YORK STATE

GRADE 5

ELEMENTARY-LEVEL

SOCIAL STUDIES TEST

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Manual for
Administrators and Teachers

November 2004 Edition

 

     Booklet 1 (Objective and Constructed-Response Questions)

     Booklet 2 (Document-Based Question)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 Operating Officer

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.

 

 

Contents

 

General Features of the Grade 5 Elementary-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....................................................................................................................... 4

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

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

Determining the Need for Academic Intervention Services....................................................................... 5

Recording Test Scores and Storing Student Answer Sheets..................................................................... 5

Reporting Test Results to the Department ............................................................................................... 5

Review of Answer Sheets by Students and Parents................................................................................. 5

 

General Test Administration Procedures............................................................................................ 6

Test Materials........................................................................................................................................ 6

Special Considerations for Assuring Optimal Student Performance.......................................................... 6

Test Administration Time........................................................................................................................ 7

Preparations for Testing.......................................................................................................................... 7

 

Administering the Test......................................................................................................................... 8

Detailed Directions for Administering Booklet 1...................................................................................... 8

Detailed Directions for Administering Booklet 2.................................................................................... 10

 

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

Scoring Booklet 1 Answers.................................................................................................................. 13

Scoring Booklet 2 Answers.................................................................................................................. 14

Organizing the Rating and Recording Process........................................................................................ 15

Detailed Directions for Training Raters.................................................................................................. 15

Suggested Rating Procedure................................................................................................................. 15

Method for Determining the Score for the Part III B Essay.................................................................... 17

Entering Scores on the Part III B Record Sheet..................................................................................... 18

Determining the Student’s Final Test Score........................................................................................... 18

 

Appendix I: Generic Scoring Rubric—Grade 5 Social Studies Document-Based Question.......... 19

Appendix II: Essay Rating Sheet...................................................................................................... 20

Appendix III: Part III B Record Sheet.............................................................................................. 21

Appendix IV: Class Record Sheet..................................................................................................... 22

Appendix V: Examination Storage Certificate.................................................................................. 23

Appendix VI: Deputy and Proctor Certificate................................................................................... 25

Appendix VII: Instructions for Nonpublic Schools .......................................................................... 26

Appendix VIII: Classroom Roster .................................................................................................... 28

 

 

 

 

 

 

General Features of the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test

 

 

       The Regulations of the Commissioner of Education provide that an elementary-level social studies test is to be administered to students in 5^th grade to serve as an early indicator of whether students are meeting the five elementary-level New York State Learning Standards for social studies. Each student's performance on the test will be the basis for determining whether that student needs
academic intervention services in social studies. (See “Determining the Need for Academic Intervention Services,” pg. 5.)

       The New York State Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test is designed to measure student achievement of the content, concepts, and skills in the K–4 social studies curriculum. The content and standards are described in the publication Social Studies Resource Guide with Core Curriculum (K–4).

       The test comprises two test booklets and is to be administered in two 1½-hour sessions. Booklet 1 contains a total of 35 multiple-choice questions and several short-answer, constructed-response questions. Booklet 2 contains a document-based question.

       Each student’s performance on the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test will fall into one of four levels of performance. The descriptions of performance levels and the specific test scores that correspond to the four levels are provided in the rating guide that is packaged with the test booklets. All students who score within levels 1 and 2 on the test must receive academic intervention services, which must begin no later than the beginning of the semester immediately following the administration of the test.

 

 

 

Information for School Administrators

 

General Information

       For information about general administration procedures for this test, contact the Office of State Assessment at 518-474-5099. For information about the scoring of the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test, contact JoAnn Larson in the Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and Instructional Technology at 518-474-5922 or Gary Warren in the Office of State Assessment at 518-474-3860.

       All school personnel who will be administering and scoring this test must have a copy of this manual. You may reproduce as many copies of it as you need.

 

Administration Schedule

       You must administer the New York State Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test each year in November on the dates specified by the Department. Students who are absent for one or both sessions of the test must complete the test on the makeup dates designated by the Department.

 

Students To Be Tested

Except as noted below, all public school students in 5^th grade and all ungraded students who are age equivalent to students in 5^th grade must take the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test. This includes students who have been retained in grade 5, and grade 5 students who attend programs operated by the Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) as well as any other programs located outside the school. Nonpublic schools are strongly encouraged to administer these tests to their students in accordance with these same provisions.

 

Students with Disabilities

      For each student, the Committee on Special Education (CSE) must decide on a case-by-case
basis and document on the student’s Individualized Education Program whether the student
will participate in the general State assessment, in a locally selected assessment, or in the New
York State Alternate Assessment for Students with Severe Disabilities (NYSAA). The criteria that
the CSE must use to determine eligibility for a locally selected assessment is available
on the Department’s website: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/deputy/Documents/disabilitiesassess.htm. The criteria to determine eligibility for the NYSAA is also available on the Department’s website: http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/alterassessment/alterassess.htm.

      Students eligible for the NYSAA will participate in the Alternate Assessment during the school years in which they reach the appropriate ages. These students should be coded as eligible for
the Alternate Assessment on the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test answer sheet. See http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/alterassessment/agecriteria.htm.

 

Limited-English-Proficient (LEP) Students

      All LEP students are required to participate in the Grade 5 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 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.

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 State assessments. In such cases, when sufficient time is not available for the development of an Individualized Education Program (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 Committee for Special Education (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 report concerning each authorization must be sent to the Office of State Assessment. Further, 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 State assessments 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 testing accommodations if recommended by the local CSE at the time of declassification and in the student’s declassification IEP.

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

       The Office for Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) provides more information on testing accommodations for students with disabilities on its web site: ftp://unix2.nysed.gov/pub/education.dept.pubs/vesid/oses/test.access.mod/testacce.txt.

 

Limited-English-Proficient (LEP) Students

Schools may provide the following testing accommodations to LEP students:

·        Time Extension: LEP students may be allowed extended test time. The principal 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 his or her best judgment about the needs of the LEP students. The principal should consult with each student’s classroom teacher in making these determinations.

·        Separate Location: Schools are encouraged to provide the optimum testing environment and facilities for LEP students. Schools 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 the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test. The bilingual dictionaries and glossaries must not provide definitions or other explanations, only direct translations. LEP students may use both an English and an alternative language edition of the test simultaneously.

·        Oral Translations for Low-Incidence Languages: Schools may provide LEP students with an oral translation of the test when the Department does not provide a written translated edition of the test in the student's language. Schools should provide translators with the English edition of the test one hour before it is administered to enable them to become familiar with its content. 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 Native Language: LEP students making use of alternative language editions or of oral translations of this test 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 sheets must be kept secure during the entire test administration period designated by the Department. The package containing the scoring materials must not be opened until after the administration of Booklet 1 of the test. Scoring materials for Booklet 2 must be kept secure until that part of the test has been administered. Makeup testing will occur for a few days immediately following the scheduled administration dates. Although student answer papers may be scored during the makeup period, caution scorers not to discuss the test content and scoring rubrics except during scoring sessions. Once the Department-designated makeup period has ended, the test materials are no longer secure.

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

       Appendices VI and VII of this manual contain the Examination Storage Certificate and the Deputy and Proctor Certificate. At the conclusion of this test, the principal must sign the Examination Storage Certificate and all school personnel who served as proctors must sign the Deputy and Proctor Certificate. If more than twenty staff members served as proctors, make as many additional copies of the Deputy and Proctor Certificate as are needed in order that all proctors may sign this certificate. All completed certificates must be retained in school files for one year.

After the Department-designated test administration period has ended, schools may wish to retain any unused test booklets for later use in their instructional programs. Also, teachers may wish to keep the unused test booklets on file for use in discussions with students about their test performance. New York State teachers and administrators are authorized to make photocopies of these materials for use within their own school building following the conclusion of the testing period. These materials may not be converted to electronic files or shared via e-mail or the Internet.

 

Administration of the Test

       If the test results are to provide an accurate measure of student achievement in social studies, both students and teachers must be properly prepared for the administration. This booklet provides suggestions for preparing students to take the test. School personnel who administer the test must be familiar with the test materials and administration directions provided in this booklet.

Scoring the Test

       It is the school’s responsibility to make the necessary arrangements for scoring all test materials. The answer sheets provided by the Department for Part I may be either hand scored or machine scored. The Department provides a scoring key for hand scoring the answer sheets. The answer sheets can be machine scored only on equipment that can score NCS test materials. The answer sheets contain fields for recording scores for the Part II constructed-response questions and the Part III document-based question. Public schools may use their own machine-scannable answer sheets for Part I of the test. All answer sheets must provide four choices labeled A, B, C, and D, not 1, 2, 3, and 4.

 

Determining the Student’s Final Test Score

       A chart for converting the student’s total-test raw score to a scaled score will, on the date of the Booklet 2 administration, be posted on the Department’s website: www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa. Because the scaled scores corresponding to raw scores in the conversion chart may 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, adding these scores to determine the total test raw score, 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 elementary-level social studies. All students who achieve a final score in performance levels 1 and 2 must receive some form of academic intervention services. These services must commence at the start of the next semester immediately following the administration of the test.

 

Recording Test Scores and Storing Student Answer Sheets

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.

All schools must keep their students’ Booklet 1’s and Booklet 2’s 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. (See Appendix VII, pg. 26.) Nonpublic schools are advised to make copies of their 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 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test data through the Local Education Agency Program (LEAP) reporting system. The Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test data will be transmitted with the results of the Grade 4 and Grade 8 State assessments administered during the current school year. Contact the Office of Information and Reporting Services at 518-474-7965 for further information.

Review of Answer Sheets by Students and Parents

       Students and parents/guardians of students who have taken the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test have the right to review student answer sheets after the scores have been recorded. Answer sheets should be reviewed in the presence of the principal, or the principal’s designee, to ensure that no changes are made on the answer sheets as they are being reviewed.

 

General Test Administration Procedures

 

 

Test Materials

       The Department provides the following test materials for administration of the two required components of the Grade 5 Elementary-Level Social Studies Test:

       For the multiple-choice and constructed-response questions:

·      Booklet 1 (contains Part I and Part II)

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

·      scoring key for the separate answer sheet

·      rating guide for Booklet 1

 

For the document-based question (DBQ):

·      Booklet 2 (contains Part III)

·      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 multiple-choice questions in Booklet 1.

The test is available in large-type and Braille as well as in the following alternative language translations: Chinese, Haitian Creole, and Spanish. The alternative language editions 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. 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 answer sheets provided by the Department for the multiple-choice section of the test may be scored by hand or machine scored on NCS equipment. They include several grids containing spaces for recording various types of student identification information. Schools that intend to use machine scoring must develop uniform written directions about how to complete these grids and must provide them 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.

 

Special Considerations for Assuring Optimal Student Performance

       If the test results are to provide an accurate and fair measure of student achievement in social studies, teachers must carefully follow the directions for administering the test. They should review the directions beforehand and become thoroughly familiar with them.

       Do not give students any help in interpreting the test questions. Advise them to answer the questions according to their best judgment. However, give students all the assistance they require in the mechanics of taking the test, such as filling out the heading of the answer sheet and the answer booklets and recording their answers.

 

 

Test Administration Time

       Each of the two sessions of the test requires 90 minutes of testing time. In addition, schools should schedule approximately 15 minutes per session for teachers to give directions to the students and for students to record the student identification information on all test materials.

       Teachers may allow students to take a 3-to-5-minute stretch break during each session of the test. During the break, students may be allowed to stand quietly by their desks and stretch. They may not be allowed to talk to each other. This break, if allowed, should be given to the entire group of students at the same time, approximately 45 minutes into the testing session. The break should not be given at the end of one of the parts of the test. The three to five minutes allowed for the break should not be counted as part of the total 90-minute testing period.

       Schools must make arrangements to provide the testing accommodations indicated in the IEP or 504 Plan of students with disabilities. Such accommodations often include extended time.

 

Preparations for Testing

       Arrangements for administering the test should interfere as little as possible with the normal school routine. The test may be administered in the students’ regular classroom, or classes may be merged into larger groups, at the convenience of the school.

       Pay special attention to the following points when making arrangements for the testing sessions:

·        The Testing Room. Make sure that the testing room is adequately lighted and ventilated and free from noise and other distractions. It should have a chalkboard or a whiteboard. Maps, charts, and blank or completed graphic organizers on the walls and all board work related to social studies should be removed or covered prior to the administration of the test.

·        Orientation of Students. Inform students about the test a few days before the test administration. Emphasize that no special study is necessary. Make the announcements in such a way as to increase the students’ interest in the test and at the same time not cause them to become overly anxious and tense. Notify parents/guardians of the dates of testing.

·        Orientation of Teachers. Make sure each teacher who will be administering the test is familiar with the detailed directions for administering the test (pages 8-12 of this manual) prior to the testing date.

·        The Test Materials. Assemble all test materials, except for the test booklets, scoring keys, and rating guides, at least one day before the test administration.

Do not open the sealed packages of secure test materials until the test administration date, and then just early enough to permit the distribution of materials prior to the scheduled starting time.

 

Administering the Test

 

Detailed Directions for Administering Booklet 1

       Make sure that sufficient quantities of all test materials are on hand. The following materials are needed:

       For each student:

·      Booklet 1

·      answer sheet

·      No. 2 pencil

 

For the teacher:

·        detailed directions for administering Booklet 1 (pages 8-10 of this manual)

·        Booklet 1 (for demonstration purposes)

·        answer sheet (for demonstration purposes)

·        extra answer sheets and pencils

·        instructions for completing the student identification grids on the separate answer sheet
(These instructions will vary according to the answer sheet used by the school.)

After the desks have been cleared of books and papers and when the students are ready to begin, say:

 

 

       Distribute one test booklet, face up, to each student. Then say:

 

 

When you are sure all the students have the correct test booklet, say:

 

 

After you have distributed the answer sheets, give directions for marking any machine-readable name or number grids.

 

Then say: