Alternate Assessment Aran M. Felix, Program Manager Alaska Department of Education & Early Development Special Education Directors Conference September.

Alternate Assessment

Aran M. Felix, Program Manager

Alaska Department of Education & Early Development

Special Education Director’s Conference

September 29, 2005

EED-Special Educ Director Conference, Sept 2005

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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/AlternateOptional/05-06/ExpandedFormatPartCriteriaAug05.pdf


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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 student’s 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

Test Security Agreement

Student’s Teacher fills out, signs, keeps a copy, and sends the original to the DTC (Sept/Oct)

Please follow-up and collect these forms for DTC.

Portfolio Checklist

District decides who will review portfolios for completeness, sign/date (Mar/April)

Usually Sped director, principal, AA mentor, or DTC.

Pre-Code Label

Pre-Code Labels are sent to DTC in March. District must decide if teachers, reviewers, or DTCs will affix the labels to the portfolio wallets.


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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 FieldsDistrict CodeSchool CodeGradeGroup NameState Student IDDistrict Student IDStudent Last NameStudent First NameStudent Middle NameBirth dateAA Flag - Y/N


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Student Pre-Code Label

Affix to Portfolio Wallet


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Teacher Forms

Student Profile

1 per student assessment

Supporting Evidence Cover Sheet for Paper or Text types of Evidence

3 AA Cover Sheet

1 for each content area

Supporting Evidence Cover Sheet for Photo Evidence

9 to 12 Data Collection Forms, 1 for each setting

Supporting Evidence Cover Sheet for Multi-Media Evidence


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Student Profile


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AA Cover Sheet (formerly AA IEP form)

Parent signature required1 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

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.

Contacts:http://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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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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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 process—make sure teachers know)– Last data collection period– Directors, Mentors, DTCs to train teachers in end

of assessment procedures


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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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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

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/

Questions?

Contact: Aran M. Felix

907-465-8437

[email protected]

Alternate Assessment Aran M. Felix, Program Manager Alaska Department of Education & Early Development Special Education Directors Conference September.

Documents

dtc slide

math slide

sped director

portfolio wallet slide

special population of

healthy life forms slide

student population

student middle