Understanding State Tests
Preparing Students
Resources for understanding state tests and test results:
1) The handout Understanding Ohio's State Tests Score Reports 2023-24 is a good place to start looking at interpreting state test data. This guide covers all test measures and has links to resources throughout.
In addition it has a guide for teachers to use the Centralized Reporting System in TIDE.
Here teachers can individually or as a grade level team access last year test results for all of their students including how they scored, what test questions they missed, how their class performed, etc.
2) The following links are very important both in understanding test results and learning about future tests including their design
Performance Level Descriptors, parent reports (a great way for teachers to understand in simple terms the test reports) and Student Readiness TOOLKITS. (see below description)
Test Blueprints serve as a guide for test construction and provide an outline of the content and skills to be measured on the test. They contain information about individual tests, including the number of test items, the number of points on the test, and show how the learning standards are grouped in order to report the test results. All learning standards identified on the blueprint are eligible to appear on a test form and should be taught during instruction.
Performance Level Descriptors (PLDs) are the link between Ohio’s Learning Standards and performance standards. They were developed by Ohio educators and other content experts to illustrate the typical demonstration of the learning for each of the five performance levels: Limited, Basic, Proficient, Accomplished (previously Accelerated) and Advanced. Parents can review the PLDs for each grade level/course to see what students are expected to know and be able to do at each performance level for a specific test. Teachers often use the PLDs to help with their review of local curriculum materials to see if opportunities are being given to students to demonstrate deeper understanding of subject/grade level content at the different performance levels.
Family Score Reports Interpretive Guides are designed to help families understand the content of the score reports and what the results mean for their student. The English version of the interpretive guides are located on the test portal. Translated Family Interpretive Guides are located on the Department’s website.
Student Readiness Toolkits are standards-based guides designed to help educators determine students are in their learning when starting the new school year. The toolkits include curriculum and assessment materials, which may help identify instructional gaps and determine instructional priorities. These toolkits may also help parents become familiar with some of the curriculum, instruction and assessment resources that may be used in the classroom to help support students.
How should the Toolkits be used?
Understanding the level of knowledge acquisition and understanding for each student is important for teachers and schools. This understanding can inform instructional practices and the structure of the learning experience for students. The following are some of the ways the toolkits can be used:
Data-informed continuous improvement
Most schools and districts already have data-informed continuous improvement processes in place, either through deep engagement in the Ohio Improvement Process or through similar improvement frameworks. These supports could be integrated in Teacher-Based Teams (TBTs) or other collaborative planning approaches.
Instruction and standards
The Gap Analysis should be used as a tool for teachers to determine the needs of individual students or to determine the needs for small group work. It should be used with other resources such as the Learning Progressions, Critical Areas of Focus, and Model Curriculum to plan for instruction.
Assessment support
Most schools have vendor-based or district-created assessment systems. To complement those tools, the Department has created additional assessment supports to help teachers gain understanding about each child's knowledge, skills, abilities, and learning needs. Data collected by teachers from the assessments can help monitor student progress toward the achievement of Ohio's Learning Standards.
Effective Planning
The toolkits provide educators with resources that are tightly aligned to Ohio’s Learning Standards. These resources are targeted to meet the needs of students and to provide educators with data to determine and plan instructional priorities.
Additional Resources for Each Subject Area
