Alternate Assessment

1
Alternate Assessment

• Aran M. Felix, Program Manager
• Alaska Department of Education Early
  Development
• Special Education Directors Conference
• September 29, 2005

2
What Is the Alternate Assessment?

• Part of the Comprehensive System of Student
  Assessments (CSSA)
• For a special population of students with
  disabilities (SWD)
• Portfolio assessment consisting of data
  collection and supporting evidence
• Content areas Reading, Writing, Skills for a
  Healthy Life, (Science in 2007-08)

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Who Takes Alternate Assessments?

• Designed for students with significant cognitive
  disabilities
• Approximately 1 to 2 of the student population
  (approximately 550 students)
• IEP Team makes the decision
• Eligibility Criteria in Participation Guidelines,
  Page 11-12
• Grades 3-10, no AA in grades 11 or 12
• Expanded Format Criteria on website
  http//www.eed.state.ak.us/tls/assessment/Alternat
  eOptional/05-06/ExpandedFormatPartCriteriaAug05.pd
  f

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Criteria for Eligibility for AA

• IEP Team Decision
• Use Participation Guidelines, page 11-12
• Use Expanded Format Criteria
• Significant Cognitive Disability
• Extensive Direct Instruction to apply, transfer
  skills
• Cognitive abilities, adaptive skills prevent
  completion of standard curricula leading to
  diploma
• Not for program administration reasons

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Criteria for Eligibility for AA

• Inclusion in AA NOT primarily due to
• Extended absences
• Expectation of poor performance on state
  assessments
• Visual, auditory, physical, emotional-behavioral
  disabilities
• Inability to read at grade level
• Anticipated test stress/anxiety
• Specific Learning disabilities
• Social, cultural, or economic differences.

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Participation Guidelines
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Expanded Format Criteria
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AA is a Non-Diploma Track

• Parental Notification required
• Signature required on IEP acknowledging the
  student is
• Eligible for Alternate
• On a Non-Diploma Track
• Student must still have access to and make
  progress in general education content areas
  reading, writing, math

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How is the Test Given?

• IEP Team participants write objectives to target
  specific skills in English/Language Arts, Math,
  and Skills for a Healthy Life that the student
  will learn that year
• Teachers, paraprofessionals, and others collect
  data and tangible evidence to show a students
  progress toward achieving the skill
• Test Window Data and Evidence collected monthly
  from October through April 4, 2006

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Test Materials

• Portfolio Wallet
• Three Content Area Folders
• English/Language Arts
• Math
• Skills for a Healthy Life
• Forms

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AA Required Test Forms

• Test Security Agreement
• AA Portfolio Requirements Checklist
• Pre-Code Label
• Student Profile
• AA Cover Sheets
• Data Collection Forms
• Supporting Evidence Cover Forms

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Director and DTC Forms
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Test Security Agreement
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Test Security Agreement, Pg.2
Note Original to DTC
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Portfolio Requirements Checklist
NOTE
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Example of 2005 Pre-Code File

• Data Recognition Corporation (DRC) sends memo to
  DTC requesting information for pre-code test
  booklets and pre-code labels for AA portfolios
• Draft Memo in Packet

• Data Fields
• District CodeSchool CodeGradeGroup NameState
  Student IDDistrict Student IDStudent Last
  NameStudent First NameStudent Middle NameBirth
  date
• AA Flag - Y/N

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Student Pre-Code Label
Affix to Portfolio Wallet
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Teacher Forms
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Student Profile
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AA Cover Sheet (formerly AA IEP form)
Parent signature required 1 time only. Not needed
on all 3 AA cover sheets.
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AA Data Collection Form
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Data Collection Periods

• 1 - October/November
• 2 - December/January
• 3 - February/March
• April 4, 2006 Last day to collect data or
  supporting evidence
• 4 Optional Some students will have data
  collected in April/May 2005 That is okay.

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Supporting Evidence Form 1Paper/Text
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Supporting Evidence Form 2Photos
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Supporting Evidence Form 3Multi-Media
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Supporting Evidence

• One piece minimum of supporting evidence per
  content area
• Good supporting evidence shows student progress
  on the skill
• Supporting Evidence requires a Supporting
  Evidence Cover Form

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Important Procedures

• Important Dates

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Training AA Mentor Program

• Purpose Mentors act as district trainers to
  train teachers on how to implement the Alternate
  Assessment for qualified students in grades 3
  through 10, and act as an advisory group to the
  department.
• Contactshttp//www.eed.state.ak.us/tls/assessment
  /AlternateOptional/0506/2005AAMentorsContact.xls

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Mentor Qualifications

• Be a certified teacher in Alaska
• Current or recent experience in low-incidence
  disabilities
• Be experienced in the development or scoring of
  AA
• Have classroom experience
• Be a teacher or trainer rather than an
  administrator

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Mentor Obligations

• Attend Mentor Training
• Act as AA advisory group (review material and
  provide feedback)
• Conduct district training with EED provided
  materials
• Answer staff questions throughout year
• Assist administrators in reviewing portfolios
  before scoring

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AA Calendar Procedures
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Director AwarenessDirector Responsibility

• August
• Test Materials arrive from EED to DTCs
• Student Reports arrive for districts/parents
• Special Education Directors notify DTCs which
  teachers need AA test materials
• September
• Distribute portfolio test materials to teachers
• Teacher copies of student reports arrive,
  distribute to teachers with copy of Guide to
  Interpreting Student Reports

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Director AwarenessDirector Responsibility

• September
• Work with Mentors to schedule teacher training
  dates during school day
• If no AA Mentor, Director trains staff
• Training materials provided by EED
• October
• Teachers begin Alternate Assessment

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Director AwarenessDirector Responsibility

• January
• Update AA student information
• Student Pre-Code Information due to DRC
• March
• Student Pre-Code Labels arrive by March 20
• Affix student labels to portfolio wallets
  (districts decide the processmake sure teachers
  know)
• Last data collection period
• Directors, Mentors, DTCs to train teachers in end
  of assessment procedures

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Director AwarenessDirector Responsibility

• April
• Last day to collect data/supporting evidence
  April 4
• Last day to order extra labels April 7
• Teachers send Portfolios to Special Education
  Directors and/or AA Mentors
• Designated administrator reviews portfolios,
  signs, dates
• Deliver Portfolios to DTCs for shipment

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Director AwarenessDirector Responsibility

• April (continued)
• Shipping Window April 5 21, 2006
• Remote? DTCs will arrange pickup before April 21
• May
• Portfolios must arrive at DRC by May 1
• AA scored at DRC
• Nominate AA Mentors to EED

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AA Test Results and Reports

• AA Web Reports available June 14, 2006
• Test Results to districts August 11, 2006
• 1 copy of the Guide to Interpreting Student
  Reports sent from DRC
• Make copies of Guide to include with reports
• Mail Student Reports to parents with Guide
• Retain District copy of student report

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What is New?

• 2006-2007

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New Alternate Assessment

• Request for Proposals issued October 2005
• Performance-Based Tasks (Not a portfolio)
• Web based training, administration reports
• Field Test planned Spring 2006
• Recruiting teachers/students
• Field test training February 23-24 (tentative)
• Test Window 6 weeks in March-April
• Continue mentors as district trainers

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Emphasis on Accessing Grade Level Content

• NCLB requires that ALL students must have access
  to and make progress in general education
  curriculum.
• Alaska has Grade Level Expectations (GLEs)
• Improved Alignment of AA to GLEs
• Mentors Reviewed and revised Extended GLEs to
  provide Entry Points to grade level content
• Workgroups of Content Specialists and Intensive
  Needs Teachers Write Proficiency Descriptors
• Broad Stakeholder groups to review
• Notification to Special Education by January 2006

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Websites

• Alternate Assessment Website http//www.eed.state
  .ak.us/tls/assessment/alternate_optional.html
• Assessment Website http//www.eed.state.ak.us/tls
  /assessment/
• Data Recognition Corp (DRC) Website
• https//www.drc-web.com/reportdelivery/

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Questions?

• Contact Aran M. Felix
• 907-465-8437
• Aran_Felix_at_eed.state.ak.us