after intervention.
- Third, before administering B, conduct a thorough and specific review of the objectives taught so far.
In Alpha Plus Online, use the Review function in the list next to each formative test taken to discuss questions students missed. Why did they select one distractor or answer choice over another? Which words in the question did they not understand?
After the midyear and spring benchmarks, compare student performance to 2019 Oklahoma School Testing Program data or Fall 2020 Alpha Plus baseline to evaluate growth and needs of each student.
- Coordinate intervention using Classroom List Report and small-group lists in Standards at Risk
- Print or email to parents Standard Based Report Cards each nine weeks to discuss with parents and students.
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