Hundreds of Missouri educators participated in the development
of the new Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs) for communication
arts, mathematics, science and social studies. The GLEs explicate
the Show-Me Standards, providing specific targets for instruction.
The Department is using the communication arts and mathematics
GLEs to develop these subject’s grade-level assessments
for 2006 and beyond.
To meet NCLB requirements, the Missouri Department of Education
is developing new grade-level assessments in communication
arts and mathematics and refining the existing tests for these
subjects to create an “expanded” system. The Department
will administer the complete set of communication arts and
mathematics assessments for the first time in the spring of
2006.
Although the new grade-level communication arts and mathematics
assessments will be shorter than the current grade-span tests,
they will be just as rigorous. The communication arts tests
for grades 3, 7 and 11 will continue to include multiple-choice
and constructed-response items as well as performance events,
while the tests for grades 4, 5, 6 and 8 will include only
multiple-choice and constructed-response items. Similarly,
the mathematics tests for grades 4, 8 and 10 will continue
to include multiple-choice and constructed-response items
as well as performance events, while the tests for grades
3, 5, 6 and 7 will include only multiple-choice and constructed-response
items.
Merit’s language arts and math software programs correlate
to the Show-Me Standards and can help students prepare for
the State assessments. 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: March 2005 |
