8ht Grade
Standards-Based Assessment -
GEPA
The GEPA is the standards-based
assessment given to all New Jersey’s 8th grade students in March;
however, it assesses CPI expectations for the end of the 8th grade.
In addition, although it utilizes multiple-choice and open-ended questions,
which are evaluated with scoring rubrics, the state's reports do not provide this type
of differentiated feedback, nor an item analysis on how each student performs
on each assessed skill. Consequently, the ability to identify each student’s
strengths and weaknesses using this assessment is very limited.
The various subjects are reported as scale
scores that range from 100 to 300, and help identify various proficiency
levels of our students in each assessed subject. If the student is in the
"Advanced Proficient" or "Proficient" level, he/she has met the state standards
for that content area. A student needs to achieve a minimum score of 200
to achieve proficiency in that subject. On the other hand, scores below 200
are in the "Partially Proficient" level, which means that the student has
not met the state's minimum level of proficiency in that subject. Clearly,
on a global level, the proficiency level in LAL, Math, & Science can
identify strengths and weaknesses.
In addition, each student’s
Individual Student’s Report (ISR) allows for a cluster analysis for each
subject. Each subject (Language Arts Literacy, Math, & Science) has subtotals
for all the clusters of skills that make up that subject.
|
Subject |
Cluster
Skills |
|
Language
Arts Literacy |
Writing
and Reading |
| Math | Number sense, operations, & properties; Spatial sense & geometry; Data analysis, probability, & discrete mathematics; Patterns & algebra |
| Science |
Chemistry, Earth science, Environmental science, Life Science, Mathematical applications, Nature & process of technology, Physics, Science & society, Scientific processes, Space science |
This section of the ISR
compares the student’s performance in each particular cluster skill to other
students who just achieved proficiency (score of 200) on the overall assessment.
Therefore, relative strengths and/or weaknesses may be cautiously identified
for students performing above &/or below this “Just Proficient Mean”
respectively. These relative strengths and weaknesses should be integrated
into RFAs, goals/objectives,
and classroom instructional activities. (For a more comprehensive analysis
of a student’s assessment results see the Example
of an analysis of Individual Student Report (ISR)
However, to get a true picture of each student’s strengths and weaknesses in the general education curriculum his/her scores on GEPA must be supplemented with class work, homework, teacher-made tests, district wide assessments, and the GEPA practice test discussed above, and the Cumulative Progress Indicators, which specify the expectations by the end of the 8th grade on learning New Jersey’s Core Curriculum Content Standards (CCCS):
|
8th Grade - GEPA |