Technical Information for State Tests

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction's Accountability Services Division designs and manages statewide assessments that are administered to students enrolled in public and charter schools in grades 3–12. These assessments serve several purposes for the schools, the state, and federal guidelines. The following outlines essential technical evidence that ensure the design, development, and uses of state assessments are valid.

Technical Information

Test Specifications

Reading

Mathematics

Science

End-of-Grade Grades 5 and 8 Science and End-of-Course Biology

Test Development Process

Item, Selection and Form Development

Technical Reports

Standard Setting Resources and Reports

Mathematics Standard Setting Training Presentations for Edition 5 EOG/EOC and Edition 4 NCEXTEND1

North Carolina 2019 EOG/EOC Standard Setting Training for Mathematics (DRC; July 8-11, 2019)
North Carolina 2019 NCEXTEND1 Standard Setting Training for Mathematics (DRC; July 8-11, 2019)

Standard Setting Reports

Standard Setting for the End-of-Course and End-of-Grade Assessments: Executive Summary (Pearson; Aug. 24, 2013)
Standard Setting for the End-of-Course and End-of-Grade Assessments: Technical Report (Pearson; Oct. 8, 2013)
Standard Setting Report for the North Carolina NCEXTEND1 Assessments (Alpine Testing Solutions; Aug. 27, 2013)

Alignment Study Reports

End-of-Grade and End-of-Course Tests (November 2015)

In September, 2014 the NCDPI commissioned the Wisconsin Center for Education Research to conduct an in-depth, independent study of the alignment of the state’s newly developed end-of-grade (EOG) and end-of-course (EOC) assessments for mathematics, reading and science to the content standards. North Carolina hosted a content analysis workshop as part of the alignment study in January 2015 in Raleigh. Subject-based teams of content analysts were formed from active North Carolina teachers and other content specialists and trained to conduct independent analyses of assessment forms for mathematics, reading, and science for all assessed grades.

NCEXTEND1 Alternate Assessments (April 2016)

The Wisconsin Center for Education Research was commissioned to conduct an in-depth, independent study of the alignment of the state’s NCEXTEND1 alternate assessments for English language arts/reading and mathematics at grades 3-8, science at grades 5 and 8, and high school grade 10 English II, Math I and biology. The NCEXTEND1 alternate assessment, which is available for students with significant cognitive disabilities, is aligned to the North Carolina Extended Content Standards.

Achievement Level Descriptors

Mathematics

Achievement Level Ranges and Descriptors for Mathematics EOGs

Achievement Level Ranges and Descriptors for Mathematics EOCs

Achievement Level Ranges and Descriptors for Mathematics NCEXTEND1

Achievement Level Ranges and Descriptors for Grade 11 NCEXTEND1

English Language Arts

Achievement Level Ranges and Descriptors for ELA EOGs (Grade 3 will remain the same for 2020-21. Grades 4-8 will be updated after standard setting during the summer of 2021)

Achievement Level Ranges and Descriptors for ELA EOCs (Updated September 2020)

Achievement Level Ranges and Descriptors for ELA NCEXTEND1 (Not available until after standard setting, summer 2021)