STAAR Alternate 2 Update TASA Conference February 20, 2017

STAAR Alternate 2 Update - #2765TASA ConferenceFebruary 20, 2017 ANGE WILKINS, M.ED.

TEA, STUDENT ASSESSMENT DIVIS ION

MANAGER, STAAR ALTERNATE 2

STAAR Alternate 2 UpdateTASA Conference, 2017• These slides have been prepared by the Student Assessment Division of

the Texas Education Agency.

• If the slide is changed for local use, please remove the TEA footer at the bottom of the slide.

• This training is not intended to replace the review of required manuals and additional information on the TEA website.

TASA 2017 STAAR ALTERNATE 2 2

STAAR ALTERNATE 22016-2017

• Last Date for Test Administrator Training March 17

• Preview Window March 20-31

• Assessment Window April 3 – 21

• (NEW) Verification Window April 24 – 25• Verification Window closes at 7pm

(CST) April 25KEY DATES



Verification Window

• The verification window is intended to ensure the accuracy and completeness of all data submitted in the Assessment Management System and the collection of secure documents.

• If during the verification process it is realized that a student has not been tested, then the student must be tested during the verification window.

• If during the verification process it is realized that a student’s data has been omitted, the data should be entered during the verification window.

KEY DATES



Students Who Enroll AFTER April 3, 2017

Students who transfer/move to a new districtafter the first day of the STAAR Alternate 2 testing window do not have to be tested.

Students moving to a new campus within the existing district after April 3, should be tested

by the new campus staff.

KEY DATES


Changes in Allowable Accommodations



Changes in Allowable Accommodations chart:Removal of “photocopying” from the allowable accommodations chart.• In order to access some allowable

accommodations, it may be necessary to photocopy secure materials.

• The allowable accommodations that require photocopying must be documented in the students’ IEP; and be routinely used accommodations in instruction as well as assessment.

• To photocopy secure materials, test administrators are required to follow the photocopying guidelines in the Test Administrator Manual in order to maintain the security and integrity of the assessment.

AllowableAccommodations



Adhere to these guidelines when photocopying the student booklet.

• The student booklet cannot be disassembled.

• The district must maintain test security and confidentiality when photocopying the student booklet.

• Photocopying must be done within the district by a trained test administrator or test administrator assistant who has signed the “Oath of Test Security and Confidentiality for Test Administrator.” This includes signing the additional section on the oath for test administrators who are authorized to view secure state assessments.




Adhere to these guidelines when photocopying the student booklet.

• If a mathematics test is photocopied but not enlarged, the copier must be set to copy at 100 percent and the scaling option set to “no scaling” or “zero” to ensure that graphics results in the intended measurement.

• The memory on the copier must be cleared after photocopying student booklets.

• All photocopied pages of the student booklet must be returned with the nonscorable shipment after testing.




Minor Changes in Allowable Accommodations chart:• Use calculator,

manipulatives or math tools - now also included as an allowable accommodation, as well as response mode.

• Reread sections of the text as described in the Presentation Instructions in this manual.


TASA 2017 STAAR ALTERNATE 2

http://tea.texas.gov/student.assessment/special-ed/staaralt/

10

Frequently Asked Questions



The STAAR Alternate 2 Scoring Document can be found:

• on the last page of each STAAR Alternate 2 Test Administrator Manual.

OR • can be printed from the Resources tab on

the Assessment Management System

Where can I find the scoring

document for STAAR Alternate 2 ?




Who is authorized to

sign the STAAR Alternate 2

participation requirement

form?

The district personnel –• completing the form needs to be identified by

name on the form, along with his or her position.

• named in the form is responsible for making sure the ARD committee discusses each section.

• completing the form should be a member of the ARD committee (e.g., special education teacher, ARD facilitator, administrator).

Reminder: These forms should be completed during the ARD committee meeting when assessment decisions are made. State assessment decisions are to be reviewed annually.

13


I. Preferably, the STAAR Alternate 2 test administrator should be the certified teacher who provides instruction in the subject tested.

II. The STAAR Alternate 2 test administrator must routinely work with the student and be familiar with his or her needs.

• Test administrators must plan and prepare accommodations. Test Administrators Manual(TAM)

• A test administrator can communicate with a student in many ways depending on a student’s needs.

• Any allowable response modes will be deemed acceptable responses; and do not need to be predetermined by the test administrator.

All testing personnel who participate in statewide testing must undergo training and sign the appropriate security oath affirming that they understand their obligations concerning the security and confidentiality of the state assessments before handling secure test materials or administering assessments.


Does the test administrator have to be the

“teacher of record” for the

student?14


Is there a cap for No Authentic

Academic Response (NAAR)

eligibility?


• No cap for NAAR, but NAAR designations should be rare.

• The student is not able to respond authentically to any verbal, visual, or tactile stimuli during academic instruction due to the level of cognition.

• The student must meet at least one of the two NAAR Eligibility Criteria questions.

15

IEP documentation should align with the NAAR designation


Use specific language to communicate the student’s proficiency level.

Write PLAAFPs to include quantitative measurement of the frequency by which student performs the academic response, i.e. % or 2/10 opportunities.

Describe the change in the student’s cognitive level that has taken place if the student has previously passed all or a portion of STAAR Alternate 2.

Use deliberations or other places in the IEP to document what has been attempted when the student showed NAAR, i.e. STAAR Alt 2 release tests, daily instructional activities, etc.

16


What do non-academic

homebound services look

like?


Medical Exemption designations should be rare.

The student’s medical issues cause inconsistent or insufficient homebound services to be provided.

The student’s medical condition severely prohibits academic instruction through homebound services to be provided.

17


Can the campus testing

coordinator enter student responses into

TestNav 8?


District-authorized testing personnel (district coordinator, campus coordinator, test administrator, etc.) will submit student responses, accommodations provided, and other data through the online testing system. District and Campus Coordinator Manual, SA-p3

Once STAAR Alternate 2 tests are administered, testing personnel must enter student scoring information into an online transcription form in TestNav. Testing personnel entering student responses must have been trained and have a signed oath on file. District and Campus Coordinator Manual, SA-p27

18


Do Response Modes have to be

documented in the IEP?


Unlike the STAAR Alternate 2 participation requirement form, allowable accommodations, the No Authentic Academic Response documentation, and Medical Exemption documentation, response modes are NOT required documentation for state assessment purposes.

However, ARD committees may choose to note response modes in the IEP in order to document the mode used routinely during instruction and the response mode that indicates a true demonstration of a skill.

19


Do STAAR Alternate 2 test

takers have to be tested in a

separate room?


Arrange for Testing Areas • Campus testing coordinators should assist the test

administrator to arrange appropriate testing areas if needed. Some students may require a separate room but this is not necessary, only if needed.

• Each student should be sufficiently separated from other students to work without distraction.

• Activities that would interfere with testing conditions should be scheduled for another time.

• Paraprofessionals who are present in the testing room and have access to confidential materials should receive state assessment training and sign the oath.

• The STAAR Alternate 2 is intended to be administered individually.

20




separate room?


Prepare the Testing Environment Test administrators must prepare the environment for the administration of STAAR Alternate 2. STAAR Alternate 2 is administered to students in a one-on-one setting. Test sessions must be conducted under the best possible conditions with minimal distractions and in a setting that is arranged in the most appropriate way for individual students.

Room arrangement options may include :

• administering the test in a separate location,

• providing adaptive or special furniture, and

• reducing noise.

21




separate room?


Prepare the Testing Environment • no element of the testing room environment should hinder

any student’s performance,

• a “Testing—Do Not Disturb” sign should be posted outside the testing room,

• bulletin boards and instructional displays that could aid students during testing must be covered or removed,

• clocks (either analog or digital) in the testing room do not have to be covered or removed,

• all desks used for testing must be cleared of books and other materials not required for the test, and

• test administrators must prevent students who are not part of the current testing session from viewing another student’s test administration.

The test administrator will determine the most appropriate seating arrangement based on individual student needs.

22


We have a long-term sub, can she

serve as test administrator?


Substitute teachers are approved as test administrators.Test administrators may include • teachers (including those who hold

teaching permits or probationary certificates),

• counselors and librarians, • paraprofessionals and related service

staff, • substitute teachers, and • other professional educators (such as

retired teachers).

23


We have a long-term substitute teacher, can she

serve as test administrator?


Since STAAR Alternate 2 test administrators should routinely work with the student, the substitute is not the ideal choice. However, some situations cannot be avoided.

• Substitute teachers serving as test administrators must attend training on test security and general testing procedures before handling secure test materials.

• Because administering STAAR Alternate 2 requires viewing secure test materials, test administrators must confirm compliance with state confidentiality requirements by initialing and signing the additional statements provided on the oath.

24

State and Federal Accountability


1% Cap on Alternate AssessmentsCurrent regulations:Federal limitations require that the number of scores that meet the STAAR Alternate 2 satisfactory standard not exceed one percent of the district’s total participation. The measures—reported only at the district level—are determined separately for ELA/reading and mathematics.


How does STAAR Alternate 2 impact the Texas Academic Performance Report?

Current regulations:• 2015 STAAR Alternate 2 scores were excluded from TAPR

rate calculations. • 2016 STAAR Alternate 2 scores were included in TAPR rate

calculations• 2017 STAAR Alternate 2 scores will be included in TAPR

rate calculations.


How do STAAR Alternate 2 scores affect state and federal accountability?Current regulations:

STATE FEDERAL

STAAR Alternate 2 Included in performance rates.

Included in performanceand participation rates.

Waiver No Authentic Academic Response

Not included in performance rates.

Not included in performance rates. Included in participation rates.

Waiver Medical Exception Not included in performance rates.

Not included in performance or participation rates.


Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)


Does ESSA make changes related to the 1% cap on alternate assessments? YESProposed regulations:• The ESSA imposes a cap on each state educational agency

(SEA) to limit to 1.0 percent of the total student populationo the number of students with the most significant cognitive

disabilities to whom the state may administer an alternate assessment

• ESSA prohibits states from imposing a cap on the administration of alternate assessments at the local level.


The ARD committee STILL determines the appropriate assessment for students with a significant cognitive disability by determining whether the student meets state participation requirements for an alternate assessment.


Calling all educators…


Educator Review processThe review of educators who are currently in the field is critical to the review of the STAAR Alternate 2.Our process is dependent upon educators who are currently working with students with significant cognitive disabilities. o Administration of test items for this special population of

students o Judgement of an item’s fairnesso Judgement of accessibilityo Judgement of the alignment to state knowledge and skills

standards through prerequisite skills


We need you -


to nominate qualified educators from your school or district, to

serve on statewide committees who will review test questions

or participate in other test development activities related to the

state assessments.

35


Go to:http://tea.texas.gov/student.assessment

• Click on Student Assessment A-Z Directory

• Scroll down and

• Click on Educator Committees• Complete online form

36

http://tea.texas.gov/student.assessment

Looking forward to seeing some of Texas’ finest special educators this spring and summer at educator review meetings!


CONTACT INFORMATION

Thank you for attending the

STAAR Alternate 2 Update - #2765


Texas Education Agency (TEA)

Phone: (512) 463-9536

Email: [email protected]

Pearson’s Austin Operations Center

Phone: (800) 627-0225Email:

[email protected]

38

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

STAAR Alternate 2 Update TASA Conference February 20, 2017

Documents

Transcript of STAAR Alternate 2 Update TASA Conference February 20, 2017