The Common Core Standards (CCS) have been adopted nationally by the vast majority of the states, thus far. To see if your state has,
click here. These new standards focus on critical thinking skills that incrementally build as a student progresses from grade K to 12. Anchor standards are consistent across all grade levels and progress logically by grade. So how does TestWiz support this effort?
TestWiz and the Common Core Standards Initiative
Phase in the New Common Core Standards - Gradually
Many districts are already starting to migrate to the new CCS. This transition will need to be complete by 2014, at which time students will officially be taught and assessed according to them. As your teachers gradually transition over to these standards, they will undoubtedly be working with both state and the Common Core set at the same time. TestWiz has the flexibility to manage both. It even makes it possible for you to convert assessments once aligned to the “old state standards” over to the new Common Core. You make the changes and the software automatically rescores your tests with the new standards.
Align Locally Created Formative Assessments with the Common Core Standards
Many districts assess students with locally created tests. This trend is only increasing with the focus on
Race to the Top. These assessments can be extremely valuable in providing information to educators for the purpose of targeting instruction. With TestWiz, you align your test items to the Common Core Standards by first selecting the standards and then marking the items that go with each standard. The standards themselves come pre-loaded. But you can add your own standards to what we call the “Standards Bank.”
Track Student and Class Performance on Anchor Standards
There is a multitude of ways that CCS aligned test data can be pulled through TestWiz. There is an Instructional Grouping Report that lists by standard the students who fall below a certain expected mastery level. TestWiz subscribers can further filter the data by a combination of cut scores, sub-groups, and even intervention details.
Create Tests Based on NWEA's Item Bank
Need some great, valid, and reliable test items? TestWiz has partnered with NWEA to provide an Item Bank of over 64,000 items. Questions for math and ELA are available for grades K-12 and for science in grades 3-12. Fully integrated into our assessment tool, users can create CCS aligned formative assessments and print teacher and student test booklets and custom student answer docs with the click of a few buttons. Test design and administration is quick and easy. And, educators can generate a wide array of reports and item analysis- all based on the Common Core Standards.
More >>
dataMetrics Software is an Endorsing Partner of the Common Core Standards
We are committed to supporting districts’ efforts as they transition to the Common Core Standards – by incorporating the standards into our software as a free option and by providing a reporting engine that can assist teachers in aligning their instruction to the new standards. For a list of National Endorsing Partners,
click here.
The Standards:
English Language Arts:
click hereMathematics:
click hereFor more information about the Common Core Standards:
click here