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Technical Information

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

  • Beginning-of-Grade 3 Reading Test 
  • Read to Achieve Test at Grade 3 
  • End-of-Grade Grades 3–8 Reading
  • End-of-Course NC English II

Mathematics

  • End-of-Grade Grades 3–8 Mathematics
  • NCEXTEND1 Grades 3–8 Mathematics 
  • End-of-Course NC Math 1 and NC Math 3
  • NCEXTEND1 NC Math 1 

Science

  • End-of-Course Biology
  • End-of-Grade Grades 5 and 8 Science
Test Development Process

Item, Selection and Form Development

Technical Reports
  • Technical Report for End-of-Grade Mathematics and End-of-Course Math I 2018–19 (Edition 5)

    • Appendix 9-B North Carolina Quantile Linking Report by MetaMetrics
  • Technical Report for End-of-Grade English Language Arts/Reading and End-of-Course English II Assessments 2012–2015  (Edition 4)
  • Technical Report for End-of-Grade Science and End-of-Course Biology Assessments 2012–2015 (Edition 4)
  • Technical Report for NCEXTEND1 Alternate Assessments Edition 3 Grades 3–8 and 10 2012–2015 (Edition 3)
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.

  • Report on Alignment Characteristics of State Assessment Instruments Covering Grades 3–8, and High School in Mathematics, Reading and Science (includes Appendices A-B) 
  • Appendix C: Coding Procedures for Curriculum Content Analyses 
  • Appendix D: Mathematics Content Viewer 
  • Appendix E: Reading Content Viewer 
  • Appendix F: Science Content Viewer

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.

  • Report on Alignment Characteristics of the NCEXTEND1 Alternate Assessment Instruments: English language arts and mathematics at grades 3–8, science at grades 5 and 8, and high school grade 10 English II, Math I and biology (includes Appendices A–B) 
  • Appendix C: Coding Procedures for Curriculum Content Analyses 
  • Appendix D: NCEXTEND1 Mathematics Content Viewer 
  • Appendix E: NCEXTEND1 Reading Content Viewer 
  • Appendix F: NCEXTEND1 Science Content Viewer 
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)

Read to Achieve

Achievement Level Ranges and Descriptors for Read to Achieve Test

Achievement Level Ranges and Descriptors for Read to Achieve Test (Spanish)

Science

Achievement Level Ranges and Descriptors for Science EOGs

Achievement Level Ranges and Descriptors for Biology EOC

Achievement Level Ranges and Descriptors for NCEXTEND1 *

*Standard Setting for NCEXTEND1 Science Grade 5, Science Grade 8, and Biology will occur Spring 2020

Interpretive Guides to the Score Reports
  • 2018–19 End-of-Grade Assessments of English Language Arts/Reading, Mathematics and Science
  • 2019–20 End-of-Course Assessments of English II, NC Math 1, NC Math 3, and Biology
  • 2018–19 NCEXTEND1 Alternate Assessments
White Papers and Technical Resources
  • Developmental Scale for North Carolina End-of-Grade/End-of-Course ELA/Reading and English II Tests, Fourth Edition (Pacific Metrics Corporation, Dec. 2, 2013)
  • Score Comparability: Paper-and-Pencil and Online Assessments (September 2015) This slide deck was shared at the annual LEA Test Coordinators Meeting on Sept. 16, 2015.

Related Content

School Accountability, Reporting, and Educator Performance

Testing and School Accountability

  • Lexile® and Quantile® Measures
  • Local Testing
  • School Accountability and Reporting
  • State Tests
  • Technical Information
  • Testing, Policy, and Operations

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