03/25/14 End of Course Exam Guide 1 Page

End of Course Exam

Guide

For

Spring 2014

03/25/14 End of Course Exam Guide 1 | Page

End Of Course Exam Guide

Introduction

End of Course exams are developed by the Public Education Department. These exams measure student competency in several areas from grades 4-12. Some exams are required for graduation, others are used for teacher effectiveness ratings and some may be used as an alternative demonstration of competencies.

List of End of Course Exams

There is a list of all of the exams available from the Public Education Department in Appendix A. Make sure that when you review this list, the current school year is in the footer. This will make sure that you have the most recent list.

This Guide

This guide will provide information on which exams are administered, how they are administered and scores, and which students are to participate in these exams.

Accommodations for individual students with disabilities, English language learners, and students with 504 are described in this guide.

To make this a more useful guide, information is broken into school levels: elementary, middle and high school. Within each level is a list of the available EoCs for that level, information on student participation, administration and scoring, and accommodations.

For the high school portion of this guide, information is also provided about how each EoC may be used as an Alternative Demonstration of Competencies (ADC).

Elementary End of Course Exams

Courses and Content

For the 2013-14 school year, PED has produced only three exams: Art, Music, and Physical Education (PE). These exams are written for students in grades 4 and 5 only.

In APS, we have determined that the following courses are the only ones in which an EOC will be offered this year:

5th grade course in art,
5thgrade course in music,
4th grade course in PE.

Students in these courses may participate in the EOCs; if an EOC is offered in another grade we will not administer that EOC this year.

The standards covered in the EoCs are identified in the Blueprints. The Blueprints are available on AIMS, at on the PED website. The standards on each of the three EOCs are listed in this guide.

Blueprints for each test can be found on AIMS on the Teacher Landing Page. (Use your APS email log-on and password for access) under resources and are available at

Blueprints can also be found on the PED website at

Who participates

Any student enrolled in any of these three courses is eligible to participate.

Students with Disabilities

Students with significant cognitive or other disabilities who participate in these courses with major modifications are not expected to participate in the EoCs for elementary level courses.

The PED has not provided a specified alternate assessment. At this time, it is assumed that the NMAPA serves as the alternate for these state developed EoCs.

Students with disabilities who participate in the state achievement assessment with accommodations may also participate in EoCs with those same accommodations as their disabilities allow.

ELL Students

ELL students who participate in state achievement assessments with accommodations or in the Spanish version of the state achievement test may participate in EoCs as their proficiency allows.

Students with 504 Accommodations

Students with 504 Accommodations for testing may participate in EoCs with those outlined accommodations.

Opting Out

Parents may elect to have their students opt out of the EoCs in any or all of these courses.

To do this, parents must submit an opt-out form found on the APS website ( at the APS Service Center, or by obtaining a form from the school. Parents must identify which EOCs students are not taking by marking those on the reverse side of the form.

The completed and signed form should be submitted to the APS Service Center or emailed to .

Students who opt out of the EoCs are to be provided meaningful educational activities as replacement for the time they ordinarily would have been in the EoC. This work is not evaluated for a grade but feedback may be given to the student.

Administration of Elementary PE End of Course Exam 4th Grade

Content and Course

The assessment consists of traditional paper-based and performance-based components. This is a summative assessment covering a wide range of content, skills, and applications. The standards are listed below:

The physically literate individual:

demonstrates competency in a variety of motor skill and movement patterns.(Standard 1f)
applies knowledge of concepts, principles, strategies and tactics related to movement and performance. (Standard 2)
demonstrates the knowledge and skills to achieve and maintain a health enhancing level of physical activity and fitness. (Standard 3)
exhibits responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others.(Standard 4)
recognizes the value of physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression and/or social interaction.(Standard 5)

Administration and Schedules

Only students in the grade 4 who are participating in PE will participate in the PE EoC.

In addition to answering traditional multiple choice items, students will also be actively engaged in 3 performances to demonstrate their mastery.

Teachers must mark or score each student on the basis of the rubric provided by the PED for each performance item on the assessment. This is done on the same answer sheet the student used for the multiple choice items.

Individual student answer documentsare created using Data Director and contain the student’s name, ID number, course number and teacher identification.

Each teacher may print answer documents for their classes; unless otherwise notified Assessment will print the answer documents.

Directions for logging into Data Director and producing PE EoC answer documents are found on

Administration may occur over multiple days during the regularly scheduled classes.

Scoring

After each student has completed their student performance assessment in PE, the teacher or other staff designated by the principal will scan these documents. See the webinar on scanning at

PED expects that on the first day of performances 25 students will be double scored and 10 students each of the following days thereafter. PE teachers should ask another teacher at their school to provide the second scoring on the three tasks. The most likely teacher to support this double scoring is the classroom teacher for each group of students.

This is the most difficult part of the EoC; we ask for as much flexibility as possible around scoring.

Passing Scores

If the PED has provided districts with passing scores for the PE exam, then Data Director will scan, score and record the students’ answers and the performance ratings based on the marking submitted by the teacher.

If PED has not provided passing scores for the PE exam, the Data Director will scan and record each student answer and each performance descriptor submitted by the teacher.

If the PED has provided a standard for each item, Data Director will provide a report by standard. To learn how to access these reports see details in webinars on the assessment website.

Using the EoC as a Grade

At this point (Spring 2014), APS leadership has determined it is premature to use these PED EoCs as a final exam for any course offered in APS. Teachers may consider using a grade forparticipating in the EoC and counting it only as an extra credit grade.

Students who have opted out of the EoC must have the opportunity to earn the same credit for extra credit as students who participate in the EoC. That grade is based on the student’s participation in the alternative assignment, not a grade on that assignment.

Administration of the Elementary Art EoC – 5th Grade

Content and Course

The 5th grade Art assessment has two components, a multiple choice component and a performance-based assessment, which measure student proficiency in the elements of art and principles of design, the selection and use of art materials, appropriate sketching, knowledge of art types, and historical themes.

Apply the elements of art in an assigned visual arts problem(Standard 1, Benchmark 1A, 4–5 Performance)
Select a variety of materials, tools, and techniques for producing desired artistic results(Standard 1, Benchmark 1B)
Solve artistic challenges using preliminary sketches, divergent production, and/or various sources of inspiration.(Standard 4, Benchmark 4A)
Make interpretations of art that reflect cultural and/or historical influences. (Standard 6,, Benchmark 6A)

Administration and Schedules

Only students in the grade 5 who are participating in Fine Arts will participate in the Art EoC.

In addition to answering traditional multiple choice items, students will also be actively engaged in performances to demonstrate their mastery.

Individual student answer documentsare created using Data Director and contain the student’s name, ID number, course number and teacher identification.

Each teacher may print answer documents for their classes.

Directions for logging into Data Director and producing Art EoC answer documents are found on

Administration may occur over multiple days during the regularly scheduled art classes.

Scoring

After each student has completed the multiple choice items and their student performance assessment in Art, the teacher or other staff designated by the principal will scan these documents. See the webinar on scanning at

PED expects that 25 students will be double scored and 10 students each of the following days thereafter. The director of Fine Arts is working with art teachers to determine the best strategy for this double scoring.

Passing Scores

If the PED has provided districts with passing scores for the Art exam, then Data Director will scan, score and record the students’ answers and each performance descriptor submitted by the teacher.

If PED has not provided passing scores for the Art exam, the Data Director will scan and record each performance descriptor for each task as submitted by the teacher.

If the PED has provided a standard for each item, Data Director will provide a report by standard. To learn how to access these reports see details in the webinars on the assessment website.

Using the EoC as a Grade

At this point (Spring 2014), APS leadership has determined it is premature to use these PED EoCs as a final exam for any course offered in APS.

Teachers may consider using a grade forparticipating in the EoC and counting it only as an extra credit grade.

Students who have opted out of the EoC must have the opportunity to earn the same extra credit grade as students who participate in the EoC. That grade is based on the student’s participation in the alternative assignment, not a grade on that assignment.

Administration of the Elementary Music EoC – 5th Grade

The 4th – 5th grade music assessment is a performance based assessment. Teachers have the option of creating a performance that is observed and scored by themselves and one other person or the option of participating in an adjudicated festival or event specifically for elementary aged students in music.

The blueprint for the assessment is available on AIMS under resources and on . The blueprint is available on the PED website at

The standards measured on the assessment are listed below:

Sing in various size groups with accurate pitch (Standard 1A-A)
Identify rhythm patterns aurally (Standard 1C-2; 11D-1)
Identify melodic direction aurally (Standard 1A-4)
Identify and categorize instruments into four main instrument families (Standard 1B-1; 5B-1, 2)
Write 4 beat rhythm pattern (Standard 1C-2; 1D-1, 12)

Administration and Schedules

Only students in the grade 5 who are participating in Music will participate in the Music EoC.

Teachers must mark or score each student on the basis of the rubric provided by the PED for each performance or item on the assessment. This is done on an individual answer sheet for each student.

Individual student answer documentsare created using Data Director and contain the student’s name, ID number, course number and teacher identification.

Unless otherwise notified, Assessment will print answer documents however, each teacher may print answer documents for their classes.

Directions for logging into Data Director and producing Art EoC answer documents are found on

Administration may occur over multiple days during the regularly scheduled Music classes.

Scoring

Once all students are scored, the music teacher or other staff designated by the principal will scan these documents. See the webinar on scanning at

PED expects that on the first day of performances 25 students will be double scored and 10 students each of the following days thereafter. The director of Fine Arts is working with music teachers to determine the best strategy for this double scoring.

Passing Scores

If the PED has provided districts with passing scores for the Music exam, then Data Director will scan, score and record the students’ answers and each performance descriptor submitted by the teacher.

If PED has not provided passing scores for the Music exam, the Data Director will scan and record each performance descriptor for each task as submitted by the teacher.

If the PED has provided a standard for each item, Data Director will provide a report by standard. To learn how to access these reports see details in the webinars on the assessment website.

Using the EoC as a Grade

At this point (Spring 2014), APS leadership has determined it is premature to use these PED EoCs as a final exam for any course offered in APS.

Teachers may consider using a grade forparticipating in the EoC and counting it only as an extra credit grade.

Students who have opted out of the EoC must have the opportunity to earn the same extra credit as students who participate in the EoC. That grade is based on the student’s participation in the alternative assignment, not a grade on that assignment.

03/25/14 End of Course Exam Guide 1 | Page