SAT Suite of Assessments - March 2020 Board Meeting - Recommended Performance Levels and Cut Scores

Oct 2, 2026

Uploaded by Terk

Review and adoption package outlining how recommended SAT cut scores and performance levels are established for SAT Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing. Explains the SAT background and reporting framework, including scale-score ranges and college/career readiness benchmarks, then describes standard-setting logic using cut-score buckets tied to measured skills and concepts. Presents a content-based cut score setting approach aligned to Colorado Academic Standards and includes performance level descriptors (Did Not Yet Meet, Approached, Met, Exceeded) plus an 11th-grade assessment content alignment overview.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages31

Reading Time1 h 18 min

AccessFree to download

Today’s Goals

SAT Background: Revised Version starting in 2016

Current College Board Reporting

Types of Scores

College and Career Readiness Benchmarks

Student Score Report

Establishing Performance Levels

Standard setting buckets

CMAS Cut Score Setting Process

A Content Based Cut Score Setting Approach

Colorado Academic Standards Assessments

Performance Level Descriptors

11th Grade Assessment: Which Standards Should Be Addressed?

SAT Suite of Assessments: Recommended Performance Levels and Cut Scores March 2020 Board Meeting Joyce Zurkowski Chief Assessment Officer 1 Today’s Goals Review the process for establishing recommended cut scores for SAT Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing. Present the recommended cut scores and performance levels for PSAT/SAT Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing. Action Requested: Board adoption of performance levels and cut scores for PSAT/SAT Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing based on the intended-to-be assessed Colorado Academic Standards . 2 SAT Background: Revised Version starting in 2016 • Revised SAT was designed to: • Be a measure of student achievement of high school academic expectations • Emphasize • Knowledge, skills and understandings identified as most important for college and career readiness and success • Meaning of words in context (eliminated analogies) • Have simplified scoring – one point for each correct answer • Be more transparent • Be accessible to all students and measure performance influenced by successful completion of challenging coursework • Supported by free content-based practice and refresher materials • Allow English learners to test with accessibility features, including extended time and word-to-word glossaries 3 SAT Background: Current College Board Reporting Types of Scores: 1. Scale scores • Total: 400-1600 • Section: 200-800 • Evidence-based Reading and Writing (ERW) • Math 2. College and Career Readiness Benchmarks: 75% likelihood of getting a C or higher in a first semester, credit-bearing college course • ERW: 480 • Math: 530 4 Student Score Report Standard Setting: Establishing Performance Levels • Standard setting buckets scale scores into performance levels • Cut scores and their associated performance levels anchor scale scores to actual achievement of specific skills and concepts being measured • Performance levels: • Provide additional achievement information • Support the interpretation of results • Translate scale scores into a metric that may have a more practical meaning • Can be used in accountability metrics: ex. growth to standard 6 CMAS Cut Score Setting Process 7 A Content Based Cut Score Setting Approach Colorado Academic Standards Assessments Performance Standards (cut scores ) Purpose of standard setting: To make a series of recommendations about the locations of the cut scores on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (ERW) and Math sections of the SAT Policy-level Performance Level Descriptors | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Did Not Yet Meet | Approached | Met | Exceeded | | Expectations | Expectations | Expectations | Expectations | | Students performing at | Students performing at | Students performing at | Students performing at | | this level may | this level approach the | this level meet the | this level exceed | | minimally approach the | academic expectations | academic expectations | academic expectations | | academic expectations | for the knowledge, | for the knowledge, | for the knowledge, | | for the knowledge, | skills and practices | skills and practices | skills and practices | | skills and practices | known to be most | known to be most | known to be most | | known to be most | relevant for success in | relevant for success in | relevant for success in | | relevant for success in | college and careers | college and careers | college and careers | | college and careers | contained in the | contained in the | contained in the | | contained in the | assessed high school | assessed high school | assessed high school | | assessed high school | CAS. | CAS. | CAS. | | CAS. | | | | | With significant | With continued | Students are likely to | Students are very likely | | additional coursework, | coursework, students | engage successfully in | to engage successfully | |

FAQs

What is the purpose of the standard setting process described for the SAT?

To make recommendations about where cut scores should be located on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (ERW) and Math sections of the SAT.

How are cut scores and performance levels linked to SAT scale scores?

Cut scores and associated performance levels anchor scale scores to actual achievement of specific skills and concepts being measured, then translate scale scores into more practical achievement metrics.

What performance levels are used in the policy-level descriptors?

The descriptors define four levels: Did Not Yet Meet, Approached Expectations, Met Expectations, and Exceeded Expectations.

Oct 2, 2026

Uploaded by Terk