1. Strategies for Taking NJASK and HSPA

2. Reducing Test Anxiety Go to bed early.
Be well prepared for the test, pay attention in class.
Maintain a positive attitude.
Don’t worry about the pace of others.
Don’t let your mind wander, stay focused.

3. The Morning of Testing Eat a good breakfast. Get to school on time.
Think Positive!

4. Pace Yourself
Don’t spend too much time on any one question. Do your best and then move on.
Answer the easiest questions first, but be sure to go back to those questions you skipped.

5. Multiple Choice Questions
Read the question and all answer choices before marking anything.
Find key words or phrases in the question that will help you choose the correct answer.
Do not change your answers unless you are very uncertain about your first answer choice.
Answer every question. Make the most intelligent guess you can.

6. The Process of Elimination
If you can eliminate two wrong answers, your chance of choosing the right answer is greater.
I know C and D aren’t the answer!

7. Skip, Return, Check
If you finish early, check to make sure you have answered all questions.

8. Language Arts Literacy Tips

9. Reading Passages
If the test requires you to read passages and then answer questions about what you read, read the question first.
By doing this, you will know what you are looking for as you read. This also helps you go faster on the test.

10. Reading Passages
When there are several questions about a reading passage or chart, look for clues in other questions that will help you with those items about which you are unsure.

11. **Make sure you answer all parts of the question(s).**
Open-Ended Responses
Restate the question and write
your answer.
Provide evidence from the text to support your answer.
Refer to the question again in the concluding statement.
**Make sure you answer all
parts of the question(s).**

12. While reading a passage, you should mark up the text in the following ways:
Setting
Character’s names
Important dialogue
Text which provides clues to a character’s traits / words that describe a character
Vocabulary words
Literary devices
Theme
Resolution
Turning point / Climax

13. Writing Think about the prompt. Take a few minutes to plan.
Keep a single focus.
Elaborate on your ideas.

14. Math Tips

15. Short Constructed Response
Make sure you understand and respond to the question being asked.
Label your answer.
Use Fact families to check your answer.
Remember there are no answer choices.

16. Extended Constructed Response
After reading the problem carefully, write down the information you know.
If the question asks you
to explain, write clearly in
an organized fashion.
Decide if you can draw a
picture or make a chart.

17. Math Computation
Line up place value correctly on your scratch paper (thousands, hundreds, tens, ones) or the answer will be incorrect.

18. Math Computation
When using scratch paper on a math test, double check to make sure that you have copied the problem correctly from the test booklet!
If your answer does not match one of the choices, reread the problem, recopy the numbers, and try solving it again.

19. Science Tips

20. “Assessments have become more sophisticated and varied as they have focused on higher-order skills. Rather than simply checking whether students have memorized certain items of information, new assessments probe for students’ understanding, reasoning, and use of that knowledge—the skills that are developed through inquiry.”
National Research Council, National Science Education Standards.
(Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1996, p. 6.
Knowledge level questions account for 10% and Application level questions account for 90% of the NJ ASK test.

21. Steps to Prepare Our Students for the NJ ASK and End-of-Course Biology Assessment
Step 1 – Understand the NJ Standards for Science and the Test Specifications.
Explore the NJ DOE resources
Examine sample tests (NPS science e-board 2- Test bank/ H.S. Prompts)
Step 2 – Teach to the Standards
Know our district's curriculum and its gaps (notebook pacing template eboard 2- LST/RTC resource)
Locate quality resources (module materials, books, multimedia resources) to enhance learning
Plan engaging, hands-on inquiry based learning experiences aligned to the NJCCCS

22. Steps to Prepare Our Students for the NJ ASK and End-of-Course Biology Assessment cont..
Step 3 – Use Assessment to Drive Instruction
Assess - Conduct pre-assessments to determine your staring point and identify student misconceptions (NPS science e-board 2 – Test bank – Sample questions by Standard)
Teach – Provide varied learning experiences (investigations, direct instruction, videos, text-based assignments, research projects, technology based activities, etc.) (NPS science e-board 1- Teachers’ domain, virtual lab)
Assess – Use formative assessments to guide instruction
Teach – Re-teach, Extend, and Reinforce learning
Assess – Conduct a summative assessment of learning that mirrors the state assessments and includes multiple-choice, constructed response, and performance-based tasks
Step 4 – Incorporate FUN Science Review Activities whenever possible.
Play fun games and conduct engaging activities that review science concepts during any extra time that you may have. (NPS science e-board 2 – Test bank – games)

23. A Matter of Time Remember: Your first guess is usually right.
If any time remains, spend it on those questions about which you know nothing or almost nothing.
As you go back through, do not change all answers.
Remember: Your first guess is usually right.

24. It’s About Time
Don’t spend too much time rewriting or obsessing about neatness. However, your writing needs to be legible.

25. Final Tips Fill in bubbles fully, write neatly, and erase stray marks.
Double-check the question number in your test booklet against the answer sheet every few questions to be sure you are on the correct number.

26. Test Coordinator Reminders
Maintain test security.
Meet the calculator requirements.
Chief examiners and proctors should actively proctor. They should not stand anywhere for long periods of time
Display the countdown of testing time remaining in classrooms (Start / Stop).
Proctors may not touch test booklets- only scrap paper, pencils, calculators.

27. Test Coordinator Reminders
Please have a folder available for visitors from OPET and South Region with the following items:
Dates, agendas and sign in sheets for examiner and proctor training
Location for secure storage of tests
Name of back up test coordinator
Plans for sick, disruptive and late students
Fire drill procedures
Room numbers
Names of examiners and proctors
Class rosters
Testing arrangements for Special Education students
Et Cetera

28. NJ ASK Update
Language Arts Literacy
Math
Science

29. Item count by Type (does not include field test content)
NJ ASK 4 and Science
Item count by Type (does not include field test content)
Grade 4
Grade 8
MCQ 33 48
OEQ 2
Total raw score points possible 39 54
Approximate total testing time (includes field test content)
60 min.
120 min
Science assessment includes four parts –
Each multiple choice item is worth one point; each open-ended item is worth up to three points.
Each open-ended item is scored using an item-specific rubric.
Life Science - 40% of the test
Physical Science - 30% of the test
Earth Science -30% of the test

30. End of Course Biology Assessment
Science assessment includes
NJ CCCS 5.5 (Biology/Life Science) and 5.10 (Environmental Science)
Scientific Processes – 70%;
Science and Society/Technology – 10%
Mathematical Applications – 10%
Knowledge/Factual Recall – 10%
Includes multiple choice and open ended questions scored using a three point item-specific rubric.

31. Best Practices
Language Arts Literacy
Math
Science

32. Revised Standards and Assessment
In the item selection process, we tried to insure that the items correlated to both the old and the new standards. Most of the major concepts from 2004 remain in the 2009 document. The big difference is the organization and specificity.
~Michael Heinz, Science Coordinator
MSP Program Officer, Office of Math and Science NJDOE

33. Grade 4 Standard Content Living organisms:
• Interact with and cause changes in their environment.
• Exchange materials (such as gases, nutrients, water, and waste) with the environment.
• Reproduce.
• Grow and develop in a predictable manner.
CPI A.1 Develop and use evidence-based criteria to determine if an unfamiliar object is living or nonliving.

34. MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS Knowledge
An example of a living thing from the following list is …
a. Cloud
b. Fire
c. Grass
d. Car
Comprehension
A crab is a living thing because …
it has legs.
it has an exoskeleton.
it can reproduce.
it lives in the ocean. 34

35. Application/Analysis
John and his friend found an empty sea shell as they were walking down the shore. They brought the sea shell to school the next day. John said that it was once a living organism, while his friend said that it was never alive. Which of the following statements would the teacher use to best resolve the differences of opinion.
a. The empty seashell is not living now, but at one point was part of a living organism.
b. The empty seashell is still a living thing because it is found in the sea.
c. The empty seashell is a living thing because it moves from place to place by the action of waves in the ocean.
d. The empty seashell is a living thing because it continues to grow. 35

36. A LOOK AT OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS
Grade 4 Life Science
Janna’s class is on a field trip at the seashore. The students are classifying some of the animals they find into one of the three groups shown below.
Janna looked into a tide pool and observed the animals shown below.
Classify the animals that Janna observed in the tide pool into one of the three groups.
Describe the main characteristic used to classify the animals from the tide pool into the group
you identified in part (a).
c. Describe two differences between the animals from the tide pool and the animals in the
other groups.

37. TASK CARD STUDENT SAMPLE SCORE A 3 B C 2 D E 1 F
Using the generic rubric provided to you, score the student samples in pairs.
Using the item-specific rubric provided to you, score the same student samples in pairs.
What did you notice about the scores in the two scenarios? Discuss in your group.
STUDENT SAMPLE
SCORE A 3 B C 2 D E 1 F

38. BEST PRACTICES IN TEACHING SCIENCE
Sound Instruction Is the Most Effective Test Preparation.
Standard based instruction
Teaching methods
Assessment methods
Student engagement
Involves making science learning …
Experiential instead of lecture-oriented.
Cognitive and constructivist rather than focused on facts and formula.
Social and collaborative rather than isolating students from one another.
Do your teaching methods promote retention?Students must remember what they have been taught to be successful on high-stakes tests. When students are engaged in hands-on exploration, retention increases. Topics that are presented with real-world connections or ones that have a high interest level are also most likely to be retained.
Do your assessment methods prepare students for high-stakes tests?Assessments should be challenging, and should frequently reflect the format of an upcoming standardized test. Students should have practice with both multiple-choice and open-ended items. Provide time to review incorrect answers, and help students understand where mistakes occurred.
How involved are your students in their own learning?Students must feel comfortable working with science content on their own. Provide multiple opportunities for students to solve problems in the classroom and laboratory with minimal help from you. Teach students to review their notes daily and weekly, rather than waiting until the night before a test. 38

39. “Five E” Learning Cycle
Engagement
Object, event or question used to engage students.
Connections facilitated between what students know and can do.
Exploration
Objects and phenomena are explored.
Hands-on activities, with guidance.
Explanation
Students explain their understanding of concepts and processes.
New concepts and skills are introduced as conceptual clarity and cohesion are sought.
Elaboration
Activities allow students to apply concepts in contexts, and build on or extend understanding and skill.
Evaluation
Students assess their knowledge, skills and abilities. Activities permit evaluation of student development and lesson effectiveness
“Five E” Learning Cycle: Engage
The “Five E” Learning Cycle model consists of five stages. The first stage focuses student attention and allows the teacher to identify any preconceptions that will need to be addressed during the course of the lesson.
References:
Bybee, R.W. (1997). Achieving Scientific Literacy: From Purposes to Practice. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Trowbridge, L.W., Bybee, R.W. (2000). Teaching Secondary School Science (6th-7th ed.). Merrill. 39

40. Using a Student-Centered Approach
Engaged by scientifically-oriented questions
Prioritize evidence
Formulate explanations
Evaluate their explanations
Communicate and justify their proposed explanations

41. Formative Assessment Cycle
Goals
for student learning (such as science content, process skills, or attitudes)
Activity B
Activity A
Teacher collects evidence
of student thinking
related to goals
Teacher decides how to help students take the next
STUDENTS
Teacher interprets evidence of student thinking resulting in a judgment of achievement related to goals
Teacher determines the appropriate next steps for the students to work on 41

42. FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT- Learnia
Results can be used to hone in on:
1. Standards that require attention
2. Question types that require practice
3. Students who need remediation
4. Effectiveness of instruction
5. Progress being made over time.
6. Predictions for NJ ASK performance