2012 ard committee training elem, int, ms

ARD COMMITTEE TRAINING FOR THE 2012–2013

TEXAS ASSESSMENT PROGRAM

Presented at TETN #14279

August 22, 2012

OVERVIEW OF THE TEXAS ASSESSMENT

PROGRAM

Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division 2

Who Takes STAAR, STAAR Spanish, STAAR L, STAAR Modified, or STAAR Alternate?

STAAR, STAAR Spanish, STAAR L, and STAAR Modified Students who were first enrolled in grade 9 or below in the 2011–2012

school year For unique situations that don’t fit this guideline, contact TEA’s Student

Assessment Division.

STAAR Alternate Students in grades 3 and above who have significant cognitive

disabilities and meet the participation requirements for an alternate assessment based on alternate academic achievement standards will

take STAAR Alternate. TAKS–Alt is no longer available.


What STAAR Assessments Do ELLs Receiving Special Education Services Take?

STAAR in English STAAR in Spanish (grades 3-5) STAAR Modified or STAAR Alternate STAAR L in English

STAAR L – linguistically accommodated STAAR tests for eligible ELLs Available for math, science, and social studies, grade 3 and above,

including EOC No STAAR L forms of STAAR Modified but linguistic accommodations

available for eligible ELLs who take STAAR Modified STAAR L participation criteria somewhat different from old TAKS LAT Participation criteria available on STAAR L Resources webpage at

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/ell/staarl/

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http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/ell/staarl/

TELPAS

For ELLs grades K–12

Listening, speaking, reading, writing

Measures annual growth in English language acquisition

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

More information to be posted in 2012-2013 TELPAS Decision-Making Guide for LPACS. Posting in the fall at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/ell/lpac/.


mailto:[email protected]

MAKING THE STATEWIDE ASSESSMENT DECISION


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The ARD committee reviews the student's PLAAFP and instructional goals and determines how the student accesses the grade-level/course curriculum (TEKS).

With or without accommodations

STAAR

TAKS

TAKS (Accommodated)

Through modified TEKS-based instruction

STAAR Modified

TAKS–M

Through prerequisite skills

STAAR Alternate

What does “access” mean? Access = a means of approach… how a teacher exposes a

student to the grade-level/course TEKS


Instructional Focus Instructional Approach Instructional Examples

Instruction covers all of the required curriculum

Accommodations Extra time, formatting changes, small group, manipulatives, spelling assistance, transcribing


Instructional Focus Instructional Approach Instructional Examples

Although student is exposed to all of the curriculum, IEP goals may focus on select student expectations or address all student expectations but in a broad/simplified manner.

Modifications Deleting extraneous information, limiting number of steps in questions, simplifying decoding level, simplifying numbers, defining difficult vocabulary

Individual supports and materials compensate for the student’s disability and allow access to all of the curriculum.

Prerequisite skills linked to grade-level/course curriculum

Performance tasks to determine mastery at three varying complexity levels

The First Consideration = General Assessment

Participation in the general assessment should be the first consideration when determining the appropriate assessment for a student.

General assessments in the Texas Assessment Program STAAR STAAR Spanish TAKS TAKS (Accommodated)


The First Consideration = the General Assessment

To determine whether the general assessment is the most appropriate, ARD committees must review the student’s

present level of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP). Provides a clear understanding of student’s

performance in the grade-level/course TEKS, including strengths, current areas of need, and accommodations, modifications, or supports used.



ARD committees must review the student’s instructional plan. This is the basis for making appropriate assessment decisions. Provides a clear understanding of how student will access the

grade-level/course curriculum, including accommodations, modifications, or supports needed.



ARD committees must understand

What statewide assessments are required and available

Assessed TEKS Readiness vs Supporting Standards

Design and format of each statewide assessment

Accommodation policies Implications of taking a particular statewide

assessment


If STAAR, with or without accommodations, is appropriate for a student, the ARD committee must document this decision and the testing accommodations the student will receive. Documented testing accommodations must be consistent

with state accommodation policies posted on Accommodations Resources web page.

For accommodations that require TEA approval through submission of an Accommodation Request Form, document “pending TEA approval.”

If STAAR, with or without accommodations, is not appropriate for a student, the ARD committee must review participation requirements for one of the alternate assessments.


PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS

STAAR MODIFIEDSTAAR ALTERNATE

TAKS–M


STAAR Modified and STAAR Alternate


State-Required Documentation Forms

The STAAR Modified and STAAR Alternate Participation Requirements are state-required documentation forms that must be completed and retained by the district when eligibility for either assessment is confirmed. This document may be filed at the campus level or in the IEP (although it is not a required part of the IEP).


State-Required Documentation Forms

The district personnel who completes these forms should be a member of the ARD committee (e.g., special education teacher, ARD facilitator, administrator). These forms should be completed during the ARD committee meeting when assessment decisions are made.


Step I: Review the Eligibility CriteriaSTAAR Modified Circle the subject(s) or course(s) for which STAAR Modified

is being considered. Circle NA, not applicable, for subjects/courses that do not apply to the

student Subjects/courses for which STAAR Modified is not being considered Subjects that are not tested at the student’s grade or courses that the

student is not enrolled in for the school year under consideration


Step I: Review the Eligibility CriteriaSTAAR Modified The ARD committee must review each of the three questions for

every subject or course being considered and circle YES or NO. 1. Do the student’s present level of academic achievement and

functional performance (PLAAFP) statements in the IEP lead the ARD committee to conclude that the student is multiple years behind grade-level or course expectations and will not progress at the same rate and level of rigor as their non-disabled peers?

2. Does the student’s IEP contain standards-based (TEKS-based) goals indicating the modified content the student requires in order to access the grade-level or course curriculum?

3. Does the student require direct and intensive instruction in order to acquire, maintain, and transfer skills to other contexts?


Step I: Review the Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to participate in either STAAR Modified or STAAR Alternate, the answer to all of the applicable questions must be Yes. If the answer to any of the questions is No, the

student is not eligible to participate in STAAR Modified/STAAR Alternate and must participate in one of the other statewide assessments.


Each Yes answer requires a justification that references the page number or section of the IEP that contains evidence that the student meets the criterion.

Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division

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STAAR Modified

PLAAFP section PLAAFP section PLAAFP section

Step II: Discuss Assurances

If Yes is indicated for all of the eligibility criteria, the ARD committee must discuss the assurances in Step II and the district personnel completing the form must initial each one.



When an alternate assessment is selected, IDEA and The Legal Framework for the Child-Centered Special Education Process require ARD committees to document in the IEP:

A statement in the IEP of why student cannot participate in general assessment with or without allowable accommodations, AND…


A statement of why an alternate assessment is appropriate for student, including evidence from IEP that confirms that answer to each of the questions for STAAR Modified is Yes, AND…

A list of testing accommodations consistent with state accommodation policies posted on Accommodations Resources webpage In order to make appropriate accommodation decisions from year

to year, their effectiveness should be assessed. Collect data on how the student performs with and without the

accommodation. Make available to the student a variety of instructional strategies to

see which is most effective. For accommodations that require TEA approval through

submission of an Accommodation Request Form, document “pending TEA approval.”



It is not appropriate to make an assessment decision simply because a student passed or failed a previous statewide assessment. – Example: If a student achieved advanced academic performance on

STAAR Modified, this does not automatically mean that the student should now take STAAR. Other factors must be considered.



ARD committee decisions should be based only on the educational need of a student.

If a student meets the participation requirements for STAAR Modified or STAAR Alternate, then he/she should be administered this assessment.

AYP Caps (2% or 3%) are not a part of the decisions



Students receiving special education services for any qualifying disability category are eligible to take STAAR Modified if the answer to all three eligibility questions is YES.

For STAAR Alternate, the ARD committee will focus on evidence of a significant cognitive disability and how the student accesses the grade-level or course curriculum. They will rule out students who have a learning disability and receive modified instruction.

Students taking STAAR Modified or STAAR Alternate may be receiving instruction in any setting (e.g., inclusion, resource, self-contained).



For elementary and middle school students, the ARD committee must understand the future implications that could result if a student is receiving modified instruction or instruction through prerequisite skills from year to year.

Modified instruction and instruction through prerequisite skills in high school = MHSP



•Students on minimum plan must start their college journey at a community college or trade school &

•Students on a minimum plan are not eligible for some State Financial aide (TEXAS GRANT)


Students are only eligible to take STAAR Modified if they are accessing the curriculum through modified instruction.

Students are only eligible to take STAAR Alternate if they are accessing the curriculum through prerequisite skills.


For high school students, these courses are denoted by a special PEIMS code for

each course required on the MHSP.

Step III: Summarize Assessment Decisions

STAAR Alternate The ARD committee should indicate the subject(s) or course(s) in

which the student is enrolled and for which STAAR Alternate assessments will be given.

The ARD committee must ensure the assessment decision and accommodations needed to measure the student’s academic achievement have been documented in the student’s IEP. These accommodations will be the basis for the STAAR Alternate presentation supports, materials, and response modes provided during the assessment observation and recorded on page 1 of the documentation form.

The student will take STAAR Alternate for all required subjects or enrolled high school courses on the MHSP.


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• The ARD committee is required to discuss the participation requirements, complete the State-Required Documentation Form, and file it in a designated place (not a required document in the IEP).

• All assessment information must be communicated to campus testing coordinator in preparation for statewide testing.

FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN MAKING STATEWIDE ASSESSMENT DECISIONS


Student Success Initiative (SSI)

Multiple SSI administrations are listed on the 2012-2013 testing calendar revised June 1, 2012. http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/calendars/

Districts will be notified when updated SSI material becomes available. Consideration for special populations will be

included in the new material districts will receive.


http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/calendars/

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


1. What if the assessment decision made at a previous ARD meeting needs to be revised prior to testing?

If the assessment decision made at a previous meeting needs to be revised, it must be based on a change in instruction. There must be a difference in how the student accesses

the grade-level or course curriculum. Simply passing or failing a prior state assessment is not

sufficient reason to justify revising the assessment decision in the IEP.


2. W hat additional steps are needed to make assessment decisions

for ELLs receiving special education services?

2. What additional steps are needed to make 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 LPAC must work together to ensure that instruction is tailored to meet each

student’s special education and second language acquisition needs

collaborate on assessment and accommodation decisions and document the decisions appropriately (for ARD committee, in IEP; for LPAC, document in student’s permanent record file)

More information on ARD committee and LPAC collaboration: http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/special.ed/guidance/ardlpac.html

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http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/special.ed/guidance/ardlpac.html

3. Can the ARD committee recommend assessments and/or accommodations, regardless of TEA policy?

No. The ARD committee’s statewide assessment and accommodation decisions must be within the parameters set forth in federal and state requirements and guidance.

It is a testing violation to provide a nonallowable accommodation during a statewide assessment, and could result in the student’s test results being invalidated.


4. Must the ARD committee address the STAAR Modified and STAAR Alternate Participation Requirements for all special education students?

No. The ARD committee should only address these participation requirements for students for whom STAAR Modified or STAAR Alternate is being considered. Most special education students take the general assessment.


5. Is the STAAR Modified science assessment appropriate for a student when the IEP only addresses reading skills, with no goals specific to science?

No. The ARD committee is required to confirm that the “student’s IEP contains standards-based (TEKS-based) goals indicating the modified content the student required in order to access the grade-level or course curriculum.”


TEA Resources

TEA Resources











ACCOMMODATION RESOURCES

•When considering an accommodation, please read the entire page to make sure you understand the intent

•&•Ask students for feedback periodically to see how they feel about the accommodation

THANK YOU!


Contact Information and Resources • Cheryl Villanueva

• Godley ISD Testing Coordinator• 817-373-3207• [email protected]

• Student Assessment Division▫ Phone: (512) 463-9536▫ FAX: (512) 463-9302▫ E-mail: [email protected]

• 2012-2013 Student Assessment Division TETN Schedule: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/training/tetn-schedule/

• Curriculum Division▫ Phone: (512) 463-9581

• Division of Federal and State Educational Policy (Special Education) ▫ Phone: (512) 463-9414



http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/training/tetn-schedule/