ARD Committee Decision-Making Process for the Texas Assessment Program 2009-2010

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ARD Committee Decision-Making Process

for theTexas Assessment Program

2009-2010

Manual available online only on the ARD Committee Resources page at

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/resources/ard

(Copy as needed for educational purposes)

November 6, 2009

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This training should NOT

replace reading the manual.

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1. Purpose of Training2. Federal and State Requirements3. Components of the Texas

Assessment Program4. The Four Steps in Making

Assessment Decisions5. ELLs Receiving Special Education

Services6. SSI Requirements for Students

Receiving Special Education Services7. Graduation Flowcharts for Students

Receiving Special Education Service3

Agenda

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Purpose Understand state assessment

options for 2009-2010 Review changes and/or

revisions to state assessments that that impact ARD Committee decision-making

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Provide guidance to ARD committees for the 2009-2010 school year

How to use the state-mandated curriculum (TEKS) to make assessment decisions for students receiving special education services, including ELLs and students affected by SSI requirements

How assessment decisions affect graduating high school students receiving special education services

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Purpose

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Federal and State Requirements

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Texas Assessment Program: General Assessments

TAKS & TAKS (Accommodated) are administered in English for Grades 3–9 reading, including SSI

retests at grades 5 & 8 Grades 3–10 and exit level

mathematics, including SSI retests at grades 5 & 8 and exit level retests

Grades 4 and 7 writing Grade 10 and exit level ELA, including

exit level retests Grades 5, 8, 10, and exit level science,

including exit level retests Grades 8, 10, and exit level social

studies, including exit level retests

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Texas Assessment Program:General Assessments

TAKS & TAKS (Accommodated) are administered in Spanish forGrades 3–5 reading, including SSI

retests at grade 5Grades 3–5 mathematics,

including SSI retests at grade 5Grade 4 writingGrade 5 science

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ONLY for students receiving special education services

ONLY at Enrolled Grade Level (EGL)

Same test items that appear in corresponding TAKS tests – reformatted to Verdana font, larger, more white space

Fewer test items – does not include embedded field test items

Allowable accommodations (in addition to the formatting accommodations) described in 2009-2010 Accommodations Manual

TAKS-Accommodated

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TAKS–M is administered in English forGrades 3–9 reading, including SSI

retests at grades5 & 8

Grades 3–11 mathematics, including SSI retests at grades 5 & 8

Grades 4 and 7 writingGrades 10 and 11 English

language arts (ELA)Grades 5, 8, 10, and 11 scienceGrades 8, 10, and 11 social

studies

Texas Assessment Program: Alternate Assessment

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Students taking TAKS-M or TAKS-Alt MUST meet

participation requirements.


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Updated TAKS–M Participation Requirements Original (old) language:

The student needs extensive modifications and/or accommodations to classroom instruction, assignments, and assessments…

Updated language:The student needs extensive

modifications and accommodations to classroom instruction, assignments, and assessments… 12

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Updated TAKS-M Participation Requirements

A modified state assessment is only appropriate for students who receive modified instruction, assignments, or classroom assessments to access the grade–level TEKS.

TAKS-M is not the appropriate assessment for a student who only receives extensive accommodations but no modifications to instruction, assignments, or classroom assessments. 13

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Updated TAKS-M Participation Requirements

If an ARD committee determined that a student met the original TAKS-M participation requirements only because of extensive accommodations (and not modifications), the ARD committee should address this at the next regularly scheduled meeting to reconsider whether the student meets the updated TAKS-M participation requirements.

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TAKS–Alt is administered forGrades 3–9 readingGrades 3–11 mathematicsGrades 4 and 7 writingGrades 10 and 11 English

language arts (ELA)Grades 5, 8, 10, and 11 scienceGrades 8, 10, and 11 social studies

Can be administered using any language or other communication method routinely used with student


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Texas Assessment Program: Alternate

Assessment TAKS-Alt

Only for students receiving special education services with the most significant cognitive disabilities • Aligned with enrolled grade level

(EGL) TEKS• Based on access activities that are

designed to measure student’s mastery of prerequisite skills aligned to the essence of EGL TEKS

Alternate assessment based on alternate academic achievement standards

Students MUST meet participation requirements

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Linguistically Accommodated Testing (LAT) is available for◦ Grades 3-8 reading◦ Grades 3-8 and 10 mathematics ◦ Grade 10 ELA◦ Grades 5, 8, and 10 science

Assessment process for immigrant English language learners (ELLs) who are eligible to take tests with linguistic accommodations that help them better understand the language used on TAKS, TAKS-Accom, and TAKS-M

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Texas Assessment Program

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Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) ◦ K-12 assessments of listening, speaking,

reading and writing that measure the progress ELLs make in learning English

◦ Composed of multiple-choice reading tests for grades 2-12 and holistically rated assessments based on student observations and written student work

◦ Grades 2-12 reading tests are administered as an online testing program (in rare cases a paper-based administration may be approved by TEA for a student) 18

Texas Assessment Program

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Excellent source of

information at a glance:

“TAKS Assessment Comparison

Chart for Students Receiving Special

Education Services”, p. 6

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The Four Steps in Making

Assessment

Decisions

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All necessary information on a given student should be available so ARD committee can consider a student’s strengths and weaknesses in relation to the TEKS when making assessment decisions

◦ IEP and PLAAFP statements: Describes how student currently accesses and

progresses in grade-level TEKS◦ CSRs (if available):

Previous test results, including student performance by objective

Just one piece of information to be considered - changes in assessment decisions should NOT be made simply because a student failed a test

◦ Other relevant information: Examples: work samples, informal teacher assessments,

norm-referenced and criterion-referenced tests, diagnostic testing, data collection recording forms 21

Step 1: Review student’s present level of academic achievement and functional

performance (PLAAFP)

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Using information in Step 1, the ARD committee must ◦ Determine student’s individual skills and

level of progress in grade-level TEKS◦ Determine extent of modifications to

grade-level TEKS that have enabled student to progress Access TEKS through

accommodations? Access TEKS through modifications? Access TEKS through prerequisite

skills?22

Step 2: Determine in what manner student will receive instruction in grade-level TEKS based on student’s PLAAFP

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Helpful resources for this step◦ TAKS Information Booklets ◦ TAKS–M and TAKS-Alt Resources web

pages◦ “Access to the General Education

Curriculum” chart in ARD Manual (p. 13)◦ “Choosing the Appropriate Assessment

for Students Receiving Special Education Services” flowchart on ARD Committee Resources web page

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Step 2: Determine in what manner student will receive instruction in

grade-level TEKS based on student’s PLAAFP

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Assessment decisions ARE based on individual student needs as determined by ARD committee

Assessment decisions ARE NOT determined administratively and are not based solely on student’s disability category or placement setting

TAKS or TAKS (Accommodated) should be first consideration

If TAKS-M or TAKS-Alt is being considered, review participation requirements

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Step 3: Determine appropriate assessment for student

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Helpful resources for this step“Participation Requirements

Comparison Chart” in ARD Manual (p. 15)

Descriptors for the Participation Requirements for TAKS–M and TAKS-Alt in ARD Manual (pp. 16-17)

Student scenarios in ARD Manual (pp. 18-21)

Released testsAccommodations Manual

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Step 3: Determine appropriate assessment for student

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If TAKS-M or TAKS-Alt is selected, IEP documentation must include:Why student cannot participate in

TAKS or TAKS-Accomm Why selected alternate

assessment is appropriate What accommodations are

necessary to measure student’s academic achievement

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Step 4: Document appropriate assessment and testing

accommodations

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Helpful resources for this step– “Summary of ARD

Assessment Decisions” form on ARD Committee Resources web page

– “Student Roster” on ARD Committee Resources web page

– Accommodations Manual 27

Step 4: Document appropriate assessment and testing

accommodations

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Making Assessment Decisions for ELLs Receiving Special Education Services

• These students have special needs related to a disability as well as needs related to second language learning.

• The ARD committee and the LPAC must—– work together to ensure that instruction is

tailored to meet each student’s linguistic and special needs

– collaborate on assessment decisions for these students, both in terms of appropriate participation in assessments and appropriate use of accommodations during testing (19 TAC §101.1009 (b))

28Term ELLs is used interchangeably with LEP

students

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Note that—

unless an ELL who is receiving special education services is LEP-exempt (an exemption on the basis of limited English proficiency), the student is subject to the same assessment requirements as other students receiving special education services, as described in the ARD manual

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ELLs Served by Special Education

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LEP Exemptions & LAT• State-defined criteria are used to determine the

need for a LEP exemption.

• A student may be LEP-exempt from TAKS, TAKS-Accomm, or TAKS–M.– There are no LEP exemptions for TAKS-Alt

because it can be administered using any language or other communication method routinely used with the student.

• Federal law requires that LEP-exempt students take LAT administrations of TAKS, TAKS (Accommodated), or TAKS-M in certain grades and subjects.

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See the TEA manual titled LPAC Decision-Making Process for the Texas Assessment Program for information about LEP exemption criteria.

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Required by federal law for LEP students in grades K–12

Because its purpose is to measure growth in English language acquisition, TELPAS should be an appropriate assessment tool for the vast majority of ELLs served by special education.

In very rare cases the ARD committee and the LPAC may determine that a student should not be assessed in one or more domains due to a student’s particular disability.

See LPAC Decision-Making Process for the Texas Assessment Program for more information about appropriate participation in TELPAS of LEP students receiving special education services.

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TELPAS

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Applies to students in grades 5 & 8 who take TAKS, TAKS (Acc), and TAKS–M reading and mathematics tests ◦ Does not apply to students who take TAKS-

Alt or students who are LEP-exempt ARD committee functions as grade

placement committee (GPC) to make decisions regarding appropriate ◦ Assessment (three testing opportunities to

meet passing standard)◦ Accelerated instruction◦ Grade placement based on a student’s

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Student Success Initiative

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ARD committee decisions do not have to be unanimous but must follow the general rules governing ARD committee decision-making as set forth in 19 TAC, Chapter 89, Subchapter AA

ARD committees should use the ARD Manual to appropriately place students in the Texas Assessment Program, but must also use the Grade Placement Committee Manual for Grade Advancement Requirements of the Student Success Initiative (GPC Manual) to determine how SSI requirements affect students in grades 5 & 8

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Student Success Initiative

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Graduation Flowcharts: Historical Perspective

IDEA Amendments

of 2004 signed into law

USDE Office

of Special Educati

on Progra

ms publish

es related federal regulati

ons

Commissioner’s

Rule amende

d to ensure school district compliance with

new procedural and reportin

g requirements

Graduation

flowcharts

created based

on requirements

of Commissioner’s Rules

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No substantive changes to flowcharts from last year’s manual

Flowchart A: testing requirements for students who entered grade 9 in 2008–2009 school year, including all students who enter grade 9 after 2008–2009 ◦ Students must pass TAKS or TAKS

(Accommodated) exit level assessments to graduate under Distinguished or Recommended high school programs

Flowchart B: testing requirements for students who entered grade 9 prior to the 2008–2009 school year◦ Requirements of Commissioner’s Rules do not

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Graduation Flowcharts: Explanation

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TAKS-Alt and TAKS-M are not exit level assessments; ARE grade level tests◦ Retest opportunities for grade 11 are not applicable ◦ Repeating 11th graders take assessment every year

they are enrolled in grade 11 ◦ Operational tests not administered to students in

grade 12

When considering dismissal from special education, ARD committee should have confidence that student will be able to successfully complete all requirements for high school graduation, including satisfactory performance on general exit level assessment

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Graduation Flowcharts: Reminders

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Assessment Districtwide Assessments

Norm/criterion referenced assessments

District developed/administered assessments

Example: District benchmarks

ARD COMMITTEE MUST ADDRESS HOW STUDENT WILL PARTICIPATE IN DISTRICTWIDE ASSESSMENT

Process followed by ARD Committee will be similar to process followed for statewide assessments

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Student Scenarios

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Student Scenarios

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Student Scenarios

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Student Scenarios

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Student Scenarios

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Student Scenarios

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Student Scenarios

These scenarios are based on real students currently receiving special education services. The information included for each student was based

on the actual IEP.

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Student #1: Present Level of Performance

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Student #1: Assessment Decision

7 = The student has a significant cognitive disability and meets all of the state’s participation requirements for TAKS-Alt

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Student #1: Documentation Clear

Student’s strengths and needs in relation to the grade-level curriculum are provided for reading, math, and writing

Some accommodations are listed Unclear

How student’s present academic functioning relate to the assessment decision for TAKS-Alt; how student meets each criterion in the participation requirements for TAKS-Alt

How the committee determined the student has a significant cognitive disability

Current progress in science and social studies TEKS is not addressed

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Student 2: Present Level of Performance

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9 = The student is receiving TEKS instruction on grade level with or without approved or allowed accommodations (TAKS or TAKS-Acc). 4

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Student #2: Documentation

ClearStudent’s strengths and needs in relation to

the grade-level curriculum are provided for reading, math, and writing

Modified TEKS are needed Instructional arrangement is describedAccommodations are listed

UnclearHow student’s present academic functioning

relate to the assessment decision for TAKS (Accommodated)

How accessing curriculum through modified TEKS leads to TAKS (Accommodated)

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TEA 12/10/08

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6 = The student has a disability that significantly affects academic progress in the grade level curriculum and meets all of the state’s participation requirements for TAKS-M.

9 = The student is receiving TEKS instruction on grade level with or without approved or allowed accommodations (TAKS or TAKS-Acc).

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Student #3: Documentation Clear

Assessment decisions match student’s current performance in each subject area

Accommodations used routinely in instruction are appropriate for assessment chosen

Unclear Would be helpful to see documentation of

how student meets each criterion in the participation requirements for TAKS-M in reading and writing

Although no assessment decisions are needed for science or social studies, student performance in these areas would help decision-making the following year 53

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AssessmentGeneral Principles

Instructional decisions made by the ARDC must always guide assessment decisions

It is the ARDC’s responsibility to promote and maintain high expectations for student performance

Each subject for each grade must be considered separately when determining appropriate assessment (except for TAKS-Alt)

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Is There Too Much

Emphasis on TAKS?

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Questions?Martha Blanton

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

ARD Committee Decision-Making Process for the Texas Assessment Program 2009-2010

Documents

exit level retests grades

assessment systems

ssi retests

assessment decisionsells

state assessment options

level science

level mathematics

texas assessment programthe