State Testing

In 1991, Georgia law O.C.G.A., section 10-2-281 was passed, which requires the curriculum-based assessments be administered in grade 11 for graduation purposes.

The Department, together with Georgia Educators, developed and administered the English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies Tests in response to this law.  All students who entered ninth grade since July 1, 1994, must pass all five tests as one of the requirements for earning a high school diploma.  These requirements apply to all students, regardless of the types of diploma or diploma seal they are seeking.

 

There are two exit exams in the Language Arts area:

 

English Language Arts

 

Reading/Literature (47-49%) Items test students’ ability to read and respond to literature and other written material.  Skills include literal and inferential comprehension.  Also tested are such literary concepts as point of view, tone, figurative language, plot, and historical aspects of American literature.

 

Critical Thinking (37%-39%) Items test the use of thinking skills in English and other academic areas.  Examples include drawing conclusions, generalizing, recognizing fallacies, separating fact from opinion, and understanding logical relationships.

 

Writing/Usage/Grammar (14%-16%) Items test knowledge of grammar and mechanics of standard American English as well as levels of usage.  Other language/writing skills are assessed in the Writing test.

 

Writing

 

Students must write a persuasive essay on an assigned topic.  Their essay is read by at least two trained professionals who independently judge each essay on four qualities or “domains” of effective writing: content/organization, style, conventions of written language, and sentence formation.  In the overall score for an essay, content/organization counts for twice as much as the other three domains.

 

Domain 1:  Content/Organization.  The writer establishes the controlling idea through examples, illustrations, facts, or details.  There is evidence of a sense of order that is clear and relevant.

  • Response to assigned task
  • Clearly established controlling idea
  • Sufficiently relevant supporting ideas
  • Clearly developed supporting ideas
  • Clearly discernible order of presentation
  • Logical transitions and flow of ideas
  • Sense of completeness

 

 Domain 2:  Style.  The writer controls language to establish his or her individuality.

·        Effective diction

·        Varied and effective sentence structure

·        Tone consistent with topic and purpose

·        Sense of audience

 

End of Course Tests

 

Beginning in the spring of 2003, the state will begin administering End of Course Tests in Ninth Grade Literature & Composition & American Literature & Composition.  To find out more about these and the other state tests visit the state web site at:

 

Research, Evaluation, and Testing

1754 Twin Towers East

Atlanta, GA  30334

404-656-2668

http://www.doe.k12.ga.us

 

 

 

Local Testing

 

Core Challenge Testing Program

 

The Core Challenge Testing Program is part of the overall student assessment program in Cobb schools.  The program consists of tests administered at the beginning and at the end of selected courses.

 

The tests are based on the essential concepts taught in the course.  The test given to students at the beginning of the course, or pre-test, will help teachers to better target the learning needs of students as instruction is planned.  These pre-tests will not be considered part of the student’s grade.

 

Tests administered to students at the end of the course, or post-tests, will be used to evaluate the degree to which students learned essential skills and concepts taught during the course.  These post-tests will county 10% of the student’s overall course grade.

 

All students will be provided a study guide after the pre-test period.  Included in the study guides are sample questions for each objective, and test-taking tips or strategies.

 

 There are two English courses included in the Core Challenge Testing Program, the 9th Grade Literature/Comp and the American Literature/Comp.

 

The objectives and weights for each are as follows:

 

 

 

 

NINTH GRADE LITERATURE/COMPOSITION

END-OF-COURSE CORE CHALLENGE TEST

Weights of Strands and Objectives

 

2001-2002

Strand

Objective

Number of Items

Grammar/Usage

25%

The student will be able to identify the parts of speech.

3

The student will be able to distinguish the parts of a sentence.

3

The student will recognize correct usage of capitalization.

2

The student will be able to distinguish complete sentences from run-ons and fragments.

4

 

The students will be able to identify the types of sentences by declarative, imperative, interrogative and exclamatory.

3

 

The student will be able to identify the types of sentences by structure: simple, compound, complex, compound-complex.

2

 

The student will be able to distinguish between independent and dependent clauses.

2

 

Vocabulary

5%

The student will demonstrate the ability to use context to determine meaning.

4

Research/Composition

20%

The student will demonstrate knowledge of narration, description, exposition, and persuasion.

3

 

The student will be able to recognize the parts of a paragraph.

5

The student will be able to recognize the writer’s purpose.

3

The student will demonstrate knowledge of the writing process.

4

Reading Comprehension

15%

The student will demonstrate the ability to read a passage and interpret its meaning on both literal and inferential levels.

11

Literature

35%

The student will demonstrate an understanding of Romeo and Juliet.

5

The student will demonstrate an understanding of “The Cask of Amontillado”.

3

 

The student will demonstrate an understanding of The Odyssey.

5

The student will demonstrate an understanding of “Dream Deferred.”

3

The student will demonstrate knowledge of the following literary terms: antagonist, protagonist, plot structure, point of view, setting, theme, epic, drama, pun, internal and external conflict, imagery, foreshadowing, exposition, flashback, static character, onomatopoeia, simile, metaphor, dynamic character, and suspense.

10

 

 

 

 

                                                                                      Total Items                                         75

 

 

 

 

 

American Lit

END-OF-COURSE CHALLENGE TEST

WEIGHTS OF STRANDS AND OBJECTIVES

 

Strand

Objective

Number of items

Grammar/Usage/Writing Application

20%

The student will demonstrate the ability to identify correct pronoun usage.

3

The student will demonstrate proficiency in pronoun-antecedent agreement.

2

The student will demonstrate proficiency in subject-verb agreement.

2

The student will demonstrate the correct usage of apostrophes to form possessives.

3

The student will demonstrate the ability to use semicolons and colons correctly.

2

The student will demonstrate the ability to use commas in a series, and in complex, compound, and complex-compound sentences.

3

Composition

20%

The student will recognize the structure of an essay.

4

The student will demonstrate an understanding of coherence and unity in the construction of supporting paragraphs.

3

The student will demonstrate an understanding of the research process and documentation rules.

6

The student will be able to identify the types of writing: persuasive, narrative, descriptive, and expository.

2

Vocabulary/Reading Comprehension

20%

The student will demonstrate the ability to use context clues to determine meaning.

3

The student will determine relationships between words to complete analogies.

4

The student will read a passage and interpret its meaning on both literal and interpretive levels.

8

 

Literature

40%

The student will demonstrate knowledge and application of the following terms:               

  alliteration, allusion, aphorism, imagery, irony, metaphor, personification, Regionalism or local color, simile, stream of consciousness, and symbolism.

11

The student will demonstrate knowledge of the following literary periods of American literature:

  Puritanism, Rationalism, Romanticism, Transcendentalism, Realism, Modernism, and the Harlem Renaissance.

9

The student will demonstrate an understanding of the following writers as representatives of their literary periods:

  Washington Irving: Romanticism

  Henry David Thoreau: Transcendentalism

  Mark Twain: Realism

  Langston Hughes: Harlem Renaissance

  Ernest Hemingway: Modernism

10

                                                                                     Total Items                                     75

 

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