New Mexico Fact Sheet: Features of the Assessment System

New Mexico Standards-based Assessment (NMSBA) - Grades 3-9

1. Test Window: February 28 - March 25 (now 4 weeks)

2. Estimated Cost to Districts - $30 per student

3. Customized Assessment - items field-tested on New Mexico students

4. Grade Levels 3-9

5. Content Areas Tested:

• Reading - Standards I & II, most benchmarks, grades 3-9
• Writing - Standard II: includes planning, drafting & revision grades 4 and above; grade 3 has paragraph writing and convention items (pending final contract agreements)
• Mathematics - All strands, content standards, & benchmarks, grades 3-9
• Science - All strands, content standards & benchmarks, grades 3-9

6. Criterion-referenced (CRT) scores:

• Scale scores & performance levels for Reading, Mathematics, & Science
• 'Diagnostic' scores reported at the benchmark level for all content areas
• No norm-referenced scores

7. English & Spanish versions, all grades, all content areas

8. Test Design:

• One core set of CRT items
• 30% of items refreshed annually, so multiple forms designed to field-test new items
• 4 forms per grade, spiraled (mixed) in shrink-wrapped packages of 10 test booklets
• Form A used with students who will receive accommodations
• Each test booklet has unique ID number for security and ease of tracking

9. Test Format

• Grade 3 has a single consumable test booklet
• Grades 4 and above have a single test booklet and a single student answer booklet

10. Student pre-ID (barcode) labels will be provided for all students

11. Assessment Frameworks documents showing which benchmarks and/or performance standards are eligible for inclusion on the assessments and which are not measurable using a paper-and-pencil test will be posted on PED website in early September (Benchmarks and performance standards not included on the tests need to be assessed locally.)

12. A second version of the Assessment Frameworks that include sample items for all content areas will be posted to the PED website as soon as the sample items are finalized.

13. Assessment Maps showing the percentage of coverage each benchmark contributes to the total coverage of each subtest, the total number of items in each subtest, and the ratio of multiple-choice to open-ended items for each subtest will be provided and posted on the PED website as soon as the Test Specifications are finalized. Suggested testing times for planning purposed will also be provided.

14. A series of regional curriculum-oriented Professional Development workshops are being planned throughout the state beginning in October, focusing on how to help students prepare for the new assessments. A schedule and content outline will be provided in the September District Test Coordinator workshops and posted on the PED website in mid-September.

15. Informative, user-friendly reported will be provided by GROW network, including Lexicle score for individual students to help parents and teachers identify appropriate reading materials for students.

16. Several public relations initiatives are occurring, including mailings to parents and the development of a PR toolkit for district use.

New Mexico High School Standards Assessment (NMHSSA) - Grade 11

1. Test Window: February 29 - March 11

2. Estimated cost per student - $44 per student

3. A criterion-referenced test; items field-tested on New Mexico students

4. A content of the Reading and Mathematics subtests are being expanded to provide full coverage of the standards, closely aligned with coverage of the grade 9 test

5. English-only edition

6. The new Assessment Frameworks and Assessment Maps will be posted on the PED website beginning August 31. A second version with linked sample items will follow when available.

7. The Stanford 10 (Abbreviated edition; multiple-choice items per sub-test) may be administered as a separate piece in Spring 2005 to establish a continuous, vertical scale for grades 3-9 plus 11.

New Mexico High School Competency Exam (NMHSCE) - Grade 10

At this time, there are no changes to the New Mexico High School Competency Examination. Cost - $23 for English; $25 for Spanish.