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January 2004 Grade 8 English Language Arts (ELA) Test

The Grade 8 ELA test was designed to measure student progress in English language arts as defined by the New York State Learning Standards. The chart above shows three types of information that can be derived from the test: raw scores, scale scores, and performance levels.

Raw Score

Raw scores are a numerical representation of the number or degree of correct responses.

The raw score is derived by using all multiple-choice and open-ended items on the Grade 8 ELA Test. Each multiple-choice item is worth 1 point. The value of each open-ended item depends on the number of points in the rubric used to score the item. For instance, if a 4-point rubric were used, the item would be worth 4 points. For the Grade 8 ELA Test, the maximum total raw score is 43 points. Raw scores cannot be compared from year to year.

Scale Score

The scale score shows the level of proficiency a student has in English Language Arts (i.e., listening, reading, and writing combined). Scale scores were arrived at through a standard setting study conducted with an expert panel of New York State teachers. The Grade 8 ELA scale scores use a numerical scale that runs continuously from beginning skills (scale score range of 527-657) to advanced skills (scale score range of 737-830). The scale scores enable comparisons from year to year because the same scale score represents the same level of achievement for the New York State Standards, even if slight changes in the test from year to year cause slight changes in the raw scores*.

Performance Level

Students are classified into one of the four levels of performance based on their overall performance on the test as determined by their ELA scale scores. A student's performance level provides information on a student's abilities in relation to the New York State ELA Learning Standards. New York State teachers established descriptions of the skills and knowledge required in each performance level. These descriptions are part of the individual student score report that is sent to schools by CTB/McGraw-Hill. 

* Comparisons of scale scores from year to year should be considered in relation to when the test was administered. Since the month of administration changed over the course of the program (June 1999, May 2000 and 2001, March 2002, January 2003 and 2004) different amounts of growth are being evaluated. The percentages of students in each performance level are comparable across all years from 1999 through the present because the cut points were adjusted to reflect changes in test administration dates.

More information on scoring can be found in the two-part electronic publication, "Determining the Scoring for the Grade 4 and the Grade 8 English Language Arts and Mathematics Examinations":

Part 1 -- Test Structure, History, Types of Scores, Performance Indices

http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/assesspubs/pubsarch/detgr4&8scorelamat.pdf

Part 2 -- Frequently Asked Questions

http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/assesspubs/pubsarch/02dscorfaq.pdf