Hope Tesh-Blum

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The North Carolina Alternate Assessment Academic
Inventory

• Hope Tesh-Blum
• Division of Accountability Services
• Testing Section

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Why was the NCAAAI Developed?

• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
  (IDEA) of 1997
• All students, including those with IEPs or
  Section 504 plans, must participate in the
  statewide testing program.
• NC Alternate Assessment Portfolio (NCAAP)
• NC Computerized Adaptive Testing System (NCCATS)
  Accommodation

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New Way of Thinking

• The NCAAAI is an ALTERNATE ASSESSMENT for ANY
  student who cannot access the traditional test
  even with accommodations (must meet
  requirements).
• Students with Disabilities just happened to be
  the first group required by federal law.

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What is the NCAAAI?

• Checklist of competencies based on the
• NCSCS scored using individual scales for each
  content area
• Reading (Grades 3-8, 10)
• Mathematics (Grades 3-8, 10)
• Writing (Grades 4, 7, 10)
• EOC (Pilot Spring 2003)
• Envelope format
• Collection of evidence to support FINAL scores

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Whats New?

• No Child Left Behind
• No exemptions
• Same standard, Same content
• Options
• Multiple-Choice Test
• State-Developed Portfolio
• Checklist

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ESEA Requirements Changes for 2002-03?

• Reading and Math at grades 3-8 annually 10-12
  span
• Science (2005-06) in each grade span (3-5, 6-9,
  10-12)
• LEP Students tested in English at 3 consecutive
  years in US
• Annual measurable assessment of All students

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Which EC students are Eligible?

• Current Individualized Education Program (IEP) or
  Section 504 Plan
• Following the NC Standard Course of Study (NC
  SCS) important
• Unable to access statewide testing with or
  without accommodations important
• Assigned grade level of 3-8 or 10

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Who decides?

• The IEP Team determines student participation in
  the NCAAAI and the grade level at which the
  student will be assessed.
• Assigned grade level is determined by the School
  Principal.
• Different options

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Why should you use the NCAAAI?

• Flexibility in showing performance
• Show growth
• Instructional value from year to year
• No test anxiety for the student
• AYP
• OCR

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Who Completes?

• Must have training in the content area
• Must work routinely with the student
• Principal has authority
• HSCT

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Concerns and Quandaries

• No Exemptions
• NC Standard Course of Study (NC SCS)
• Workload/Myths
• Training
• Its STILL NEW
• Adding LEP Students

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Training?

• Train-the-Trainer Model (RACS)
• LEA TC trains the Test Coordinator
• Training for local staff is a collaboration
  between Testing and LEA staff (local decision)
• NCDPI/EC Training (Summer 2002)
• Testing Section Training (Fall 2002)

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Training Website

• www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/testing/nca
  aaitraining/
• Registration by City (10 Sites)
• Lists of Participants
• Sites/Directions to be announced
• EC and LEP Sessions

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LEP IEP

• Which is the overriding factor?
• No definitive guidelines
• Best judgement
• Review the different testing instruments

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When are the Inventories Scored?

• Three times per year
• First month of participationBaseline data
• Interim Month
• Last month of schoolFinal data
• Evidence is collected to support Final Spring
  scores Only.

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How is the Inventory Scored?

• Description of Student Performance to give each
  competency a score from 1-8
• Objectives by Goals, Categories, or Sections
• Overall Score
• Growth is ANY growth

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(No Transcript)
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Achievement Levels Final Spring Overall Score

• Assessed On-Grade Level
• Level 4 (7-8)
• Level 3 (5-6)
• Level 2 (3-4)
• Level 1 (1-2)

• Assessed Off-Grade Level
• Student may only receive a Level 1 or Level 2
• Grade level standard

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On v/s Off Grade Level

• LEP Students cannot be assessed off-grade level
• EC students may be assessed off-grade level
• Writing cannot be assessed off-grade level
• options

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Examples of Evidence

• Local Tests (LT)
• Samples of Student Work (SW)
• Teacher Observations (TO)
• Teacher-Made Tests (TT)
• Audio Tapes (AT)
• Other (specify) Any Means to show performance

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Reporting

• 2001-2002 Operational
• Locally scanned
• School rosters
• Frequency distributions
• Individual Student Report
• Summary Reports
• Preliminary Report/Green Book

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Data Collection 2002-03

• Scores transferred to scannable sheets during the
  last month of school
• Local Test Coordinators scan the sheets
• Data transferred to the NCDPI during the
  end-of-year process
• Student Notebooks will be stored locally for six
  months (sample returned)

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2001-02 Sample Review (and 2002-2003)

• April 1 release of LEA sample list/10
• Return everything (inventories, evidence, forms,
  etc.)
• Report percentages for each area to the LEA
• Review in August
• Return to LEAs in September

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NCAAAI and the ABCs

• 2001-2002
• Operational administration
• Performance Composite

• 2002-2003
• Operational administration for Grades 3-8 10
• Pilot administration for EOC (Spring only)
• Pending data analysis
• Growth Component
• Performance Composite

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2002-2003 Timeline

• May-June 2003
• NCAAAIs scanned and locally stored
• July-August 2003
• Audit

• August 2002
• Inventories available on-line (TNN) to TC
• Order system up
• August-Sept. 2002
• Intact NCAAAI are shipped
• Begin Baseline

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More Information

• Testing Section Website
• http//www.NCPublicSchools.org/accountability/test
  ing
• Regional Accountability Coordinators may be
  contacted for questions
• Exceptional Children Website http//www.ncpublics
  chools.org/ec/