The University of the State of New York
THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
Albany, New York 12234

INFORMATION SHEET
Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Social Studies Test
Date of Introduction: Spring 2001

Test Description

The purpose of the Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Social Studies Test is to measure knowledge and understanding of the content and skills included in a chronologically organized study of United States and New York State history. This two-year course focuses primarily on a social history of the United States and New York State. The test will serve as an early indicator to determine if students are meeting the five intermediate-level social studies standards. The course content is divided into 11 units, tracing the human experience in the United States from pre-Columbian times to the present, and measures achievement of the five Learning Standards for Social Studies: United States and New York State History; World History; Geography; Economics; and Civics, Citizenship, and Government. The content and standards are described in the Social Studies Resource Guide with Core Curriculum (grades 7–8). The test must be administered between June 6 and June 21, 2001. The test is comprised of two test booklets and students have 1½ hours to complete each booklet. The first booklet includes the multiple-choice and constructed-response questions. The second booklet includes the document-based question. Schools may administer the test in two sessions on separate days or they may administer the entire test on the same day. Students who are absent for one or both parts of the test must complete the test within the June 6–21 period. A State-designated level of performance will be established to help schools identify students who must receive academic intervention services. All students who score below a designated level on the test must receive such services, which must commence in the semester immediately following the administration of the test.

The test consists of three components: multiple-choice questions, constructed-response questions, and a document-based question. The questions are based on the material in New York State’s Social Studies Core Curriculum (grades 7–8). The first table below lists the units of the core curriculum; the second shows the format of the test and the weighting of the test components.

New York State Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Social Studies Content

Unit One:

The Global Heritage of the American People Prior to 1500

Unit Two:

European Exploration and Colonization of the Americas

Unit Three:

A Nation is Created

Unit Four:

Experiments in Government

Unit Five:

Life in the New Nation

Unit Six:

Division and Reunion

Unit Seven:

An Industrial Society

Unit Eight

The United States as an Independent Nation in an Increasingly Interdependent World

Unit Nine:

The United States Between the Wars

Unit Ten:

The United States Assumes Worldwide Responsibilities

Unit Eleven:

The Changing Nature of the American People from World War II to the Present

QUESTION TYPE

NUMBER OF

QUESTIONS

WEIGHTING OF

TEST COMPONENTS

Session 1: Multiple-Choice

45

50%

Session 1: Constructed-Response

3–4

20%

Session 2: Document-Based Question

1

30%
(10%—scaffold questions, 20%—essay)

Scoring

Raters who have undergone training will score the test in their schools/districts, following guidelines designed to produce reliable scores. Each essay must be scored by at least two qualified teachers, using holistic scoring rubrics. The constructed-response questions and short-answer, document-based questions need to be scored by only one qualified teacher. Detailed recommendations for scoring, including a specific rubric for the document-based question, will be included with the scoring materials that accompany the test.