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State Test Prep
Resources to build strategic assessment, connect InnerOrbit to curricula, and analyze student data.
Photo Credit NASA
🧠 Understanding Your State Science Test
What is the connection between the state science test and my classroom?
Your state test assesses students' proficiency explaining the why or how of novel phenomena or problems, known as sensemaking.
Typically, state science tests assess the entire grade band of science standards.
Even if you're not in a "tested grade" for science in your state, you can set students up for success later by leveraging sensemaking assessments in your classroom.
➡️ Learn more about assessments for sensemaking 📄
How will the state science test assess sensemaking? What does that look like?
Students will see novel phenomena or problems.
These will be NEW to them situations that you didn't cover in class. Students will transfer their knowledge, practices, and conceptual thinking to these phenomena to understand them and answer questions.
➡️ Learn more about the role of novel phenomena in assessments 📄
How rigorous will the state test be?
Students will encounter 2-Dimensional and 3-Dimensional Questions.
They will have few (if any) content-only types of questions.
➡️ Learn more about 2D/3D questions 🎦
Dive Deeper into State Test Item Analysis!
Webinars
Check out InnerOrbit's State Test Item Analysis Webinar recordings!
➡️ Explore the on-demand webinars.
Lead PD on State Test Item Analysis!
Explore Slide Decks
Use InnerOrbit's PD Slide Decks to lead PD on state-test item analysis with your team.
Take me to the slides!
📊 Align InnerOrbit to Your State Science Test
How does InnerOrbit align with my state test?
Student data from InnerOrbit assessments has a strong alignment to state test results.
In a Fall 2024 study, InnerOrbit summative assessment results were compared to NGSS state test proficiency levels across 4 case studies. The data show an average alignment of 97% (with no alignment less than 90%), highlighting a strong relationship between InnerOrbit summative assessment scores and state test outcomes.
➡️ Learn more about the study here
How can I align my InnerOrbit student data to my state test data?
InnerOrbit Cut Scores, by State
Use your state's InnerOrbit Cut Scores to customize the proficiency ranges in your InnerOrbit reports:
➡️ Find my state's InnerOrbit Cut Scores 📄
🙌 Set Yourself Up for Test Prep Success
Where do I start in preparing for a state test?
Keep the big picture in mind.
When approaching test-taking season, it's easy to get lost in the weeds of preparation. Instead, keep sensemaking as the goal, look up your standard's assessment boundaries, and focus on the SEPs.
➡️ Explore test prep mindset tips.
How can I best set myself up for test prep season success?
Gather mastery data all year on InnerOrbit.
We recommend giving several summative assessments on InnerOrbit throughout the year to gather data for focused review during test prep.
➡️ Learn more about InnerOrbit summatives
How can my team gather mastery data throughout the school year?
Select a Common Assessment Strategy
Explore our webinar on all-year-long implementation strategies InnerOrbit partners use to gather data for test prep season.
➡️ Watch the webinar 🎦
How do I set a focus for test prep?
Use your InnerOrbit student data to pick areas of growth.
In your reports, pick a focus standard or Science and Engineering Practice (SEP) from your student data.
➡️ See the Step-by-Step Instructions
What if I don't yet have student data on InnerOrbit?
No problem!
You can either: Give an inventory to gather a lot of data to see where to focus OR Select 3-5 focus standards from your curricular scope & sequence to select from the activities below.
➡️ Tell me more about these "inventories"...
🔄 Review and Reteach Strategies
Scaffolded Phenomena Exploration
One Phenomenon That Builds All Week
Build just one assessment, with one standard and one phenomenon, for students to explore all week. Select 2-3 questions for each day's scaffolded level of rigor.
➡️ See the Step-by-Step Instructions
Daily Do-Now's
Quick Reviews, Daily
Use InnerOrbit's pre-made assessments to create small beginning of class do-now's, using your focus standards OR prior grade standards.
➡️ See the Step-by-Step Instructions
Mock Exams
InnerOrbit's Inventories
Educators can simulate the day-of state testing experience with these multi-standard assessments. Students can practice and educators can gather a wide variety of student mastery data.
➡️ See the Step-by-Step Instructions
Science and Engineering Practices (SEP)
SEP Practice Problems
InnerOrbit's SEP-only prompts and questions engage students in just ONE practice. No content knowledge required!
➡️ Tell me more about these "SEP Practice Problems"...
How can I help my team select activities and assessments during test prep season?
Explore Test Prep Activities Slide Deck
Lead your team through test prep activity options to collaboratively plan your test prep season.
➡️ Take me to the slide deck!
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Assessment & Curriculum images from Eucalyp, Evaluation image from HAJICON: www.flaticon.com