2 Texas Middle School Fluency Assessment: Administering and Interpreting Results
This binder details how to score and interpret the results of the Texas Middle School Fluency Assessment (TMSFA). This course is Unit 4 of the Texas Adolescent Literacy Academy (TALA). These materials are available for view only; no credit or certificate is provided.
Texas Middle School Fluency Assessment (TMSFA)
Texas Education Code (TEC) §28.006(c-1) requires that students who do not meet the passing standard on the Grade 6 State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) reading test must be administered a reading assessment at the beginning of grade 7. The Texas Middle School Fluency Assessment (TMSFA) was developed with Texas students to be a valid and reliable instrument for determining students’ areas of instructional need.
The TMSFA is based on valid and reliable scientific research, thoroughly measures each domain of development, and is user-friendly. The following three domains of development are assessed using the TMSFA.
- Text Comprehension (Reading)
- Word Analysis
- Fluency
Nomenclature of Ionic Compounds
Given descriptors, diagrams. or scenarios, students will write and name the chemical formulas of common polyatomic ions and ionic compounds containing main group or transition metals and bases.
Mole Conversions
Given descriptions or chemical formula of a substance, students will convert between mass, moles, and particles for a sample of material.
Quantifying Changes in Chemical Reactions: Balancing Equations
Given descriptions or chemical formulas of the reactants and the products of chemical reactions, students will apply the law of conservation of mass and manipulate coefficients to balance chemical equations.
Scientific Investigation and Reasoning - Data Organization
Using interactive exercises, students will review how to construct tables and graphs in order to organize data.
Scientific Investigation and Reasoning - Data Analysis
Students will use interactive exercises to analyze data to identify patterns, predict trends, formulate reasonable explanations, and communicate valid conclusions.
Scientific Investigation and Reasoning - Scientific Explanations
Using interactive exercises, students will review how to evaluate a scientific explanation.
Scientific Investigation and Reasoning - Models
Using interactive exercises, students will review the three different types of models and the advantages and limitations of models.
Scientific Investigation and Reasoning - Contribution of Scientists
Using interactive exercises, students will review the contributions of scientist to various fields of scientific study.
Matter and Energy - Atomic Structure
Using interactive exercises, students will describe the structure of atoms and the locations of particles with in the atom.
Gravity
Using interactives, students will demonstrate that gravity is the force that governs the motion of our solar system.
Light Years
Students will identify how light years are used to measure distances and sizes of components of the universe.
Investigating and Comparing Life Cycles
A Tier I life science instructional resource for grade 3
Increasing and Decreasing Energy
This resource provides sample activities for teachers to use in helping students to identify and investigate the effects of increasing and decreasing amounts of light, heat, and sound energy on an object.
Food Chains, Food Webs, and Energy Pyramids
This resource provides flexible alternate or additional learning opportunities for students to diagram the flow of energy through living systems, Seventh Grade Science TEKS (7)(5)(C).
The Arrangement of Elements: The Periodic Table
This resource provides flexible alternate or additional learning opportunities for students to interpret the arrangement of elements on the Periodic Table, Eighth Grade Science TEKS (8)(5)(C).
Sedimentary Rocks and Fossil Fuels
A Tier 1 earth science instructional resource for grade 5.
Light: Reflection and Refraction
This is a tier I instructional resource to provide a scaffolded learning experience for TEKS (5)(6)(C).
Introduction to Plate Tectonics
This resource is intended to use for Tier I classroom instruction.