State Education Indicators with a Focus on Title I

Appendix A

Further State Proficiency Level Definitions

Colorado

Proficient: Students understand directions, recognize author's point of view, explain reaction, define problem or solution, make predictions and draw conclusions, differentiate among printed materials, discriminate among various media, extract information from complex stimulus, identify character's reactions/motives, identify sequence, support opinion, classify familiar vocabulary, and interpret poetry in a concrete manner.

Connecticut

Grade 4

Reading Score Band 3: Scores in this band are at or above the statewide goal for reading. Students who score in this range possess the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully perform the tasks and assignments appropriately expected of fourth graders with minimal teacher assistance. Generally students who score in this range can comprehend textbooks and other materials typically used at grade four or above.

Math Score Band 4: Scores in this band are at or above the statewide goal for mathematics. Students who score in this range possess the knowledge and skills necessary to perform the tasks and assignments expected of fourth graders with minimal teacher assistance. Generally, these students demonstrate well-developed computational skills, conceptual understandings and problem-solving abilities.

Grade 8

Reading Score Band 3: Scores in this band are at or above the statewide goal for reading. Students who score in this range possess the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully perform the tasks and assignments appropriately expected of eighth graders with minimal teacher assistance. Generally, students who score in this range can comprehend textbooks and other materials typically used at grade eight or above.

Math Score Band 4: Scores in this band are at or above the statewide goal for mathematics. Students who score in this range possess the knowledge and skills necessary to perform the tasks and assignments expected of eighth graders with minimal teacher assistance. Generally, these students demonstrate well-developed computational skills, conceptual understandings and problem-solving abilities.

Grade 10

Reading Score Band 3: Scores in this band are at or above the response to literature standard. Students at this level have demonstrated perceptive and insightful comprehension of the text. They have presented their interpretation of the text and have supported it by making connections between the text and other experiences or sources. Students at this level have also demonstrated the ability to apply the conventions of English.

Math Score Band 4: Scores in this band are at or above the goal for mathematics. Students who score in this range have demonstrated a strong understanding of the concepts and skills expected of Connecticut high school students. These students have the problem solving abilities required to apply what they know to complex problems and effectively communicate their understanding.

Florida

Level 4: Performance at this level indicates that the student has success with the challenging content of the Sunshine State Standards. A Level 4 student answers most of the questions correctly but may have only some success with questions that reflect the most challenging content.

Level 5: Performance at this level indicates that the student has success with the most challenging content of the Sunshine State Standards. A Level 5 student answers most of the test questions correctly, including the most challenging questions.

Idaho

Reading: Students identify ideas and information suggested by, but not explicitly stated in the text that they read.

Mathematics: Students show evidence of mastery of mathematical concepts and procedures in the content/process areas of the test and demonstrate the ability to solve real-world mathematical problems.

Iowa

Grade 4 Reading

Intermediate: Understands some factual information; sometimes can draw conclusions and make inferences about the motives and feelings of the characters; and is beginning to be able to identify the main idea, evaluate the style and structure of the text, and interpret nonliteral language.

Grade 4 Mathematics

Intermediate: Is beginning to develop an understanding of most math concepts and to develop the ability to solve complex word problems, use a variety of estimation methods, and interpret data from graphs and tables.

Grade 8 Reading

Intermediate: Understands some factual information; sometimes can draw conclusions; make inferences about the motives and feelings of characters; and apply what has been read to new situations; and sometimes can identify the main idea, evaluate the style and structure of the text, and interpret nonliteral language.

Grade 8 Mathematics

Intermediate: Is beginning to develop an understanding of most math concepts and to develop the ability to solve complex word problems, use a variety of estimation methods, and interpret data from graphs and tables.

Grade 11 Reading

Intermediate: Understands some factual information; sometimes can make inferences about the characters; identify the main idea, and identify author viewpoint and style; occasionally can interpret nonliteral language and judge the validity of conclusions.

Grade 11 Mathematics

Intermediate: Is beginning to develop the ability to apply a variety of math concepts and procedures, make inferences about qualitative information, and solve a variety of novel, quantitative reasoning problems.

Missouri

Communication Arts

Proficient: In reading, students compare and contrast; interpret and use textual elements; predict; draw inferences and conclusions; determine word meaning; identify synonyms and antonyms; identify main idea and details. In writing, they use some details and organization; write complete sentences; generally follow rules of standard English.

Grade 4 Math

Proficient: Students communicate math processes; add and subtract common fractions and decimals (money only); use standard units of measurement; identify attributes of plane and solid figures; create and interpret data from graphs; recognize, extend, and describe pictorial or numeric patterns; apply strategies to solve multistep and logic problems.

Grade 8 Mathematics

Proficient: Students communicate math processes; recognize transformations; solve problems using units of measurement; interpret data from multiple representations; extend and describe patterns and relationships using algebraic expressions; develop and apply number theory concepts; use inductive and deductive reasoning to solve problems.

Grade 10 Mathematics

Proficient: Students communicate math processes; usually analyze and evaluate information; estimate; recognize reasonableness; identify needed information; make predictions; find probability; identify various representations of data; represent situations algebraically; apply properties of real numbers; use multiple strategies to solve problems.

New Hampshire

Grade 3 Reading/Language Arts

Proficient: Students at this level demonstrate an overall understanding of the materials they read, hear, and view. They are able to identify main ideas and draw conclusions. Their responses show thought and are supported with some detail. When writing, they communicate competently and are able to adequately develop and support their ideas. Although they demonstrate a firm grounding in the mechanics of written expression, they may make errors in spelling and grammar. However, these do not interfere with a reader's ability to understand the text.

Grade 3 Mathematics

Proficient: Students at this level are able to estimate and compute solutions to problems and communicate their understanding of mathematics. They can, with reasonable accuracy, add three-digit whole numbers; subtract any two-digit numbers; and multiply whole numbers up to five. They are able to: demonstrate an understanding of place value as well as the relationship between simple fractions and decimals; read charts and graphs; make measurements; and recognize and extend patterns.

Grade 6 Reading/Language Arts

Proficient: Students at this level demonstrate an overall understanding of literary, narrative, factual, informational, and practical works. They extract main ideas, analyze text, evaluate and organize information, draw conclusions, and make inferences and interpretations. They critically evaluate materials they read, hear, and view. They effectively organize, develop, and support ideas so that a reader can easily understand the intent of their writing. They demonstrate a firm grounding in the mechanics of written expression; however, they may still make some errors.

Grade 6 Mathematics

Proficient: Students at this level demonstrate an overall understanding of mathematical concepts and skills. They make few, if any, errors in computation. They use tables and graphs to organize, present, and interpret data. They employ appropriate strategies to solve a wide range of problems. They clearly communicate their solutions and problem-solving strategies.

Grade 10 Reading/Language Arts

Proficient: Students at this level demonstrate a solid understanding of a wide range of literary, narrative, factual, informational, and practical works. They make meaningful connections between and among ideas and concepts in materials they read, hear, and view. They evaluate and organize information, make and communicate informed judgments, and provide evidence for inferences and interpretations. Their writing is clear, logical, and shows evidence of fluency and style. They effectively control the mechanics of language including spelling, capitalization, grammar, and punctuation.

Grade 10 Mathematics

Proficient: Students at this level demonstrate a solid understanding of mathematical concepts and skills. Their work displays a high degree of accuracy. They make meaningful connections among important concepts in algebra, geometry, measurement, and probability and statistics. They identify and use appropriate information to solve problems. They provide supporting evidence for inferences and solutions. They communicate mathematical ideas effectively, with sufficient substance and detail to convey understanding.

New York

Grade 4 English/Language Arts

Level III: Students demonstrate understanding of written and oral text with some meaning beyond the literal level. They can gather information, make inferences, identify theme or main idea, understand character actions, and make connections between two related texts, providing some supporting information. Student's writing is generally focused and organized, with minor errors in spelling, grammar, or punctuation that do do not interfere with readability.

Grade 8 Reading/Language Arts

Level III: Students whose partial understanding is somewhat beyond the literal level of intermediate level written and oral text. They can infer, predict, draw some conclusions, categorize ideas, and make connections between texts, using some relevant support. Writing on intermediate level topics is generally organized and developed, with appropriate vocabulary, some variety in sentence structure, and some sense of voice; minor errors in spelling, grammar, or punctuation do not interfere with comprehension.

Grade 4 Mathematics

Level III: Students consistently solve multistep problems; identify odds/evens; order fractions; use manipulatives to model decimal relationships; identify percent; collect, organize, display, and interpret real-world data; use appropriate units of measure; identify points, lines, rays, planes, polygons; identify faces of solid figures; express probability; extend a numerical pattern; justify a reasonable solution.

Grade 8 Mathematics

Students consistently use prime numbers, factors, multiples; understand decimals, rational numbers, roots, order of operations, congruence, similarity; apply formulas, ratio, proportion; visualize, represent, and transform 3D shapes; evaluate data from graphical displays; estimate time, distance, capacity, area; use a protractor; understand and use Pythagorean theorum, trigonometic functions.

Wyoming

Proficient: Students at the proficient performance level use concepts and skills to acquire, analyze, and communicate information and ideas.

[Sources] | [Appendix B]

This page last modified—December 19, 2002 (jer).