OAA Information
General Description
The Ohio Achievement Assessment (formerly Ohio Achievement Test) is a standardized test given in both reading and math. It is based on the Ohio Academic Content Standards and is designed to determine how well your child has mastered third grade concepts and skills. The reading test is administered in October and again in May. The math test is only given in May.
To prepare your child for these tests, we will be doing a number of different activities throughout the year. Beginning several weeks into the school year, we will be assigning RAP (Reading Achievement Practice) and MAP (Math Achievement Practice) for homework. RAP and MAP come from previous Ohio Achievement Assessments that have been released online. They will give students the opportunity to practice questions that are similar to what will be on the actual test.
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Reading OAA
The Reading OAA consists of about five fiction and nonfiction stories. For each story, students must answer comprehension questions in the form of multiple choice, short answer, and extended response.
Math OAA
The Math OAA includes questions on the following standards: number sense, operations, measurement, geometry, patterns, algebra, data analysis, and probability. Students will answer multiple choice, short answer, and extended response questions in math too.
Scoring of the OAA
After taking the OAA, students' scores are grouped into five performance levels: Limited, Basic, Proficient, Accelerated, and Advanced. To pass the test and be designated as Proficient, students must earn a score of 400 or higher. Our goal is for students to achieve this level by the end of the year. There are different point values assigned to each type of question:
Multiple Choice: 1 point each, choosing from four possible answers
Short Answer: 2 points each, fill in the blank or basic sentences
Extended Response: 4 points each, require more detailed answers, in-depth explanations, and higher level thinking
**Please see the Ohio Department of Education website (go to Links page) or contact Principal Cristi Fields for more information on the Ohio Achievement Assessment.
Test Taking Tips
Reading
- Read the questions before reading the story. That way, you'll know what's important when reading.
- While reading the story, underline important information with a regular or colored pencil so you can go back to it later.
- All of the answers you write MUST come from the story. Even if you already know something about the topic in the story, you cannot include it in your answer unless it was mentioned in the actual story. You SHOULD be going back to the story to find and check your answers. It is there to help you!
- Try to write your answers in complete sentences. Restate the question in your answer. For example, if the question was: Where did John go after school?, you would answer with: John went to ____ after school. Also, don't forget to check your spelling and include capital letters and periods. You should also write neatly so the people scoring your test can read what you have written.
- Don't assume that the person scoring your test will know what you are talking about. You should always give details in your answers.
Math
- Make sure you use the correct units when answering a measurement question (ft., cm., yds.). Otherwise, even if you know how to measure an object, your answer will be wrong.
- Also look at the sign in the problem. Don't subtract when it says to add, or divide when you should be multiplying!
- When answering a story or word problem, read the WHOLE problem before you try to solve it. Figure out what the question is asking.
- Check your work! Check your work! Check your work!
- Show ALL of your work so that the people scoring your test can tell how you solved the problem. Also, most of the time you can get a point for showing your work, even if your answer was incorrect.
General Tips
- You can mark on your test if you need to. This means you can circle and underline things if needed.
- Read the whole question and ALL of the possible answer choices before you pick your answer.
- Make sure you know what the question is asking you before you try to answer it. If you need to, read it again.
- Write neatly.
- Try not to be nervous. You know you have prepared for the tests.
- Use the word wall to help you spell words on the tests. That way, the test scorers will understand what you're writing.
**Parents, your child should be using each of these strategies while working on RAP and MAP homework so that he or she can do the same on the actual test.