CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 1

Office Hours

March 11, 2020

CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

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Agenda

• Medical Exemptions

• The Connecticut Alternate Assessment System: Early Stopping Rule

• Test Irregularities and Appeals

• Questions

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Medical Exemptions

• Definition

• Considerations

• Procedures

• Due Dates

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Definition of a Medical Exemption

In Connecticut, the exemption determination for a medical emergency rests primarily on the following criteria:

The student is unable to attend school and is medically/emotionally unavailable for homebound/hospitalized instruction for the entire testing window.

For more information, see Appendix B of the Assessment Guidelines.

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Considerations

To qualify for the Connecticut SAT School Day: • The student is medically unavailable to test on the district’s Primary Test

Day (March 25 or April 14) AND the student is medically unavailable to test on the make-up test dates of April 28 and 29, 2020.

OR• The student is medically unavailable to test during the two-week

accommodated test window associated with the district’s primary test date (available to certain students who qualify).

To qualify for the NGSS, Smarter Balanced (math and/or ELA), or the CTAA (math and/or ELA):• The student is medically unavailable through June 5, 2020.

The Connecticut Alternate Science (CTAS) Assessment is administered throughout the year, therefore, a medical exemption is unlikely.

For

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Procedures

To request a Medical Exemption:

The DA in TIDE must contact Deirdre Ducharme or Janet Stuck to discuss the specifics of the situation. The DA should be prepared to provide:

• Student SASID;• Student Name (last, first); • Grade; • Name of School, District, Approved Private Special Education Facility,

or RESC; • Test(s); and • Reason for exemption.

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Due Dates

If it is determined the student qualifies for a Medical Exemption, the DA will be provided the appropriate state required form(s) for completion withsignature by the student’s primary/treating physician.

Completed Signed Medical Exemption Form Due Dates

Connecticut SAT School Day is due by May 7, 2020; and

Smarter Balanced and NGSS are due by June 12, 2020; and

Connecticut Alternate Assessments (CTAA/CTAS) are due by June 12, 2020.

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The Connecticut Alternate Assessment System: Early Stopping Rule

• Definition

• General Characteristics

• Considerations

• Procedures

• Disruption/Behavioral Issues

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The ESR process is for a relatively small number of students participating in the Alternate Assessment System who do not demonstrate an observable communication mode and, therefore, are not able to participate fully in the CTAA or CTAS.

Due to the difference in test design, some students may qualify for the early Stopping Rule in the CTAA, but not for CTAS.

What is the Early Stopping Rule (ESR)

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Students who are typically eligible for the ESR have:

• an uncertain response to stimuli;

• the most significant adaptive behavioral needs;

• not yet established a mode of communication; and

• a pervasive need for adult support throughout their lives.

General Characteristics of Eligible Students

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If based upon your instructional experience with the student you believe your student may be eligible for the ESR:

• Test early in the assessment window.

• Follow the ESR process (refer to the ESR Flowchart).

Considerations for Test Administration

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43 Early Stopping Rule Flowchart

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The TEA must follow the steps below:

✓Attempt to administer the first four items on the CTAA English language arts (ELA).

• If the student does not demonstrate a response for each of the first four items, pause the test. Do not proceed to any other ELA test items.

• If the student responds to one or more of the first four items, continue testing.

AND

✓ Attempt to administer the first four items on the CTAA Mathematics.• If the student does not demonstrate a response for each of the first

four items, pause the test. Do not proceed to any other Mathematics test items.

• If the student responds to one or more of the first four items, continue testing.

Procedures for Students Qualifying for the ESR

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✓If your student is in Grade 5, 8, or 11, attempt to administer the first activity in the first CTAS Performance Task of your choice. For example: Grade 5, Earth Science, Storyline 1, Earth Systems, Activity 1 (two questions total). If the student does not demonstrate a response to any of the questions associated with Activity 1, pause testing and bubble in only one NR associated with the Activity on the paper Student Score Worksheet.

✓Contact the CSDE for next steps.

Procedures for Students Qualifying for the ESR

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Prior to contacting the Office of Student Assessment:

• Notify your District Administrator.

• Locate your student’s most recent PPT-approved Connecticut Alternate Assessment Eligibility Form.

• Contact Janet Stuck: 860-713-6837 or Deirdre Ducharme: 860-713-6859.

If your student is determined eligible for the ESR, the CSDE will provide additional guidance to ensure accurate documentation and reporting for accountability purposes.

If your student is not determined eligible for the ESR, the Trained TEA will continue testing the student ensuring completion and submission by the end of the testing window (June 5, 2020).

ESR Next Steps

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If your student becomes disruptive, aggressive, or refuses testing:

• Mirror strategies used during instruction.

• Pause testing; resume at another time when student is more receptive to testing.

• Consider testing in a different environment or provide additional staff supports.

• If personal safety is ever a concern for you or your student, stop testing immediately.

• CTAS-specific procedures:

• If your student is unable to complete testing, submit any completed ratings through the DEI; incomplete items should remain blank and the test status in the DEI should be paused.

• Teachers should not “submit” the CTAS ratings for students who refused to respond to the test at all.

• CTAA-specific procedures:

• If the student is unable to complete testing, enter any completed test items in the Student Interface and pause the test.

• Teachers should not “submit” the CTAA for students who refused to respond to all items on the test; rather, pause the test.

What if my student becomes disruptive or refuses to respond?

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Test Irregularities and Appeals

• Test Security Levels

• Appeal Types

• Tips & Recommendations for Submitting Appeals

• Appeals Process

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Test Security Levels

Type Action

ImproprietyIncident corrected and contained at the district/school or entered in the Appeals module of TIDE (if appropriate).

IrregularityIncident submitted in the Appeals module of TIDE (if appropriate) by end of the day of the incident.

BreachThe District Administrator must immediately notify the CSDE at 860-713-6860.

Note: The Test Security Levels are fully described in Appendix G of the Test

Coordinator’s Manual.

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Testing Incident

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Appeal Types

Appeal Type Description

Reset a Test • Removes the test and scores from the system• Enables student to start a new test

Re-open a Test • Allows for a test that has already been submitted in error or has expired to be re-opened

Re-open a Test Segment

• Re-opening a test segment allows a student to access the first segment of a test that was submitted in error

Grace Period Extension

• Granted if a test session is unexpectedly interrupted• Allows access to all previous responses

Restore a Test That Has Been Reset

• Returns a test from the Reset status to its prior status• Only allowed on tests that have been reset• A test can be restored if it was reset in error

Invalidate a Test • Rarely Used• Eliminates the test• Student does not receive a score

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Tips on Entering Appeals

Tip What does that mean?

Enter Appeals Judiciously

• Staff entering appeals should be trained.

• CSDE is reviewing every appeal closely and not approving everything.

Re-open or Grace Period Extension Should Only be Used When Needed

• Students should not be allowed back into the test just to double check work if they already submitted their test. Students are encouraged to review items prior to ending their test.

When Unsure of What to do, Reach Out for Help

• Contact the CSDE with any questions. ctstudentassessment@ct.gov

860-713-6860

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Appeals Process for an Accommodation Issue

If a testing irregularity occurs, and a student with an IEP or 504 Plan is not given the correct assessment or is not provided the mandated accommodations, the DA must provide a letter to the CSDE on district/school letterhead. Letters must be signed by the DA and faxed to Performance Office Irregularities at 860-326-0540.

The letter must include:

• The student’s grade, SASID, and the name of the test on which the irregularity occurred;

• The date and a detailed explanation of the irregularity;• The name of the teacher involved;• A description of the discussion that occurred with parents/guardians

of the student explaining the irregularity, options offered, and impact on the student’s time; and,

• A brief list of procedures in place to ensure the irregularity is not repeated.

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TIDE: Appeals

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Questions?

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Please Join us on March 25, 3:00 p.m. for more Office Hours.

Thank You!

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Contact Information:Deirdre Ducharme, Special PopulationsOffice of Student Assessment, Performance Office(860) 713-6859Deirdre.Ducharme@ct.gov

Janet Stuck, Special PopulationsOffice of Student Assessment, Performance Office(860) 713-6837Janet.Stuck@ct.gov