State End-of-Course (EOC) Exams in Mathematics
Beginning this year, state law mandates that students in grades 7-12 take End-of-Course (EOC) exams in Algebra I and Geometry. Washington is moving to End-of-Course exams in math and science to assess students on the knowledge and skills they’ve gained from specific courses rather than using a comprehensive High School Proficiency Exam (HSPE). For 2011, the HSPE continues as the state’s high school assessment of reading, writing and science.
Beyond the state requirement to measure student proficiency at a certain grade level or at the end of a course, state assessments are also used for high school graduation requirements. This is helpful to understand who needs to take the math EOC exams:
All students in grades 7-12 who are enrolled in an Algebra I or Geometry class must take the Algebra I or Geometry End-of-Course (EOC) exams this spring.
Graduating Class of 2011 and 2012 – passing one of the EOC exams is required for current high school juniors and seniors if they have not previously passed the high school Math WASL or HSPE. Other options to meet the state math requirement remain, including the CAA Options or earning two additional credits in math after tenth grade.
Graduating Class of 2013 and beyond - passing both of the exams is required for current sophomores and younger. CAA Options remain available after first attempting the exams, although earning two additional credits in math after tenth grade is no longer an option.
All students in grades 3-8 must also take the state Measurements of Student Progress (MSP) in mathematics. This means that students in grades 7 and 8 who are in Algebra I or Geometry are required to take two state math exams each year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there still a high school state math test for tenth grade?
No, the EOC exams replace the former high school WASL and HSPE math tests. All students must have taken at least one math EOC exam by 10th grade to meet state accountability requirements, even if they have not yet taken an Algebra I or Geometry class.
If a student takes and passes an EOC in middle school or 9th grade, is that score banked for 10th accountability and high school graduation? Yes, students who pass the EOC exams before tenth grade have their scores banked and do not need to retake the exams in high school.
What if a student has already taken Algebra I or Geometry but not the EOC exam?
Students who need to pass the Algebra I or Geometry EOC exams, but have already taken those courses, are given the Makeup Year 1 exam and/or the Makeup Year 2 exam.
What do the EOC exams look like?
All of the EOC exams are comprised of multiple-choice, completion and short-answer items.
- The Algebra I and Geometry exams have 43 items and are divided into three sections, designed to be given in class over the course of one to three periods.
- The Makeup Year 1 exam has 43 items and the Makeup Year 2 exam has 37 items. Both Makeup exams designed to be given in one sitting.
When are the EOC exams given?
All EOC exams are given within the last three weeks of the semester. This year’s spring test window is from May 31 to June 10. Retakes will be given at the end of first semester each year.
- Students enrolled in Algebra I or Geometry will take the EOC exams during their regular math class periods.
- Students taking the Makeup exams will follow a special testing schedule to be shared later this spring.
How long will it take students to do the exams?
The exams are not timed; however, the state expects that nearly all students will complete the entire exam within a total testing time of two and one-half hours.
When do we get the results of the EOC exams?
Results from the EOC exams will be made available in the fall.
How will we know if seniors have passed their exam and are eligible to graduate if we give the exams at the end of the school year?
We will not have results for seniors in time to determine if the diploma is earned. However, pending results from the EOC exam completed in June, seniors may still participate graduation ceremonies if all other graduation requirements have been made.
Are their alternatives for students with disabilities?
Alternatives to EOC include EOC-Basic (Level 2 proficiency), the Developmentally Appropriate Proficiency Exam (DAPE) at the elementary or middle school level, the WAAS Portfolio, and the locally determined assessment (LDA) options.
Are science end-of-course exams being developed?
Currently, an EOC exam for Biology is scheduled to begin in spring of 2012. Additional high school science EOC exams are possible for 2013.
Isn’t the State Legislature changing the math test requirement again?
There are bills in Legislature regarding changes in the math and science graduation requirements. We do know if any of the proposed legislation will be passed by the state Legislature or signed by the governor. At this point, we must move forward with our plans under the current law. Families will be notified if there are changes to the graduation requirements.
