UNDERSTANDING THE CHANGES TO END OF GRADE TESTING IN NC

One of the most stressful events that your child will face in the coming year is testing. Not only are students given tests for classes, but they now also face a multitude of tests required by the state and federal government in order to demonstrate not only student progress, but also school accountability in providing an adequate level of instruction.

Of all the tests given, the most feared are often the North Carolina End-of-Grade tests, more commonly known as the EOGs. These tests are given to students in grades 3-8 in order to determine whether or not the child is prepared for learning at the next grade level. Information from these tests is used to assess remedial help needs and course level placement for the coming year.

Generally, students are tested in English/Language Arts and Mathematics in grades 3-8. In grades 5 and 8, students are also tested in science as well. Additional testing is done in grade 10 and End of Course tests are given at the high school level and are used differently than EOG tests.

Parents in NC are used to dealing with EOGs, but in the coming year, there are two significant changes that may change the game for EOG testing.

• Tests are now being aligned to Common Core Standards. Most authorities feel that this means that the tests will become more difficult this coming year. This means even more pressure on students and teachers as well. This also means that tests scores may drop in comparison to former years, so understand this change when your student brings home EOG test reports in the coming year.
• A new Achievement Level has been added to the EOG tests. In the past, results were posted at four achievement levels. If your student scored a level three or above, he or she was considered prepared for the course work of the next grade level. Under the new system adopted by the State Board of Education, level three is still the benchmark for grade level readiness. However, the new five-level system, which became effective in March 2014, evaluates not only preparation for grade level work, but also whether or not the student is on track to be prepared for college level classes as well. The breakdown is as follows:
  • Level 1 means the student has LIMITED understanding of the knowledge and skills necessary for grade level work and for college and career readiness expected for that grade level.

  • Level 2 means the student has PARTIAL understanding of the knowledge and skills necessary for grade level work and for college and career readiness expected for that grade level.

  • Level 3 means the student has SUFFICIENT understanding of the knowledge and skills necessary for grade level work but is NOT on track for college and career readiness expected for that grade level.

  • Level 4 means the student has SOLID understanding of the knowledge and skills necessary for grade level work and for college and career readiness expected for that grade level.

  • Level 5 means the student has SUPERIOR understanding of the knowledge and skills necessary for grade level work and for college and career readiness expected for that grade level.

Preparing your child for the new challenges that face them is important. Teachers do their best to prepare each child for the tests, but there is simply no way that they can give individual attention to each student. Parents, ultimately, are the ones responsible for seeing that their children are as prepared as possible for these challenges and, in our next blog, we will deal with some of the ways that parents and students can become better prepared for EOG tests.

In the meantime, if you have questions about where your student currently stands in regard to EOG tests, or how they be better prepared for the next one, feel free to contact us. We can help your child reach his full potential in the coming year.