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Performance Assessments and Local Alternative Assessments

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Using State-Developed Performance Assessments to Verify Credits in History and Social Science

Please visit the Assessment Resources section of the History and Social Science Instruction webpage for resources to be used in school divisions exercising the option to use state-developed performance assessments, in conjunction with local assessments, to confer locally awarded verified credits in history and social science. 

Using Local Performance Assessments to Verify Credits in Writing

Please visit the English, Reading, & Literacy Assessment Resources: Local Performance Assessments to Verify Credit in Writing for support materials to be used in school divisions exercising the option to use local performance assessments to verify credits in writing.

Performance Assessment

Performance assessment measures subject-matter proficiency, requires students to apply the content and skills they have learned, and should present opportunities for students to demonstrate acquisition of the “Five C’s” – critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration and citizenship – described in the Board of Education’s Profile of a Virginia Graduate. Performance assessment can be summative or formative in nature. A summative performance assessment evaluates student learning and skill acquisition at the conclusion of a unit, course, etc. A formative performance assessment determines student mastery of content and skills during instruction. As students learn new skills and content, they should be given multiple opportunities to demonstrate mastery through the use of performance tasks. Both summative and formative performance assessments allow teachers and students alike to identify content that has been mastered, misconceptions, and gaps in learning. The evidence gained through performance assessment may be used to guide future classroom instruction.

Information about new resources related to performance assessment will be posted on this page as it becomes available.

Local Alternative Assessments

The 2014 General Assembly eliminated Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments in Grade 3 History, Grade 3 Science, Grade 5 Writing, United States History to 1865, and United States History: 1865 to the Present. Additionally, the Assembly’s action required local school divisions to continue to teach the content and to measure student achievement with local alternative assessments, including authentic or performance assessments. School divisions must certify annually that they have provided instruction and administered an alternative assessment, consistent with Board of Education guidelines, to students in grades and subject areas that no longer have a corresponding SOL test.

Current guidance for continued implementation of local alternative assessments, approved by the Virginia Board of Education on July 27, 2023, is provided in the Guidelines for Local Alternative Assessments: 2023-2024 and Beyond. These guidelines recommend that school divisions use the integrated reading and writing component, which will be administered to all students as part of the Grade 5 SOL Reading test beginning in spring 2024, to fulfill the requirement that school divisions administer local alternative assessments for Grade 5 Writing . School divisions are to continue using the common rubrics, linked below in each content-specific section, when scoring student responses to performance assessments or performance tasks included among the local alternative assessments in these courses. Continued use of the Virginia Quality Criteria Tool for Performance Assessments is also encouraged.

Balanced Assessment Plans

School divisions are required to develop Balanced Assessment Plans for the content areas and courses requiring local alternative assessments. Implementation Support for Balanced Assessment Plans (Attachment B, Superintendent's Memo #214-21) clarifies the requirements for these plans and offers suggestions for consideration when developing these plans. Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, school divisions using the integrated reading and writing component of the Grade 5 Standards of Learning Reading test to fulfill the local alternative assessment requirement in Grade 5 Writing are not required to develop a Balanced Assessment Plan for this content area.

Content-Specific Information and Resources

English: Writing

Grade 5 Writing

Beginning in spring 2024, all students participating in the Grade 5 Reading SOL test will be administered an integrated reading and writing component. School divisions are encouraged to use this integrated reading and writing component to fulfill the local alternative assessment requirement in Grade 5 Writing. Divisions using this component in this manner will not be required to develop a Balanced Assessment Plan for Grade 5 Writing. Please note that it is not permitted to administer local alternative assessments for Grade 5 Writing in lieu of the Grade 5 Reading SOL test integrated reading and writing component.

Supports for Grade 5 Writing include:

  • Grade 5 Writing (Word) – rubrics based on the 2017 English Standards of Learning for use during instruction in the 2019-2020 school year and beyond
  • Upper Elementary Scoring Rubrics (Word) - scoring rubrics based on the 2017 English Standards of Learning to be used when scoring local alternative assessments. (Note: This document was previously named “Grade 5 Writing Scoring Rubric.” The name has been changed but other information in the document remains the same.) Beginning in spring 2024, this rubric will be used to score writing responses for the Grade 5 Reading SOL test integrated reading and writing component.
  • Menu of Grade 5 Writing Options (Word) - sample tasks based on the 2017 English Standards of Learning for use by school divisions when creating local alternative assessments
  • Understand Scoring - available for use during local training for focused holistic scoring. This online application provides information about scoring the Integrated Reading and Writing component of the Reading SOL assessments, which can be used to meet requirements for local alternative assessments in Grade 5 Writing. Scoring rubrics and anchor papers that illustrate each score point for Composing/Written Expression and Usage and Mechanics domains are provided to assist teachers in preparing students for Virginia's writing assessments.
  • Understand Scoring Presentation- PowerPoint presentation that may be used by divisions to assist with local training for scoring using Virginia's writing rubrics.

End-of-Course Writing

Support materials for the use of local performance assessments to verify credit in writing can be found on the English, Reading, & Literacy Assessment Resources page for Local Performance Assessments to Verify Credit in Writing.

History and Social Science

The resources provided are for use with the 2015 History and Social Science Standards of Learning.  Visit the Assessment Resources webpage for History & Social Science for additional performance assessment resources, including those for school divisions using state-developed performance assessments to verify credits in history and social science.

Grade 3 History, U.S. History to 1865, and U.S. History: 1865 to the Present

Local alternative assessments, including performance assessments, are to be administered in place of the eliminated Standards of Learning tests. A Balanced Assessment Plan is required. Appropriate testing conditions for the administration of local alternative assessments in Grade 3 History are determined by the local school division. Supports for these content courses include:

End-of-Course History and Social Science Courses

Mathematics

Performance assessment resources for mathematics are available to support teachers in implementing the 2016 Mathematics Standards of Learning. Teachers are encouraged to not only use these tasks with their students, but also to endeavor to implement them with fidelity by utilizing the detailed information provided in the task implementation templates. Please refer to the Rich Mathematical Tasks webpage for more information and linked resources provided for K-8, Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II. In addition to the tasks themselves, resources include a blank template, the Rich Mathematical Task Rubric (Word) to use for scoring, and the Planning for Remote Implementation of Rich Mathematical Tasks (Word) guidance.

Science

The resources provided are for use with the 2018 Science Standards of Learning.  Visit the Performance Assessment section of the Science Assessment Resources webpage for additional performance assessment resources. These include common rubrics for Scientific Investigation (K-2, 6-8, and 9-12) and sample performance assessments for grade 6 (Meaningful Watershed Education Experience) and Chemistry (Stoichiometry).

Grade 3 Science

Local alternative assessments, including performance assessments, are to be administered in place of the eliminated Standards of Learning test. A Balanced Assessment Plan is required. Appropriate testing conditions for the administration of local alternative assessments in Grade 3 Science are determined by the local school division. Supports for Grade 3 Science include:

Resources from VDOE for Any Content Area

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