Understanding the 1% Cap for the Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP)

1
Understanding the 1 Capfor the Virginia
Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP)

• Federal NCLB Regulations

2
What is the VAAP?

• Three types of SOL assessments for students with
  disabilities
• Regular SOL w/out accommodations
• VGLA (Virginia Grade Level Assessment)
• VAAP (Virginia Alternate Assessment Program)

3
What is the 1 Cap

• NCLB regulations limit the number of alternate
  assessment that may be counted toward AYP to 1
  of the students enrolled in tested grades
• Tested grades are 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 11

4
Where is the 1 cap applied?

• 1 applies at the state level
• 1 applies at the division level
• 1 does not apply at the school or classroom level

5
1 History in Virginia since 2001

• Virginia has always exceeded the 1 cap
• Through 2006-2007 the federal government granted
  Virginia a waiver
• Fall 2007 the federal government notified VDOE
  that it will no longer grant the waiver

6
What are the consequences for ACPS?

• All students exceeding the 1 cap will have their
  performance status reassigned from passing to
  failing for AYP calculations
• The number of reassigned scores will be
  determined by dividing the number of VAAP
  proficient scores by the number of students in
  the tested grades
• Reassigned scores apply to English and math

7
What is 1 calculation for ACPS?

• ACPS had 1,560 students enrolled in tested grades
  as of 09/30/2007
• 1 of 1560 is 15.6 or 16
• 16 VAAP assessments can be counted toward
  division-wide AYP pass rates

8
ACPS numbers

• 37 VAAP students in tested grades
• Only 16 English and 16 math VAAP will count
  toward division-wide AYP
• 21 English and 21 math assessments will have to
  be reassigned as failing/non-participation for
  the division

9
What does reassigned mean?

• Scores reassigned for AYP calculations only
• Does not affect the student or the IEP
• Does not affect the students graduation
• Parents get notification of the original score
  as usual
• Reassignments are done after scoring and test
  audits are complete

10
What are the local ramifications?

• Knowing that 22 students will be reassigned from
  passing to failing for division-wide AYP
  calculations means that ACPS will not likely make
  AYP
• Individual schools can still make AYP provided
  that all benchmarks are met.

11
What about next year?

• Criteria for VAAP participation is being changed
  per VDOE regulations
• IQ scores of 50 and below
• Moderate to profound mental retardation
• Adaptive behavior score of 50 or below

12
How do the new regulations apply to this years
students?

• Currently, 37 ACPS students are being assessed by
  VAAP
• 8 of the 37 qualify for VAAP using the new DOE
  standards
• ACPS will not likely be above the 1 cap in
  2008-2009

13
Questions?