The following frequently asked questions have been developed by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction to assist public school units in the statewide implementation of the North Carolina Personalized Assessment Tool (NCPAT) end-of-grade (EOG) tests at grades 4, 5, 7, and 8 in reading and mathematics in the 2023–24 school year.
General Information
1. What is the NCPAT system?
The NCPAT system is a through-grade assessment system comprised of an interim component, NC Check-Ins 2.0, to inform instruction during the school year and a multistage adaptive EOG component administered at the end of the year.
2. Which grades will administer the multistage adaptive EOG tests in the 2023–24 school year?
The multistage adaptive EOG tests in reading and mathematics will be administered statewide in grades 4, 5, 7, and 8 in the 2023–24 school year.
3. What are the purposes of the NCPAT system?
The purposes of the NCPAT system are to provide student performance information throughout the school year, to inform instruction, and to provide more equitable access to the EOGs for all students. The system design is in response to consistent feedback for several years that (1) EOGs do not give administrators, teachers, parents, and students information on what students know in a timeframe that allows for additional instruction and (2) current EOGs are not accessible, especially for students at the lowest performance level.
4. Why is the NCPAT system being implemented statewide in the 2023–24 school year?
After four years of developing and designing the system, a voluntary set of schools participated in the NCPAT pilot for grades 4 and 7 in reading and mathematics in the spring of 2023. The results from the pilot affirmed the technical requirements for transitioning to the multistage adaptive EOG, including comparability with the current EOGs.
5. Do the multistage adaptive EOGs meet the technical requirements for reliability and validity?
Yes, the multistage adaptive EOGs strengthen the reliabilities, particularly at the upper and lower range of the scale across all forms, as more items are exposed to students.
6. How has the claim that the technical properties and comparability requirements of the multistage adaptive EOG are consistent with the current EOGs and do not change expectations for students been confirmed?
The NCDPI psychometricians have collaborated with the UNC-Greensboro Office of Assessment, Evaluation, and Research and the North Carolina Technical Advisors (a group of nationally and internationally recognized testing and accountability experts) to ensure reliability, comparability, and the validity of the methodology for the form assignment based on NC Check-Ins 2.0. During the 4-year pilot, the NCDPI submitted annual reports to the U.S. Department of Education and the North Carolina General Assembly with documented evidence of each phase of the development of the NCPAT system.
7. How many forms will comprise the multistage EOG at each grade level and content area?
Each multistage adaptive EOG will have three forms. Students will be assigned to one of these three forms based on performance information gathered throughout the year from NC Check-Ins 2.0. Each form of the multistage adaptive EOG is designed with a range of items that are aligned to grade-level content standards and are most appropriate for students in that range. All forms of the multistage adaptive EOG will allow students to score at any of the four academic achievement levels (Not Proficient, Level 3, Level 4, and Level 5).
8. What is the benefit of using NC Check-Ins 2.0 to assign students’ test forms?
Using data from NC Check-Ins 2.0 allows students to benefit from the full range of measurement enhancements offered by the multistage adaptive design of the EOG. Students will be assigned to a form that allows for an improved testing experience by presenting a range of items to match their expected performance. However, the range of items on each form support students being able to achieve any of the four academic achievement levels.
9. What are the benefits of the multistage adaptive EOG system?
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Increase in the breadth and depth of items administered on the EOG without adding to the total items for each student.
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An improved test experience for all students, particularly those at the top and bottom end of the achievement scale, because each test form is designed to be adaptive for different ability ranges along the scale.
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A through-grade component that allows for a reliable connection between student performance and classroom activity throughout the year (The culmination of this process ends with the student’s end-of-year performance on the EOG.).
10. How many NC Check-Ins 2.0s are required to have sufficient data for assigning the students’ multistage adaptive EOG test forms?
Data from all students who complete at least two NC Check-Ins 2.0 will be used to assign them to any one of the three forms in the multistage adaptive EOG. If three interims have been administered by April 18, then the two highest NC Check-Ins scores will be used for form assignment.
11. Will students who completed NC Check-Ins 2.0 in a school other than the one where the multistage adaptive EOG is administered be assigned a form based on their NC Check-Ins 2.0 scores?
Yes, all students’ test scores for NC Check-Ins 2.0 will be used even if administered at multiple schools. However, all scores must be finalized in NCTest Admin by April 1 or by the date the test window scheduler opens for end-of-grade test administrations. For the 2023–24 school year, the test window scheduler opens April 18.
12. What happens if a student does not have data from at least two NC Check-Ins 2.0? Does this disadvantage a student?
Students without at least two NC Check-Ins 2.0 test scores are assigned a standard EOG equivalent form. It is not a disadvantage for any student because all students are assessed on the same content standards and measured on the same scale regardless of the test form administered.
13. What do the multistage adaptive EOGs measure and are they different from EOGs administered in the 2022–23 school year?
The multistage adaptive EOGs measure the same content standards as assessed on EOGs administered in the 2022–23 school year. The test blueprints, scale, academic achievement levels, and expectations for students have not been changed. The test format and number of items have not changed.
14. Does it take students more time to complete the multistage adaptive EOGs?
No, the number of items and test format are the same; the recommended administration time is the same.
15. Do students have an advantage or a disadvantage based on the multistage adaptive EOG form assigned?
No, all students, regardless of the multistage adaptive EOG form assigned can score anywhere on the full range of academic achievement levels.
16. Will participating in the NC Check-Ins 2.0 ensure students perform higher than previously on EOGs?
No, participating in any interim or benchmark test does not in and of itself ensure student learning will increase. The focus on the NCPAT system is classroom-level review of the NC Check-Ins 2.0 data to inform instruction. Using the information provided from this review may contribute to students’ learning the content standards and then improving their performance on the multistage adaptive EOG.
17. How do we access information on how to use the NC Check-Ins 2.0 data for improving or redirecting instruction?
The NCDPI developed two online training courses to provide teachers, coaches, and administrators opportunities to understand data literacy, data-driven decision-making, and practical data analysis. More information about these courses can be found at: NC Check-Ins 2.0 | NC DPI
18. Will the scores from the multistage adaptive EOG tests in reading and mathematics for grades 4, 5, 7, and 8 be used for school performance grades and other accountability reports in the 2023–24 school year?
Yes, all scores from the multistage adaptive EOG reading and mathematics tests in grades 4, 5, 7, and 8 will be used for school performance grades and other accountability reports in the 2023–24 school year.
19. Are science grades 5 and 8 and end-of-course (EOC) tests included in the NCPAT system?
NCPATs for science 5 and 8 and for EOC tests are not available. Discussions of the feasibility of developing these tests are occurring.
Test Administration
20. Do test coordinators need to provide any different information in the Test Window Scheduler for the reading and mathematics tests at grades 4, 5, 7, and 8?
No, with the statewide implementation of the NCPAT, there are no additional steps or processes required. The system will deliver the assessments as is typically done for EOG tests.
21. If students have not completed at least two NC-Check Ins 2.0, do they need to be manually enrolled for an EOG test?
No, all students will be assigned the appropriate form regardless of whether two NC Check-Ins 2.0 scores are available. Participation in NC Check-Ins 2.0 is not required.
22. What test administration guide will be used for the grades in the statewide implementation of the multistage adaptive EOGs?
Test administrators will use the End-of-Grade Test Administration Guide and scripts.
23. If a student scores Not Proficient on the multistage adaptive EOG test in reading or mathematics, will the student be able to participate in a locally approved summer program?
Yes, students who are Not Proficient may participate in the locally approved summer program.
Reporting
24. What academic achievement levels will be reported for students in the statewide implementation of the multistage adaptive EOG?
As with the previous year’s EOG tests, students’ final scores will be reported using the academic achievement levels (Not Proficient, Level 3, Level 4, and Level 5) set by the State Board of Education.
25. Will the reports for the multistage adaptive EOGs for grades 4, 5, 7, and 8 differ from the reporting for the EOGs for grades 3 and 6?
No, the reports will contain the same information for all grades. Because reporting will be available through an online platform, the information may be presented in a different format than traditional paper copies of reports (WinScan). However, the reports for the grades 3 and 6 EOGs will be provided in WinScan.
26. Is online reporting available with multistage adaptive EOGs?
Yes, for the statewide implementation of multistage adaptive EOG tests at grades 4, 5, 7, and 8 in the 2023–24 school year, an online reporting system is available. Tests administered for these grades will not be available in the WinScan application used for other tests.
27. Who has access to the online reports’ website?
PSU test coordinators will have access once testing begins. PSU test coordinators control the release of reports to the school and teacher level. Once reports are released by the PSU test coordinator, staff with teacher access, school report reviewer access, district report reviewer access, and school test coordinator access will have immediate access to the reports.
28. Will PSUs have the option to download reports with one click for all schools for Spring 2024 in the online reporting system?
No, PSUs will receive data through the accountability secure shell.
29. Will the online report releaser generate Individual Student Reports?
No, the Individual Student Reports are in a separate system.
30. What training is available for school-level staff on how to access reports within the new system?
PSU test coordinators will receive instructions on accessing the reports. PSU test coordinators can then train other staff on accessing the reports.
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