WHAT WILL THE CHANGES MEAN TO ADULT EDUCATION?

2 critical concerns for ABE/GED instructors:

a) get students to pass GED and prepare them for workforce and

higher education

b) improve digital literacy

3 areas for our focus today:

a) overview of changes-topics & item types

b) resources-lesson plans & websites

c) alignment of CCSS and 2014 GED test

WHAT WILL THE CHANGES MEAN TO ADULT EDUCATION?

During the 2014-15 school year, K-12 students will be assessed on CCSS;

the GED test will align to these.

Emphasis on DOK (Depth of Knowledge) rather than Bloom’s Taxonomy-

we need to teach skills that enable reasoning…refer to

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/educators/the-new-assessment-downloads

GEDTS has partnered with Pearson Vue-test will be solely computerized.

Test takers must be able to type 20 words/minute to be successful on the

Extended Response and Short Answer items …RIGOR!

MATHEMATICAL REASONING

The math portion of the test will focus on problem solving in 2 areas:

a) quantitative (45%) and b) algebraic (55%)

The skill groups will be aggregated into 4 reporting groups:

a) quantitative problems in rational numbers (25%)

b) quantitative problems in measurement (20%)

c) algebraic problem solving with linear equations and expressions (30%)

d) algebraic problem solving with graphs and functions (25%)

MATHEMATICAL REASONING

Approximately 30% of the GED test items will be aligned to a

mathematical practice standard in addition to a content indicator (NCTM)…

refer to http://www.nctm.org &

http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=9822&page=115

Here are the 5 practices:

a) Building solution pathways and lines of reasoning

1. search for and recognize entry points for solving a problem

2. plan a solution pathway or outline a line of reasoning

3. select the best solution pathway, according to given criteria

4. recognize and identify missing information that is required to solve a

problem

5. select the appropriate math technique to use in solving a problem

MATHEMATICAL REASONING

b) Abstracting problems

1. represent real world problems algebraically

2. represent real world problems visually

3. recognize the important attributes of a problem

c) Furthering lines of reasoning

1. build steps of a line of reasoning

2. complete the lines of reasoning of others

3. improve or correct a flawed line of reasoning

MATHEMATICAL REASONING

d) Mathematical fluency

1. manipulate and solve arithmetic expressions

2. transform and solve algebraic expressions

3. display data or algebraic expressions graphically

e) Evaluating reasoning and solution pathways

1. recognize flaws in others’ reasoning

2. recognize and use counterexamples

3. identify the information required to evaluate a line of reasoning

OUR GOAL IS TO HELP STUDENTS DEVELOP A PROCESS FOR APPROACHING PROBLEMS-ONE THEY WILL REMEMBER

MATHEMATICAL REASONING

Candidates will be provided with an online calculator, the TI-30XS.

View a calculator demonstration video at

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/educator/ticalc

Item types will include multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, drop-down, hot

spot, and drag-and-drop.

SCIENCE

The science test is expected to be more difficult for many students because

of the emphasis on eight science practices that focus on gleaning

information from scientific texts, reason with data representations, and

apply key scientific models, theories, and processes.

The 8 practices are:

a) Comprehending scientific presentations

b) Investigating design

c) Reasoning from data

d) Evaluating conclusions with evidence

SCIENCE

e) Working with findings

f) Expressing scientific information

g) Scientific theories

h) Probability and statistics

There are 3 broad science areas:

a) physical science (40%), b) life science (40%), and c) earth and

space science (20%)-the 41 subtopic areas reflect high-school-level

curricula and what is most relevant to adults. Content from these 3 areas

will focus on human health & living systems and energy & related

systems

SCIENCE

Like the 2002 test, the 2014 will not require test-takers to know science

content of facts beyond a broad knowledge of concepts. Our job as

teachers will be to teach how to do science.

Item types will include multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, short answer,

drag-and-drop, and hot spots.

SOCIAL STUDIES

The social studies test includes content from 97 sub-topics that are

aligned with one of the eleven new social studies practices. This is a huge

amount of content. The consistent thread: high level reasoning skills.

There will be four content domains: a) civics & government (50%), b)

United States history (20%), c) geography & the world (15%), and

economics (15%). Test-takers are expected to have broad familiarity with

the concepts.

SOCIAL STUDIES

Social Studies Core Practices:

a) Drawing conclusions and making inferences

b) Determining central ideas, hypotheses, & conclusions

c) Analyze events & ideas

d) Interpreting meaning of symbols, words, & phrases

e) Analyzing purpose & point of view

f) Integrating content presented in different ways

g) Evaluating reasoning & evidence

h) Analyzing relationships between texts

i) Writing analytic response to source texts

SOCIAL STUDIES

j) Reading & interpreting graphs, charts, & other data

k) Measuring the center of a statistical dataset

Three new skills have been added to the 2014 test: a) analyzing

relationships between texts, b) writing analytic responses to source texts,

& c) reading and interpreting graphs & charts.

The four content domains will be focused on 2 distinct themes:

development of modern liberties & democracy, and dynamic responses in

societal systems.

SOCIAL STUDIES

The social studies test will now have an extended response that will be 25

minutes in length. It will require the test-taker to analyze one or more

texts in order to produce a writing sample. The computer will score based

upon the following 3 traits:

a) first- how well does test-taker analyze arguments & gather evidence

from the source text so to support position?

b) second- how well developed & organized is the sample?

c) third- how well doe s the test-taker demonstrate conventions of Edited

American English?

SOCIAL STUDIES

Item types will include multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank/short answer,

drag-and-drop, hot spot, and extended response.

Stimulus materials may include brief text, maps, graphs, and tables,

drawn from “the Great American Conversation”, such as the Bill of Rights,

or from primary and secondary source documents such as political

speeches and commentaries.

REASONING THROUGH LANGUAGE ARTS (RLA)

The two biggest changes in language arts are the greater emphasis on

reasoning skills in the context of argumentative text and a new essay

requirement, called Extended Response, which requires the test-taker to

analyze one or more source texts to produce a writing.

Unlike the 2002 test, the 2014 exam will group ALL language arts under a

single test comprised of reading comprehension, writing, and language

convention & usage.

RLA

75% of the RLA will be informational texts-including nonfiction drawn

from science, social studies, and workplace documents.

We will need to change the reading content in our programs to

emphasize informational texts and include complex texts

Candidates will be asked to determine main ideas, points of view,

meanings of words & phrases, and inference & claims.

RLA

Compared to the 2002 test, the 2014 RLA exam will add the following

reasoning skills:

a) analyze how individuals, events, and ideas develop & interact over the

course of a text

b) analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences or

paragraphs relate to each other and the whole

c) determine author purpose & point of view, and how it is conveyed and

shapes the content & style of a text

d) evaluate the argument & specific claims in a text

e) analyze how 2 or more texts address similar themes

RLA

The Extended Response portion will present examinees with real-world

situations where they can demonstrate their ability to develop an

argument and support their ideas with text-based evidence (side-by-side

passages, one in the RLA and the other in Social Studies). There will no

longer be an expository prompt.

Test-takers will be evaluated (by the computer) on the following 3 traits:

a) analysis of argument & use of evidence, b) development of ideas &

structure, and c) clarity & command of standard English conventions.

RLA

Reading and writing programs need to be melded together, and writing must become an integral part of both science and social studies

curriculum.

Proficient keyboarding skills are now a must: follow web site navigation

prompts, use a mouse, open/close informational windows, use a scroll bar,

access item content on multiple pages via tabs, select answers on a

coordinate plane grid, type on a keyboard, understand what symbols are

allowed in short and long answer response, use backspace/delete keys,

select & move words, use editing tools, copy paste, use undo/redo, use

tracking tools, flag items, use drag & drop, use hot spots.

RLA

The Language Conventions and Usage section of the 2014 test will shift

from the multiple-choice selection used on the 2002 Series, to drop-down

menus for the answer choices.

It is my opinion that we should all be using

http://www.myskillstutor.com and Access 21st Century.

The district purchased these for all of us.

As with other test sections, item types will include multiple choice, fill-in-

the-blank, drag & drop, and drop-down. Extended Response is new.

A DESCRIPTION OF THE ITEM TYPES

Extended Response (ER) Item

ER allows test-takers to demonstrate their written communication skills

and analysis of text at a high DOK level by producing a writing sample in

response to a prompt. The 2 ERs will be in the RLA and the social studies

portion of the test. Response will be to textual source materials.

Short Answer (SA) Item

The science test will feature SA items that assess higher-level cognitive skills.

A short paragraph will be required in response to graphical and/or textual

stimuli.

A DESCRIPTION OF THE ITEM TYPES

Drag-and- Drop Item

Drag-and Drop items have 2 parts: drag tokens and drop targets. Test-takers

will be given several drag tokens which must be places on one or more

specified drop targets. This may be in response to sequencing, reordering,

graphing, mapping, etc.

Hot Spot Item

Hot Spot items typically contain a graphic with virtual “sensors” places

within key-locations of the graphic. The test-taker either clicks on the correct

sensor, or graphs a point onto it.

A DESCRIPTION OF THE ITEM TYPES

Drop-Down Item

Drop-Down items contain responses opportunities embedded directly within a

text. This will primarily be used to assess language skills. The test-taker will

have a text with 5-8 drop-down menus embedded within it.

Fill-in-the-Blank (FIB) Item

The test-taker will be required to supply a word, short phrase, or numerical

answer in response to an open-stem question.

A DESCRIPTION OF ITEM TYPES

Multiple Choice (MC) Item

MC items will continue to appear in all 4 content areas. Each MC will have 4

answer options-only one will be correct.

Item Scenarios

The math, science and social studies tests will feature item scenarios made of

a stimuli and 2-3 associated items. Stimuli may be a short text, graphic, or

combination of the two.

A DESCRIPTION OF ITEM TYPES AND SCORING

Discrete Item

The math, science, and social studies will also include discrete, or single

items, that may or may not have a stimulus embedded within them.

Scoring

Raw test scores will be converted to a score of 100-200 points on each test.

The minimum passing score for high school equivalency will be 150 on

each test, for a total of 600 for the battery. Where the 2002 test allowed

a passing score of 410, but requires a 450 to pass, there will now be one

single score.

DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE (DOK) LESSON GUIDE

Level 1: Recall-the student is able to recall facts & information

Activity Suggestions/Prompts

• recall or recognize a fact, term, definition, procedure, or property

• demonstrate a rote response

• use a well-known formula

• represent in words or diagrams a scientific or mathematical concept

• perform a routine procedure or set of steps

• identify, calculate, or measure

• make a timeline, chart

• write in your own words, or report to class

DOK LESSON GUIDE

• write a brief outline, explain the event, process, or story

• write a summary or paraphrase of an event

Level 2: Working with Skills and Concepts-the student is able to apply

skills and show understanding of underlying skills

Activity Suggestions/Prompts

• explain the relationship between facts, terms, properties, & variables

• describe examples & non-examples of concepts

• select a procedure and perform it

• formulate a routine problem given data & conditions

DOK LESSON GUIDE

• collect/display, organize, represent, & compare data

• make a decision as to how to approach a problem

• classify, organize, & estimate

• compare data & make observations

• interpret information from a simple graph

• construct a model by moving pieces to form a logical model

• choose from several explanations for the process in an activity & write an

explanation

• map the relationship of the concepts

• define the logical order of steps, or reorder the series

DOK LESSON GUIDE

Level 3: Strategic Thinking-the student exhibits deep knowledge using

reasoning, planning, & evidence; cognitive demands are complex &

abstract; questioning is multi-level & requires student to explain his/her

thinking

Activity Suggestions/Prompts

• use a Venn Diagram show compare/contrast

• design a flowchart

• classify concepts or events

• evaluate two sources of information

• interpret information from a complex graph

• use reasoning, planning, & evidence

DOK LESSON GUIDE

• explain thinking beyond a simple explanation by only a word or two

• justify a response when more than one option is available

• identify research questions

• use concepts to solve non-routine problems with more than one answer

• form conclusions from observed data

• complete a multi-step problem that involves planning & reasoning

• provide an explanation of a principle

• cite evidence and develop a logical argument for concepts

• conduct a designed investigation

DOK LESSON GUIDE

Level 4: Extended Thinking-the student must demonstrate complex

reasoning, experimental design, & planning

Activity Suggestions/Prompts

• Select or devise an approach among many alternatives to solve a problem

• Based on data from a complex experiment, deduce the fundamental

relationship between several controlled variables

• Conduct an investigation; analyze its data; form conclusions

• Relate ideas within the content areas

• Develop generalizations of the results obtained and the strategies used &

apply them to new problem situations

• Create graphs, tables, & charts w/out instructor help

LESSON PLAN DESIGN (REFER TO SAMPLES GIVEN)

I. Lesson Plan Title

II. Common Core State Standards (refer to website provided)

III. GED Assessment Targets

IV. Time

V. Objective (write this as an outcome that you expect from the students)

VI. Required Materials

VII. Anticipatory Set (activate student’s background knowledge-be motivating

& interesting-this is “the hook”) Try the following: brainstorm, share

real-life examples, pose a real-life problem or scenario

LESSON PLAN DESIGN (REFER TO SAMPLES GIVEN)

VIII. Instruction (relate to objective, involve student activity, build skills)

Try the following: think-pair-share, debate, “why” questioning, scenario

examination/case studies, Socratic questioning, group

compare/contrast, group examination of examples, group discussion,

diagrams, timeline, tables, & charts, pair & double-pair, evaluating

a text for examples, modeling a thought or process, build a close

reading, working w/manipulatives, stations, role-playing, questioning,

peer teaching

LESSON PLAN DESIGN (REFER TO SAMPLES GIVEN)

IX. Guided Practice (I do/we do/you do)

X. Application (student demonstrates proficiency of intended goal)

XI. Reflection (What have you done? What have you learned? How can you

XII. improve? What’s next?)

XII. Assessment

Start a binder by subject area;

save and file your lesson plans.

WEBSITES

Common Core Standards

http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards

GED Testing Services

www.gedts.org

2014 GED Test Webinar Archive

http://www.gedtestingservice.com/exploring-the-2014-ged-test-webinar-archive

www.myskillstutor.com

WEBSITES

Teacher Resources (membership option)

www.teachervision.com

www.edhelper.com

www.sharemylesson.com

NYC Department of Education Depth of Knowledge Website

http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/CommonCoreLibrary/ProfessionalLearning/DOK/default.htm

English Language Informational Text-Reading Professional Development Module

http://myboe.org/portal/default/Content/Viewer/Content?action=2&scld=306592

WEBSITES

Mathematics: Kindergarten through Twelve Standards for Mathematical

Practice Professional Development Module

http://myboe.org/portal/default/Content/Viewer/Content?action=2&scld=306591

Guide to the Common Core Standards: Kentucky Adult Education

http://www.teachersdomain.org/special/ccaded/

CCSS Presentations and Webinars

http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/cc/presentationswebinars.asp

WEBSITES

Hess’ Cognitive Rigor Matrix & Curricular Examples

for Math/Science and Reading/Writing

Math & Science

http://www.stancoe.org/SCOE/iss/common_core/overview/overview_depth_of_

knowledge/cognitive_rigor_matrix_math_science.pdf

Reading and Writing

http://www.stancoe.org/SCOE/iss/common_core/overview/overview_depth_of_

knowledge/cognitive_rigor_matrix_reading_writing.pdf

WEBSITES

GED 2014 Curriculum Blueprint

http://www.passged.com/media/pdf/educators/curriculum-blueprint.pdf

Writing and Conversational Prompts

http://iteslj.org/questions