[Ccade] Fwd: Illinois on APT and edTPA

[Zionts, Paul]

FYI


Begin forwarded message:

From: Beverley Holden Johns <bevjohns at juno.com<mailto:bevjohns at juno.com>>
Date: December 1, 2014 at 6:06:28 AM CST
To: <spedpro at virginia.edu<mailto:spedpro at virginia.edu>>
Subject: Illinois on APT and edTPA

ISBE has just called a Special Board Meeting for 8 AM
on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2014. One of the Agenda items
is to set the Passing Score for the APT (see below).

ILLINOIS STATE BOARD of EDUCATION MEETING
December 2, 2014

TO: Illinois State Board of Education
FROM: Christopher A. Koch, Ed.D., State Superintendent of Schools
Susie Morrison, Deputy Superintendent/Chief Education Officer

Agenda Topic: Passing Scores for the Illinois Licensure Testing System (ILTS)
Assessment of Professional Teaching (APT) 188

Materials: Appendix A
Staff Contact(s): Jason Helfer, Assistant Superintendent, Center for Educator
Effectiveness

Purpose of Agenda Item(s)
The purpose of this agenda item is to approve the passing score for the Assessment of
Professional Teaching (APT) 188 Pre K- Grade 12.

Relationship to Implications for the State Board’s Strategic Plan
The setting of a passing score supports Goal 2, ensuring that every student will be
supported by highly prepared and effective teachers and school leaders.

In order to ensure Goal 2 of the State Board’s strategic plan is met, candidates in teacher preparation programs are required to successfully complete a series of licensure exams assessing candidate knowledge on content and pedagogy. A content test must be successfully completed prior to student teaching and the APT, which focuses on
pedagogical practice, must be completed during student teaching. These tests provide
assurance that, prior to licensure, educators have demonstrated a level of mastery of the content necessary to begin a career as a teacher.

Background Information
The Assessment of Professional Teaching consists of multiple choice items and two
constructed responses. The exam focuses on pedagogical practices such as
assessment, classroom management, cultural competency, differentiation, and literacy.

The APT 188 replaces the four original APT tests: 101 Early Childhood, 102 Elementary,
103 Secondary and 104 Special (K-12).

The standards on which this assessment is based are contained in 23 Illinois
Administrative Rule Part 24. The standards were revised in 2010 and preparation
programs were allowed sufficient time to align their programs to the revised standards.

On October 16-17, 2014, a panel of twelve Illinois educators participated in a passing score review conference. Evaluation Systems, the Illinois Licensure Testing System (ILTS) testing contractor, provided training in the passing score recommendation process. Panelists were first instructed on the expectations of the “Just Acceptably Qualified Candidate” (JAQC).

Panelists were provided with detailed descriptors of “JAQC” and were asked to refer to the descriptors several times throughout the one-and-a-half day conference.

The Just Acceptably Qualified Candidate (JAQC)—Assessment of Professional Teaching (APT) Pre K- Grade 12 is defined as a candidate who has the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to utilize pedagogical practices to ensure student learning, including but not limited to the following:

  *   Knows how to create a safe instructional environment to maximize student

learning for all students;

  *   Designs instruction based on in-depth content knowledge, diverse student

characteristics, student performance data, curriculum goals, and the
community context;

  *   Differentiates instruction using a variety of strategies that support critical and

creative thinking, problem-solving, and continuous growth and learning;

  *   Recognizes and addresses student reading, writing, and oral communication

needs to facilitate the acquisition of content knowledge;

  *   Works as a team member who demonstrates professionalism when working

with peers and communicating with students, parents or guardians, and
community members.

The 1.5 day meeting held in Springfield, Illinois, included a simulated test taking activity where panel members reviewed and answered the scorable items on the first operational test form for this test. Panelists were then provided orientation and training for three rounds of standard setting judgments for both the multiple choice and constructed response items for the test.

A modified Angoff standard-setting model was used for establishing the recommended raw passing scores. This standard-setting model conforms to accepted industry practice and is used by the State Board of Education in establishing passing scores for all licensure tests.

The method relies on raters estimating the difficulty of each item for a hypothetical group
of minimally competent or (just acceptably qualified) examinees. Raters are asked to
estimate the percent of just acceptably qualified examinees who would get each item
Each rater's estimated passing standard for the total test is then calculated by combining their estimates for each individual item. As a final step, each panelist then has an opportunity to make a total test score recommendation based on the calculation of his or her individual item estimates. The median of all panelists’ final test score
recommendations is then presented as the overall panel-based cut score
Evaluation Systems provided the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) with a data report that included tables with the panel-based passing score recommendations.

Evaluation
Systems also provided Standard Error of Measurement (SEM) adjustments to the panel,
based on passing score recommendations. The Preliminary Pass Rate Analysis includes performance data of 313 examinees. (See Appendix A)

On November 7, 2014, the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board (SEPLB)
approved the panel recommendation for the APT 188 cut scores.

Expected Outcome(s) of Agenda Item: It is expected that the Board will approve the
recommended cut scores for the APT 188 exam.

Analysis and Implications for Policy, Budget, Legislative Action and Communications
Policy Implications: Approving the cut score will ensure that the APT 188 exam, which
costs $135, is aligned with the 2013 Illinois Professional Teaching Standards (IPTS) (23
Illinois Administrative Code 24). All institutions of higher education with approved educator preparation programs submitted evidence of program alignment with the 2013 IPTS in December 2013.

Additionally, beginning September 1, 2015, the edTPA will be required for licensure. The
edTPA is a performance-based assessment whereas the APT 188 examines similar
understandings through multiple choice questions and two constructed response items.

Since the edTPA provides evidence of “real time” practice and has been aligned with the
IPTS, the APT 188 will be redundant. Thus, the Agency is considering modifying portions 23 Administrative Code 25 that identifies the APT requirement as a condition of initial licensure. Assuming that this occurs, a candidate in a teacher preparation program would be responsible for the successful completion of the following exams: Test of Basic Skills ($135) or ACT ($54.50) or SAT ($52.50), a content test ($135), and the edTPA ($300).

Budget Implications: None
Legislative Action: None
Communications: Information regarding the new cut score will be communicated with
the field.
Pros and Cons of Various Actions:
The APT 188 exam, required for licensure, was released in September 2014. Since that time, over 1000 candidates have completed the exam. Until a cut score is approved, those candidates who have completed the APT 188 will not be entitled for licensure.

Superintendent’s Recommendations:
The Superintendent recommends the following motion be adopted:
The State Board of Education hereby approves the passing scores for the
Assessment of Professional Teaching Pre K-Grade 12 188.

Next Steps:
ISBE staff will provide information concerning the cut score to institutions of higher

Appendix A lllinois Licensure Testing System (ILTS)
Illinois Standard Setting-October 2014

Preliminary Pass Rate AnaEysis
Test Administrations.. September 8-20,2014
Field: 188Assessment of Professional Teaching (APlJ he-K - Grade 12
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