State Testing Updates

5 th and 8 th Grade Writing Assessments Will be given sometime in April Will be passage-based Will involve two tests per grade level –Operational test (Scores will count.) –Field test (Scores will not count.) Results will not be available until June.

5 th Grade Test Tests may be opinion, informative, or narrative. Will be document-based Consider the CCSS which are covered Teachers should review the rubric.

Grade 5 Test Common Core standards not covered –5.W.5. With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grade 5 on pages 28 and 29.) –5.W.6. With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of two pages in a single sitting.

Grade 5 Test Common Core standards not covered –5.W.7. Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic. –5.W.10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Grade 5 Test Common Core standards not covered –5.L.3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening b. Compare and contrast the varieties of English (e.g., dialects, registers) used in stories, dramas, or poems.

Grade 5 Test Common Core standards not covered –5.L.4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple- meaning words and phrases based on grade 5 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. a. Use context (e.g., cause/effect relationships and comparisons in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. b. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affxes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., photograph, photosynthesis). c. Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.

Grade 5 test Common Core standards not covered –5.L.5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. a. Interpret figurative language, including similes and metaphors, in context. b. Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs. c. Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, homographs) to better understand each of the words.

8 th Grade May be argument, informative, or narrative Will be document-based Consider the CCSS which are covered Teachers should review the rubric.

Grade 8 Test Common Core standards not covered –8.W.5. With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grade 8 on page 52.) –8.W.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others.

Grade 8 Test Common Core standards not covered –8.W.7. Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration. –8.W.10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Grade 8 Test Common Core standards not covered –3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. a. Use verbs in the active and passive voice and in the conditional and subjunctive mood to achieve particular effects (e.g., emphasizing the actor or the action; expressing uncertainty or describing a state contrary to fact).

Grade 8 Test Common Core standards not covered –8.L.4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple- meaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. b. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., precede, recede, secede).

Grade 8 Test Common Core standards not covered c. Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech. d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).

Grade 8 Test Common Core standards not covered 8.L.5.a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g. verbal irony, puns) in context. 8.L.5.b. Use the relationship between particular words to better understand each of the words. 8.L.5.c. Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., bullheaded, willful, firm, persistent, resolute).

Common Core State Standards A number will NOT be covered on the state writing test. Remember, they may very well be covered on the multiple choice on the 5 th grade OCCT and the English II and English III EOIs.

Online Testing Grade 6 mathematics and reading Grade 7 mathematics, reading, and geography Grade 8 mathematics and reading All EOIs (except writing component of English II and English III)