Assessment Guide. Grade 4. Assessment Guide. Georgia Department of Education November 2014 All rights reserved.

Transcription

1 ssessment Guide Grade 4 ssessment Guide November 2014

2 SIENE escription of Test Format and Organization The Georgia Milestones EOG assessment is primarily a criterion-referenced test, designed to provide information about how well a student has mastered the grade-level state-adopted content standards in Science. Each student will receive one of four proficiency levels, depending on how well the student has mastered the content standards. In addition to criterion-referenced information, the Georgia Milestones measures will also include a limited sample of nationally norm-referenced items to provide a signal of how Georgia students are achieving relative to their peers nationally. The norm-referenced information provided is supplementary to the criterion-referenced proficiency designation and will not be utilized in any manner other than to serve as a barometer of national comparison. Only the criterion-referenced scores and proficiency designations will be utilized in the accountability metrics associated with the assessment program (such as student growth measures, educator effectiveness measures, or the RPI). The Grade 4 Science EOG assessment consists of a total of 75 selected-response items, 65 of which are operational items (and contribute to a student s criterion-referenced and/or norm-referenced score) and 10 of which are field test items (newly written items that are being tried out and do not contribute to the student s score). The criterion-referenced score, and proficiency designation, is comprised of 55 items, for a total of 55 points. Of the 65 operational items, 20 will be norm-referenced and will provide a national comparison in the form of a national percentile rank. Ten of the items have been verified as aligned to the course content standards by Georgia educators and will therefore contribute to the criterion-referenced proficiency designation. The other 10 items will contribute only to the national percentile rank and be provided as supplemental information. Only items that are aligned to the stateadopted content standards will be utilized to inform the criterion-referenced score. With the inclusion of the norm-referenced items, students may encounter items for which they have not received direct instruction. These items will not contribute to the student s criterion-referenced proficiency designation; only items that align to the course content standards will contribute to the criterion-referenced score. Students should be instructed to try their best should they ask about an item that is not aligned to the content they have learned as part of the course. November 2014 Page 65 of 96

3 escription Grade 4 Science EOG ssessment esign Number of Items Points for R 1 Score Points for NRT 2 Feedback R Selected-Response Items NRT Selected-Response Items R Field Test Items Total Items/Points R riterion-referenced: items aligned to state-adopted content standards 2 NRT Norm-Referenced Test: items that will yield a national comparison; may or may not be aligned to state-adopted content standards 3 Of these items, 10 will contribute to both the R scores and NRT feedback. The other 10 of these items will contribute to NRT feedback only and will not impact the student s proficiency designation, scale score, or grade conversion. 4 lignment of national NRT items to course content standards was verified by a committee of Georgia educators. Only approved, aligned NRT items will contribute to a student s R proficiency designation, scale score, and grade conversion score. 5 Total number of items contributing to R score: 55; total points: 55; total number of items contributing to NRT feedback: 20; total points: 20 The test will be given in two sections. Students may have up to 70 minutes per section to complete Sections 1 and 2. The total estimated testing time for the Grade 4 Science EOG assessment ranges from approximately 100 to 140 minutes. Total testing time describes the amount of time students have to complete the assessment. It does not take into account the time required for the test examiner to complete pre-administration and post-administration activities (such as reading the standardized directions to students). Sections 1 and 2 must be scheduled to be administered on the same day in one test session following the district s testing protocols for the EOG measures (in keeping with state guidance). ontent Measured The Grade 4 Science assessment will measure the standards that are enumerated for Grade 4 as described on The content of the assessment is organized into three groupings, or domains, of standards for the purposes of providing feedback on student performance. content domain is a reporting category that broadly describes and defines the content of the course, as measured by the EOG assessment. The standards for Grade 4 Science are grouped into three domains: Earth Science, Physical Science, and Life Science. Each domain was created by organizing standards that share similar content characteristics. The content standards describe the level of expertise that Grade 4 Science educators should strive to develop in their students. Educators should refer to the content standards for a full understanding of the knowledge, concepts, and skills subject to be assessed on the EOG assessment. The approximate proportional number of points associated with each domain is shown in the following table. range of cognitive levels will be represented on the Grade 4 Science EOG assessment. Educators should always use the content standards when planning instruction. November 2014 Page 66 of 96

4 Grade 4 Science: omain Structures and ontent Weights omain Earth Science Physical Science Life Science S4E1 (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) S4E2 (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d) Standard S4P1 (1a, 1b, 1c) S4P2 (2a, 2b) S4P3 (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d) S4L1 (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d) S4L2 (2a, 2b) S4E3 (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e) S4E4 (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) pproximate Weight 40% 30% 30% November 2014 Page 67 of 96

5 Item Types The Science portion of the Grade 4 EOG assessment consists of selected-response items only. selected-response item, sometimes called a multiple-choice item, is defined as a question, problem, or statement that appears on a test followed by several answer choices, sometimes called options or response choices. The incorrect choices, called distractors, usually reflect common errors. The student s task is to choose, from the alternatives provided, the best answer to the question posed in the stem (the question). The Science selected-response items will have four answer choices. Science Example Items Example items, which are representative of three OK levels across various Grade 4 Science content domains, are provided on the following pages. ll example and sample items contained in this guide are the property of the. November 2014 Page 68 of 96

6 Example Item 1 OK Level: 1 Science Grade 4 ontent omain: Earth Science Standard: S4E1. Students will compare and contrast the physical attributes of stars, star patterns, and planets. a. Recognize the physical attributes of stars in the night sky such as number, size, color, and patterns. How is the temperature of a star determined? by its color by its mass by its volume by its distance orrect nswer: Explanation of orrect nswer: The correct answer is choice () by its color. ooler stars appear red and orange. Hotter stars appear blue and white. hoices (), (), and () are incorrect because stars may be hot or cool regardless of their mass, volume, or distance from Earth. Example Item 2 OK Level: 2 Science Grade 4 ontent omain: Earth Science Standard: S4E3. Students will differentiate between the states of water and how they relate to the water cycle and weather. a. emonstrate how water changes states from solid (ice) to liquid (water) to gas (water vapor/steam) and changes from gas to liquid to solid. student places a large chunk of ice in a pan and heats it on a stove. Which of these shows the correct order of changes that take place when ice is heated? solid to gas to liquid because heat is added solid to liquid to gas because heat is added liquid to solid to gas because heat is removed gas to liquid to solid because heat is removed orrect nswer: Explanation of orrect nswer: The correct answer is choice () solid to liquid to gas because heat is added. dding heat causes solid ice to melt into liquid water; adding further heat causes liquid water to November 2014 Page 69 of 96

7 evaporate into water vapor, a gas. hoice () is incorrect because solid ice becomes liquid water before it becomes gaseous water vapor. hoices () and () are incorrect because heat is added to ice, not removed from it. Example Item 3 OK Level: 2 Science Grade 4 ontent omain: Earth Science Standard: S4E2. Students will model the position and motion of the earth in the solar system and will explain the role of relative position and motion in determining sequence of the phases of the moon. c. emonstrate the revolution of the earth around the sun and the earth s tilt to explain the seasonal changes. The Northern Hemisphere experiences winter in January. Which season is the Southern Hemisphere experiencing in January? fall spring summer winter orrect nswer: Explanation of orrect nswer: The correct answer is choice () summer. When the Northern Hemisphere experiences winter, it is facing away from the Sun. t that time, the Southern Hemisphere is facing toward the Sun, so it experiences summer. hoices (), (), and () are incorrect because the Northern and Southern Hemispheres experience opposite seasons, and summer not fall, spring, or winter is the opposite of winter. November 2014 Page 70 of 96

8 Example Item 4 OK Level: 3 Science Grade 4 ontent omain: Earth Science Standard: S4E3. Students will differentiate between the states of water and how they relate to the water cycle and weather. b. Identify the temperatures at which water becomes a solid and at which water becomes a gas. The table shows the changes in the state of water. ay hange of State 1 Liquid to solid 2 Gas to liquid Which of these correctly describes the change in the temperature of the water on one of the days? from 0 to 50 on ay 1 from 50 to 0 on ay 1 from 30 to 50 on ay 2 from 90 to 0 on ay 2 orrect nswer: Explanation of orrect nswer: The correct answer is choice () from 50 to 0 on ay 1. t 50, water is liquid; at 0, water freezes into solid ice. ccording to the table, on ay 1 the liquid water becomes solid. hoice () is incorrect because it describes the opposite process: solid ice melting into liquid water. hoice () is incorrect because water is liquid at both 30 and 50 ; it does not become gas until it begins to boil at 100. hoice () is incorrect because it describes liquid water freezing into solid ice; according to the table, however, on ay 2 gaseous water vapor condenses into liquid water. November 2014 Page 71 of 96

9 Example Item 5 OK Level: 3 Science Grade 4 ontent omain: Physical Science Standard: S4P2. Students will demonstrate how sound is produced by vibrating objects and how sound can be varied by changing the rate of vibration. b. Recognize the conditions that cause pitch to vary. Which length of string would produce the sound with the highest pitch? a string that is ¼ meter long a string that is ½ meter long a string that is ¾ meter long a string that is 1 meter long orrect nswer: Explanation of orrect nswer: The correct answer is choice () a string that is ¼ meter long. Of the four options, this is the shortest string, and shorter strings produce sounds with higher pitches. hoices (), (), and () are incorrect because these strings are longer than ¼ meter, and longer strings produce sounds with lower pitches. November 2014 Page 72 of 96

10 Science dditional Sample Items This section has two parts. The first part is a set of 10 sample items for the Science portion of the EOG assessment. The second part contains a table that shows for each item the standard assessed, the OK level, the correct answer (key), and a rationale/explanation about the key and distractors. The sample items can be utilized as a mini-test to familiarize students with the item formats found on the assessment. ll example and sample items contained in this guide are the property of the Georgia epartment of Education. November 2014 Page 73 of 96

11 Item 1 stick insect looks just like a twig. How does this help the stick insect to survive? It helps the insect find food. It helps the insect reproduce. It helps the insect avoid being seen by predators. It helps the insect dig into its home inside the tree trunk. Item 2 student labeled each of the items shown as transparent, translucent, or opaque. One of the items is incorrectly labeled. Which of the items is incorrectly labeled, and what is its correct label? Water opaque Limestone transparent ook translucent utter opaque Item 3 student states that the moon is always visible to Earth. Which of these explains why the student is incorrect? The Moon is usually invisible to Earth during its full moon phase. The Moon is usually invisible to Earth during its new moon phase. The Moon is usually invisible to Earth during its first quarter phase. The Moon is usually invisible to Earth during its third quarter phase. November 2014 Page 74 of 96

12 Item 4 Stan left a container of warm water on the table. The container held exactly 160 milliliters of water. The next day, he noticed that the container held 150 milliliters. What is the EST explanation for what happened? Some of the liquid water turned into gas. decrease in temperature caused the volume to change. Some of the water formed condensation on the sides of the container. n ice cube was added to the container increasing the amount of water. Item 5 student holds a soft drink bottle that is half-full of water. She blows across the top of the bottle, producing a sound. If the student wants to produce a sound with a higher pitch, what can she do? blow softer blow longer add water to the bottle use a bottle with a longer opening Item 6 student is charting the position of a constellation and the planet Venus for a month. Each week Venus moves its location, but the stars in the constellation stay the same. Why does Venus move differently? Earth orbits Venus. Venus orbits the Sun. Earth orbits the constellation. Venus orbits the constellation. November 2014 Page 75 of 96

13 Item 7 scientist studies tiny organisms in a lake to find out if the habitat is healthy. These tiny organisms, called plankton and algae, are eaten by small fish in the lake, and the small fish are eaten by big fish. Which of these would MOST LIKELY happen in the lake if a rainstorm washes pollution into the water? The number of plankton and algae would increase, and the number of fish would also increase. The number of plankton and algae would stay the same, and the number of fish would decrease. The number of plankton and algae would decrease, and the number of fish would also decrease. The number of plankton and algae would stay the same, and the number of fish would stay the same. Item 8 In an investigation for his science class, Sam used a drinking cup to collect precipitation. He attached a ruler to the cup. Which weather instrument has Sam made? wind vane rain gauge barometer thermometer Item 9 Four students looked at this list of organisms. Each student plans to draw a food chain that includes the Sun. water insect algae fish shark In which order should the students draw the organisms to show the correct flow of energy through the food chain? shark water insect fish Sun algae algae Sun fish water insect shark shark fish water insect algae Sun Sun algae water insect fish shark November 2014 Page 76 of 96

14 Item 10 Maria needs to move a large, heavy box from the ground to her tree house. She will use a simple machine that was invented long ago to help her move the box. Which simple machine would be the MOST helpful to move the box? lever pulley screw wedge November 2014 Page 77 of 96

15 Science dditional Sample Item Keys Item Standard/ Element haracteristics of Science OK Level orrect nswer 1 S4L2a S4S4a 2 2 S4P1a S4S8b 3 3 S4E2b S4S1c 2 Explanation The correct answer is choice () It helps the insect avoid being seen by predators. The stick insect can camouflage itself by remaining still in its forest habitat; predators looking for food are likely to mistake the insect for a twig. hoice () is incorrect because the stick insect's appearance may hide it from prey that wanders nearby, but its appearance doesn't directly help the insect to find prey. hoices () and () are incorrect because the stick insect's appearance is unrelated to its ability to reproduce or to access its home. The correct answer is choice () utter opaque. n object is translucent if some light can pass through it. However, butter blocks light; therefore, it is opaque. hoice () is incorrect because water is transparent; light completely passes through it. hoices () and () are incorrect because limestone and books block light; therefore, they are opaque. The correct answer is choice () The Moon is invisible to Earth during its new moon phase. uring its new moon phase, the Moon is not visible from Earth. The sunlit part of the Moon is facing away from Earth leaving the unlit portion that cannot be seen facing Earth. hoices (), (), and () all describe phases of the Moon where the Moon is visible from Earth. uring the full moon, the sunlit part of the Moon is facing Earth. uring the first and third quarter, we see half of the Moon illuminated and the other half in shadow. November 2014 Page 78 of 96

16 Item Standard/ Element haracteristics of Science OK Level orrect nswer 4 S4E3a S4S1c 2 5 S4P2b S4S8a 3 6 S4E1c S4S1c 2 Explanation The correct answer is choice () Some of the liquid water turned into gas. Over time, liquid water evaporates, or changes into water vapor, a gas. When this happens, the vapor molecules escape into the atmosphere, leaving behind less liquid water in the container. hoice () is incorrect because the warm water would cool to room temperature. decrease in temperature would not cause the water to boil (which would be required to decrease the volume in this way). hoice () is incorrect because condensation forms when water vapor in the air changes to liquid water on the outside of a container; it does not affect the volume of water inside the container. hoice () is incorrect because the water's volume decreased, not increased. The correct answer is choice () add water to the bottle. dding water decreases the distance that the air travels inside the bottle. This produces sound waves with shorter wavelengths, and shorter wavelengths produce sounds with higher pitches. hoices () and () are incorrect because a sound's pitch is related to the wavelength of the wave that produces the sound; blowing more softly or for a longer period of time does not affect wavelength. hoice () is incorrect because a larger opening creates more space for the sound waves to move through. This produces sound waves with longer wavelengths, which produce sounds with lower pitches. The correct answer is choice () Venus orbits the Sun. Venus is a planet, which is much closer to Earth than the stars in the constellation. So the movement of Venus in the night sky is more visible than the movement of the stars in the constellation. hoice () is incorrect because Earth and Venus are planets. Planets orbit stars not each other. hoice () and () would indicate that the constellation is at the center of the Solar System, rather than the Sun. November 2014 Page 79 of 96

17 Item Standard/ Element haracteristics of Science OK Level orrect nswer 7 S4L1c S4S8a 3 8 S4E4a S4S3a 2 9 S4L1b S4S5b 2 Explanation The correct answer is choice () The number of plankton and algae would decrease, and the number of fish would also decrease. The pollution would likely harm the plankton and algae. s these tiny organisms die, the small fish that eat plankton and algae would die, followed by the big fish that eat the small fish. hoice () is incorrect because pollution would more likely harm than benefit the organisms in the lake. hoice () is incorrect because pollution would probably not harm only the fish. hoice () is incorrect because pollution would more likely have a negative effect than no effect on the organisms in the lake. The correct answer is choice () a rain gauge. Rain is a type of precipitation. rain gauge is an instrument for measuring the amount of rainfall. hoice () is incorrect because wind is not a type of precipitation. hoice () is incorrect because a barometer is an instrument for measuring air pressure, not rainfall. hoice () is incorrect because a thermometer is an instrument for measuring temperature, not rainfall. The correct answer is choice () Sun algae water insect fish shark. Sunlight carries energy to Earth. lgae are producers that use the sun's energy to make food. The algae are then eaten by primary consumers such as water insects, which are eaten by secondary consumers such as fish, which are eaten by tertiary consumers such as sharks. hoices () and () are incorrect because the shark belongs at the end of the food chain, not the beginning. hoice () is incorrect because the Sun, not the algae, belongs at the beginning of the food chain. November 2014 Page 80 of 96

18 Item Standard/ Element haracteristics of Science OK Level orrect nswer 10 S4P3a S4S7b 2 Explanation The correct answer is choice () pulley. pulley is a simple machine for lifting an object high above the ground. hoice () is incorrect because a lever is a simple machine that can lift an object, but probably not high enough to reach a tree house. hoice () is incorrect because a screw is a simple machine for fastening objects together. hoice () is incorrect because a wedge is a simple machine for redirecting a downward force into two sideways forces. November 2014 Page 81 of 96