Schools and districts are focused on using high-quality curriculum to drive high-impact teaching. Many have selected the curriculum authored by Illustrative Mathematics to meet this need. Illustrative Mathematics 6-8 Math, used by over 300 districts across the US, meets all the EdReports Gateways including focus & coherence, rigor & mathematical practices, and usability. CenterPoint, after a thorough review of the assessments by Illustrative Mathematics, is launching IM Certified™ interim assessments – the only ones that give teachers information specifically about students’ progress on the Illustrative Mathematics curriculum and its underlying standards.
Developed by CenterPoint’s content and assessment experts, the interims were designed to match the scope and sequence teachers follow and reflect the kinds of deep work students do. The assessments include technology-enhanced items that help educators accurately measure students’ conceptual understanding, procedural skills, and ability to apply math in an engaging testing experience. Each interim also includes items that allow students to demonstrate mathematical reasoning and modeling. Now, for the first time, schools that use the Illustrative Mathematics curriculum will get data that not only reinforces the content of the curriculum, but also provides information about students’ progress to meeting end-of-year expectations. This allows teachers to make for adjustments and provide students support throughout the year.
“A high-quality curriculum - aligned to college and career ready standards - is the bedrock of an effective and equitable education system. Aligned assessments help ensure students are on track and that teachers have the information they need to support student learning,” says Laura Slover, CEO of CenterPoint. “The Illustrative Mathematics curriculum has met the highest standards of quality. CenterPoint’s new aligned interim assessments complement the curriculum by reinforcing student learning and empowering teachers.”
Features of the Assessments
Technology Enhanced Items
The assessments utilize technology enhanced items (TEI) to better assess the standards. For example, in Part A of the item below, students must autonomously represent the solutions to the given situation on a number line, rather than choosing from one of four choices as would be the case in a multiple-choice item. In Part B, students must autonomously create the inequality that represents this situation, again rather than choosing from choices as in a multiple-choice, drag and drop, or drop-down menu item. These item types help to reduce the chance of students guessing the answer correctly and provide a truer picture about what students know and can do. The multi-part nature of this item allows us to assess the standard, 6.EE.B.8, more fully.
The TEIs also enhance the overall assessment experience for students as they are, generally, more engaging. And as stated previously, they allow better assessment of the standards. In the example below, the graphing item type in Part A allows students to create their own graph to model the situation rather than choosing from 4 answer choices. In Part B, students must autonomously state the slope of the line rather than choosing from choices as in a multiple-choice, drag and drop, or drop-down menu item. The multi-part nature of this item allows us to assess the first part of the standard, 8.EE.B.8, more fully.
“We are excited to expand the resources available to educators with IM Certified interim assessments from CenterPoint Education. As with all IM Certified resources, we have carefully reviewed and approved these assessments and were impressed with the thoughtful approach CenterPoint brought to the development,” said Lisa O’Masta, CEO of Illustrative Mathematics. “Now IM 6-8 Math schools will gain use of proven, standards-aligned, interim assessments to provide key insights into student progress. Importantly, these readings will not only give an understanding of a student’s grasp of the mathematical standards, but they will give teachers an insight into that student’s understanding of and fluency with the key concepts.”
The interims provide school and district leaders with powerful data that identifies more than just standards proficiency; they deliver a comprehensive view of how curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional learning are impacting student success.
For more information about the curriculum aligned interim assessments, contact Jenna Cohen at jcohen@cpeducation.org or visit https://info.centerpointeducation.org/iminterims.