End of Course Assessments (ECAs)

Posted: Wed, 08/17/2011 - 8:35am Updated: Fri, 02/22/2013 - 2:48pm

Purpose

The purpose of the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress-Plus (ISTEP+) program is to measure student achievement in the subject areas of English/Language Arts, Science, and Mathematics. In particular, ISTEP+ reports student achievement levels according to the Indiana Academic Standards that were adopted in November 2000 by the Indiana State Board of Education. The ISTEP+ End of Course Assessments (ECAs) are criterion-referenced assessments developed specifically for students completing their instruction in Algebra I, Biology I, or English 10.

Blueprints

The purpose of the test blueprints, designed with the help of Indiana classroom teachers, is to make transparent to educators the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of students on the assessments.

The blueprints can be used as tools to:

  • Align expectations regarding mastery of the standards;
  • Identify the degree of emphasis of curricular components;
  • Assist and guide in prioritizing curriculum and instructional planning; and
  • Enhance classroom assessment.
English 10 Algebra I Biology I

Instructional and Assessment Guidance

English 10 Algebra I Biology I

Item Samplers

The Item Samplers on this website provide information about ECAs for students, parents, educators and others. The items in each sampler are examples of the types of items found on ECAs. These examples can serve as models when teachers are constructing items for classroom assessment. It should be noted that the samplers are not practice tests.

English 10 Algebra I Biology I

Released Items and Scoring Notes

2012 English 10 2012 Algebra I 2012 Biology
2011 English 10 2011 Algebra I 2011 Biology I
2010 English 10 2010 Algebra I 2010 Biology I

Additional Resources

Contact

Deb Conkle
End of Course Assessment Specialist
Telephone: (317) 232-9050
dconkle@doe.in.gov
IDOE ECA help desk: eca@doe.in.gov