Data Table Added to Each Released Math Item

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Angela Hochstetter – Math Assessment Specialist, MNDOE
Ann Page – Math Assessment Specialist, MNDOE

Data Table Added to Each Released Math Item

Released items and data tables are now provided for teacher or parent use as well as for students. All items on the MDE Released Item webpage were used operationally on the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA-III).

CAUTION:

It is not appropriate or advisable to use released item scores for determining student placement in classes or as a predictor of success on the MCA-III. The items are merely a sampling of the item bank and, therefore, do not match the blueprint for the MCA-III. Because the items are available publicly, overexposure from practice would also skew results making them unfit for predicting success on the MCA III.

To find specific items, use the drop-down menus to filter the item list for certain criteria, or use the search box. Each item ID number is linked to a PDF of the item. See Figure 1.

Each item consists of a two-page PDF. The first page (see Figure 2) contains the item image and the ID number. The second page (see Figure 3) shows the ID number, the rationales for multiple choice (MC) answer options or the correct answer(s) for TE items, and a data table. Figures 2 and 3, below, highlight information found in the PDFs.

ID Number: The number used to identify the item.

Item Image: A picture of the item as it appeared on the MCA (with possible differences in font or layout).

Rationales: The rationales describe a possible reason why a student may have chosen that answer option. The correct answer option shows a supporting calculation or an explanation. For some TE item types (e.g., fill in the blank or drag-and-drop items) the calculation is provided as well as examples of acceptable correct answers.

Data Table: For multiple choice items, the table shows the percent of students who selected each answer option. For TE items, the table shows the percent of students who answered the question correctly.

As always, please contact Angela or Ann with any comments or questions (or suggestions for the released item website or the parent-teacher portal).