General Features of the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test

The Regulations of the Commissioner of Education provide that an elementary-level social studies test is to be administered to students in Grade 5 to serve as an early indicator of whether students are meeting the elementary-level New York State Learning Standards for social studies. Each student’s performance on the test will be the basis for determining whether that student needs academic intervention services in social studies.

The New York State Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test is designed to measure student achievement of the content, concepts, and skills in the K–4 social studies curriculum. The content and standards are described in the publication Social Studies Resource Guide with Core Curriculum (K–4).

The test comprises two test booklets and is to be administered in two separate 1½-hour sessions. Booklet 1 contains a total of 35 multiple-choice questions and several short-answer, constructed-response questions. Booklet 2 contains a document-based question.

Each student’s performance on the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test will fall into one of four levels of performance. Descriptions of the performance levels and the specific test scores that correspond to each of the four levels are provided in Appendix II of this manual and in the rating guide that is packaged with the test booklets. All students who score within levels 1 and 2 on the test must receive academic intervention services, which must commence no later than the beginning of the semester immediately following the administration of the test (see page 6).

The first section of this manual contains information of special interest to administrators. Subsequent sections contain directions for administering and scoring Booklet 1 and Booklet 2.

Information for School Administrators

General Information

For information about general administration procedures for this test, contact the Office of State Assessment at 518-474-5902. For information about the scoring of the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test, contact Gary Warren, Donna Merlau, or Greg Wilsey in the Office of State Assessment at 518-474-3860, or JoAnn Larson or Lawrence Paska in the Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and Instructional Technology at 518-474-5922.

All school personnel who will be involved in the administration and scoring of this test must have a copy of this manual, which may be photocopied by the school as needed. In addition, please check the Office of State Assessment’s web site periodically at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa for any scoring clarification as well as the posting of the teacher evaluation form and conversion chart.

Administration Schedule

Schools must administer the New York State Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test each year in November on the dates specified by the Department. Students who are absent for one or both sessions of the test must complete the test on the makeup dates designated by the Department.

Students to be Tested

General Education Students

Except as noted below, all public school students in Grade 5 and all ungraded students who are age equivalent to students in Grade 5 must take the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test. This includes students who have been retained in Grade 5, and Grade 5 students who attend programs operated by the Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) as well as any other programs located outside the school. Nonpublic schools are strongly encouraged to administer State assessments to their students in accordance with these same provisions.

Students with Disabilities

The Committee on Special Education (CSE) must decide for each student with a disability, on
a case-by-case basis, whether the student will be participating in the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test or will not be participating in this assessment because the student will be participating in
the New York State Alternate Assessment (NYSAA) for students with severe disabilities. The
CSE’s decision must be documented on the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). The criteria that the CSE must use to determine a student’s eligibility to participate in the NYSAA are available at the web site: http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/alterassessment/alterassess.htm. Students participating in the NYSAA should be coded as eligible for the Alternate Assessment on the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test answer sheet.

When determining which students will be participating in the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test, be sure to consider those students who attend programs operated by the BOCES as well as any other programs located outside the school.

Limited-English-Proficient (LEP) Students

All LEP students are required to participate in the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test. LEP students may take the test either in an alternative language or in English, whichever would be better for the student. LEP students may also use both an English and an alternative language edition of the test simultaneously. Alternative language editions of the test are provided in Chinese (Traditional), Haitian Creole, and Spanish. The test may be translated orally into other languages for those LEP students whose first language is one for which a written translation is not available from the Department. Schools are permitted to offer LEP students specific testing accommodations when taking this test (see page 4).

Testing Accommodations

Students Who Incur Disabilities Shortly Before Test Administration

Principals may provide testing accommodations for general education students who incur an injury
(e.g., a broken arm) or experience the onset of a short- or long-term disability sustained or diagnosed within 30 days prior to the administration of the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test. In such cases, when sufficient time is not available for the development of an IEP or a Section 504 Accommodation Plan (504 Plan), principals may authorize certain accommodations that will not significantly change the skills being tested. These accommodations are limited to:

· extending the time limit for a test,

· administering the test in a special location,

· recording the student’s answers in any manner, and

· reading the test to the student (only for students whose vision is impaired).

Eligibility for such accommodations is based on the principal’s professional discretion, but the principal may confer with members of the CSE or with other school personnel in making such a determination. Prior permission need not be obtained from the Department to authorize testing accommodations for general education students. However, a full written report concerning each authorization must be sent to the Office of State Assessment via fax to 518-402-5596. The report must be on school letterhead, must be signed by the principal, and must include the following information:

· the name of the student,

· the title of the test,

· a brief description of the student’s injury or disability, and

· a listing of the accommodations that were authorized by the principal.

If the student is expected to continue to need testing accommodations, the principal must immediately make the appropriate referral for the development of an IEP or 504 Plan.

Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities must be provided with the testing accommodations specified in their IEPs or 504 Plans when taking this test. It is the principal’s responsibility to ensure that this occurs and that those staff who will be providing these testing accommodations are appropriately trained. Students who have been declassified may continue to be provided testing accommodations if recommended by the local CSE at the time of declassification and in the student’s declassification IEP. Plan all necessary arrangements for implementing testing accommodations well in advance of the test dates.

The Department’s Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) provides more information on testing accommodations for students with disabilities on its
web site: http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/publications/policy/testaccess/policyguide.htm. You may contact that office via e-mail to vesidspe@mail.nysed.gov if you have questions on this topic for which you are unable to find answers on the web site.

LEP Students

Schools may provide the following testing accommodations to LEP students:

· Time Extension: LEP students may be allowed extended test time. Principals may use any reasonable extensions, such as “time and a half” (the required testing time plus one half of that amount of time), in accordance with his or her best judgment about the needs of the LEP students. Principals should consult with each student’s classroom teacher in making these determinations.

· Separate Location: Schools are encouraged to provide optimal testing environments and facilities for all students. They may administer State tests to LEP students individually or in small groups in a separate location.

· Bilingual Dictionaries and Glossaries: LEP students may use bilingual dictionaries and glossaries when taking the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test. The bilingual dictionaries and glossaries may provide only direct translations of words. Bilingual dictionaries or glossaries that provide definitions or explanations are not permitted.

· Oral Translations for Lower-Incidence Languages: Schools may provide LEP students with an oral translation of this test when there is no translated edition provided by the Department. All translations must be oral, direct translations of the English edition. Written translations are not allowed. No clarifications or explanations may be provided. Translators should receive copies of the English edition of the test one hour prior to administration. The Department’s Office of Bilingual Education and Foreign Language Studies and the Bilingual/ESL Technical Assistance Centers (BETACs) can assist schools in locating suitable translators.

· Writing Responses in the Native Language: LEP students may write their responses to the open-ended questions in their native language. Scoring the tests is the responsibility of the school. However, the Department’s Office of Bilingual Education and Foreign Language Studies and the BETACs can assist schools in locating persons who can translate the students’ responses into English to facilitate scoring of the answer papers.

Former LEP Students

Effective September 2008, schools may provide the test accommodations listed above under the heading “LEP Students” only to those former LEP students who were identified as English language proficient based on their scores on one of the two most recent administrations of the New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT), either Spring 2007 or Spring 2008. These accommodations may not be provided to former LEP students who were identified as English language proficient prior to the 2007 NYSESLAT administration.

For each LEP student or former LEP student as defined above, darken the circles indicating the testing accommodations provided on the multiple choice answer sheet under LEP Accommodations.

Security of the Test

The sealed packages of secure test booklets may not be opened until the test administration date, and then just early enough to permit the distribution of booklets prior to the scheduled starting time. All test booklets, both used and unused, all scoring keys and rating guides, and all student answer papers must be kept secure during the entire test administration period designated by the Department. The package containing the scoring materials for Booklet 1 must not be opened until after Booklet 1 has been administered. Scoring materials for Booklet 2 must be kept secure until that part of the test has been administered. Makeup testing will occur for a few days immediately following the scheduled administration dates. Although student answer papers may be scored during the makeup period, caution scorers not to discuss the test content and scoring rubrics except during scoring sessions. Once the Department-designated makeup period has ended, the test materials are no longer secure.

A new form of the test will be provided for each administration. The test booklets, scoring keys, and rating guides will be enclosed in sealed packages, which must be placed in a secure location as soon as they arrive in the school. The sealed packages must not be opened until the Booklet 1 and Booklet 2 administration dates, and then just early enough to permit the distribution of materials prior to the starting time of the test.

Appendices VI and VII of this manual contain the Examination Storage, Administration, and Scoring Certificate and the Deputy and Proctor Certificate. At the conclusion of this test, the principal must sign the Examination Storage, Administration, and Scoring Certificate and all school personnel who served as proctors must sign the Deputy and Proctor Certificate. If more than twenty staff members served as proctors, make as many additional copies of the Deputy and Proctor Certificate as are needed so that all proctors may sign this certificate. All completed certificates must be retained in school files for one year.

After the Department-designated test administration period has ended, schools may retain any unused test booklets for later use in their instructional programs. Also, teachers may keep the unused test booklets on file for use in discussions with students about their test performance. In addition, teachers and administrators are authorized to make photocopies of these materials for use within their own school buildings following the conclusion of the testing period.

This Manual for Administrators and Teachers is not secure; copies of this publication should be distributed to teachers in advance of the administration date(s) so they may familiarize themselves with the procedures for administering the test. Since this manual is not secure, schools may make photocopies of this publication if necessary.

Administration of the Test

If the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test is to provide an accurate measure of student achievement in social studies, both students and teachers must be properly prepared for its administration. This manual provides recommendations for preparing students to take the test. School personnel who administer the test must be familiar with the test materials and directions for administration provided in this manual.

Scoring the Test

It is the school’s responsibility to make the necessary arrangements for scoring the test. Nonpublic schools not working with a Regional Information Center (RIC) or large-city school district to report data to the Department must use the answer sheet provided by the Department. (See “Instructions for Nonpublic Schools” in Appendix VIII.) Public schools may also use this answer sheet, or they may use an answer sheet of their choosing, such as one developed by their large-city school district or RIC.

The answer sheets provided by the Department may be either hand scored or machine scored. The Department provides a scoring key for hand scoring the answer sheets. The answer sheets can be machine scored only on equipment that can score NCS test materials. The answer sheets contain fields for recording scores for the Part II constructed-response questions and the Part III document-based question.

Determining the Student’s Final Test Score

A chart for converting the student’s total-test raw score to a scaled score will be provided on the Department’s web site at: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa. Because the scaled scores corresponding to
raw scores in the conversion chart change from one test administration to another, it is crucial that, for each administration, teachers use only the conversion chart provided for that specific administration to
determine the student’s final score. Take extreme care in recording the student’s scores on each part of the test, adding these scores to determine the total-test raw score and using the conversion chart to obtain the correct scaled score.

Determining the Need for Academic Intervention Services

Section 100.2(ee)(2)(i) of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education requires schools to provide academic intervention services to students who score below the State-designated performance level on the State assessment in elementary-level social studies. All students who achieve a final score in performance levels 1 and 2 must receive academic intervention services. (See “Descriptions of Performance Levels” in Appendix II.) These services must commence no later than the beginning of the semester immediately following the administration of the test.

Recording Test Scores and Storing Student Answer Papers

The Department does not keep records of individual student scores on State tests. Therefore, the school must maintain complete and accurate records. The name of the test, the student’s score, and the date of administration must be entered on the student’s permanent record.

All schools must keep their students’ Booklets 1 and 2 on file in the school for at least one year. In addition, public schools must keep their students’ Part I answer sheets on file for the same period. Nonpublic schools not contracting with a RIC or large-city school district must send their students’ Part I answer sheets to the Department. These schools should make copies of their students’ Part I answer sheets before sending them to the Department in order to provide a record of the Part I answers for the school’s use and to protect the student data should a package get lost in the mail.

Reporting Test Results to the Department

Public schools and nonpublic schools that contract with RICs or large-city school districts must report data to the Department through the State’s Student Information Repository System. For more information about reporting results, school administrators should contact their local RIC or their Large City School District Scanning Center.

Nonpublic schools not contracting with a RIC or large-city school district report scores directly to the Department by sending their students’ answer sheets to the Department, along with the Classroom Roster for Nonpublic Schools in Appendix IX. (See Appendix VIII for instructions.)

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Beginning in the 2009-10 school year, all nonpublic schools planning to administer the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test are required to contract with a RIC or large-city school district to participate in the Student Information Repository System. More information is available at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/irts/nonpublic/home.shtml.

Online Submission of Teacher Evaluations of the Test to the Department

Suggestions and feedback from teachers provide an important contribution to the test development process. The Department provides an online evaluation form for State assessments where teachers
may respond to several specific questions and may make suggestions. Go to www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/exameval to complete and submit your evaluation.

Individual Student Reports

At the school's earliest opportunity after tests have been scored, schools are expected to provide results to each student’s parent/guardian.

Review of Answer Papers by Students and Parents

Students and parents/guardians of students who have taken the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test have the right to review student answer papers after the scores have been recorded. Answer papers should be reviewed in the presence of the principal, or the principal’s designee, to ensure that no changes are made on the answer papers as they are being reviewed. The principal may also use a copy of the student’s answer papers for this purpose. After review, a parent/guardian may be provided a copy of his or her child’s test and answer paper.

General Test Administration Procedures

Test Materials

The Department provides the following test materials for administration of the two required student components of the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test:

For the multiple-choice and constructed-response questions:

· Booklet 1 (contains Part I and Part II)

· separate answer sheet (hand scorable and machine scorable on NCS equipment)

· scoring key for the separate answer sheet

· Rating Guide for Booklet 1

For the document-based question (DBQ):

· Booklet 2 (contains Part III A and Part III B)

· essay answer booklet, in which students are to write their final document-based essay

· Rating Guide for Booklet 2

The school must provide students with No. 2 pencils for the Part I multiple-choice questions in
Booklet 1 and scrap paper for planning the Part III B essay in Booklet 2. Instruct students to write their names on all scrap paper. Be sure to collect all scrap paper at the conclusion of the test and keep it with the student’s test booklet.

The test is available in large-type and braille editions. Alternative language editions of the test are available in Chinese (Traditional), Haitian Creole, and Spanish. These are direct translations of the English edition. The directions to students in the alternative language editions are the same as those in the English edition. The Department does not provide separate directions for administering the alternative language editions of the test. Teachers who speak the language should be able to administer the alternative language editions by using a copy of the test in the appropriate language and the directions provided in this manual. If the test is administered by a teacher who does not speak the language, the directions in the alternative language edition should enable students to complete the test by themselves.

The separate answer sheets provided by the Department for the multiple-choice section of the test may be scored by hand or machine scored on NCS equipment. They include several grids containing spaces for recording various types of student identification information. Schools that intend to use machine scoring must develop uniform written directions about how to complete these grids and must provide them to all teachers administering the multiple-choice section of the test. Such directions should be based on careful consideration of the types of student and score information the school needs, as well as on the processing requirements of the scoring center the school is using.

Special Considerations for Assuring Optimal Student Performance

The person in charge of administering the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test should review and become familiar with the directions for administering the test. Since the purpose of the test is to obtain the most accurate estimate possible of a student’s achievement in social studies, it is essential that students be given an opportunity for fair assessment.

Students must not be given help in interpreting any test questions. They should be advised to independently answer test questions according to their best judgment. Proctors must limit any test-related assistance to students to that required in the mechanics of taking the test, such as filling out the headings on the answer sheet and the answer booklets and understanding where to record their answers.

Test Administration Time

Each of the two sessions of the test requires 90 minutes of testing time. In addition, schools should schedule approximately 15 minutes per session for teachers to give directions to the students and for students to record the student identification information on all test materials.

Teachers may allow students to take a 3-to-5-minute stretch break during each session of the test. During the break, students may be allowed to stand quietly by their desks and stretch. They may not be allowed to talk to each other. This break, if allowed, should be given to the entire group of students at the same time, approximately 45 minutes into the testing session. The break should not be given at the end of one of the parts of the test. The 3 to 5 minutes allowed for the break should not be counted as part of the total 90-minute testing period.

Schools must make arrangements to provide the testing accommodations indicated in the IEP or
504 Plan of students with disabilities. Such accommodations often include extended time.

Test Preparation and Other Guidelines

Preparation of Students for Testing

If these tests are to provide an accurate measure of each student’s achievement of the NYS Learning Standards, all students should be properly prepared for taking the test. The administration of the test should be announced to students before the date that the test is scheduled to be administered. All announcements should be made in such a way as to increase the students’ interest in the test without causing them to become overly anxious. In addition, parents should be informed of the dates of testing and the purpose of the tests. Parents should be requested to encourage students to do their best on the test and to ensure that students are well rested on the days of testing. Each student should be familiar with the general types of questions on the test and the procedures that they should follow when recording the answers to the test questions.

Preparation of the Testing Room(s)

The room(s) in which the tests are administered should be well lighted, well ventilated, and quiet. Make preparations before the testing period to keep noise and other distractions to a minimum. Place a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door to prevent interruptions. If tests are to be administered in a classroom, clear desks and shelves under the desks of all books, papers, and other materials. Completely cover or remove from the walls all maps, charts, and blank or completed graphic organizers pertinent to social studies and all board work. Make arrangements in advance to seat the students so that each student will be clearly visible to the proctor at all times and so that there will be the least possible opportunity for any communication between students. Seating of students in alternate rows is recommended.

Supervision of Students

Unauthorized Materials

Students should be under close supervision at all times during the administration of the tests. When students enter the testing room, proctors must ensure that students do not bring any unauthorized notes, printed material, scrap paper, or tools that might give them an unfair advantage on the test. Students should be informed that they may not use cell phones or other communication devices during the test. These must be turned off and put away before test booklets are handed out.

Aid to Students

No one, under any circumstances, may interpret or explain test questions to students, nor may anyone review or comment on the answer sheet of a student while the test is in progress. In response to inquiries by students concerning the meaning or interpretation of test questions, proctors should advise students to use their own best judgment. Teachers may give students assistance only in the mechanics of taking the tests such as understanding where to record their responses.

Temporary Absence from Testing Room

No student may be permitted to leave and then return to the testing room during any part of the test unless the student is accompanied by a proctor for the duration of his or her absence from the testing room.

Emergency Evacuation of a School Building

Evacuation of a school building during a test may be required because of an emergency such as a fire alarm or bomb threat. In any situation in which the safety of the students is endangered, the principal has full authority to interrupt the test immediately. If it is possible, the students should be kept under supervision during the emergency. Then, if work can be resumed, the time for the test should be extended so that the students will have the allotted time for the test. Following the test, a written report of the circumstances should be sent by mail or fax (518-474-1989) to the Office of State Assessment.

Student Cheating

Do not permit students to obtain information from or give information to other students in any way during the test. If you suspect that such an attempt has occurred, warn the students that any further attempts will result in the termination of their tests. If necessary, move the students to another location. If these steps fail to end attempts to obtain or give information, notify the principal immediately and terminate the students’ tests. At the conclusion of the test, all suspected cheating must be reported to the principal.

If, in the judgment of the principal, a student has given aid to or obtained aid from another person during the test, the principal must follow the school’s disciplinary procedure for student cheating and invalidate the student’s test.

Illness

If a student becomes ill during a part of the test, the student should be excused until he or she is well enough to continue. The principal should estimate the time that the student had remaining to complete that part of the test. When the student is well enough to complete the test (and as long as the testing or makeup period has not ended), the student may be given the remaining time for that part. When the student is taking a partially completed part of the test, the student must be closely supervised so that he or she does not go back to previously finished questions on the test.

Proctoring

Proctors must circulate periodically around the room during the administration of each session of the test to ensure that students are recording their responses to the test questions in the proper manner. While circulating around the room, proctors should point out to students if they have left one or more answers blank or darkened more than one circle for the same multiple choice question or if they do not appear to be recording their answers in the proper place (on the answer sheet for multiple-choice questions and in the test booklet for constructed response questions.) However, proctors may not comment to the student on the correctness or sufficiency of any answer.

No additional time is to be provided to students to transfer answers from test booklets to answer sheets at the end of the test and no one other than the student may transfer answers marked in his/her test booklet to the multiple-choice answer sheet. (The latter does not apply to students who have an IEP or Section 504 Plan which allows scribes to transfer answers from the test booklet to an answer sheet.)

Administering the Test

Detailed Directions for Administering Booklet 1

Make sure that sufficient quantities of all test materials are on hand. The following materials are needed:

For each student:

· Booklet 1

· answer sheet

· scrap paper

· No. 2 pencil

For the teacher:

· “Detailed Directions for Administering Booklet 1” (pages 11-13 of this manual)

· Booklet 1 (for demonstration purposes)

· answer sheet (for demonstration purposes)

· extra answer sheets, scrap paper, and No. 2 pencils

· instructions for completing the student identification grids on the separate answer sheet (These instructions will vary according to the answer sheet used by the school.)

After the desks have been cleared of books and papers and when the students are ready to begin, say:

Today you are going to take a test in social studies. I will now give each of you
a test booklet. Please leave the test booklet face up on your desk. Do not open the booklet until I tell you to do so.

Distribute one test booklet, face up, to each student. Then say:

Look at the cover of your test booklet. Be sure it says “Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test, Booklet 1,” and today’s date. If you do not have the correct booklet, please raise your hand and I will give you the correct one.

When you are sure all the students have the correct test booklet, say:

In the spaces provided, print your name and the name of the school.

I will now give out the answer sheets and scrap paper. Please do not write on the answer sheet until I tell you what to do.

After you have distributed the answer sheets, give directions for marking any machine-readable name or number grids. Make sure students write their names on all scrap paper.

Then say:

Now look at the cover of your test booklet. Read the information on the cover to yourself while I read it aloud.

The test has three parts. Parts I and II are in this test booklet; Part III is in Booklet 2.

Part I contains 35 multiple-choice questions. Record your answers to these questions on the separate answer sheet. Use only a No. 2 pencil on your answer sheet.

Part II consists of several short-answer questions. Write your answers to Part II in this test booklet.

You will have 1½ hours to answer the questions in Booklet 1.

Now, open your test booklet to page 3. Read the directions for Part I to yourself while I read them aloud.

DIRECTIONS

There are 35 questions on Part I of this test. Each question is followed by four choices, labeled A–D. Read each question carefully. Decide which choice is the correct answer. On the separate answer sheet, mark your answer in the row of circles for each question by filling in the circle that has the same letter as the answer you have chosen. Use a pencil to mark the answer sheet.

Read the sample question below.

Sample Question

Which city is the capital of New York State?

(A) Utica

(B) Albany

(D) Buffalo

The correct answer is Albany, which is next to letter B. On your answer sheet, look at the box showing the row of answer circles for the sample question. Since choice B is the correct answer for the sample question, the circle with the letter B has been filled in.

Answer all 35 questions on Part I of this test. Fill in only one circle for each question. Be sure to erase completely any answer you want to change. You may not know the answers to some of the questions, but do the best you can on each one.

When you have finished Part I, go on to Part II.

If students do not understand the sample question, the marking of the answer sheet, or the directions, explain the appropriate directions until everyone knows what to do.

After all questions have been answered, say:

When I tell you to, turn to question 1 and begin work. Answer all questions in this test booklet. When you are finished, close your test booklet and place it on top of your answer sheet.

Now, turn the page and begin work.

Record the time the test begins. If a clock is not visible to all students, post the starting time on the chalkboard or whiteboard. Tell students when there are 30 minutes remaining.

Walk around the room and make sure that all students understand the directions for Part I and are marking their answer sheets correctly. Explain the test-taking procedures again to any student who appears to be having difficulty.

When students are working on Part II, make sure they understand the directions and are writing their answers in the test booklet.

If the test is administered in a regular classroom setting, students should remain quietly at their desks when they finish their tests. You may collect the test materials either as students complete the test or when most of the students have finished. In either case, you must collect all test materials from a student before allowing that student to begin other assignments.

If the test is being administered in a large-group setting, schools may prefer to allow students to hand in their test materials as they finish and then leave the room. If so, take care that students leave the room as quietly as possible so as not to disturb the students who are still working on the test.

Detailed Directions for Administering Booklet 2

Make sure that sufficient quantities of all test materials are on hand. The following materials are needed:

For each student:

· Booklet 2 (A planning page is provided at the end of the booklet.)

· essay answer booklet

· scrap paper

· pen (Students may use pencils to write their final copy if using pens would present problems for them.)

For the teacher:

· “Detailed Directions for Administering Booklet 2” (pages 13-15 of this publication)

· Booklet 2 (for demonstration and reference purposes)

· essay answer booklet and scrap paper (for demonstration purposes)

· extra essay answer booklets, scrap paper, pens, and pencils

After the desks are cleared of books and papers, distribute the essay answer booklets and the scrap paper.

If students are allowed to use pencils for writing their final copies, modify the directions that follow accordingly. Make any necessary changes before Booklet 2 is administered.

When the students are ready to begin, say:

This is a test of your thinking and writing skills in social studies. On your desk, you should have an essay answer booklet and scrap paper. (Show) At the top of your essay answer booklet, print your name, the name of the school, and today’s date. You should use a pen to write this information.

After the students have completed the heading on the essay answer booklet, distribute one
Booklet 2, face up, to each student. Then say:

Please leave the test booklet face up on your desk. Do not open the booklet
until I tell you to do so. Look at the cover of your test booklet. Be sure it says
“Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test, Booklet 2” and today’s date. If you do not have the correct booklet, raise your hand and I will give you the correct one.

When you are sure that all students have the correct test booklet, say:

In the spaces provided on the cover of your test booklet, print your name and the name of the school. Print your name on all scrap paper.

After the students have filled in their names and the school name, say:

Read the information on the cover to yourself while I read it aloud.

The test has three parts. Today you will take Part III of the test.

Part III is based on several documents.

Part III A contains the documents. Each document is followed by one or more questions. Write your answer to each question in this test booklet in the space provided. You will use your answers to the questions to help you write the essay.

Part III B contains one essay question based on the documents. Write your answer to this question in the separate essay answer booklet, beginning on the first page of the booklet.

You will have 1½ hours to answer the questions in Booklet 2 and write your essay.

If students do not understand the directions for Booklet 2, you may explain the appropriate directions until everyone knows what to do.

After all questions concerning the directions on the cover have been answered, say:

When I tell you to, turn the page. Read to yourself the specific directions for the document-based question, the historical background, and the task and then begin work. When you are finished, close your test booklet and place it on top of your essay answer booklet.

Now, turn the page and begin work.

Record the time the test begins. If a clock is not visible to all students, post the starting time on the board. Tell students when there are 30 minutes remaining in the test.

Walk around the room and make sure that all students understand the directions about answering the questions and are beginning the test correctly. Explain the test-taking procedures to any student who appears to be having difficulty.

If the test is administered in a regular classroom setting, students should remain quietly at their desks when they have finished the test. You may collect the test materials either as students complete the test or when most of the students have finished. In either case, you must collect all test materials from a student before allowing that student to begin other assignments.

If the test is administered in a large-group setting, schools may prefer to allow students to hand in their test materials as they finish and then leave the room. If so, take care that students leave the room as quietly as possible so as not to disturb the students who are still working on the test.

In either situation, collect all test materials (test booklet, essay answer booklet, and scrap paper) from each student before allowing the student to leave the room.

Scoring the Test

Scoring Booklet 1 Answers

The rating materials for Booklet 1 include:

· scoring key for the multiple-choice questions (Part I)

· specific scoring rubrics and guidelines for the constructed-response questions (Part II)

Scoring Part I (Multiple-Choice Questions)

The student’s score on Part I is the total number of questions that the student answers correctly. A list of correct answers is printed on the scoring key.

The separate answer sheets provided by the Department for Part I may be either machine scored or hand scored.

a. Machine Scoring: The separate answer sheets provided by the Department can be processed only on NCS scoring equipment. If the school is making arrangements with a scoring center for machine-scoring services, be sure that the scoring center is able to score the type of answer sheets submitted by your school.

b. Hand Scoring: The separate answer sheets provided by the Department can be hand scored using the scoring key printed on translucent paper that is provided with the test. Boxes printed on the key show the correct answers. When the key is aligned properly with the answer sheet, each correct answer will be visible in a box. To hand score the answer sheets, use the following procedures:

1. Look at each answer sheet to make certain that the student has marked only one answer for each question. If two or more answers have been marked, draw a horizontal line with colored pencil (do not use pen) through all of the answer circles, so that no credit will be allowed for that question in scoring.

2. Place the scoring key on the answer sheet so that the box indicating the correct answer for each question corresponds to the row of answer circles for that question.

3. To obtain the total raw score, count the number of correct answers. Record the student’s raw score (total number correct) on the line for Part I in the box provided on the answer sheet.
(A box for recording scores also appears at the end of Part I in the student’s test booklet and on the back cover of Booklet 2.)

Rating Part II (Constructed-Response Questions)

The rating guide contains specific rubrics and guidelines for the Part II constructed-response questions. Follow your school’s procedures for training raters. This process should include:

Introduction to the Constructed-Response Questions

The trainer may begin the introduction to the constructed-response questions once administration of the test has begun. However, you may not remove the actual Booklet 1 Rating Guide from the package of scoring materials for use by raters until your school has finished administering Booklet 1.

· Raters read the questions.

· Raters identify the answers to the questions.

· Raters discuss possible answers and summarize expectations for student responses.

Introduction to the Specific Rubric

The trainer may begin the introduction to the specific constructed-response rubric and scoring guidelines once the school has finished administering Booklet 1.

· Trainer leads review of the specific rubric for each constructed-response question.

Rating the Constructed-Response Questions

· Each student’s answer to each of the constructed-response questions is scored by one rater.

· The rater records the score for each constructed-response question in the student’s test booklet.

The scoring coordinator is responsible for organizing the movement of papers, calculating a Part II score for each student, and recording that score on the line for Part II in the box provided on the Part I answer sheet. (A box for recording scores for Part II also appears at the end of Part II in the student’s test booklet and on the back cover of Booklet 2.)

Rating Booklet 2 Answers

The Booklet 2 Rating Guide contains:

· a specific scoring rubric for the document-based question (DBQ) including scaffold (open-ended) questions (Part III A) and the DBQ essay (Part III B);

· prescored anchor papers at each essay score level, with commentary explaining why a particular student paper was awarded that specific score;

· prescored practice papers with scoring commentaries.

The reliability of the scores is a fundamental concern in the measurement of a student’s achievement. Therefore, at least two qualified teachers must score each student’s essay. Only one qualified teacher
need score the short-answer, document-based scaffold questions. Qualified raters include teachers of Grades 3, 4, and 5 social studies and special education teachers who are knowledgeable about the elementary-level social studies curriculum.

Though school administrators make the final decision as to who can score the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test after review of the teacher’s past and present teaching assignment(s), criteria to consider when choosing raters include the following:

· Elementary-level social studies expertise,

· Experience with scoring constructed-response questions, DBQ, scaffolding questions, and/or DBQ essays using content specific rubrics,

· One or more years of teaching Grades 3, 4, or 5.

It is recommended that schools with a small number of qualified raters form a consortium of teachers to score as a group the answer papers from several schools.

To ensure reliable scoring, the principal of each school administering the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test must appoint a scoring coordinator who will:

· manage the training and logistics of the scoring process,

· provide task-specific training, including review of the rating guide just prior to scoring, and

· assign two teachers to rate each essay response independently, with a third teacher available to resolve discrepant scores. (A discrepant score is one that varies by more than one maximum score credit on a 4‑credit rubric.) Only one rater is needed for the scaffold questions. If staffing is sufficient, separate teams of teachers should rate the Part III A scaffold questions and the
Part III B essay.

Every effort should be made to avoid having a teacher rate his or her own students’ responses. When this is not possible, a teacher should score no more than one part of his or her students’ papers (i.e., the constructed-response questions, the scaffold questions, or the DBQ essay).

Organizing the Rating and Recording Process

Before a school reads and rates its students’ responses, it must set up a procedure for collecting, arranging, and processing the answer papers and for maintaining records of the test results. The school should design a procedure that will produce a reliable score for each student and will facilitate maintenance of the school’s records of each student’s score. (See “Rating Procedure” below.)

Detailed Directions for Training Raters

In training raters to score student answers for Part III of the test, follow the procedures outlined below:

a. Introduction to the Scaffold Questions and the Essay Task

The trainer may begin the introduction to the scaffold questions and the essay task once administration of the test has begun. However, you may not remove the actual Booklet 2 Rating Guide from the package of scoring materials for use by raters until after your school has finished administering Booklet 2.

1. Raters read each scaffold question and/or the essay task. Note that for Part III A of the test, the maximum score values for individual scaffold questions are .5, 1, and 1.5.

2. Raters identify answers to each scaffold question and/or the essay task.

3. Raters discuss possible answers and summarize expectations for student responses.

b. Introduction to the Specific Rubric and Anchor Papers for Part III B

The trainer may begin the introduction to the specific rubric and anchor papers once your school has finished administering Booklet 2.

1. Trainer leads review of the specific rubric with reference to the essay task.

2. Trainer leads discussion of procedures for assigning holistic scores (i.e., by matching evidence from the response to the specific rubric).

3. Trainer leads review of each anchor paper and commentary.

c. Practice Scoring Individually

1. Raters score the practice papers independently without looking at the scores and commentaries provided after the papers.

2. Trainer records scores and leads discussion of scoring criteria until raters feel confident enough to move on to actual scoring.

3. If additional practice is required to reach scoring consensus, the trainer may use a sample of student answer papers from the current administration of the test.

Rating Procedure

The following procedure is recommended for managing the mechanics of the rating process.
Appendix III contains a copy of the Essay Rating Sheet and Appendix IV contains a copy of the Part III B Record Sheet. You may reproduce as many copies of these sheets as you need, or you may create your own forms.

1. The person assigned as the coordinator of the rating process, or other designated representative(s), will be responsible for coordinating the movement of papers; calculating a final score for each student’s essay; recording that information on the student’s Part I answer sheet, in the student’s test booklet at the end of Part III B, or on the last page of Booklet 2; and determining the student’s final score and performance level for the test.

2. Set aside one room as a central location for collecting, sorting, circulating, and storing answer sheets and essay booklets and for preparing and maintaining records for these tests.

3. Provide a suitable location for the rating of essays.

4. Allow time to provide training for scoring the specific task for all raters immediately before the rating of the students’ responses (about 2 hours for the essay and about 20-30 minutes per document). It is strongly recommended that raters be trained on one document and score those responses, then be trained and score the next document’s response(s), etc.

5. Provide adequate time for rating (3-5 minutes per response for each essay, 1 minute per response for each scaffold question scored 0-1, and ½ minute per response for each scaffold question
scored 0-.5).

For Part III A:

1. Follow a similar procedure for processing the papers.

2. The short-answer (open-ended) questions need be scored by only one qualified teacher.

3. The scores for each scaffold question may be recorded in the student’s test booklet.

Note that the maximum score value a student can earn on individual scaffold questions is .5, 1, or 1.5. Credit is given in increments of .5, e.g., 0, .5, 1, or 1.5.

4. If the total score value of Part III A ends in .5 (e.g., 2.5, 4.5, 5.5, etc.), round up to the nearest whole number before recording the total Part III A score. Do not round up after each individual question.

5. Record the total Part III A score on the line for Part III A in the box provided on the student’s
Part I answer sheet. (A box for recording scores also appears at the end of Part III A in the student’s test booklet and on the back cover of Booklet 2.)

For Part III B, continue with these procedures:

1. Provide at least two qualified teachers to score each essay question. Divide the raters into
two-person teams. Designate one team member as Rater 1 and the other as Rater 2. After the test has been administered, keep the essay booklets together and shift them between raters.

2. Arrange the essay answers according to a sequence, using whatever order is most convenient for your school, e.g., class period, alphabetical, or local identification number. Beginning with the first paper in the sequence, enter each student’s name on a copy of the Part III B Record Sheet. (See Appendix IV of this manual.)

3. Divide each group of essays into bundles of 25 papers.

4. Prepare an Essay Rating Sheet for each bundle. (See Appendix III of this manual.) After recording the students’ names on the rating sheet, photocopy the rating sheet. Each rater will need a separate rating sheet for each bundle of essay papers he or she rates. The second rater must not be aware of the score assigned by the first rater.

5. Distribute the bundles of essay papers to the rating teams, making sure that each rating team receives two rating sheets for each bundle of papers. Each rater on a team should rate one of the
bundles and record his or her ratings on one of the rating sheets. The two raters should then exchange bundles. The second rater should record only his or her scores on the second rating sheet. No scores or corrections should be indicated on the essay papers.

6. After each team has completed rating a bundle, the team should return those answer papers to the designated central location. Remove the rating sheets completed by each rater from the bundles and enter the scores on the Part III B Record Sheet. Make sure there are two independent ratings for each essay response.

7. Review the two scores for each student to determine whether or not the student’s scores for the essay are discrepant, i.e., have a difference of more than one maximum score credit between the two scores. If the two scores are not discrepant, enter the resolved score in the appropriate column on the Part III B Record Sheet.

8. Separate the students’ responses with discrepant scores and make another bundle. Prepare a separate rating sheet for those discrepant papers. List the names of the students whose papers need a third rating on a new rating sheet and attach the sheet to the corresponding bundle of student responses. Assign each of these bundles to a rater to obtain a third independent rating of the students’ responses. Make sure that the third rater is not one of the original two raters of that task and that the third rater has undergone the training for scoring that task.

9. After the necessary third ratings have been obtained, remove the rating sheets from the bundles
of student responses and determine the resolved scores by using the method for resolving discrepant scores described on the next page. Enter the resolved scores in the appropriate column on the Part III B Record Sheet.

10. Transfer the resolved scores to the space provided on the students’ Part I answer sheets. (A box for recording scores also appears on the back cover of Booklet 2.)

Method for Determining the Score for the Part III B Essay

Two Ratings:

1. Compare the two ratings.

2. If the two ratings agree, the student receives that score.

3. If the two ratings are contiguous, the student receives the average of the two scores. Do not round this score up to a whole number.

4. If the two ratings are not contiguous, obtain a third rating.

Three Ratings:

1. Compare the three ratings.

2. If two of the three ratings agree, the student receives that score.

3. If the three ratings are different, the student receives the middle score.

Examples:

Student’s Name	Rater 1	Rater 2	Rater 3	Resolved Score*	Reason
Student A	3	3	—	3.0	Two ratings agree. Use that score.
Student B	2	3	—	2.5	Two ratings are contiguous. Use the average of the two scores.
Student C	4	2	4	4.0	Two ratings are more than one credit apart. A third rating is done. Two of the three ratings agree. Use that score.
Student D	2	4	1	2.0	Two ratings are more than one credit apart. A third rating is done. The three ratings differ. Use the middle score.
Student E	1	0	—	0.5	Two ratings are contiguous. Use the average of the two scores.

Entering Scores on the Part III B Record Sheet

The examples below show how students’ scores should be recorded on the Part III B Record Sheet. (See Appendix IV of this manual.)

Student’s Name		Rater 1	Rater 2	Rater 3	Resolved Score*
1.	Student A	3	3	—	3.0
2.	Student B	2	3	—	2.5
3.	Student C	4	2	4	4.0
4.	Student D	2	4	1	2.0
5.	Student E	1	0	—	0.5

*Individual raters may not assign scores ending in .5 to an essay. Such scores are obtained only when two contiguous scores are averaged. Resolved scores must not be rounded up to the next whole number.

Determining the Student’s Final Test Score

On the student’s Part I answer sheet, record in the appropriate spaces the number of correct answers for the multiple-choice questions (Part I), the total credits awarded for the constructed-response questions (Part II), and the total credits awarded for the scaffold (open-ended) questions (Part III A). (A box for recording student scores like the one shown on the next page also appears on the back cover of Booklet 2.) Add these three numbers together and write that score in the box labeled “Total Part I, II, and III A Score.”

Record the Part III B essay score in the appropriate space.

To determine the student’s final test score, use the conversion chart for the current administration of the test. This conversion chart will be posted on the Department’s web site at: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa. It is crucial that you use only the conversion chart provided for the specific administration of the test to determine the student’s final test score.

Locate the student’s total Part I, II, and III A score on the left side of the conversion chart and the student’s Part III B essay score across the top of the chart. The point where those two scores intersect is the student’s final test score. The conversion chart provided for the test will include final test scores ranging from 0 to 100.

Part I Score
(Maximum Score of 35)

Part II Score

Part III A Score

Total Part I, II, and III A Score

Part III B Essay Score
(Maximum Score of 4)

Final Score

(obtained from the conversion chart)
Scaled 0–100

When the teacher scoring committee completes the scoring process, test scores must be considered final and must be entered onto students’ permanent records.

Principals and other staff in a school or district do not have the authority to set aside the scores arrived at by the teacher scoring committee and rescore student examination papers or to change any scores assigned through the procedures described in this manual and in the scoring materials provided by the Department. Any principal or staff found to have done so, except in the circumstances described below, will be in violation of Department policy regarding the scoring of this test. Teachers and administrators who violate Department policy with respect to scoring State examinations may be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with Sections 3020 and 3020-a of Education Law or to action against their certification pursuant to Part 83 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education.

On rare occasions, an administrator may learn that an isolated error had occurred in arriving at a final examination score for a student or in recording the student’s score in the permanent records. For example, the final examination score may have been based on an incorrect summing of the student’s raw scores for parts of the test or from a misreading of the conversion chart. When such errors involve no more than five students’ final examination scores, and when such errors are detected within four months of the test date, the principal may arrange for the corrected score to be recorded in the student’s permanent record. However, in all such occurrences, the principal must advise the Office of State Assessment in writing that the student’s score has been corrected. The written notification to the Department must be signed by the principal or superintendent and must include the names of the students whose scores have been corrected, the name of the examination, the students’ original and corrected scores, and a brief explanation of the nature of the scoring error that was corrected.

If an administrator has substantial reason to believe that the teacher scoring committee has failed to accurately score more than five student answer papers, the administrator must first obtain permission in writing from the Office of State Assessment before arranging for or permitting a rescoring of student papers. The written request to the Office of State Assessment must come from the superintendent of a public school district or the chief administrative officer of a nonpublic or charter school and must include the examination title, date of administration, and number of students whose papers would be subject to such rescoring. This request must also include a statement explaining why the administrator believes that the teacher scoring committee failed to score appropriately and, thus, why he or she believes rescoring the examination papers is necessary. As part of this submission, the school administrator must make clear his or her understanding that such extraordinary re-rating may be carried out only by a full committee of teachers constituted in accordance with the scoring guidelines presented above and fully utilizing the scoring materials for this test provided by the Department.

The Department sometimes finds it necessary to notify schools of a revision to the scoring key and rating guide for an examination. Should this occur after the scoring committee has completed its work, the principal is authorized to have appropriate members of the scoring committee review students’ responses only to the specific question(s) referenced in the notification and to adjust students’ final examination scores when appropriate. Only in such circumstances, the school is not required to notify or obtain approval from the Department to correct students’ final examination scores.

Appendix I

Revised Generic Scoring Rubric for the Grade 5 Social Studies Document-Based Question

Score of 4

The response:

Thoroughly develops all aspects of the task
Consistently includes accurate information from at least xxx documents; may include portions of the documents that support specific points made in the essay
Provides supporting evidence, using many relevant examples, reasons, and details; may include relevant outside information
Demonstrates a logical and clear plan of organization, including a beginning (introduction), middle (body), and ending (conclusion)

Score of 3

The response:

Develops most aspects of the task
Includes accurate information from some of the documents; may include portions of the documents that support specific points made in the essay
Provides supporting evidence, using some relevant examples, reasons, and details; may include some minor inaccuracies
Demonstrates a general plan of organization; may lack an introduction or a conclusion

Score of 2

The response:

Develops some aspects of the task
Includes limited information from the documents or consists primarily of relevant information copied from the documents
Provides little supporting evidence, using few relevant examples, reasons, and details; may include some inaccuracies
Demonstrates a weakness in organization (may go off the topic; may list information without tying it together; may lack an introduction and/or a conclusion; may lack focus)

Score of 1

The response:

Minimally develops some aspects of the task or shows a limited understanding of the task
Lacks information from the documents or makes vague or unclear references to the documents or consists of relevant and irrelevant information copied from the documents
Provides little or no supporting evidence; may include inaccuracies
Lacks a plan of organization

Score of 0

The response:

Fails to develop the task; OR is totally unrelated to the topic; OR provides no accurate information; OR includes only the historical background and/or task as copied from the test booklet; OR includes only entire documents copied from the test booklet; OR is illegible; OR is a blank paper

Appendix II

Descriptions of Performance Levels

Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test

Performance Level

Range of Final Scores

Descriptions

Meeting the
Standards with
Distinction

85–100

Shows evidence of superior understanding of the content, the concepts, and the skills required for elementary-level achievement in each of the learning standards and key ideas assessed in social studies.

Shows evidence of superior ability to apply the social studies content, concepts, and skills required for entering intermediate-level academic environments.

Meeting the
Standards

65–84

Shows knowledge and understanding of the content, the concepts, and the skills required for elementary-level achievement of the five learning standards that are assessed in social studies.

Shows the ability to apply the social studies content, concepts, and skills required for entering intermediate-level academic environments.

Not Fully Meeting
the Standards

58–64

Shows only minimal knowledge and understanding of the content, the concepts, and the skills required for elementary-level achievement of the five learning standards that are assessed in social studies.

Shows only minimal knowledge of the social studies content, concepts, and skills required for entering intermediate-level academic environments.

Not Meeting the Standards

0–57

Is unable to show proficiency in understanding the content, the concepts, and the skills required for elementary-level achievement in any or most of the learning standards and key ideas assessed in social studies.

Is unable to show evidence of an ability to apply the social studies content, concepts, and skills required for entering intermediate-level academic environments.

Appendix III

Essay Rating Sheet
Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test

Test Date		Rater’s Name
Rater Number 1 2 3 (circle one)		School
		Date

Student’s Name		Essay Score
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.

Appendix IV

Part III B Record Sheet
Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test

Test Date	School	District

Student’s Name	Rater 1	Rater 2	Rater 3	Resolved Score*
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.

*Individual raters may not assign scores ending in .5 to an essay. Such scores can only be obtained when two contiguous scores are averaged. Resolved scores must not be rounded up to the next whole number.

Appendix V

Class Record Sheet
Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test

For Use By Public Schools Only, Nonpublic Schools Must Use Appendix IX

Test Date	School					District

Student’s Name		Part I Score	Part II Score	Part III A Score	Total Part I, II, and III A Score		Part III B Essay Score	Final Test Score
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.

· “Detailed Directions for Administering Booklet 1” (pages 11-13 of this manual)

Sample Question

Resolved Score*

Reason

Student’s Name

Final Score

Score of 4

Score of 3

Score of 2

Score of 1

The response:

Score of 0

Student’s Name

Essay Score

Student’s Name

Resolved
Score*