MCA Item Samplers

MCA Item Samplers
Taken from the MDE Assessment Update for January 13, 2016

Updated information about item samplers is provided below. Item samplers are aligned to the Minnesota Academic Standards but contain fewer items than an actual full-length test. They are provided to help students and teachers become familiar with the test, but they are not practice tests and are not suitable for predicting how students will perform on the assessment.

Item samplers are available through the Item Samplers page under Student Resources on PearsonAccess Next. Access item samplers on PearsonAccess Next (PearsonAccess Next > Student Resources > Item Samplers).

Teacher guides are available for all item samplers, but there are some differences by subject.

Mathematics and Science MCA have separate teacher guides that provide information on both the multiple-choice and technology-enhanced items included in the item samplers. A teacher guide for each grade of mathematics and science is available onPearsonAccess Next under Additional Materials once you’ve selected the subject and grade.

For Reading MCA, the teacher guides currently address the multiple choice items for the online item samplers, and the guides are included at the end of each grade’s 12-point paper accommodated item sampler (e.g., Grade 3 Reading MCA 12 point Accommodated Item Sampler). MDE is actively working to update the Reading MCA teacher guides to include technology-enhanced items, and additional information will be provided in an Assessment Update when updated guides are available.

Updated Item Samplers Soon Available
In February, the Reading MCA samplers will be updated to include new technology-enhanced item types that will appear in the spring 2016 Reading MCA. The Mathematics MCA item samplers were updated in the fall with new technology-enhanced item types.