Online Assessment in Arizona

Roberta Alley

Deputy Associate Superintendent

Why is Arizona looking at online?

Quicker return of results Uniform assistive technology provided to

students Student engagement Moving into the 21st Century Governor, Superintendent of Public Instruction,

Legislators, and the State Board want an online assessment

Online Assessments

AIMS A (Alternate Assessment for 1%)

Formative Assessment

Field testing of Grade 8 Science

Technology in our Schools Capacity issues Instructional use VARIES widely Benchmark Assessments using an online model

are being used in some districts at some grade levels

14 Virtual Schools 7 District Programs and 7 Charter Schools Instructional models vary from distant learning to

computer labs State assessment is paper and pencil at a location

determined by school

Alternate Assessment (AIMS A)

For several years data from teacher rater tools have been submitted online.

The data was collected over several months and was an evaluation of a students performance on given task(s) using a rating scale.

AIMS A

This year the assessment tool has changed.

Students take a multiple choice component online.

Teachers continue to collect performance data overtime on specific task(s).

What Worked and What Didn’t

Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities were successful using the online assessments.

Results were collected quickly.

Assistive technology was available to all students.

Boardmaker is the graphic software used for AIMS A.

Central server problems School computer

readiness Bandwidth during busy

times of the day Some students struggle

with sizing of graphics and the way some of the text appeared.

Formative Assessment

The online item bank contains over 5000 items that align with Standard.

Teacher can develop online formative assessments.

Located on a secure teacher site (IDEAL)

Online Professional Development on Formative Assessment

What Worked and What Didn’t

Educators like the items that are linked to the standard.

They love our “Stop Gap” mini quizzes so and it is hard to discontinue them.

Site opened prior to the site being “teacher friendly”

Continues changes to the tool (for improvement) frustrates teachers

Online Field Testing of Grade 8 Science Spring of 2007 Pearson conducted the

online testing. CTB/McGraw-Hill

provided the paper/pencil assessment.

Comparability study was completed by Pearson.

First operational science assessment (Spring 2008) is paper/pencil assessment.

Online model will be consider an for the operational assessments in Grade 4, 8, and HS with new contract.

What Worked and What Didn’t

Students liked the experience.

Student performance on the field tested items on both forms were very similar.

Technology issues will and did occur.

Schools didn’t like the disruption of instruction.

Some schools did not have a computer lab.

Test Window must be expanded for online.

What’s Next?

Expansion of Online Formative Assessment Tool

Survey of schools capacity Cost estimates for technology in schools Cost of moving assessment to online

ADP Algebra II Exam Grade 9 NRT Science in Grades 4, 8, and High School 2% modified assessments AIMS High School AIMS 3-8

Everyone loves the concept of online testing.

The reality of online testing is not always loved.