Math Resources
Resources to support your work with students in mathematics
The resources in this section are designed to help teachers better consider students' strengths and needs in math as well as develop stronger math assessments.
PLD2 Math Standards Grid - Grade 3
Performance Level Descriptors (PLDs) are developed as a way to describe what a student’s work may look like on an assessment item or task aligned to Ohio Learning Standards. PLDs can be used to check on various student understandings for a standard at a basic, limited, proficient, accelerated, or advanced level.
Teachers and Administrators can use this set of Performance Level Descriptors, along with associated released test items and the DOK levels, as a way to:
- Develop their own assessment items that will provide evidence of a student’s standards skill/knowledge
- Review existing assessments, both locally developed and publisher developed, to check that items are included that will capture the full range of Performance Levels for standards based knowledge/skills.
- Reflect on lesson planning/development to ensure there are opportunities for all students to stretch their standards based knowledge/skills.
- The math team developed PLDs for grade 3 as this serves as the foundational domains for additional grade levels. The team is using ODE’s definition based in Webb’s DOK of non-routine to determine the difference between Levels 2 and 3. Gr 6 work will be released in the near future. Find the Grid Here
Performance Level Descriptors
Ohio's Performance Level Descriptors (PLDs) provide educators with information about the skills and concepts understood by students whose performance is within particular ranges on the state assessments. These were approved by the State Board of Education in 2016. The PLDs are available for grades 3-8 as well as the high school math courses.
Ohio's Math Test Specifications
Test specifications are useful for giving us an overview of what will make up an assessment. These specifications include a description of the test's design, a blueprint of the test , and guidelines followed for writing each test item. These documents are useful for classroom teachers because they provide insight into what assessment writers were considering in developing their test.
The links below will take you to the test specification pages provided by the Ohio Department of Education.
Grade 3 Math Test Specifications
Grade 4 Math Test Specifications
Grade 5 Math Test Specifications
Grade 6 Math Test Specifications
Grade 7 Math Test Specifications
Grade 8 Math Test Specifications
Ohio's Math Test Blueprints
The test blueprint is a really important document. It helps guide assessment item writers and test developers in the construction of the test. It's also valuable information for classroom teachers because it provides information about the content and skills a test will address, the number of points possible, and which standards are possibilities for inclusion on the test and should be addressed through instruction prior to the test. Being familiar with a test blueprint can help a teacher prioritize which standards and content in instruction. The links below will take you to the ODE Math Test Blueprint of each grade or grade band for the math assessments.
Modeling & Reasoning (all tests)
Criteria for Assessment Items in Math
Assessments items are written with particular requirements. This document provides an overview of the criteria required in high-quality assessment items in mathematics and can be useful in developing common assessments.
The Shifts in Mathematics Standards
Ohio's Learning Standards reflect three key shifts in mathematics. This document provides a good overview of these three shifts.
This link will take you to Ohio's 2017 Math Standards. Any good assessment will include focus, coherence, and rigor, and all of this will be based on the 2017 Math Standards.