Alabama High School Graduation Exam (AHSGE)

Primary Purposes:

• To assess students' mastery of content defined as "fundamental," a requirement for receipt of an Alabama high school diploma

• To report the percent of students in the school passing each subject-area test for grades 10, 11, and 12

• To report relative strengths and weaknesses of individuals and groups

Content:

• Academic content standards in reading, mathematics, language, science, and social studies found in the Alabama courses of study

Additional Information:

•The first administration of the AHSGE occurs in the spring of the student's 10th grade year. This is a checkpoint. If a student passes any of the subject-area tests, he or she is given credit for that subject-area test.

• The second administration of the AHSGE occurs in the spring of the student's 11th grade year. After this administration, any subject-area that is not passed by a student may be taken again during subsequent administrations of the assessment. These administrations take place in July following the 11th grade, September of the 12th grade, December of the 12th grade, and March of the 12th grade.

• The student receives information regarding mastery/non-mastery for each objective.

• Performance is reported as "pass" (mastery) or "fail" (non-mastery).

• This is not a timed assessment.

                     Alabama Direct Assessment of Writing (ADAW)

            Primary Purposes:

• To assess students' writing performance in descriptive, narrative, expository, and persuasive modes of discourse, thus encouraging writing in all four modes

• To report to the public regarding students' writing performance in descriptive, narrative, expository, and persuasive modes of discourse

  Content:

• Grade 5-Descriptive, narrative, and expository modes of writing

• Grade 7-Descriptive, narrative, expository, and persuasive modes of writing

• Grade 10-Narrative, expository, and persuasive modes of writing

Additional Information:

• The ADAW is administered in late February/early March.

• The assessment is timed.

• Scores are reported in the following manner:

• Focused Holistic Score. This requires the reader to focus attention on a set of compositional characteristics (purpose, content, audience, and organization/clarity) and to assign scores based on the level of proficiency that the writer demonstrates in these areas.

• Analytic Scores. These scores are given for writing mechanics, sentence formation, and grammar and usage.

• Performance is reported in the following achievement levels:

o Level I: This writing shows little understanding of the writing task.

o Level II: This writing reflects some understanding of the writing task but more author involvement than author control.

o Level III: This writing indicates a good understanding of the writing task and is sufficiently developed with a sense of audience, purpose, and author control.

o Level IV: This writing is thorough with a strong sense of audience and purpose and is precise, consistent, and elaborated with details that are clear and coherent.

         Alabama Reading Math Test (ARMT)

           Primary Purposes:

• To assess students' mastery of state content standards in reading and mathematics

• To report individual and group performance

• To report relative strengths and weaknesses of individuals and groups

• To provide data to study changes in performance over time

              Content:

• Grades 3-8-Academic content standards in reading

• Grades 3-8-Academic content standards in mathematics

              Additional Information:

• The ARMT is a criterion-referenced test. It consists of selected items from the Stanford Achievement Test (Stanford 10) which matches the Alabama state content standards in reading and mathematics. Additional test items were developed to be included so that all content standards were fully covered. It is this combination of Stanford 10 items and newly developed items that is known as the ARMT.

• The ARMT has a 100% alignment to the Alabama state content standards in reading and mathematics.

• A student must take Stanford 10 Word Study Skills (Grade 3 only), Stanford 10 Reading Vocabulary (Grades 3-8), Stanford 10 Reading Comprehension (Grades 3-8), and the ARMT Part 2 Reading subtest to get an ARMT reading score.

• A student must take Stanford 10 Mathematics Procedures (Grades 3-8), Mathematics Problem Solving (Grades 3-8), and the ARMT Part 2 Mathematics subtest to get an ARMT mathematics score.

• Performance is reported in the following achievement levels:

o Level I-Does not meet academic content standards

o Level II-Partially meets academic content standards

o Level III-Meets academic content standards (proficient or grade-level performance)

o Level IV-Exceeds academic content standards

• Results are used for accountability for Grades 3-8 in meeting one of the requirements of the No Child Left Behind legislation.

         Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS)

          Primary Purposes:

• To assess students' mastery of early reading skills

• To provide teachers and parents with a better understanding of a student's strengths, weaknesses, and progress in the major developmental areas of early literacy

• To provide information to the teachers and parents in a time-efficient manner

• To assist teachers with the development of classroom instruction appropriate for the student

                  Additional Information:

• Benchmarks are administered three (3) times-fall, midyear, and spring.

• Progress Monitoring is an option of the local school system.

                          Stanford 10 (SAT 10)

           Primary Purposes:

• To compare individual and group performance with performance of the norming group

• To report relative strengths and weaknesses of individuals and groups

• To provide data to study changes in performance over time