8

NEW YORK STATE

GRADE 8

INTERMEDIATE-LEVEL

SOCIAL STUDIES TEST

SCIENCE TEST

Manual for
Administrators and Teachers

2005 Written Test

Performance Test, Form A

The University of the State of New York

THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

Albany, New York 12234 • www.nysed.gov

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 Science Test................................................. 1

Information for School Administrators................................................................................................ 2

General Information................................................................................................................................ 2

Test Forms............................................................................................................................................. 2

Administration Schedule......................................................................................................................... 2

Students To Be Tested........................................................................................................................... 2

Testing Accommodations........................................................................................................................ 4

Security of the Tests............................................................................................................................... 5

Return of Test Materials to the Department............................................................................................. 6

Administration of the Tests...................................................................................................................... 6

Scoring the Tests.................................................................................................................................... 7

Determining Need for Academic Intervention Services............................................................................ 7

Recording Test Scores and Storing Student Answer Papers.................................................................... 7

Review of Answer Papers by Students and Parents................................................................................. 7

Return of Evaluation Forms to the Department........................................................................................ 8

Reporting Student Scores to the Department........................................................................................... 8

Evaluating School Results on the Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Science Test.............................................. 8

Department Contacts.............................................................................................................................. 8

General Test Administration Procedures............................................................................................ 9

The Test Materials.................................................................................................................................. 9

Special Considerations for Assuring Optimal Student Performance.......................................................... 9

Test Administration Time...................................................................................................................... 10

Preparations for Testing........................................................................................................................ 10

Administering and Scoring the Written Test..................................................................................... 11

Detailed Directions for Administering the Written Test........................................................................... 11

Scoring the Written Test....................................................................................................................... 13

Rating the Written Test, Part II............................................................................................................. 14

Organizing the Rating Process............................................................................................................... 14

Administering and Rating the Performance Test.............................................................................. 15

Preparation.......................................................................................................................................... 15

Partial Diagrams of Typical Classroom Setups....................................................................................... 17

Preparing Each Station......................................................................................................................... 18

Station 1—Sorting Creatures........................................................................................................ 18

Station 2—Ramp and Golf Ball..................................................................................................... 21

Station 3—Woods and Water...................................................................................................... 24

Detailed Directions for Administering the Performance Test................................................................... 26

Detailed Directions to Students Taking the Performance Test................................................................. 27

Rating the Performance Test................................................................................................................. 30

Organizing the Rating Process............................................................................................................... 30

Appendix I: Materials Needed to Administer the Performance Test, Form A............................... 31

Appendix II: Comparison of Possible Performance Test Sites........................................................ 33

Appendix III: Test Administrator’s Record Sheet........................................................................... 35

Appendix IV: Station 1—Sorting Chart............................................................................................. 37

Appendix V: Station 2—Ramp Place Mat........................................................................................ 41

Appendix VI: Class Record Sheet; Distribution of Final Test Scores............................................. 45

Appendix VII: Deputy and Proctor Certificate; Examination Storage Certificate......................... 49

Appendix VIII: Instructions for Nonpublic Schools.......................................................................... 53

Appendix IX: Block/Semester Examination Storage Certificate..................................................... 55

Appendix X: Vendors for Intermediate–Level Science Test Kits................................................... 56

General Features of the Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Science Test

The Regulations of the Commissioner of Education provide that an Intermediate-Level Science Test is to be administered in Grade 8 to serve as a basis for determining students’ need for academic intervention services in science. The Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Science Test is designed to measure the content and skills contained in the Intermediate-Level Science Core Curriculum, Grades 5–8. The core curriculum is based on the New York State Learning Standards for Mathematics, Science, and Technology.

The New York State Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Science Test consists of two required components: a Written Test and a Performance Test. The Written Test consists of multiple-choice and open-ended questions. Students will have two hours in which to complete the Written Test. The Performance Test (Form A) consists of hands-on tasks set up at three stations. Students will have 15 minutes to complete the tasks at each of the three stations, for an actual total testing time of 45 minutes. Teachers will need additional time for both the Written and Performance Tests to set up, distribute, and collect test materials and to provide instructions to students.

The Department establishes a State-designated level of performance to help schools identify students who must receive academic intervention services. All students who earn a final test score below 65 must be provided such services, which must commence in the semester immediately following the administration of the test (see page 7).

The first section of this manual contains information of special interest to administrators. Subsequent sections contain directions for administering and scoring the Written and Performance Tests.

Information for School Administrators

General Information

All persons in charge of the administration of the Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Science Test should be familiar with the information in this manual. Questions concerning the administration of the Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Science Test should be directed to the Office of State Assessment at 518‑474‑8220 or 518‑474‑5099.

Test Forms

Written Test: The Written Test has two parts. Part I contains multiple-choice questions, and Part II contains open-ended questions. Students are allowed two hours of working time to complete the Written Test. In addition, the test administrator will need approximately 15 minutes to give directions to students. The Department will provide a new form of the Written Test each year. The Department also provides a machine-scorable answer sheet for Part I. It is hand scorable and machine scorable on NCS equipment. Answers to Part II of the test are to be written in the test booklet.

Performance Test, Form A: The Performance Test consists of tasks at three stations. Each station requires 15 minutes of testing time, for a total testing time of 45 minutes, plus the time needed to provide instructions to students and for students to move between stations. Allot at least one hour for administration of the Performance Test. The Performance Test is hand scorable only.

Administration Schedule

The Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Science Test comprises two parts: the Performance Test and the Written Test. The Performance Test must be given in January on dates selected by the school or district. If your school has block/semester programming for intermediate-level science instruction, you may also administer the test in May, but only to those students who study science exclusively in the spring semester. In this circumstance, you will need to store the Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Science Performance Test until its administration to those students in May 2005. You must complete the Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Science Block/Semester Examination Storage Certificate in Appendix IX of this manual and return it to the Department by January 31, 2005.

The Written Test is to be administered during a period to be established by the Department each year. For the 2004–05 school year, the testing period for the Written Test is June 1 through June 17. Students who are absent on the specific administration date established by the school must be tested if they return to school by June 17. Results for such students must be included in the reports submitted to the Department.

Students To Be Tested

State assessments must be administered to all public school students. Nonpublic schools are strongly encouraged to administer State assessments. The exceptions below apply to students in public and participating nonpublic schools.

General Education Students

The Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Science Test should be administered to students in the grade in which they will have completed all of the material in the Intermediate-Level Science Core Curriculum, Grades 5–8. While this grade is typically Grade 8, the test may also be administered to students in Grade 7 who will have completed by the end of this school year all of the material in the Intermediate-

Level Science Core Curriculum, Grades 5–8 and are being considered for placement in an accelerated high school level science course when they are in Grade 8. The inclusion of Grade 7 students who meet these criteria is a local decision. Schools can use the scores for these Grade 7 students to help determine whether students should be placed in accelerated science courses. Students who take the
test in Grade 7 will not be permitted to take the test again in Grade 8. Therefore, caution is advised in administering the test to Grade 7 students. If a Grade 7 student scores below the State-designated level of performance, the student will be required to have academic intervention services the following year.

Schools are required to administer this assessment to those Grade 8 students who did not take
this assessment last school year as Grade 7 students, unless such students will be taking a Regents examination in science at the end of this school year. School principals have the discretion to either require or waive the Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Science Test for those accelerated Grade 8 students who did not take this examination during the last school year but who will be taking a Regents examination in science at the end of this school year. For those accelerated students for whom the school waives the Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Science Test, the student’s achievement in science will be measured by the student's performance on the Regents examination in science.

Students who are repeating Grade 8 are required to take the test again.

Limited-English-Proficient (LEP) Students

All LEP students are required to participate in the Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Science 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 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 5).

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 Science Test or will not be participating in this assessment because the
student is eligible for the New York State Alternate Assessment (NYSAA) for students with
severe disabilities or for 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 NYSAA are available at the web site: http://unix33.nysed.gov:9280/specialed/alterassessment/identnysaa.htm. Information on the eligibility criteria for students with disabilities to participate in 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://unix32.nysed.gov:9280/specialed/publications/policy/participate.htm. Students eligible for the NYSAA will participate in the Alternative Assessment during the school years in which they reach the appropriate ages. (See http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/alterassessment/agecriteria.htm.)

When determining which students will be participating in this test, be sure to consider those students with disabilities 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) acquired or diagnosed within 30 days prior to the administration of State assessments. 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;