Each content-area and grade-level assessment is designed to assess a specific set of EEs. Blueprint documents available on your state’s page on the DLM website include the EEs for each grade. The DLM Consortium state education leaders selected a subset of EEs for use in each grade level and subject area. These subsets are called the testing blueprints. The ELA and mathematics blueprints also contain a minimum number of EEs for testing from specific ELA and mathematics claims and conceptual areas to use during the instructionally embedded assessment window. During that window, test administrators are guided by these assessment requirements in making their EE choices. The guidelines help them address the full breadth of blueprint coverage for students. The spring assessment is also guided by the blueprints. ELA EEs are specific statements of knowledge and skills linked to the grade-level expectations identified in college and career readiness standards. The DLM maps for ELA and mathematics clarify how students can reach the academic targets specified in the EEs. For each EE, small collections of nodes are identified earlier in the map, representing critical stages on the path toward the standard. These small collections of nodes are called linkage levels. For more information, see The Relationship Between English Language Arts and Mathematics Essential Elements, Nodes, and Mini-Maps on page 19 of this manual. For all ELA and mathematics EEs available for assessment, the on the DLM website provides documents describing their linkage levels and nodes. An Excel workbook Professional Development Modules Supporting Essential Elements is also available on the . This workbook cross-references each EE to the relevant professional development modules. The workbook includes one tab for ELA and one for mathematics. Below is a screenshot of a portion of the workbook. Understanding the DLM alternate assessment involves understanding the relationships among the components of the system. These components include the DLM maps, claims, conceptual areas, EEs, nodes, and mini-maps. Each DLM map is a large and complex representation of how students develop academic knowledge and skills. These maps highlight multiple potential pathways that students may follow to develop knowledge and skills in ELA and mathematics.
Personal Needs and Preferences (PNP) Profile Student-specific information that informs Kite Student Portal about an individual student’s personal needs and preferences. The PNP Profile includes information the system needs to make the student’s user interface compatible with their accessibility needs. In Educator Portal, the PNP Profile includes information about display enhancements, language and braille, and audio and environmental supports. Educators who know the student provide the information in the profile. released testlets A released testlet is a publicly available, sample DLM assessment. Released testlets may be used by students and teachers as examples or opportunities for practice. Released testlets are developed the same standards and methods used to develop testlets that are used in DLM operational assessments. New released testlets are added periodically. stem The stem is the beginning part of the item that presents a problem to solve or an item to respond to. The stem may also include other relevant information in the item. A multiple choice item is a common example in the DLM alternate assessment, consisting of a stem and a set of response options from which to choose. testlet Short for instructionally relevant testlet. A testlet begins with an engagement activity and is followed by several items that together increase the instructional relevance of the assessment and provide a better estimate of a student’s knowledge, skills, and understandings than can be achieved by a single assessment item. Each testlet has three to nine items depending on the subject. More specific information is found in the Test Administration Manual. Testlet Information Page (TIP) A PDF that is unique to each testlet and provides specific information to guide the test administrator in delivering the assessment.
EE.W.7.2.a Introduce a topic and write to convey ideas and information about it including visual, tactual, or multimedia information as appropriate. EE.W.7.2.b Provide facts, details, or other information related to the topic. EE.W.7.2.d Select domain-specific vocabulary to use in writing about the topic. HINT: Writing is always one of the five testlets during spring assessment. The writing testlet covers multiple EEs and is required for all students. Imagine three students who enter the spring assessment with different experiences with the DLM alternate assessment. The table below describes how each student might receive the first four testlets. Conceptual Area Student 1 Completed all blueprint requirements during instructionally embedded assessment Student 2 Completed some blueprint requirements during instructionally embedded assessment (criteria for 1.1 and 1.2) Student 3 Completed none of the blueprint requirements during instructionally embedded assessment Testlet 1 (1.1) EE.RI.7.2 Linkage level assigned according to performance during instructionally embedded assessment EE.RI.7.2 Linkage assigned according to performance during instructionally embedded assessment EE.RI.7.2 Linkage level assigned according to First Contact survey information Testlet 2 (1.2) Random choice from the student’s previously tested EEs Linkage level assigned according to performance on testlet 1 Random choice from the student’s previously tested EEs Linkage level assigned according to performance on testlet 1 Random choice from all EEs available for 1.2. Linkage level assigned according to performance on testlet 1