YORK STATE

GRADE 5

ELEMENTARY-LEVEL

SOCIAL STUDIES TEST

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Manual for
Administrators and Teachers

November 2004 Edition

 

     Booklet 1 (Objective and Constructed-Response Questions)

     Booklet 2 (Document-Based Question)

 

 

 

 

 

 

The University of the State of New York

THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

Albany, New York 12234 • www.nysed.gov

 

 

 

 

The UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

 

Regents of The University

 

Robert M. Bennett, Chancellor, B.A., M.S. ....................................................    Tonawanda

Adelaide L. Sanford, Vice Chancellor, B.A., M.A., P.D. ............................    Hollis

Diane O’Neill McGivern, B.S.N., M.A., Ph.D. ...........................................    Staten Island

Saul B. Cohen, B.A., M.A., Ph.D. .......................................................................    New Rochelle

James C. Dawson, A.A., B.A., M.S., Ph.D. .......................................................    Peru

Anthony S. Bottar, B.A., J.D. ..........................................................................    North Syracuse

Merryl H. Tisch, B.A., M.A.  ..............................................................................    New York

Geraldine D. Chapey, B.A., M.A., Ed.D. ......................................................    Belle Harbor

Arnold B. Gardner, B.A., LL.B. .....................................................................    Buffalo

Harry Phillips, 3rd, B.A., M.S.F.S. ...................................................................    Hartsdale

Joseph E. Bowman, Jr., B.A., M.L.S., M.A., M.Ed., Ed.D.  ..........................    Albany

Lorraine A. CortÉs-VÁzquez, B.A., M.P.A.  ............................................    Bronx

James R. Tallon, jr., B.A., M.A.  .......................................................................    Binghamton

Milton L. Cofield, B.S., M.B.A., Ph.D. ............................................................    Rochester

John Brademas, B.A., Ph.D. ..............................................................................    New York

 

President of The University and Commissioner of Education

Richard P. Mills

 

Chief Operating Officer

Theresa E. Savo

 

Deputy Commissioner for Elementary, Middle, Secondary and Continuing Education

James A. Kadamus

 

Assistant Commissioner for Standards, Assessment and Reporting

David Abrams

 

 

 

 

 

The State Education Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, religion, creed, disability, marital status, veteran status, national origin, race, gender, genetic predisposition or carrier status, or sexual orientation in its educational programs, services and activities. Portions of this publication can be made available in a variety of formats, including braille, large print or audio tape, upon request. Inquiries concerning this policy of nondiscrimination should be directed to the Department’s Office for Diversity, Ethics, and Access, Room 530, Education Building, Albany, NY 12234.

 

 

Contents

 

General Features of the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test......................................... 1

 

Information for School Administrators................................................................................................ 2

General Information................................................................................................................................ 2

Administration Schedule......................................................................................................................... 2

Students To Be Tested........................................................................................................................... 2

Testing Accommodations........................................................................................................................ 3

Security of the Test................................................................................................................................. 4

Administration of the Test....................................................................................................................... 4

Scoring the Test..................................................................................................................................... 5

Determining the Student’s Final Test Score............................................................................................. 5

Determining the Need for Academic Intervention Services....................................................................... 5

Recording Test Scores and Storing Student Answer Sheets..................................................................... 5

Reporting Test Results to the Department ............................................................................................... 5

Review of Answer Sheets by Students and Parents................................................................................. 5

 

General Test Administration Procedures............................................................................................ 6

Test Materials........................................................................................................................................ 6

Special Considerations for Assuring Optimal Student Performance.......................................................... 6

Test Administration Time........................................................................................................................ 7

Preparations for Testing.......................................................................................................................... 7

 

Administering the Test......................................................................................................................... 8

Detailed Directions for Administering Booklet 1...................................................................................... 8

Detailed Directions for Administering Booklet 2.................................................................................... 10

 

 Scoring the Test................................................................................................................................. 13

Scoring Booklet 1 Answers.................................................................................................................. 13

Scoring Booklet 2 Answers.................................................................................................................. 14

Organizing the Rating and Recording Process........................................................................................ 15

Detailed Directions for Training Raters.................................................................................................. 15

Suggested Rating Procedure................................................................................................................. 15

Method for Determining the Score for the Part III B Essay.................................................................... 17

Entering Scores on the Part III B Record Sheet..................................................................................... 18

Determining the Student’s Final Test Score........................................................................................... 18

 

Appendix I: Generic Scoring Rubric—Grade 5 Social Studies Document-Based Question.......... 19

Appendix II: Essay Rating Sheet...................................................................................................... 20

Appendix III: Part III B Record Sheet.............................................................................................. 21

Appendix IV: Class Record Sheet..................................................................................................... 22

Appendix V: Examination Storage Certificate.................................................................................. 23

Appendix VI: Deputy and Proctor Certificate................................................................................... 25

Appendix VII: Instructions for Nonpublic Schools .......................................................................... 26

Appendix VIII: Classroom Roster .................................................................................................... 28

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 5^th grade to serve as an early indicator of whether students are meeting the five 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. (See “Determining the Need for Academic Intervention Services,” pg. 5.)

       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 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. The descriptions of performance levels and the specific test scores that correspond to the four levels are provided 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 begin no later than the beginning of the semester immediately following the administration of the test.

 

 

 

Information for School Administrators

 

General Information

       For information about general administration procedures for this test, contact the Office of State Assessment at 518-474-5099. For information about the scoring of the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test, contact JoAnn Larson in the Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and Instructional Technology at 518-474-5922 or Gary Warren in the Office of State Assessment at 518-474-3860.

       All school personnel who will be administering and scoring this test must have a copy of this manual. You may reproduce as many copies of it as you need.

 

Administration Schedule

       You 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

Except as noted below, all public school students in 5^th grade and all ungraded students who are age equivalent to students in 5^th grade 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 these tests to their students in accordance with these same provisions.

 

Students with Disabilities

      For each student, the Committee on Special Education (CSE) must decide on a case-by-case
basis and document on the student’s Individualized Education Program whether the student
will participate in the general State assessment, in a locally selected assessment, or in the New
York State Alternate Assessment for Students with Severe Disabilities (NYSAA). The criteria that
the CSE must use to determine eligibility for a locally selected assessment is available
on the Department’s website: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/deputy/Documents/disabilitiesassess.htm. The criteria to determine eligibility for the NYSAA is also available on the Department’s website: http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/alterassessment/alterassess.htm.

      Students eligible for the NYSAA will participate in the Alternate Assessment during the school years in which they reach the appropriate ages. These students should be coded as eligible for
the Alternate Assessment on the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test answer sheet. See http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/alterassessment/agecriteria.htm.

 

Limited-English-Proficient (LEP) Students

      All LEP students are required to participate in the Grade 5 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, 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.

Testing Accommodations

 

Students Who Incur Disabilities Shortly Before Test Administration

      Principals may modify testing procedures for general education students who incur an injury (e.g., a broken arm) or experience the onset of a short- or long-term disability (e.g., epilepsy) sustained or diagnosed within 30 days prior to the administration of State assessments. In such cases, when sufficient time is not available for the development of an Individualized Education Program (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 Committee for Special Education (CSE) or with other school personnel in making such a determination. Pursuant to Section 100.3 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, building principals are responsible for administering State assessments and for maintaining the integrity of test content and programs in accordance with directions and procedures established by the Commissioner of Education.

      Prior permission need not be obtained from the Department to authorize testing accommodations for general education students. However, a full report concerning each authorization must be sent to the Office of State Assessment. Further, 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

       All students with disabilities must be provided full access to State assessments to the extent that such testing is consistent with their individual needs. Students identified by the CSE of the district as having a disability should be allowed to use the testing accommodations specified in their IEP. 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.

      All necessary arrangements for implementing testing accommodations should be planned well in advance of the test date. The principal is responsible for insuring that students are provided with the testing accommodations specified in their IEP or 504 Plan.

       The Office for Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) provides more information on testing accommodations for students with disabilities on its web site: ftp://unix2.nysed.gov/pub/education.dept.pubs/vesid/oses/test.access.mod/testacce.txt.

 

Limited-English-Proficient (LEP) Students

Schools may provide the following testing accommodations to LEP students:

·        Time Extension: LEP students may be allowed extended test time. The principal 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. The principal should consult with each student’s classroom teacher in making these determinations.

·        Separate Location: Schools are encouraged to provide the optimum testing environment and facilities for LEP students. Schools 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 must not provide definitions or other explanations, only direct translations. LEP students may use both an English and an alternative language edition of the test simultaneously.

·        Oral Translations for Low-Incidence Languages: Schools may provide LEP students with an oral translation of the test when the Department does not provide a written translated edition of the test in the student's language. Schools should provide translators with the English edition of the test one hour before it is administered to enable them to become familiar with its content. The Department's Office of Bilingual Education and the Bilingual Education Technical Assistance Centers (BETACs) can assist schools in locating suitable translators.

·        Writing Responses in Native Language: LEP students making use of alternative language editions or of oral translations of this test 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 the BETACs can assist schools in locating persons who can translate the students’ responses into English to facilitate scoring of the answer papers.

 

Security of the Test

       All test booklets, both used and unused, all scoring keys and rating guides, and all student answer sheets must be kept secure during the entire test administration period designated by the Department. The package containing the scoring materials must not be opened until after the administration of Booklet 1 of the test. 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 use each fall. The test booklets, scoring keys, and rating guides will be enclosed in sealed packages, which must be placed in a safe or vault 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 Certificate and the Deputy and Proctor Certificate. At the conclusion of this test, the principal must sign the Examination Storage 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 in order 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 wish to retain any unused test booklets for later use in their instructional programs. Also, teachers may wish to keep the unused test booklets on file for use in discussions with students about their test performance. New York State teachers and administrators are authorized to make photocopies of these materials for use within their own school building following the conclusion of the testing period. These materials may not be converted to electronic files or shared via e-mail or the Internet.

 

Administration of the Test

       If the test results are to provide an accurate measure of student achievement in social studies, both students and teachers must be properly prepared for the administration. This booklet provides suggestions for preparing students to take the test. School personnel who administer the test must be familiar with the test materials and administration directions provided in this booklet.

Scoring the Test

       It is the school’s responsibility to make the necessary arrangements for scoring all test materials. The answer sheets provided by the Department for Part I 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. Public schools may use their own machine-scannable answer sheets for Part I of the test. All answer sheets must provide four choices labeled A, B, C, and D, not 1, 2, 3, and 4.

 

Determining the Student’s Final Test Score

       A chart for converting the student’s total-test raw score to a scaled score will, on the date of the Booklet 2 administration, be posted on the Department’s website: www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa. Because the scaled scores corresponding to raw scores in the conversion chart may 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)(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 some form of academic intervention services. These services must commence at the start of the next semester immediately following the administration of the test.

 

Recording Test Scores and Storing Student Answer Sheets

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

All schools must keep their students’ Booklet 1’s and Booklet 2’s 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 must send their students’ Part I answer sheets to the Department. (See Appendix VII, pg. 26.) Nonpublic schools are advised to make copies of their Part I answer sheets before sending them to the Department. This provides a record of the Part I answers for the school’s use and protects the student data should a package get lost in the mail.

Reporting Test Results to the Department

Public schools are required to submit the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test data through the Local Education Agency Program (LEAP) reporting system. The Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test data will be transmitted with the results of the Grade 4 and Grade 8 State assessments administered during the current school year. Contact the Office of Information and Reporting Services at 518-474-7965 for further information.

Review of Answer Sheets 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 sheets after the scores have been recorded. Answer sheets should be reviewed in the presence of the principal, or the principal’s designee, to ensure that no changes are made on the answer sheets as they are being reviewed.

 

General Test Administration Procedures

 

 

Test Materials

       The Department provides the following test materials for administration of the two required 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 scannable 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)

·      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.

The test is available in large-type and Braille as well as in the following alternative language translations: Chinese, Haitian Creole, and Spanish. The alternative language editions 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. 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 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

       If the test results are to provide an accurate and fair measure of student achievement in social studies, teachers must carefully follow the directions for administering the test. They should review the directions beforehand and become thoroughly familiar with them.

       Do not give students any help in interpreting the test questions. Advise them to answer the questions according to their best judgment. However, give students all the assistance they require in the mechanics of taking the test, such as filling out the heading of the answer sheet and the answer booklets and recording 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 three to five 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.

 

Preparations for Testing

       Arrangements for administering the test should interfere as little as possible with the normal school routine. The test may be administered in the students’ regular classroom, or classes may be merged into larger groups, at the convenience of the school.

       Pay special attention to the following points when making arrangements for the testing sessions:

·        The Testing Room. Make sure that the testing room is adequately lighted and ventilated and free from noise and other distractions. It should have a chalkboard or a whiteboard. Maps, charts, and blank or completed graphic organizers on the walls and all board work related to social studies should be removed or covered prior to the administration of the test.

·        Orientation of Students. Inform students about the test a few days before the test administration. Emphasize that no special study is necessary. Make the announcements in such a way as to increase the students’ interest in the test and at the same time not cause them to become overly anxious and tense. Notify parents/guardians of the dates of testing.

·        Orientation of Teachers. Make sure each teacher who will be administering the test is familiar with the detailed directions for administering the test (pages 8-12 of this manual) prior to the testing date.

·        The Test Materials. Assemble all test materials, except for the test booklets, scoring keys, and rating guides, at least one day before the test administration.

Do not open the sealed packages of secure test materials until the test administration date, and then just early enough to permit the distribution of materials prior to the scheduled starting time.

 

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

·      No. 2 pencil

 

For the teacher:

·        detailed directions for administering Booklet 1 (pages 8-10 of this manual)

·        Booklet 1 (for demonstration purposes)

·        answer sheet (for demonstration purposes)

·        extra answer sheets and 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:

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

After you have distributed the answer sheets, give directions for marking any machine-readable name or number grids.

 

Then say:

 

 

 

       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 student questions have been answered, say:

 

 

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 again the test-taking procedures to any student who appears to be having difficulty.

As students begin 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 situation, students should remain quietly at their desks and be allowed to work on other assignments 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 you are administering the test in a large-group situation, your school 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 (Document-Based Question)

       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

·        pen (Pencils may also be used for writing the final copy if using pens would present a prob­lem for the student.)

       For the teacher:

·      detailed directions for administering Booklet 2 (pages 10-12 of this publication)

·      Booklet 2 (for demonstration and reference purposes)

·      essay answer booklet (for demonstration purposes)

·      extra essay answer booklets, pens, and pencils

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

       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:

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

       Record the time the test begins. If a clock is not visible to all students, post the starting time on the chalkboard. Tell students when there are 30 minutes remaining. 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 to students in their regular classroom, they should remain quietly at their desks and be allowed to work on other assignments once they have finished the test and handed in all of their test materials. 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 and essay answer booklet) from each student before allowing the student to leave the room.

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Note: No one, under any circumstances, including the student, may alter the student's responses on the test once the student has handed in his or her test materials. Teachers and administrators who engage in inappropriate conduct with respect to administering and scoring State examinations may be subject to disciplinary actions in accordance with Sections 3018 and 3020 of Education Law.

 

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. There is no penalty for wrong answers. 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 answer sheets provided by the Department can be processed only on NCS scoring equipment. If you are 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 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.    Scan 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 Test 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 the 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 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 also appears at the end of Part II in the student's test booklet and on the back cover of Test Booklet 2.)

 

Scoring Booklet 2 Answers

       The Booklet 2 rating guide contains:

·        specific scoring rubric for the document-based question (DBQ) 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,

·        five prescored practice papers with scoring commentaries,

·        a chart for converting the student’s multiple-choice (Part I), constructed-response (Part II), and DBQ scaffold question (Part III A) score and total essay (Part III B) score to a final test score, and

·        a chart indicating the score ranges for each of four student performance levels and the definitions of those performance levels.

       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. Raters should have previously received some school-level, district-level, or regional training on scoring social studies essays or scaffold (open-ended) questions as part of the turnkey training process.

       It is recommended that schools with a small number of qualified social studies raters form a consortium of teachers to score as a group the answer sheets 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 point on a 4‑point 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 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 sheets 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 “Suggested Rating Procedure,” pgs. 15-17.)

 

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 the 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 point values for individual scaffold questions are .5 and 1.

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 actual student answer papers from the current administration of the test.

 

Suggested Rating Procedure

       The following procedure is recommended for managing the mechanics of the rating process. Appendix II contains a copy of the Essay Rating Sheet and Appendix III 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), is 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 allowed to score those responses, then be trained on the next document and allowed to score those responses.

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

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

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

3.      If the total point value of Part III A ends in . 5 (e.g., 2.5, 4.5, 7.5, etc.), round up to the nearest whole number before recording the total Part III A score. Do not round up after each individual question.

4.      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.)

Note that the maximum point value for this part of the test is 6 points.

 

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 III 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 II 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 point 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 rater training for that question.

9.      After the necessary third ratings are recorded, remove the rating sheets from the bundles of student responses and determine the resolved scores by using the method for resolving discrepant scores described below. 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 student’s Part I answer sheet. (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:

 

 

 

*Individual scorers 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.

 

 

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 III of this manual.)

 

Determining the Student’s Final Test Score

       Record the number of correct answers for the multiple-choice questions (Part I), the total points awarded for the constructed-response questions (Part II), and the total points awarded for the scaffold (open-ended) questions (Part III A) in the appropriate spaces on the student’s Part I answer sheet. (A box for recording student scores also appears on the back cover of Booklet 2.) Add these three scores and record that total in the box labeled “Total Parts 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 website: 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 of 35 Points)   Part II Score (Maximum of 14 Points)   Part III A Score (Maximum of 6 Points)   Total Part I, II, and III A Score   Part III B Essay Score (Maximum of 4 Points)   Final Score (obtained from the  conversion chart)       Scaled 0–100

 

 

 

 

      

      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      

 

      

 

 

*Individual scorers 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.

 

 

Appendix I

 

Generic Scoring Rubric

Grade 5 Social Studies Document-Based Question

 

 

Score of 4:

·        Answers all aspects of the task by using the documents and may bring in relevant outside infor­ma­tion related to the documents

·        Consistently uses accurate data

·        Develops ideas fully, using such supporting evidence as examples, reasons, details, explanations, and generalizations that are relevant and appropriate

·        Demonstrates a logical plan of organization and coherence in the development of ideas

·        Consistently expresses ideas clearly

 

Score of 3:

·        Answers most aspects of the task by using the documents

·        Generally uses accurate data

·        Develops ideas satisfactorily with adequate supporting evidence

·        Develops an answer, using a general plan of organization

·        Generally expresses ideas clearly

 

Score of 2:

·        Answers some aspects of the tasks by using some of the documents

·        Uses some accurate data

·        Demonstrates weakness in development of ideas with little supporting evidence

·        Attempts to organize an answer but is weak and goes off the topic

·        Attempts to express ideas clearly

 

Score of 1:

·        Shows limited understanding of the task

·        Does not use information to support ideas or uses information that is not relevant

·        Fails to use documents or only vaguely refers to the documents

·        Lacks a plan of organization

·        Does not express ideas clearly

 

Score of 0:

·        Fails to answer question or response is totally unrelated to topic

·        Uses no accurate data

·        Is illegible or so many words cannot be read that no sense can be made of the response

·        Is a blank paper

·        Is incoherent; i.e., words are legible but syntax is so garbled that no sense can be made of the response

 

Appendix II

 

Essay Rating Sheet

Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test

 

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

 

Appendix III

 

Part III B Record Sheet

Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test

 

Test Date		School			District
	(Month/Year)

 

 

 

*Individual scorers 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 IV

Class Record Sheet

Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test

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

 

Test Date		School			District
	(Month/Year)