NC Check-Ins NC Math 1 and NC Math 3 Specifications

NC Check-Ins 2.0

NC Math 1 and NC Math 3 Mathematics Specifications 

Purpose and Overview

NC Check-Ins 2.0 are interim assessments aligned to North Carolina content standards in mathematics for NC Math 1 and NC Math 3 and are developed by The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI). There are two NC Check-Ins 2.0 that can be administered in both the yearlong and semester format. Each NC Check-In 2.0 focuses on a selected subset of course-level content standards.

The main purpose of NC Check-Ins 2.0 is to provide students, teachers, and parents with immediate in-depth action-data and a reliable estimate of students’ current performance on the selected subset of content standards. A secondary purpose is derived from NC Check-Ins 2.0s’ strong relationship with course-level end-of-course (EOC) summative assessments. Both EOCs and NC Check-Ins 2.0 share a common item bank, and performance on the NC Check-Ins 2.0 serves as an early indicator of a student’s level of preparedness for the EOC summative assessment.

The NCDPI does not have validity evidence to support using results from NC Check-Ins 2.0 as a predictor of student performance on the EOC summative assessment. Even though there is evidence of a significant correlation between scores from NC Check-Ins 2.0 and EOCs, this correlation evidence by itself does not signify prediction. The overall value of NC Check-Ins 2.0 is the use of in-depth action-data for formative purposes throughout the year to help students and teachers adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students’ achievement of intended instructional outcomes.

Content Specifications 

• The NC Check-Ins 2.0 are aligned to the NC Standard Course of Study (NCSCOS) for Mathematics, adopted by the North Carolina State Board of Education in June 2017.
• The NCSCOS may be reviewed by visiting the NCDPI/Academic Standards for Mathematics webpage.
• For NC Math 1, assessment specifications meetings were held in June 2019. The NCDPI/Test Development Section collaborated with a panel of North Carolina teachers and educators to develop recommendations for the content standards to be assessed (see Table 1). For each recommended content standard, panelists provided input on the relative importance of the standard, the anticipated instructional time for the standard, and the appropriateness of the standard for different question types.
• For NC Math 3, a statewide survey was used March 2022 to gather feedback to guide recommended groupings of content standards (see Table 2). For each recommended content standard, respondents provided input on the relative importance of the standard and the anticipated instructional time for the standard. The NCDPI Office of Accountability and Testing /Test Development Section collaborated with mathematics content staff from the Academic Standards Section at NCDPI and Technical Outreach for Public Schools (TOPS) at North Carolina State University to review feedback and summarize groupings. 
• The following content specifications are for test development purposes only and are not presented as a mandated pacing guide. The delivery of curriculum and instruction is a local decision; therefore, it is the expectation that some schools will not have covered all areas in all standards assessed in any one NC Check-In 2.0. 
• Data from content standards that have not been taught should be used as pre-test data. 
• All of the standards have connections to other NC Math 1 and NC Math 3 standards and may incorporate those skills as well. 

Table 1. Content specifications NC Check-Ins 2.0 NC Math 1

Table 2. Content specifications NC Check-Ins 2.0 NC Math 3

NC Check-Ins 2.0 Format

The NC Check-Ins 2.0 are online resources with twenty-six total questions each. Both mathematics interims for each course will include four-option multiple-choice questions, open-ended numeric response questions, and technology-enhanced questions. For NC Math 1, the NC Check-Ins 2.0 will have calculator inactive and calculator active sections. For NC Math 3, the NC Check-Ins 2.0 will have only calculator active items.

Administration and Review

To accommodate local control of curriculum, the NCDPI will offer a flexible administration and review window for all interims that will open the first week of September and close the end of May. Public school units (PSUs) may choose to administer interims in the order that best aligns with their curriculum. The NCDPI recommends one interim administration per quarter. 

Proctors are not recommended for the administration of interims. The interims are not timed; however, the estimated time for most students to complete a twenty-six-item interim is about ninety minutes. Schools have the option to administer the interims in one school day or over multiple school days. For multiple school days, the total administration time can be divided into mini sessions.

The interim item-review window for teachers will also be available from the first week of September to the end of May. Teachers may access interim forms after administration so they can conduct formative reviews with their students. The main purpose of these interims is to provide reliable formative data on course-level-specific content standards so teachers may adjust instruction. Previewing or disclosing interim content to students before an administration may result in an invalid interpretation about student performance on course-level-specific content standards.

Some schools may not have completed the entire scope for all standards assessed in a NC Check-In 2.0 before the administration.