NYSCEA Program Meeting
NYSCEA Meeting
February 6, 2004
Best Western, Albany, NY
8:30 am-2pm
James Kadamus
1. James Kadamus, Deputy Commissioner for Elementary, Middle, Secondary and Continuing Education to discuss recent changes or proposed changes in the State's Assessment Program (in response to NCLB), the Math A Panel Report, the Regents Physics Exam results, etc.
State Assessment
» Focusing on Physics & Math.
Brought in a group to do a re-scaling of the Physics exam and set new cut scores. The changes resulted in students scoring higher on the tests. An easier cut point was the basis of the January test and will be the basis of the June tests.
» Snow on test days ie. Global History; US History
What can be done?
Suggestions:
a. Use questions from old tests.
Problem: If old tests were used it would break the paradigm - people might say why make new tests you can use the old tests. Commissioner did not want to do that. Solution to snow day this January: Course grades will be used.
–students will get credit for a local diploma and will take the Regents tests when it is given in June, August.
b. Looking at possibility of doing the August exams on a restricted basis.
Schools would get the package and would mail it back and use this test form as a back up for a January snow day.
c. Do not give the test in January. Just give it in June and August.
» Math A test:
- Brought in a group of 19 teachers who had a low end cut basis.
They were very content driven and set a level for what the content
should be at 65 and 85.
- Judgment was made on what content was needed to
demonstrate knowledge of the standards.
- The aim was to equate and scale the test.
- Test Construction Process:
a. Looked at questions beginning in 1998
b. Put a field test in place very close to operational test.
c. Compared how students did on field test and actual test. Motivation of students effect student scores.
d. Collected 20,000 papers which represented a sample
e. Analyzed the difficulty item by item.
f. Looked at how the items behaved. Used a variety of statistical measures to see if those items remained stable.
g. Test not judged on how many students passed.
h. To scale 37 questions was a complex task and took a lot of care.
i. The questions were based on difficulty level.
Result of Test Constuction Process:
- Tremendous correlation between field and operational
(real) test..
- The items were very stable in terms of difficulty
- Students did better on the operational test.
- Developed a research paper to explain the test construction
process and how the items behaved to validate the standard
setting.
- If after the test, items were found to be not stable then the test scores were adjusted.
About the test:
- The test is an easier test than the 2003 test - It is more
appropriate. It has a lower level of difficulty
– The panel wanted it a graduation test for all students to pass.
Math A test is a test that all students must pass for graduation.
75% of students are getting a score of 65.
- Test has algebra, trigonometry, graphing skills, statistics
- It is more in line with what is taught.
There should be alignment between what is taught in class
and the score on the test.
- The test is not a gatekeeper test for Math B
- There is still a gatekeeper test for Math B
There needs to be more field testing to have data to use for the development of questions for the operational test.
Need to build new Math standards. Need broad base cooperation from schools.
What can Associations do?
Make explanations clear.
Talk to teachers about the process.
Grace Wilkie, President, Association of Mathematics Teachers of NYS, explained that there is open communications between the State Math Association and SED, Ann Schiano.
Post conversion - Process will not to be done in June for Math A because they already know the items were stable.
Process of comparing data from field test and operational test will be used for other subjects.
Teachers wanted more multiple choice rather than extended responses. Weaker students did worse on multiple choice because it was all or nothing. Extended responses allowed for partial credit.
Multiple choice questions can be written to stimulate thinking and application. Weaker students have trouble with this Having a good mix and balance between multiple choice and extended response is the aim.
» Virtual Learning System (VLS)
Every 3 months there will be a cycle for upgrading the system.
Beginning today it will be available to associations – feedback wanted.
Goal: Capacity building tool
A tool for professional development.
Authoritative source of the Standards has the official standards and performance indicators in it.
Contains sample Lessons. Has links to GEM and Marco Polo. The Virtual learning System begins to give teachers access to best practice based on the standards. Focuses right now on English and Math
Middle Level – Making a strategy to the Regents. Regents will be meeting on February 23, 2004 to talk about it
A way to get all middle schools around the state to look at their program.
Web Site-data Collection memo describes the state and local and regional responsibilities re: data collection - an individual record system.
Data collection will begin on Grade 3. Data will be recorded for each student. In this way student’s performance will be able to be tracked over time-even when they move. Students will have an ID # and will be tracked every year if they are in NYS. Public Schools only. Debate now is what will be in the system.
James Butterworth
2. James Butterworth, Assistant Commissioner for Regional School and Community Services to discuss what's happening relative to Middle-Level Education and possible regulatory changes.
Regents asked SED to return with models for them to reflect upon.
How do we implement the policy statement on Middle –Level education? Last policy statement was in 1989. What has been heard from field?
» Best practice
1. Middle level students need to receive instruction on all 28 learning
Standards. To reduce them does not fulfill the goals of a middle
school education.
2. Students need a supportive learning environment in addition to
academic rigour
3. Greater flexibility is needed to put best practices in place.
As a Result, We have:
1. No single approach is the solutions to the problems confronting middle school education A State strategy must consider the variation in structure and performance of schools to create a program based on the Essential Elements.
We need:
1. Instruction is needed in all 28 learning standards
2. AIS stays
3. Acceleration stays
4. Curriculum should be aligned, articulated and integrated across the middle grades.
5. Employment of highly qualified teachers
6. Schools maintaining a supportive learning environment. Recognizing we are dealing with the whole child. School community involves community members in addition to school staff.
Existing Flexibility at the Middle Level
- Variety of courses can be counted for credit, i.e general music and
performance group classes that meet the standards; acceleration
opportunities
What additional Flexibility can be provided?
1. Need flexibility in time and course requirement mand deployment
of staff
2. Scheduling unit of study and time requirements across 5-8 break out of the box of 7 &8
3. use a mix of common branch teachers and content specialists in the middle grades.
-Make more sense to use a Math teacher in the 6th grade use common branch teachers as part of grade team where appropriate in terms of teacher’s skills.
-Allow specialists to teach down but not common branch teachers to teach up.
What is the benefit of mixing staff?
-Bring specialists to 5th and 6th grade
-In service training:
- includes common branch and extensions in a particular area and
- Common Branch in-service from 5-9
One Approach: Self Study and Peer Review
Base of planning is Essential Elements with a broad base of key stakeholders on planning team. Different than state regulation-it becomes a local matter.
Consideration for Low Performing Schools in Middle-Level schools. Schools have to bave their plans approved by SED
High Performing Schools
Help students meet learning standards and breath life in the standards
How do you get themes to connect areas?
CDOS application
Focus program on:
Application and synthesis
Conclusion:
1. Put essential elements in regulations
2. Decide if Regents want regulations to work with low performers, high performers or all.
3. Respect the knowledge of practitioners.
No way to dictate the entire spectrum of schools.
We are in a result oriented environment different than in past years-we have fear of accountability- this environment requires new approaches,
Question: re: Common planning time
Is there a way using 5-8 flexibility to provide common planning time-can time be freed up? Different approaches are being examined.
Jean Stevens
3. Jean Stevens, Assistant Commissioner of Curriculum and Instructional Support & Anne Schiano, Assistant Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Instructional Technology to discuss VLS and other curricular issues and concerns
- SED is hiring
- Grade by Grade testing will be developed in Math
Levels of specificity based on the standards will be developed by the
Math Standards Committee.
-A curriculum committee both in ELA and Math will develop curriculum.
Grace Wilkie, President, Association of Mathematics Teachers of NYS explained, Association Leadership needs to part of the curriculum group. It is difficult to generate information when you are not part of the group.
A page of WEBSITES were distributed.
- Focus: Global History and Geography
SED is looking at how are things being done.
Regents Diploma requirements and Career and Technical Education policy will be reviewed.
Virtual Learning System (System replaces the word Space)
Single authoritative source for the Standards
Where we have been?
Questions
What is an educational portal?
What is it for?
What is it intended to do?
- Portal must be grounded in content. That is mapped to your State standards.
- VLS will begin with 28 Learning Standards
- All content will be mapped at the Performance Indicator level.
- VLS has Resource links
VLS website: http://vls.nysed.gov/vls/
What do I want ? What do I need in order to change instruction?
GEM material is based on world wide web information
(Gateway to Educational Material)
MARCO POLO www.marcopolo.org
Charles Szuberla
4. Charles Szuberla, Coordinator of School Operations and Management Services will discuss the Regents State Aid proposal and the status of legislative revision of the State Aid Formula
Distributed Report:
Regents Proposal on State Aid to School Districts fro 2004-2005
- State determines what the foundation cost is for an adequate education.
Took Districts that were successful – 80% were passing the Assessments. Basically to level everyone up it would take about 6 billion dollars. Created an Instructional Resource Aid package.
- Last year (2003) Governor reduced education budget. This year the Governor recommended an additional two hundred million doolars for education and the Legislators are expected to add to this. There is currently a 4 or 5 billion deficit in the entire state budget
- SED does not want to see Office of Cultural Education to be cut off from
them.
- SED thinks there needs to be more money for mentoring new teachers.
- Everybody supports good libraries but nobody wants to provide monies.
- No Child Left Behind Funding not mentioned in the report.
- When looking at budgets, one needs to think about money allocated in terms of the cost of the items in the area it is being used. For example things in NYC might cost more than things upstate.
Business Meeting Roll Call:
Joan Davidson
12 organizations were present
LUNCH
NYSCEA Business meeting and discussion of by-law changes. (Separate agenda)
Meeting adjourned at 2pm.