Beginning-of-Grade 3 Practice Activity Fall 2013.

Beginning-of-Grade 3 Practice Activity

Fall 2013

Beginning-of-Grade 3 Practice Activity

• The NCDPI strongly recommends that every student participating in the beginning-of-grade 3 English Language Arts/Reading Test complete the practice activity before test day.

• Therefore, school systems must administer the grade 3 practice activity before test day.

Beginning-of-Grade 3 Practice Activity

General Information

• The practice activity is not a test.

• It allows students to become familiar with

o answering multiple-choice questions

o transferring answers from a test book to an answer sheet

o coding responses on an answer sheet

Beginning-of-Grade 3 Practice Activity

General Information

• The practice activity is designed to simulate the test administration and is to be administered in one day.

• The practice activity includes 15 multiple-choice English Language Arts/Reading items.

• There is no time limit for students to complete the practice activity, however the test is timed.

Beginning-of-Grade 3 Practice Activity

General Information

• The practice activity answer sheets are nonscannable and may be hand scored by the teacher.

• Students may write on blank paper and in the practice activity test book, but all final answers must be marked on the answer sheet.

• The only marks students should make on the answer sheet are answers to the test questions.

Beginning-of-Grade 3 Practice Activity

Coding Information on Student Answer Sheets

• Students will not bubble student information during the practice activity.

– Testing Department precoded answer sheets.

– Extras are provided for new students.

• Test coordinator/teacher must precode the answer sheets for new students.

Beginning-of-Grade 3 Practice Activity

Coding Information on Student Answer Sheets

• The following information should not be completed on the practice activity answer sheet (continued):

o Special Codes

o Absent from Makeup bubble

Beginning-of-Grade 3 Practice Activity

Practice Activity Materials (page 2)

• North Carolina Beginning-of-Grade 3 Practice Activity Teacher’s Guide

• An appropriate number of practice activity books and nonscannable practice activity answer sheets

• Blank paper

• Extra sharpened No.2 pencils with erasers

Beginning-of-Grade 3 Practice Activity

Answers to the Practice Activity

• Teachers who use the practice activity may elect to make a transparency of the answer key to check student responses on the nonscannable practice activity answer sheet.

• The answer key is located in the back of the Practice Activity Teacher’s Guide.

Beginning-of-Grade 3 Practice Activity

Answers to the Practice Activity

• After the practice activity has been completed, teachers may discuss the items with students.

• Students should be told that the content and difficulty of the practice items are not designed to be similar to the content and difficulty of items on the test.

• However, the format of the items on the practice activity is similar to that of the items on the test.

Beginning-of-Grade 3 Practice Activity

Practice Activity Schedule (page 2)

• The practice activity is completed with students on a day or days before the test administration.

• It must not be given the day of the test.

• Teachers may elect to talk to students about time limits and recording time on the board for the actual test.

• Proctors are not required, but are recommended to simulate an authentic testing setting.

Beginning-of-Grade 3 Practice Activity

Instructions for the Practice Activity (page 3)

• The teacher will explain to students that the practice activity will help them learn how to take the actual test.

• The teacher can help students with the questions on the practice activity, but will not be able to help with questions and answers on the test.

• The teacher will explain that there will be more questions on the actual test than on the practice activity.

Beginning-of-Grade 3 Practice Activity

Instructions for the Practice Activity (page 3)

• The teacher ensures that students have a sharpened No. 2 pencil.

• Teachers will distribute the correct answer sheet to each student.

• They will be asked to check their first and last name to be sure that the computer marked the correct information.

Beginning-of-Grade 3 Practice Activity

Instructions for the Practice Activity

• The teacher distributes the practice activity book and students are asked to write their first and last name on the blank line on the cover.

• Students will be told that the teacher is not allowed to read to students any part of the practice activity or the actual test.

• Students will answer two sample questions and complete the practice activity.