With the passage of SB 00-186, the Colorado Student Assessment
Program now includes assessments in reading and writing in
grades 3 through 10, assessments in mathematics in grades
5 through 10, and a science assessment at grade 8.
Below are links for the assessment frameworks in reading,
writing, and mathematics for grades 3 - 10. The assessment
frameworks list the knowledge and skills that will be assessed
by CSAP at each grade level. They are not intended to be a
new set of standards, but rather, a guide for test construction.
The introduction attached to each assessment framework provides
more detail about the relationship between the Colorado Model
Content Standards, the suggested grade level expectations,
and the assessment frameworks.
The Colorado Model Content Standards represent the fundamental
knowledge and skills that Coloradoans expect students to possess
at various intervals throughout their educational careers.
These documents were developed with the help of thousands
of Coloradoans over the course of two years. The Colorado
Model Content Standards form the basis for the standards-based
education movement in Colorado.
The Suggested Grade Level Expectations were derived from
the Colorado Model Content Standards. They help define the
knowledge and skills expected of students at each grade level
as opposed to during grade ranges such as K-4. They were not
as extensively reviewed as the Colorado Model Content Standards,
and they were not developed to inform test construction.
The assessment frameworks are derived from the Colorado Model
Content Standards as well. They define what can be assessed
at each grade level by one particular assessment (CSAP). Because
the CSAPs are limited to selected-response and constructed-response
items, the framework is more limited in scope. The assessment
frameworks are not intended to be a new set of standards,
but rather, a guide for test construction.
Merit’s language arts and math software programs correlate
Colorado Model Content Standards and can help students prepare
for the CSAP. The content and format of Merit’s programs
can help students develop and strengthen their test-taking
skills as well as their reading, writing and math skills.
Merit reading software has been proven -- through rigorous,
scientifically based research -- to increase both student
reading comprehension and standardized test scores. Merit
research study findings reveal that education software is
an effective tool to improve test scores and academic performance.
Published: May 2005 |
