Writing
Reading
Mathematics
Citizenship
Science

Fourth Grade Proficiency Tests Requirements

WRITING

The Fourth Grade Ohio Proficiency Test in Writing is based on Ohio's Model Competency-Based Language Arts Program.   The test encourages the process as well as the outcome of writing by providing pre-writing exercises in addition to the main writing piece.   

The Ohio Fourth Grade Proficiency Test in Writing is defined by four strands comprised of nine learning outcomes (To view learning outcomes recommended by the Ohio Department of Education, please click on writing in the left hand column.)   The strands are outlined as follows:

• Strand I - Content

• Strand II - Organization
• Strand III - Language

• Strand IV - Writing Conventions

READING

A healthy fourth grade curriculum in Language Arts is excellent preparation for the Fourth Grade Ohio Proficiency Test in Reading.   The reading skills tested in the Proficiency Tests are skills the teacher is already teaching.   Teachers learn to use their daily curriculum and activities in the classroom for teaching learning outcomes as defined by the Ohio Department of Education (To view learning outcomes, please click on the reading icon.)

The Fourth Grade Ohio Proficiency Test in Reading asks students to answer questions based on reading passages.   The questions are in three different formats: multiple choice, short answer, and extended response.   The reading test is defined by four stands comprised of 20 learning outcomes.   The strands are as follows:

• Strand I - Constructing meaning with fiction selections
• Strand II - Examining/Extending meaning with fiction selections
• Strand III - Constructing meaning with nonfiction selections
• Strand IV - Examining/Extending meaning with nonfiction selections

MATHEMATICS

A fourth-grade level of literacy and competency is required by the Ohio Fourth Grade Math Proficiency Test.   This means that a student is required to understand concepts, recall basic mathematical facts, perform mathematical procedures, and apply concepts and skills to problem-solving situations.   The test items assess the learning outcomes at one of three levels of understanding.   These levels are listed below:

1. Conceptual Understanding (approximately 50% of the items on the test).   Items in this category test the student's ability to recognize examples and counter- examples, use various representations of concepts, apply facts and definitions, compare and contrast related concepts and principles, judge the characteristics of solutions, and interpret charts and tables.
2. Knowledge and Skills (approximately 25% of the items on the test).   Items in this category test the student's knowledge of important basic terms, facts, methods, procedures, and skills.   This includes the ability to recall important definitions and relationships, read graphs and tables, and perform rounding, ordering, and estimation operations.
3. Application and Problem-Solving (approximately 25% of the items on the test).   Items in this category test the student's ability to use reasoning in new situations.   This includes the ability to translate between pictorial and mathematical representations of a problem, determine the sufficiency and consistency of data, use strategies and data to solve problems, and use spatial, inductive, and deductive reasoning.

The Fourth Grade Proficiency Test in Mathematics is defined by 25 learning outcomes (To view learning outcomes, please click on the mathematics icon.)   These learning outcomes, based on Ohio's Model Competency-Based Mathematics Program, were developed by committees made up of Ohio citizens (educators and business members) through a consensus-building process.   These learning outcomes have been identified from the eight strands in the State Board adopted model curriculum.   These strands are as follows:

• Strand I - Patterns, Relations, and Functions
• Strand II - Problem-Solving Strategies
• Strand III - Number and Number Relations
• Strand IV - Geometry
• Strand V - Algebra
• Strand VI - Measurement
• Strand VII - Estimation and Mental Computation
• Strand VIII - Data Analysis and Probability

CITIZENSHIP

The Citizenship test covers six strands comprised of eighteen learning outcomes, based on the draft of Ohio's Model Competency-Based Social Studies Program.   This is the only one of the Proficiency Tests for which there is no State Model in place.   Because of this, the learning outcomes have received only temporary approval  (To view learning outcomes, please click on the mathematics icon.) 

The Citizenship test contains 45 items.   Forty of the items will be counted and used to obtain the student's citizenship score.   The five additional items are items being field tested to enable the Ohio Department of Education to continue adding items to the test bank.    The six strands are as follows:

• Strand I - American Heritage
• Strand II - People in Societies
• Strand III - World Interactions
• Strand IV - Resource Allocation
• Strand V - Democratic Process
• Strand VI - Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities

SCIENCE

The Science test covers four strands comprised of nineteen learning outcomes, based on the draft of Ohio's Model Competency-Based Science Program (To view learning outcomes, please click on the mathematics icon.)   The Science test is designed to help students analyze, synthesize, generalize, and apply information gained through "Everyday Science" activities.   These strands are as follows:

• Strand I - Nature of Science
• Strand II - Physical Science
• Strand III - Earth and Space Science
• Strand IV - Life Science