Melissa Fincher

1
Access to the Georgia Curriculum for Student with
Significant Cognitive Disabilities
Supports for teachers as they move toward the
redesigned Georgia Alternate Assessment
Melissa Fincher Testing Division
2
Altering Georgias Alternate

• Collaboration between
• Testing Division
• Division for Exceptional Students
• Curriculum and Instruction
• School Improvement

3
Background 2004 - 2005

• Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE)
  contracted with University of Kentucky, Inclusive
  Large Scale Standards and Assessment Project
  (ILSSA) for technical assistance in aligning
  instruction to the general curriculum
• Input from stakeholders

4
Background 2005 - 2006

• GaDOE contracted with two Teachers on Special
  Assignment to provide training and leadership for
  special education teachers
• GaDOE awarded a contract for the redevelopment of
  the Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA)

5
Support for Teachers

• 2005-2006
• Developed and conducted statewide initial
  training
• Developed materials for teacher use
• Developed multiple avenues for acquiring
  materials and support
• 2006-2007
• Develop more intensive training on different
  aspects of access for success
• Continue to develop and review materials for
  teacher use
• Continue to support multiple avenues for teacher
  acquisition of materials and support

6
2005-2006 School YearPhase 1 Training

• 18 sessions were conducted around the state
• Training was provided in every geographic region
  of the state
• Over 1800 people participated in the training

7
Phase 1 Training

• Focused on providing an overview of aligning
  instruction to the general curriculum
• Provided materials (spreadsheets and worksheets)
  for teacher use when aligning instructional
  activities
• Provided examples of instructional materials and
  assistive technology that could be utilized to
  support

8
Phase 1 Training

• Shorter mini-sessions were conducted for
  specific state-level groups
• Georgia Council for Special Education
  Administrators (GCASE)
• Georgia Association for Curriculum and
  Instruction Supervisors (GACIS)
• State Title 1 Coordinators

9
Teacher Materials

• Materials available to teachers include
• Resource Guide
• Spreadsheets
• Worksheets
• Videos of examples of aligned instructional tasks

10
Resource Guide

• Provides
• Information on the alignment process
• References to websites, books, and other
  materials
• Examples of aligned instructional activities
• Information on assistive technology and supports

11
Accessing the Curriculum

• Georgias Stepwise Process
• Identify the appropriate content standard
• Define the outcome of instruction for all
  students
• Identify and plan the instructional activity
• Target and embed specific IEP objectives and
  functional skills

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Spreadsheets and Worksheets

• Developed to
• assist teachers in navigating the curriculum
• make connections between the general curriculum
  and individualized instruction needed by students
  with significant cognitive impairments
• provide a format to ensure that all components
  for successful access are covered
• Each spreadsheet was reviewed by C/I to ensure
  that alignment with the general curriculum was
  appropriate and comprehensive

13
Student Videos

• Videos and pictures were made by GaDOE
• Included students and teachers from every grade
  level (early and upper elementary, middle school,
  high school) and various types of significant
  cognitive disabilities
• Demonstrated different types of aligned
  instructional tasks, different levels of student
  participation, and use of various materials and
  assistive technology to provide access

14
Three Prongs of Support

• GaDOE website
• Regional Core Access Teachers (CAT)
• Message Board

15
Next Steps

• Develop more intensive training on different
  aspects of access for success
• Continue to develop and review materials for
  teacher use
• Continue to support multiple avenues for teacher
  acquisition of materials and support

16
Redeveloping the GAA

• Structured portfolio
• Considers alignment in process
• Fidelity to Standard dimension
• Instructional Context
• Multiple collection periods and pieces of
  evidence required
• Student achievement and progress
• Generalizability

17
Redeveloping the GAA

• Piloted in Spring 2006
• Majorities of entries reflected academic content
• Documentation needs improvement
• Extensive training planned for Fall 2006
• Operational Administration in 2006 - 2007

18
Contact Information

• Melissa Fincher
• Assistant Director, Testing Division
• 404.651.9405 / mfincher_at_doe.k12.ga.us
• Nancy OHara
• Associate Director, Division for Exceptional
  Students
• 404.657.9959 / ohara_at_doe.k12.ga.us