ARD Committee

1
ARD Committee Decision-Making Process for
the Texas Assessment Program 2007-08 October
31, 2007
2
Objectives

• Understand state assessment options for 2007-08
• Review changes and/or revisions to state
  assessments that that impact ARD committee
  decision-making
• Provide information so ARD Committees can make
  informed decisions about statewide (and
  districtwide) assessments including key
  information from the 2007-08 Accommodations Manual

3
Objectives

• Using TEAs ARD Decision-Making Manual as a
  guide, present and discuss an effective framework
  for making assessment decisions

4
Background and Overview
5
State Assessments 2007-08

• Where, exactly, are we?

6
State Assessments 2007-08

• Where are we heading?

• 2006-07 was the last year for
• SDAA II
• LDAA

• In 2007-08 we will have
• TAKS/TAKS with Accommodations
• TAKS Accommodated (TAKS-A)
• Formerly known as TAKS-I
• Expanded to include all subjects for which TAKS
  is given
• TAKS-Alt
• All subjects
• TAKS-M
• All subjects
• TAKS with LAT
• Reading/ELA, Math and Science (Grades 3-8 and 10)

ALL will be Based on Enrolled Grade Level TEKS
7
State Assessments 2007-08

• TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills)
• With or without accommodations
• TAKS-Accommodated
• With or without accommodations
• Group 1 and Group 2
• Spanish TAKS/TAKS-Accommodated
• Grades 3-6
• TAKS-M
• With or without accommodations
• TAKS-Alt
• TAKS LAT
• Grades 3-8 and 10
• Reading/ELA, Math and Science

8
State Assessments 2007-08

• TAKS/TAKS with Accommodations
• An assessment that measures a students mastery
  of the state-mandated curriculum, the Texas
  Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), for
• Reading (Grades 39)
• Math (Grades 310 and Exit)
• Writing (Grades 4 and 7)
• ELA (Grade 10 and Exit)
• Science (Grades 5, 8, 10, and Exit)
• Social Studies (Grades 8, 10, and Exit)

9
State Assessments 2007-08

• TAKS/TAKS with Accommodations
• Panel recommendation all grades/subjects
• Bundled accommodations for students with dyslexia
• For students identified with dyslexia AND who
  receive services under
• IDEA
• Section 504, or
• Campus dyslexia program
• Accommodations are ALL 3
• Orally reading all proper nouns
• Orally reading all question and answer choices
• Extending the testing over a 2-day period
• Other accommodations
• Oral administration (Math, Science, Social
  Studies)

10
State Assessments 2007-08

• TAKS-Accommodated/TAKS-Accommodated with
  Accommodations
• ONLY for students receiving special education
  services
• ONLY at EGL
• Met Standard 2100 scale score
• Commended 2400 scale score
• Same test items that appear in corresponding TAKS
  tests
• Fewer test items does not include embedded
  field test items
• Allowable accommodations described in
  Accommodations Manual

11
State Assessments 2006-2007

• TAKS-Accommodated/TAKS-Accommodated with
  Accommodations
• Group 1
• Included in AEIS Not Included in AYP
• Social Studies all grades (8, 10 and Exit)
• Science all grades (5, 8, 10 and Exit)
• ELA Exit level only
• Math Exit level only
• Group 2
• Not included in AEIS Included in AYP in Grades
  3-8 and 10
• Reading (Grades 3-9)
• ELA (Grade 10)
• Math (Grades 3-10)
• Writing (Grades 4, 7)

12
State Assessments 2007-08

• TAKS-Modified
• Only for students receiving special education
  services (who meet participation requirements)
• Alternate assessment based on modified academic
  achievement standards
• For students whose disability prevents them from
  achieving full EGL proficiency
• Operational TAKS-M in Spring 2008
• Reading (Grades 3-8)
• ELA (Grade 10)
• Math (Grades 3-8 and 10)
• Science (Grades 5, 8 and 10)
• Passing standard to be developed in July 2008
• Field Test TAKS-M in all other grades/subjects
• Passing standard to be developed in July 2009

13
State Assessments 2007-08

• TAKS-Alternate
• Only for students receiving special education
  services (who meet participation requirements)
• Alternate assessment based on alternate academic
  achievement standards
• For students with the most significant cognitive
  disabilities (MSCD)
• Aligned with enrolled grade level (EGL) TEKS
• Based on access activities that are designed to
  measure students mastery of prerequisite skills
  aligned to the essence of EGL TEKS
• Passing standard To Be Published by November
  16, 2007

14
State Assessments 2007-08

• TAKS with Linguistically Accommodated Testing
  (LAT)
• For recent immigrant ELL students who have been
  exempted from state assessment by their LPACs
• For TAKS, TAKS-Accommodated and TAKS-M
• Reading (Grades 3-8)
• ELA (Grade 10)
• Math (Grades 3-8 and 10)
• Science (Grades 5, 8 and 10)

15
State Assessment 2007-08

• Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment
  System (TELPAS)
• Designed to assess the progress that limited
  English proficient (LEP) students make in
  learning the English language
• Composed of
• Holistically rated assessments (formerly known as
  the Texas Observation Protocols)
• Grades K1 listening, speaking, writing, and
  reading
• Grades 212 listening, speaking, and writing
• Multiple-choice assessments (formerly known as
  the Reading Proficiency Tests in English).
• Revised and will be administered for the first
  time in spring 2008
• Grades 212 reading

16
State Assessment 2007-08(The 1 and 2 World)
17
State Assessments
Accommodations Manual for 2007-08! Oct 4th!
Available at http//www5.esc13.net/assessment/i
ndex.html
18
State Assessments
19
State Assessments
TAKS A TAKS Accommodated
20
State Assessments
21
State Assessments
22
State Assessments
23
What will the whole system look like for Spring
2008?
24
TAKS Accommodated Not in AEIS/In AYP (1st two
admins)
TAKS-Accommodated In AEIS/Not in AYP
Available at http//www5.esc13.net/assessment/i
ndex.html
25
TAKS-M Not in AEIS/In AYP (one admin.) Results
in May/Pass Std in July
TAKS-M (Not in AEIS/Not in AYP) Results in
May/Pass Std July
TAKS-M FT (Not in AEIS/Not in AYP) No Results
Returned
Available at http//www5.esc13.net/assessment/i
ndex.html
26
Statewide Assessment

• WHY are we moving to TAKS-Alt?
• What was wrong with LDAA?
• WHY are we moving to TAKS-M?
• What was wrong with SDAA?
• REASONS
• IDEA 2004
• NCLB

27
Impact of IDEA 2004

• IDEA 1997 (the Old Days)
• Required, for the first time, that
• special education students be included
• in all
• Statewide assessments
• Districtwide assessments
• Required State OR LEA to administer alternate
  assessments
• IDEA 2004 (effective July 1, 2005)
• Requires all special education students to be
  included in all
• Statewide assessments
• Districtwide assessments
• Requires State to administer alternate
• assessments

The END of LDAA
28
Impact of NCLB

• NCLB requirements
• Challenging academic content standards for all
  students
• Instruction must be aligned with Enrolled Grade
  Level (EGL) standards (i.e., the TEKS)
• Challenging academic achievement standards for
  all students
• Goal student Proficiency in Reading and Math
• States have flexibility in defining the standard
  necessary to be considered Proficient
• BUT All students must be held to the same high
  standards of academic achievement
• High standard passing standard on state
  assessment
• In Texas 2100 Scale Score on TAKS
• Essentially establishes the blue line (EGL) as
  the expectation for ALL students

The END of SDAA
29
Impact of NCLB

• The statutory language of NCLB does not allow for
  any exceptions to the requirement that States
  must hold all students to the same high standards
  of academic achievement
• Under NCLB, as written, any student taking an
  assessment that is based on ANY standard OTHER
  than the full rigor of EGL academic achievement
  would automatically be considered a Failer (or
  Non Proficient)
• This includes
• Assessments aligned to an alternate academic
  achievement standard or
• Assessments aligned to a modified academic
  achievement standard

30
The 1 Cap and the 2 Cap

• USDE has adopted 2 EXCEPTIONS to the statutory
  language of NCLB
• 1 Cap Regulations Issued in December 2003
• Allows a number of Met Standard assessments
  aligned to an alternate academic achievement
  standard to be counted as Proficient
• For students with the most significant cognitive
  disabilities
• Number 1 of All Students enrolled in Grades
  3-8 and 10
• 2 Cap Regulations Issued April 9, 2007
• Beginning in 2008, will allow a number of Met
  Standard assessments aligned to a modified
  academic achievement standard to be counted as
  Proficient
• For students whose disabilities preclude them
  from achieving grade-level proficiency (based on
  objective evidence)
• Number 2 of All Students enrolled in Grades
  3-8 and 10

TAKS-Alt
TAKS-M
31

• TAKS-Alt Criteria
• Determination of MSCD

32
TAKS-Alt Criteria

• Question
• I have a student that I think should take
  TAKS-Alt but he/she frequently completes
  paper-pencil tasks in class. Should this student
  take TAKS-M?
• Answer
• The ARD committee should review the students
  access to the grade-level curriculum
• If the student is accessing prerequisite skills,
  he/she could be eligible to take TAKSAlt
• The intent of the paper-and-pencil
  participation requirement is not to exclude
  students who can write, but rather to help ARD
  committees identify students for whom academic
  progress is not evaluated primarily through
  paper-and-pencil tasks

33
TAKS-M

• Assessments based on MAAS are intended for
  students
• Whose disability has prevented them from
  achieving grade-level proficiency and
• Whose progress to date in response to appropriate
  instruction (including special education and
  related services) is such that, even if
  significant growth occurs, the students IEP
  teams are reasonably certain will not achieve
  grade-level proficiency within the year covered
  by their IEPs
• IEPs for students assessed based on MAAS must be
  based on grade-level academic content standards
• States must develop guideline for IEP teams to
  follow in identifying students to be assessed
  based on MAAS
• States may count as Proficient a number of
  assessments based on MAAS equal to 2 of all
  students enrolled in Grades 3-8 and 10

34
TAKS-M

• Student Success Initiative (SSI)
• 3rd, 5th, and 8th grade students participating in
  TAKS-M will not be a part of the SSI grade
  advancement requirements for 2007-08
• Graduation (11th graders 2007-08)
• Completion of IEP as determined by the ARD
  committee which may include credit and curriculum
  requirements, demonstration of employability
  skills, and/or reaching the age of 22
• Student Assessment is currently working with
  multiple divisions at TEA on new rules and
  guidance
• Commissioners Rules are expected in November

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To TAKS-M or Not To TAKS-M?

• Data Think Throughs
• TAKS/SDAA-II Objective Analysis
• By subject
• By grade level
• Horizontally
• Vertically
• By student population
• TAKS/SDAA-II Item Analysis
• Added value for individual students
• Scale score over time?

41
To TAKS-M or Not To TAKS-M?

• How helpful is SDAA-II data from 2007?
• VERY helpful!
• How many students took SDAA-II?
• In Reading?
• In Math?
• At what Instructional Level?
• How many took at EGL?
• How many one grade level BELOW EGL? Two grade
  levels BELOW EGL? Etc.
• How did they perform in terms of Achievement
  Levels
• At EGL?
• Below EGL?

42
2007 SDAA-II Takers by Instructional LevelMath
(Sample ISD)
43
2007 SDAA-IIAnalysis of Achievement Levels at
EGL for Math (Sample ISD)
Particularly 4th, 7th and 9th Graders!
44
To TAKS-M or Not To TAKS-M?

• In identifying students for TAKS-M
• Look at multiple valid measures of students
  proficiency
• State assessment
• Classroom assessment
• Norm referenced tests
• Criterion referenced tests
• Students taking SDAA-II 3 or more instructional
  levels BELOW EGL in 2007 are probably eligible
  for TAKS-M
• Students taking SDAA-II at EGL and scoring
  Achievement Level II or III are probably TAKS or
  TAKS-A students
• Students taking SDAA-II 1 or 2 years BELOW EGL or
  who took SDAA-II at EGL and scored Achievement
  Level I look carefully at raw scores and other
  measures to help make determination

45
Assessment
Districtwide Assessments
46
Assessment

• Districtwide Assessments
• Norm/criterion referenced assessments
• District developed/administered assessments
• Example District benchmarks
• ARD COMMITTEE MUST ADDRESS HOW STUDENT WILL
  PARTICIPATE IN DISTRICTWIDE ASSESSMENT
• Process followed by ARD Committee will be similar
  to process followed for statewide assessments

47
Assessment
Statewide Assessments
48
Assessment Considerations

• TAKS should always be the first consideration
  when making assessment decisions
• All students have the right to be exposed to as
  much of the TEKS curriculum as possible to reach
  their academic potential
• Instructional decisions made by the ARD committee
  and documented in the IEP must always guide
  assessment decisions
• Each subject area is considered separately when
  making assessment decisions (except for TAKS-Alt)
• State assessment decision is NOT based solely on
  eligibility category or placement setting
• State assessment decision is an ARD Committee
  decision, NOT an administrative decision

49

• Instructional decisions should always inform and
  guide assessment decisions

2007-08 Corollary Assessment decisions should
always inform and guide instruction
50
Accommodations Manual and ARD Committee
Decision-Making Manual
51
Accommodations Manual

• Includes guidelines for selecting, administering,
  and evaluating the use of accommodations
• Focuses on accommodations for assessments
• Is based on the expectation that students will
  achieve grade-level academic content standards
  through access to the general curriculum (TEKS)
• Requires accommodations be routinely used in
  instruction and assessment as well as
  documentation in paperwork for students receiving
  special education, 504 or dyslexia services

52
Accommodations Manual

• Describes 4 categories of accommodations
• Presentation
• Response
• Setting
• Timing and Scheduling
• Category information will be collected on answer
  documents

53
Accommodations by Category Presentation (p.
19-20)

• Oral Administration
• Dyslexia Bundled Accommodations (Gr. 3-8
  Reading)
• Amplification devices
• Manipulating test materials for students

• Large Print
• Braille
• Magnifying or low-vision devices
• Colored overlays/ Colored photocopies
• Place markers
• Reading test aloud to self

Italics Requires an ARF
Based on Eligibility Criteria
54
Accommodations by CategoryResponse (p. 21-23)

• Other methods of response
• Scribe
• Spelling assistance
• Calculation devices

• Supplemental aids
• Multiplication charts
• Journal
• Notes
• Manipulatives
• Blank graphic organizers

Italics Requires an ARF
55
Accommodations by Category Setting (p. 24)

• Minimizing distractions to the student
• Small group
• Individual
• Study carrels
• Lighting, location, distractions
• Wearing noise buffers (earplugs or headphones)

56
Accommodations by Category Timing Scheduling
(p. 25)

• Extended time Testing over two days
• Multiple or frequent breaks
• Visual, verbal or tactile reminders to stay on
  task

Italics Requires an ARF
57
When? How? Which Tests?(p. 19-25)
58
Accommodation Request Forms (ARFs)

• Accommodations Manual attempts to clarify when
  ARFs are required and when they are not (see
  italics in chart)
• Fax is still the current method of submission
• Online ARF will be piloted
• ARF must be submitted to TEA 2 weeks prior to
  live testing
• New policies do not apply to Oct 2007 retest

59
SUGGESTION Student Code 2007-08 001
60
Whats New.and ?

• Calculator Use
• TAKS
• No change to policy (Required for grades 9 11)
• TAKS-Accommodated
• Calculators at grades 7 8 through ARF only
• TAKS-M
• Calculators at all grades Grades 3-6 require ARF

61
More New Updates

• Spell Check for Writing
• TAKS
• No change to policies
• TAKS-Accommodated
• Available grades 7 and up through ARF
• TAKS-M
• Spell check for all grades
• ARF required for Grade 4
• Spell Checks and Grammar Checks can also be
  checked using a pocket spell checker

62
Appendices

• Include participation requirements, eligibility
  requirements, and decision-making authority by
  assessment
• Dyslexia bundled accommodations
• Oral administration
• Large-print and braille
• Copying testing materials
• TAK-M participation requirements
• TAKS-Alt participation requirements

63
Example Appendix A

• Oral Administration (p. 44)

64
Example Appendix A

• Large-Print and Braille
• (p. 46)

65
Appendices

• Fact Sheets
• Dos and Donts when selecting accommodations
• Guidelines for administering specific
  accommodations

66
Appendices

• Teacher Tools
• Access needs that may require accommodations
• Accommodations from the students perspective
• Assessment accommodations plan
• Assessment accommodations agreement
• Logistics planning checklist
• Accommodations journal

67
Appendices

• Accommodation Request Form (ARF)
• LEA must have a coding system for identifying
  student
• No student identifying information is submitted
  with ARF
• Glossary
• Point size and font Matrix
• Resources

68
ARD Committee Decision-Making Process
69
ARD Committee Decision Making Process
Page 15
70
ARD Committee Decision Making Process

• Step 1
• Review the students current information to
  determine the students present level of
  functioning
• Determining PLAAFPs
• Performance in classes (grades and other
  information)
• Performance on past statewide and districtwide
  assessments
• TAKS, SDAA, LDAA, RPTE
• Review CSRs
• Performance in current curriculum (individualized
  goals and objectives)
• District benchmark assessments
• Curriculum based measures

71
ARD Committee Decision Making Process

• Step 2
• Determine how the student receives TEKS
  instruction and the students level of
  performance on the grade-level curriculum
• The ARD committee must
• determine the students individual skills and
  level of progress in the TEKS for the students
  enrolled grade
• look carefully at the extent of the modifications
  to the TEKS curriculum that were provided to the
  student that enabled progress to occur
• determine if the TEKS were accessed through
  accommodations and/or modifications or if the
  student accessed the TEKS through prerequisite
  skills

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Page 18
73
ARD Committee Decision Making Process

• Step 3
• Determine the appropriate assessment for the
  student
• TAKS
• TAKS (Accommodated)
• TAKS LAT
• TAKSM
• TAKSAlt

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Page 27
75
ARD Committee Decision Making Process

• Step 4
• Document the appropriate assessment along with
  all allowable or approved accommodations that the
  student will need during testing.

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Page 11
77
Student Scenarios
78
Student Scenarios
79
Student Scenarios
80
Student Scenarios
Now YOU Try!
81
Student Scenarios
82
Student Scenarios
83
Student Scenarios
84
Student Scenarios
85
Student Scenarios
86
Student Scenarios
87
Student Scenarios(p. 21-24)
88
Student Scenarios
89
Student Scenarios
90
Student Scenarios
91
Student Scenarios
92
So What Has Been Clarified?

• SSI - Student Success Initiative
• 3rd, 5th, and 8th grade students participating in
  TAKS-M will not be a part of the SSI grade
  advancement requirements for 2007-2008
• TAKS-Alt students continue to be exempt from SSI
  requirements

93
Still to Come

• Graduation requirements for students in special
  education taking alternate assessments
• Guidance on the coordination of LPAC and ARD
  Committees
• QA section of ARD Committee Decision-Making
  Guide
• 2008 District and Campus Coordinator Manual (Due
  out in December)

94
Next Steps

• ARD Committee Decision Making Training
• Train everyone who is going to be serving on an
  ARD Committee
• Campus-level data analysis and decision making
  support
• Updates for administrators and curriculum
  specialists
• Consider modifying district assessments

95
Keep a Watchful Eye!

• The TAKS-Alt/TAKS-M conundrum
• The one-year TAKS-M and SSI resolution
• The slippery slope of an accountability bye for
  TAKS-Accommodated (Group 2)
• The cart before the horse placement decisions
  (i.e., resource means TAKS-M)

96
Assessment
LEP Students Who Receive Special Education
Services
97
Assessment LEP Students

• ARD committees make assessment decisions for
  every student served by special education,
  including LEP students
• TAKS
• TAKS-Accommodated
• TAKS-M
• TAKS-Alt
• The ARD committee for a student who is LEP must
  always include a school representative who is a
  member of the students LPAC for all decisions

98
Assessment LEP StudentsExemptions

• LEP-exempt an exemption from TAKS, TAKS
  (Accommodated), or TAKSM granted to eligible
  immigrant students on the basis of limited
  English proficiency (in accordance with
  state-defined criteria and procedures)
• LEP exemptions have certain eligibility
  requirements (Refer to LPAC Manual for more
  information)
• Students who qualify for a LEP exemption will
  participate in linguistically accommodated
  testing (LAT) in certain grades and subjects to
  fulfill federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
  regulations
• Students who do not qualify for an exemption are
  subject to the same assessment requirements as
  non-LEP students

99
Assessment
Statewide Assessments Student Success
Initiative (Reading Grade 3 Reading and Math
Grade 5) (Reading and Math Grade 8)
100
Assessment SSI

• Student Success Initiative (SSI) section of the
  ARD Committee manual provides a summary of the
  grade advancement requirements as they pertain to
  students served by special education.
• For more information about the grade advancement
  requirements of the Student Success Initiative
  for all students, including those receiving
  special education services, consult the Grade
  Placement Committee Manual for Grade Advancement
  Requirements of the Student Success Initiative
  (GPC manual) located on the TEA website at
  www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment
• In addition to the GPC manual, the SSI section of
  the website also includes sample forms, parent
  notification letters, and periodic updates about
  the program.

101
Assessment SSI

• SSI Grade Advancement Requirements for Students
  Served by Special Education
• Reference Manual Page 38
• SSI Flowcharts for Students Taking TAKS or TAKS
  (Accommodated)
• Reference Manual Pages 40-42
• SSI Student Scenarios
• Reference Manual Page 43

102
SSI

• Student Success Initiative Ensuring Success for
  All Students ESC Region XIII
• Trainings To Be Announced

103
AssessmentGeneral Principles

• Instructional decisions made by the ARDC must
  always guide assessment decisions
• It is the ARDCs responsibility to promote and
  maintain high expectations for student
  performance
• Each subject for each grade must be considered
  separately when determining appropriate
  assessment (except for TAKS-Alt)

104

• To contact us
• Martha Blanton
• martha.blanton_at_esc13.txed.net
• John Fessenden
• john.fessenden_at_esc13.txed.net
• For a copy of this presentation and accompanying
  materials
• http//www5.esc13.net/assessment/