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Assessing Students with Disabilities in the State Testing Program

Pam BiggsNCDPI Division of Accountability Services

Accountability ConferenceFebruary14-16, 2007

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Federal Mandates

• IDEA– All students with disabilities must be included

in the state AND DISTRICTWIDE assessment system

• With accommodations, if necessary, or by an alternate assessment

• NCLB– All students must be assessed in

• Reading (grades 3-8 and in high school)• Science (in elementary, middle, and high school)

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Guiding Principles

• All students are expected to be taught grade-level content (US Dept. of Education)– Content for students with significant cognitive

disabilities may be linked to grade-level content

• Given state policies/guidelines, IEP team determines how student will participate in testing program

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Standard Test Administration

Standard Test Administratio

n with Accommodatio

ns

NCCLAS

Grade-level Content

Grade-level Achievement

Standards

NCEXTEND2

Grade-level Content

Modified Achievement

Standards

NCEXTEND1

Grade-level Content through Extended Content

Standards

Alternate Achievement

Standards

5http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/accountability/policyoperations/nctpassessmentoptions.pdf

6http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/accountability/policyoperations/nctphsassessmentoptions.pdf

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97%

3%

EOG (with or withoutaccommodations)

Alternate Assessment

Student Participation in Testing Program - All Students1

1 Data Source: 2004-05 Green Book

Note: In 2004-05, the alternate assessments were the NCAAP and NCAAAI.

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86%

14%

EOG (with or withoutaccommodations)

Alternate Assessment

Student Participation in Testing Program - Students with

Disabilities1

1 Data Source: 2004-05 Green Book

Note: In 2004-05, the alternate assessments were the NCAAP and NCAAAI.

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Standard Test AdministrationWith or Without Accommodations

• Information on standard test administration times, number of items, sample answer sheets, etc.

http://www.ncpublicschools.org/

accountability/testing/

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Standard Test AdministrationWith or Without Accommodations

• Most students with disabilities can access the standard test administration with or without accommodations

• Accommodations serve to “level the playing field”, not provide advantage

• Testing accommodations must be used in instruction and classroom assessments

• Instruction comes first!

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Percentage of Students with Disabilities Participating in the EOG in Grades 3-81

97 99.8

93.9 99

.5

57.2

92.5

48.7

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Disability

Specific LearningDisabled

Section 504

Other Health Impaired

Speech-LanguageImpaired

Educable MentallyDisabled

Behaviorally-Emotionally Disabled

Autistic

1 With or without accommodations

Data Source: 2004-05 Green Book

Note: In 2004-05, the alternate assessments were the NCAAP and NCAAAI.

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Number of Students Participating in the EOG by Disability in Grades 3-81

3875

8

1498

5

1428

2

8768

7031

5534 13

26

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

Disability

Specific LearningDisabled

Section 504

Other Health Impaired

Speech-LanguageImpaired

Educable MentallyDisabled

Behaviorally-Emotionally Disabled

Autistic

1 With or without accommodations

Data Source: 2004-05 Green Book

Note: In 2004-05, the alternate assessments were the NCAAP and NCAAAI.

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Accommodations

Modified Test Formats• Braille Edition• Large Print Edition• One Test Item Per Page Edition

NOTE: Orders for modified test formats must be received at least 30 working days prior to testing. Please order only what is needed!

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Accommodations

Special Test Environments• Hospital/Home Testing• Multiple Testing Sessions• Scheduled Extended Time• Testing in a Separate Room (Small group or

one-on-one)

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Accommodations

Assistive Technology Devices and Special Arrangements

• AT Devices• Dictation to a Scribe• Interpreter/Transliterator Signs/Cues Test• Student Marks Answers in Test Book• Student Reads Test Aloud to Self• Test Administrator Reads Test Aloud

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Accommodations

Information on specific accommodations available in Testing Students with Disabilities

(published July 2005)

http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/accountability/testing/alternate/disabilities/testingstudents.pdf

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Access is Key

• What accommodation(s) does a student need to access instruction and the test?

• Accommodation Notification Form– Must be submitted within 30

days of IEP team decision or at least 3 weeks prior to testing

Available on TNN where Test Administrator’s Manuals are posted

SIDE 1 Accommodation Notification Form (Published 07/05) North Carolina Testing Program

In rare cases where an IEP Team or Section 504 Committee decides that a student with a disability requires the use of an accommodation not specified in the State accommodations publications in order to access State tests, information must be provided to the NCDPI Division of Accountability Services/North Carolina Testing Program. The collected information will be shared with the NCDPI Exceptional Children Division and will be used to conduct research studies regarding the validity of test results when such accommodations are used during the administration of North Carolina tests. The information will be shared with the Reporting Section along with a statement of validity or non-validity for the purposes of school accountability and Adequate Yearly Progress. Accommodations used during the administration of North Carolina tests must be used routinely during classroom instruction and similar classroom assessments. NOTE: The use of certain unauthorized accommodations may invalidate test results. A list of accommodations that invalidate test results is located on SIDES 3 and 4 of this publication. This list is not all-inclusive. Invalid test results will not be used for the Statewide Student Accountability Standards. For the ABCs Accountability Program at the school and for the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, the student will be included in the denominator (membership) but not included in the numerator (students who have demonstrated grade-level proficiency) for the ABCs performance composite and the Adequate Yearly Progress proficiency calculation. Invalid test scores will not be used to determine growth at the school for the purpose of the ABCs. The NCDPI Division of Accountability Services/North Carolina Testing Program only provides interpretive information for valid North Carolina test results. The school system must: (1) complete this form and return SIDES 1 and 2 to the school system test coordinator and, if the documented accommodation is used during the test administration, (2) code the designated Accommodation Notification Form bubble on the student answer sheet in accordance with directions in the Test Administrator’s Manual. The school system test coordinator will send the completed form to the regional accountability coordinator who will file the report with the NCDPI Division of Accountability Services/North Carolina Testing Program. Directions: Fill in all requested information. Additional pages may be attached. It is imperative that specifics are provided so that research studies duplicate the use of the accommodation during a State test administration. The form must be received by the NCDPI within 30 days of the IEP Team or Section 504 Committee decision or at least 3 weeks prior to the test administration, whichever occurs first. The LEA test coordinator will receive a response from the NCDPI Division of Accountability Services/North Carolina Testing Program specifying whether use of the documented accommodation will result in invalid test scores.

LEA/School Code: ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

School System Name: School Name:

Student Name: ______________________________Assigned Grade Level: ______

Student ID Number: ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Primary Disability Classification: Test Date:

Name of State Test(s): Test Administrator (if known):

*Charter schools are to use the numeric SCAN code for the LEA/School Code.

Specify the Accommodation (2–3 words):

Describe in detail how the accommodation will be used during the test administration. Explain in detail the reason(s) that the accommodations available in the State accommodations publications are not appropriate for the student.

Explain in detail the reason(s) that the student requires the use of the accommodation. Documentation is on file to verify that the student has used this accommodation routinely during regular classroom instruction and similar classroom assessments this school year.

Parent/Guardian Signature Date Exceptional Children Teacher Signature Date Principal’s Signature Date Exceptional Children Director’s or Date Section 504 Coordinator’s Signature LEA Test Coordinator’s Signature Date LEA Superintendent’s Signature Date

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• Now capturing which subject student used accommodation for

• Please bubble carefully!

EOG Answer Sheet Change

R M

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Alternate Assessments

NC

CLA

SN

CEXTEN

D2

NCEXTEND1

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US Department of Education (USED) allows 3 different alternate assessments:

–Grade level content–Grade level achievement standards

NC’s assessment: North Carolina Checklist of Academic Standards (NCCLAS)

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Allowable Alternate Assessments

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–Grade level content–Modified achievement standards–Proposed regulations found in Federal Register, December 15, 2005 available at:http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/proprule/2005-4/121505a.pdf

–Expecting final regulations this spring

NC’s assessment: NCEXTEND2

Allowable Alternate Assessments (cont’d)

2

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Allowable Alternate Assessments (cont’d)

–Content is linked to grade level content–Alternate achievement standards–Final regulations found in Federal Register, December 9, 2003 available at:

http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/finrule/2003-4/120903a.pdf

NC’s assessment: NCEXTEND1

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NCCLAS

• North Carolina Checklist of Academic Standards

• Grade-level content (NCSCS)

• Grade-level achievement standards

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NCCLAS - Eligibility Criteria

• Student cannot participate in standard administration with or without accommodations

• Unable to access paper and pencil test• Some examples include:

– Newly blinded– Recent traumatic brain injury– Physical disabilities that prohibit the student from

being able to manipulate materials required for test

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NCCLAS - Corresponding Tests Grades 3-8

• EOG – Reading (grades 3-8, operational and sample

field test)– Mathematics (grades 3-8)– Science (grades 5 and 8, pilot)

• Writing (grades 4 and 7)

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NCCLAS - Corresponding TestsGrades 9-12

• EOC– Algebra I– Algebra II– Geometry– English I– Civics & Economics– U.S. History– Biology (Operational & Sample Field Test 06-07)– Chemistry (Statewide Field Test 06-07)– Physical Science (Statewide Field Test 06-07)– Physics (Statewide Field Test 06-07)

• Writing at grade 10• HSCT of Mathematics (grade 10)

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NCCLAS Timelines

• Halfway through year/course (January)– Beginning Student Profile (Assessor 1)

• Throughout year/course– Maintain student work folder (A1)

• End of year/course (Last 30 calendar days for yearlong courses or 15 calendar days of semester-long courses)– Final Student Profile (A1)– Objective Level Scoring (A1)– Final Goal Level Scoring (A1 & A2)– Online submission of scores (A1 & A2)

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NCEXTEND2 EOG

• Grade-level content (NCSCS)• Modified multiple-choice

– Fewer answer choices– Fewer test items– Different layout– Simplified language

• Modified grade-level achievement standards

• May receive accommodations

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NCEXTEND2 EOG

• 2% cap at LEA and state levels on scores that can be reported as proficient

• Still awaiting final regulations from USED

• Test will still need to be approved by NCLB peer review

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NCEXTEND2 EOG Eligibility Criteria

The student:• Has an IEP• Is not identified as having a significant

cognitive disability• Is not receiving instruction in the NCSCS

through the Extended Content Standards• Is receiving high-quality instruction, but is

not likely to achieve grade-level proficiency within school year

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NCEXTEND2 EOG

Eligibility Criteria (cont’d)

• Disability has precluded the student from achieving grade-level proficiency as demonstrated by objective evidence

• Nature of student’s disability may require assessments that are different in design

Testing Window

• Last 4 weeks of school year

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NCEXTEND2 EOG - Corresponding Tests

• EOG – Reading and Mathematics

• Grades 3-8• Operational

– Science • Grades 5 and 8 • Pilot

• Writing – Grades 4 and 7– Operational and statewide field test

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NCEXTEND1

• Aligned to grade-level content (NCSCS) through Extended Content standards

http://www.ncpublicschools.org/ec/

• Performance based assessment

• Alternate achievement standards

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NCEXTEND1

• 1% cap at LEA and state levels on scores that can be reported as proficient

• Assessment will still need to be approved by NCLB peer review

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NCEXTEND1 Eligibility Criteria

The student:

• Has an IEP with annual goals that focus on functional application of academics

• Has a significant cognitive disability

• Requires extensive and explicit instruction to acquire, maintain, and generalize new reading, mathematics, and writing skills for independent living

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NCEXTEND1 Eligibility Criteria (cont’d)

• Exhibits severe and pervasive delays in multiple areas of development and in adaptive behavior (e.g. mobility, communication, daily living skills, and self-care)

• Is receiving instruction in the grade level SCS Extended Content Standards for the subject(s) in which the students are being assessed

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NCEXTEND1 Timelines

• Fall 2006 – Decision Tree Process (Assessor 1)

• Final 6 weeks of school year– Assess students on tasks (A1 & A2)– Documentation Verification sheets (A1 & A2)– Online submission of results (A1 & A2)

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NCEXTEND1 - Assessed Content Areas

• Reading and Mathematics– Grades 3-8 and 10

• Science – Grades 5, 8, and 10

• Writing – Grades 4, 7, and 10

NOTE: Eligible students must be assessed using NCEXTEND1 in all content areas being assessed at grade level

Grade R M S W

3 X X

4 X X X

5 X X X

6 X X

7 X X X

8 X X X

10 X X X X

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NCEXTEND2 OCS

• Occupational English I

• Occupational Math I

• Life Skills Science I and II (enrolled in second of the courses, regardless of the order taken)

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NCEXTEND2 OCS Eligibility Criteria

• Students enrolled in courses that are assessed must take the test

• For Life Skills Science I and II, must be in 2nd of the 2 courses, regardless of the order taken

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Grade 10 OCS Students

• Who will not have taken Occupational Mathematics I by end of 10th grade– Will have to take high school comprehensive

test (HSCT) of mathematics this year

• Who participated in NCEXTEND2 OCS field tests in 2005-06 will not have to be reassessed in that content area– Will count towards participation only for AYP

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Individual Student Documentation

• NCTP Tables– 1: Graduation Tests– 2: Grades 3-8– 3: Grades 9-12– 4: IPT

• Optional, but encouraged• In addition to DEC 4

(IEP)• LEA may requirehttp://www.ncpublicschools.org/

accountability/policies/tswd/

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Summary Forms for Schools by Test

• Form A: Accommodations for State Tests at Grades 3-8

• Form B: Accommodations for State Tests at Grades 9-12

• Form C: Alternate Assessments

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?Questions?