End of Course Exam (EOC) for 11th Grade United States History

An Introduction

Why an End of Course Exam in U.S. History ? Senior high school U.S. History is a

mandated course for high school graduation. Senior high school U.S. History has a large

enrollment in the state of Florida. Florida legislators recognized the importance

of U.S. History education for students.

On what is the U.S. History End of Course Exam based? Based on Florida’s Next Generation Standards for

Social Studies, Grades 9-12, American History Standards (covering Civil War and Reconstruction through the present).

Questions based on historical documents will be included.

EOC exam questions are written on the low, moderate, or high complexity level (see slide on complexity levels).

EOC exam questions are based on 18 American History Content Benchmarks and 1 American History Skill Benchmark (see slide on Test Blue Print).

In what format are the questions presented and how with the test be administered? The questions are strictly multiple choice (see

sample question slides). The test will be administered entirely via

computer, except for students with pertinent IEPs or 504 plans.

What is the timeline for implementing the End of Course Exam in U.S. History? Academic Year:

2011-2012: Field Tested 2012-2013: Base Line Established 2013-2014: Standard Setting

How will the EOC assessment be utilized? No final decision has been made by the

Florida Department of Education as to how the EOC assessment will be utilized. Nothing on this question was included in the original legislation which mandated the creation of an End of Course Exam for U.S. History.

Possible Uses of Assessment

Possible uses COULD INCLUDE one of the following: Used as an accountability piece to evaluate student

performance in the Race to the Top initiative; Used as an accountability piece to evaluate teacher

performance in the Race to the Top initiative; Used as an accountability piece to become a small part

in the final calculation of a school grade; Used as a tool that a history teacher could use as a

component of a final course examination; and/or Used as an exit level examination students would have

to earn a certain score to receive credit in the course.

Which students will actually be assessed by the examination? Students in regular American History (course code 2100310) and

honors American History (course code 2100320) will be assessed by the EOC exam for U.S. History.

Inclusion of other students (e.g., AP U.S. History, A.I.C.E. U.S. History, and American History IB) has not been determined.

It is imperative that when planning for instruction for the regular American History and honors American History courses, teachers strictly follow the Pacing Guides for U.S. History, which are based on the NGSSS-SS and available on the District’s Social Studies website: http://socialsciences.dadeschools.net/

All other U.S. History courses at the senior high level should follow the content guides approved by the organizations for those courses (e.g., the College Board for AP courses).

Next Generation Standards for Social Studies are based on Depth of Knowledge. What is Depth of Knowledge?

EOC Exam - Percentage of Questions per Cognitive Level of Complexity Low Cognitive Complexity Questions:

20% - 30 % Moderate Cognitive Complexity Questions:

45%-65% High Cognitive Complexity Questions:

15% - 25%

What are some examples of Complexity Level Questions for U.S History?

Sample EOC Multiple Choice Questions for Senior High School U.S. History- Low Cognitive Complexity Level

Answer = C

Sample EOC Multiple Choice Questions for Senior High School U.S. History- Moderate Cognitive Complexity Level

Answer = B

Sample EOC Multiple Choice Questions for Senior High School U.S. History- High Cognitive Complexity Level

Answer = B

EOC Test Blueprint- 18 content benchmarks, 1 skill benchmark, 52 MC Items

Information taken from….

Dr. Randy Felton, Social Studies Coordinator, Test Development Center, FLDOE

feltonr@leonschools.net.

District Resources to Assist in EOC Exam Preparation The District’s senior high school U.S. History Pacing

Guide should be the driving force for instruction in order to address the NGSSS-SS Benchmarks.

EOC Exam Benchmarks that are of a content nature are highlighted in RED in the Pacing Guide.

EOC Exam Benchmarks that emphasize a skill are highlighted in GREEN in the Pacing Guide.

Links to lesson plans that support the teaching of the EOC Exam Benchmarks are highlighted in yellow in the Pacing Guide.

Sample Pacing Guide Page- Screen Shot RED = EOC EXAM CONTENT

BENCHMARK

YELLOW = EOC EXAM BENCHMARK LESSON PLAN

LINK

GREEN = EOC EXAM SKILL BENCHMARK

District Resources to Assist in EOC Exam Preparation The Division of Social Sciences, with assistance from several

talented teachers across the District, has produced stand alone lesson plans for each content Benchmark that will be tested on the U.S. History EOC exam.

Each lesson contains the following: A detailed lesson plan with steps to deliver instruction; all

readings, attachments, graphic organizers, etc., needed to effectively teach the material; a home learning assignment; and a 15-20 question multiple choice assessment that can be used as both a pre- and post-test to track student learning gains in mastering the benchmark.

Links to the lesson plans are found in the Pacing Guides and highlighted in yellow

Edusoft Exams

In addition to the lesson plans with matching assessments, teachers can access exams per 9 week grading period to be used as a pre-and post-test measurement of student knowledge of the tested Benchmarks that should be covered for that particular 9 week grading period.

To find these exams, log in to Edusoft, find “District Exams,” and click on the file “Senior High School U.S. History.”

Questions

Please contact the Division of Social Sciences and Life Skills at (305) 995-1982 should you need additional information or have questions regarding this information.