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 of Staff

Counsel and Deputy Commissioner for Legal Affairs

Kathy A. Ahearn

Chief Operating Officer
Deputy Commissioner for the Office of Management Services
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. Requests for additional copies of this publication may be made by contacting the Publications Sales Desk, Room 309, Education Building, Albany, NY 12234.

Contents

General Features of the Grade 8 Intermediate-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....................................................................................................................... 5

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

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

Determining the Need for Academic Intervention Services....................................................................... 6

Recording Test Scores and Storing Student Answer Papers.................................................................... 6

Reporting Test Results to the Department ............................................................................................... 6

Review of Answer Papers by Students and Parents................................................................................. 6

General Test Administration Procedures............................................................................................ 7

Test Materials........................................................................................................................................ 7

Special Considerations for Assuring Optimal Student Performance.......................................................... 7

Test Administration Time........................................................................................................................ 8

Preparations for Testing.......................................................................................................................... 8

Emergency Evacuation of a School Building............................................................................................ 8

Student Cheating.................................................................................................................................... 9

Administering the Test....................................................................................................................... 10

Detailed Directions for Administering Booklet 1.................................................................................... 10

Detailed Directions for Administering Booklet 2.................................................................................... 12

Scoring the Test.................................................................................................................................. 15

Scoring Booklet 1 Answers.................................................................................................................. 15

Rating Booklet 2 Answers.................................................................................................................... 16

Organizing the Rating and Recording Process........................................................................................ 17

Detailed Directions for Training Raters.................................................................................................. 17

Suggested Rating Procedure................................................................................................................. 17

Method for Determining the Score for the Part III B Essay.................................................................... 20

Entering Scores on the Part III B Record Sheet..................................................................................... 20

Determining the Student’s Final Test Score........................................................................................... 21

Appendix I: Generic Scoring Rubric—Social Studies Document-Based Question............................... 22

Appendix II: Essay Rating Sheet............................................................................................................ 23

Appendix III: Part III B Record Sheet.................................................................................................... 25

Appendix IV: Class Record Sheet........................................................................................................... 27

Appendix V: Examination Storage Certificate........................................................................................ 29

Appendix VI: Deputy and Proctor Certificate......................................................................................... 31

Appendix VII: Instructions to Nonpublic Schools................................................................................... 33

Appendix VIII: Class Roster for Nonpublic Schools.............................................................................. 35

Information for School Administrators

General Information

For questions about general administration procedures for this test, contact the Office of State Assessment at 518-474-5902. For information about the rating of the Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Social Studies Test, contact JoAnn Larson or Lawrence Paska in the Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and Instructional Technology at 518-474-5922 or Gary Warren, Donna Merlau, or Greg Wilsey in the Office of State Assessment at 518-474-3860.

All school personnel who will be involved in the administration and scoring of this test must have a copy of this manual, which may be photocopied.

Administration Schedule

Schools must administer the New York State Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Social Studies Test between June 1 and June 2, 2005. Schools must administer Booklet 1 and Booklet 2 in two separate sessions, which they may schedule on separate days or on the same day. Students who are absent for one or both parts of the test must complete the test within the period from June 3 to June 7.

Students To Be Tested

General Education Students

Except as noted below, all public school students in Grade 8 and all ungraded students who are age-equivalent to students in Grade 8 must take the Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Social Studies Test. Students retained in Grade 8 must retake the test. Nonpublic schools are strongly encouraged to administer State assessments.

Limited-English-Proficient (LEP) Students

All LEP students are required to participate in the Grade 8 Intermediate-Level 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 Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Studies 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 (see page 4).

Students with Disabilities

The Committee on Special Education (CSE) must decide for each student with a disability, on a case-by-case basis, whether the student will be participating in the Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Social Studies Test or will not be participating in this assessment because the student will be participating in the New York State Alternate Assessment for students with severe disabilities (NYSAA) or in a locally selected assessment. The CSE’s decision must be documented on the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). The criteria that the CSE must use to determine a student’s eligibility to participate in the NYSAA are available at the web site: http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/alterassessment/alterassess.htm. Eligible students will participate in the NYSAA during the school years in which they reach
the appropriate ages. (See http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/irts/nysaa/irs198-2005.htm.) Information on the eligibility criteria for students with disabilities for a locally selected assessment is
available in the memorandum entitled Supplemental Guidelines for Participation of Students with Disabilities in State Assessments: Locally Selected Assessments. This memorandum is available at the web site: http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/publications/policy/participate.htm.

When determining which students will be participating in those tests, be sure to consider those students who attend programs operated by the Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) as well as any other programs located outside the school.

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 the Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Social Studies Test. In such cases, when sufficient time is not available for the development of an 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 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 written report concerning each authorization must be sent to the Office of State Assessment via fax to 518-402-5596. The report must be on school letterhead, must be signed by the principal, and must include the following information:

· the name of the student,

· the title of the test,

· a brief description of the student’s injury or disability, and

· a listing of the accommodations that were authorized by the principal.

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 the Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Social Studies Test 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 with those testing accommodations recommended by the local CSE at the time of declassification and specified in the student’s declassification IEP.

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

The Department’s Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) provides more information on testing accommodations for students with disabilities on its web site: http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/publications/policy/testaccess/guide.htm. You may contact that office via e-mail to vesidspe@mail.nysed.gov if you have questions on this topic for which you are unable to find answers on the web site.

Limited-English-Proficient (LEP) Students

Schools may provide the following testing accommodations to LEP students:

· Time Extension: Schools may extend the test time for LEP students. Principals 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 their best judgment about the needs of the LEP students. Principals should consult with each student’s classroom teacher in making these determinations.

· Separate Location: Schools are encouraged to provide optimal testing environments and facilities for LEP students. They 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 this examination. The bilingual dictionaries and glossaries may provide only direct translations of words. Bilingual dictionaries or glossaries that provide definitions or explanations are not permitted.

· Simultaneous Use of English and Alternative Language Editions: LEP students may use both an English and an alternative language edition of the test simultaneously. However, they should be carefully instructed to record all of their responses in only one of the two editions. The alternative language edition used by the student should be so indicated on the student’s answer document.

· Oral Translation for Lower Incidence Languages: Schools may provide LEP students with an oral translation of this examination when there is no translated edition provided by the Department. All translations must be oral, direct translations of the English editions. Written translations are not allowed. No clarifications or explanations may be provided. Translators should receive copies of the English edition of the tests one hour prior to administration. 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 the Native Language: LEP students making use of alternative language editions or of oral translations of this examination 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 papers must be considered secure during the entire test administration period designated by the Department. The package containing the scoring materials must not be opened until after Booklet 1 has been administered. Scoring materials for Booklet 2 must be kept secure until that part of the

test has been administered. Caution scorers not to discuss the test content and scoring rubrics except during scoring sessions. Once the Department-designated test administration period including make-up days has ended, the test materials are no longer secure.

A new form of the test will be provided for use each spring. The test booklets, scoring keys, and rating guides will be enclosed in sealed packages, which must be placed in a secure location 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.

After the Department-designated test administration period has ended, schools may retain any unused test booklets for later use in their instructional programs. Also, teachers may keep the unused test booklets on file for use in discussions with students about their test performance. In addition, teachers and administrators are authorized to make photocopies of these materials for use within their own school buildings following the conclusion of the testing period.

This Manual for Administrators and Teachers is not secure; copies of this publication should be distributed to teachers in advance of the administration date(s) so they may familiarize themselves with the procedures for administering the test. Since this manual is not secure, schools may make photocopies of this publication if necessary.

Administration of the Test

If the Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Social Studies Test is to provide an accurate measure of student achievement in social studies, both students and teachers should be properly prepared for its administration. This manual provides recommendations for preparing students to take the test. School personnel who administer the test must be familiar with the test materials and directions for administration provided in this manual.

Scoring the Test

It is the school’s responsibility to make the necessary arrangements for scoring the test. Nonpublic schools must use the answer sheet for Part I provided by the Department. (See instructions for nonpublic schools in Appendix VII.) Public schools may also use this answer sheet, or they may use an answer sheet of their choosing, such as one developed by their large city school district or Regional Information Center (RIC). The answer sheets provided by the Department may be either hand scored or machine scored. The Department provides a scoring key for hand scoring the answer sheet. Only equipment that can score NCS test materials can be used to machine score these answer sheets. The answer sheet contains fields for recording scores for the Part II constructed-response questions and the Part III document-based question.

Determining the Student’s Final Test Score

A chart for converting the student’s total-test raw score to a scaled score will be provided on the Department’s web site at: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa. Because the scaled scores corresponding to raw scores in the conversion chart 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 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 intermediate-level social studies. All students who achieve a final score in performance levels 1 or 2 (that is, a score below 65) must receive academic intervention services. These services must commence in the September immediately following the administration of the test.

Recording Test Scores and Storing Student Answer Papers

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. Student answer papers must be retained in the school files for at least one year.

All schools must keep their students’ Booklets 1 and 2 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 along with the Class Roster in Appendix VIII. Nonpublic schools are advised to make copies of their students’ 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 8 Intermediate-Level Social Studies Test data
through the Local Education Agency Program (LEAP) reporting system. For more information
about reporting results, public school administrators should review the LEAP manual found at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/irts/leap/home.html or contact their LEAP coordinator, their local Regional Information Center (RIC), or their Large City School District Scanning Center.

Nonpublic schools report scores directly to the Department. For more information, nonpublic school administrators should refer to Appendix VII in this manual or contact the Office of Information and Reporting Services at 518-474-7965.

Review of Answer Papers by Students and Parents

Students and parents/guardians of students who have taken the Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Social Studies Test have the right to review student answer papers after the scores have been recorded, as described above. Answer papers should be reviewed in the presence of the principal, or the principal’s designee, to ensure that no changes are made on the answer papers as they are being reviewed. The principal may also use a copy of the student’s answer papers for this purpose.

General Test Administration Procedures

Test Materials

The Department provides the following test materials for administration of the two required student components of the Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Social Studies Test:

For the objective and constructed-response questions:

· Booklet 1 (contains Part I and Part II)

· separate answer sheet (hand scorable and machine scorable on NCS equipment)

· scoring key for the separate answer sheet

· Rating Guide for Booklet 1

For the document-based question:

· Booklet 2 (contains Part III A and Part III B)

· 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 objective questions in Booklet 1 and scrap paper for planning the Part III B essay in Booklet 2. Instruct students to write their names on all scrap paper. Be sure to collect all scrap paper at the conclusion of the test and keep it with the student’s test booklet.

The test is available in large-type and braille editions. Alternative language editions of the test are available in Chinese, Haitian Creole, and Spanish. These 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 of the test. 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 separate answer sheets for the multiple-choice section of the test contain several grids with spaces for recording various types of student identification information. If the answer sheets are to be machine scored, it is essential that the school develop uniform written directions about the completion of these grids and provide these directions 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. Note that the machine-scorable answer sheets the Department provides are scorable only on NCS equipment.

Special Considerations for Assuring Optimal Student Performance

The person in charge of administering the Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Social Studies Test should review and become thoroughly familiar with the directions for administering the test. Since the purpose of the test is to obtain the most accurate estimate possible of a student’s achievement in social studies, it is essential that students be given an opportunity for fair assessment.

Students must not be given help in interpreting the test questions. They should be advised to answer the questions according to their best judgment. However, the teacher should give students all the

assistance required in the mechanics of taking the test, such as filling out the headings on the answer sheet and the answer booklets and understanding where to record the answers.