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Alaska Alternate Assessment: Why
Teaching Content Matters
Alaska Statewide Special Education Conference, February 2008Aran Felix, Alternate Assessment Program Manager
ASSEC Conference 2008 2Alternate Assessment
Topics1. How is the Alternate Assessment (AA) for
students with significant disabilities similar to the Standards Based Assessments (SBAs)?
2.2. How do students with significant cognitive How do students with significant cognitive disabilities gain access to the general disabilities gain access to the general education curriculum?education curriculum?
3. How will this assessment be administered to the students with the most intensive needs?
ASSEC Conference 2008 3Alternate Assessment
Glossary
Handout 1 Review Terms Includes Contact Information
ASSEC Conference 2008 4Alternate Assessment
Topic 1
How is the Alternate Assessment for students with significant disabilities similar to the Standards Based Assessments?
Important because federal law requires that students with cognitive disabilities have access to the general education curriculum (IDEA, NCLB)
ASSEC Conference 2008 5Alternate Assessment
How the AA is similar to Standards Based Assessments? Handout 2
Part of Comprehensive System of Student Assessments (CSSA)
For students in grades 3 - 10 Assesses Content areas of Reading, Writing,
Math, and Science Grade Level Expectations and Tests Secure Assessment Test Security Agreements required
ASSEC Conference 2008 6Alternate Assessment
…more similarities Achievement Standards (cut scores and
proficiency level descriptors) set by a standard setting committee
Practice Tests available Individual Student Reports 4-page Parent Guide to Interpreting
Student Reports, Educator Guides High technical quality Received Peer and Federal Approval
ASSEC Conference 2008 7Alternate Assessment
How is the AA different from SBA? Designed for a special population of students
with disabilities (SWD):Students with significant cognitive
disabilitiesComprise 1% of the student population
(approximately 550 students in Alaska) IEP team must designate the AA as the
appropriate assessment following eligibility criteria and explain why
ASSEC Conference 2008 8Alternate Assessment
…other differences Districts encouraged to have a Qualified Mentor
Trainers to help manage the delivery of the assessment and training of test administrators
Test may be administered ONLY by Qualified Assessors who receive training, evaluation, and certificates
Test administered one-on-one Secure tests become practice tests following
year Different test security practices
ASSEC Conference 2008 9Alternate Assessment
…other differences Online components of assessment:
Qualified Assessor training Secure test Data entry of scoresUnofficial student report
AA is a non-diploma track assessment Alternate Achievement Standards
ASSEC Conference 2008 10Alternate Assessment
Topic 2
How do students with significant cognitive disabilities gain access to the general education curriculum?
Standards, instruction, and assessment are interrelated….
ASSEC Conference 2008 11Alternate Assessment
Content Standards What student Knows and Can Do
Performance (Achievement) Standards
How well student Knows and Can Do
Assessments How student Shows What s/he Knows and Can Do
Standards Based Assessment System (Hanasche, CAS Handbook, 1998, p. 36)
ASSEC Conference 2008 12Alternate Assessment
Standards: Grade Level Expectations for All Students Part of a single statewide system of
challenging academic content standards Content must be challenging and
academic Provide guidance in developing and
aligning curriculum and instruction Show a developmental progression of
skills and consistency across the grades
ASSEC Conference 2008 13Alternate Assessment
Standards: Grade Level Expectations for Students with SCD Called Extended Grade Level Expectations Provide a connection and access to the GLEs in
a way that encourages individual student growth Alignment study to verify this linkage For SCD content may show less clearly defined
advances across the grades in cognitive complexity
Are reduced in complexity, depth, and breadth
ASSEC Conference 2008 14Alternate Assessment
Reduced Complexity means…
Less cognitive load Simplify the language Reduce the number of words Use direct sentences Provide opportunities for modeling Avoid tricky distractors
ASSEC Conference 2008 15Alternate Assessment
Reduced Depth of Knowledge means… Changing content and test items to reflect
recall and comprehension Including more skills than knowledge
questions Making the skills simpler and
understandable Reducing the amount of information
needed to be correct
ASSEC Conference 2008 16Alternate Assessment
Reduced Breadth means…
Fewer ExGLEs than GLEs Fewer items and strands addressed in
each grade when compared to the GLEs Though breadth increases across the
grades, it is a Gradual shift in emphasis in strands &
attributes across the grade clusters
ASSEC Conference 2008 17Alternate Assessment
Organization of ExGLEs
Handout 3 Content Standards Performance Standards Stems Numbering System Grade level expectations Content Strands
ASSEC Conference 2008 18Alternate Assessment
Content Standards What student Knows and Can Do
Performance (Achievement) Standards
How well student Knows and Can Do
Assessments How student Shows What s/he Knows and Can Do
Standards Based Assessment System (Hanasche, CAS Handbook, 1998, p. 36)
ASSEC Conference 2008 19Alternate Assessment
PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
Performance Labels each level of levels achievement
Performance Describes each level of descriptors performance
Cut Scores Scores that separate separate the different levels of performance
(Handout 4)
ASSEC Conference 2008 20Alternate Assessment
Purpose of Proficiency Level Descriptors (PLDs) PLDs are statements that describe the
knowledge and skills expected at the different proficiency levels with respect to the content standards, performance standards, and grade level expectations.
4 proficiency levels: Advanced, Proficient, Below Proficient, Far Below Proficient
ASSEC Conference 2008 21Alternate Assessment
PLDs at a Glance Handout 4 PLDs for AA Shows all proficiency levels
by grade cluster (Adv, Prof, BP, FBP) PLDs written by content expert, special
educators, and other stakeholders Standard Setting occurred in May 2008 to Determine Cut Scores and finalize PLDs Both presented to and adopted by the
State Board of Education in July 2008
ASSEC Conference 2008 22Alternate Assessment
Relationship of standards (ExGLEs) to proficiency descriptors
Handout 5 ExGLEs written before PLDs, but not
assigned grade level ExGLEs organized by grade level using
PLDs as a guide Use similar language
ASSEC Conference 2008 23Alternate Assessment
How PLDs change across grade level cluster Handout 6 Progression across grades needs to be coherent Reading example - Lower grades focus on Word
ID Skills Note Unevenness in Grades 5/6 which may
have been addressed in new item development Breadth and complexity increases as students
progress across grade levels More difficult strands addressed in upper grades
ASSEC Conference 2008 24Alternate Assessment
Test Blueprint
Handout 7-Example of Grade 3 Grade Blueprints SBA (purple), AA (purple) Blueprints summarize strand, standards,
GLEs, ExGLEs, and distribution of emphasis for developing test items
Compare % of emphasis in Grade 3 on Handout 7 to Handout 6
ASSEC Conference 2008 25Alternate Assessment
Relationship of Alternate to Standards Based Assessment
Handout 8 Comparison via PLDs Column 1 Alternate, grade 3 and 4 combined Column 3, SBAs, grade 3 and 4 Content Strands – color coded Alternate=Reduced complexity, reduced breadth Showing increasing breadth of strand coverage
as grade level progresses
ASSEC Conference 2008 26Alternate Assessment
Topic 3 How will this assessment be administered to the
students with the most intensive needs?
To identify this population, EED required an Assistive Technology Alternative Augmentative Survey as part of 2007 assessment
Accessibility Study conducted by external evaluator
New test items developed
ASSEC Conference 2008 27Alternate Assessment
Assistive Technology Survey Identify Assistive Technology used by students Identify Receptive Modes of Communication:
Ways your student understands people and events in his/her environment
Identify Expressive Modes of Communication: Ways your student communicates with people and events in his/her environment.
Identified levels of communication: Pre-emergent, Emergent, Beginning, Traditional
Given to approximately 1/3 of students
ASSEC Conference 2008 28Alternate Assessment
Accessibility Study Findings
In general AA viewed as accessible to students with
Assessments have built in flexibility Multiple options for response (eye gaze,
blinking, nodding, pointing, AT) Accessible to pre-symbolic students via
Expanded Levels of Support (ELOS) 2007 ELOS: Teachers adapted Tasks 2008 ELOS: New test items developed
ASSEC Conference 2008 29Alternate Assessment
Expanded Levels of Support New Test Items 2008
Developed in response to pilot test Provides access to the assessment Provides access to content Foundational skills Additional supports in place to assist student in
interacting with assessment Responses rated on student level of
independence Provides a standardized administration vs.
teacher adaptation of tasks
ASSEC Conference 2008 30Alternate Assessment
Decision-Making Guide Handout 9 All students first take standard
administration of assessment Three Task-Three Item Minimum Rule For students who have little or no
response, and scores zero on three consecutive items in three tasks on standard administration…stop assessment
May move to ELOS items next year
ASSEC Conference 2008 31Alternate Assessment
ELOS Items: How to rate student’s Level of Independence- Handout 10
ASSEC Conference 2008 32Alternate Assessment
Example of ELOS Items
ASSEC Conference 2008 33Alternate Assessment
Content and Performance Standards
Standards direct assessment content
Standards direct curriculum and
instruction
General
Assessment
Alignment between curriculum, instruction, and
assessment provides opportunity to learn.
Curriculum and
Instruction
Content and Performance Standards
Standards direct assessment content
Standards direct curriculum and
instruction
General
Assessment
Alignment between curriculum, instruction, and
assessment provides opportunity to learn.
Curriculum and
Instruction
Content and Performance Standards
Standards direct assessment content
Standards direct curriculum and
instruction
Alternate
Assessment
Alignment between curriculum, instruction, and
assessment provides opportunity to learn.
Curriculum and
Instruction
General Assessment Alternate Assessment
ASSEC Conference 2008 34Alternate Assessment
Jump right in……See what the test looks like http://ak.k12test.com/ Logon: Demo, Password: Demo Levels of Secure Access for:
Demo Site (All Users) Training & Proficiency Modules (Registered Users) Secure Tests (Qualified Assessors) Scoring & Reporting (Qualified Assessors) Changing Registered Users to QA (QT-Mentors) Administrative Access
ASSEC Conference 2008 35Alternate Assessment
Contact Information Alternate Assessment Program Manager: Aran Felix
Phone: 907-465-8437, Fax: 907-465-8400 Email: [email protected] Website for Alternate Assessment Information:
http://www.eed.state.ak.us/tls/assessment/aa.html Website for Presentation Information: http://
www.eed.state.ak.us/tls/assessment/presentationspage.html Special Education Data Manager: Karen Lipson
Phone: 907-465-8684, Fax: 907-465-8400 Email: [email protected]
Test Vendor: Dillard Research Associates Help Desk: 1-800-838-3163 Email: [email protected] Website: http://ak.k12test.com