ALTERNATE ASSESSMENT

Your responsibilities as an Intervention

Specialist.

Disclaimer: All slides with the ODE logo are taken from the ODE website @ www.ode.state.oh.us

Overview of Ohio’s Alternate Assessment(AASWD)

• The Ohio Alternate Assessment is astatewide assessment process that isdesigned for students with the mostsignificant cognitive disabilities whoare unable to participate in regularassessment.– Ensures that all students can participate

in the assessment systems.

Chapter3

What is an Alternate Assessment?

• Must be aligned with the State’s content andstudent achievement standards.

• Must report student achievement in the sameway as the State’s regular assessment.– advanced, accelerated, proficient, basic, limited

• Must serve the same purpose as the assessmentfor which it is an alternate– i.e., Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Science, Social

Studies

In other words...

Alternate Assessment is a portfolio, compiled by the intervention specialist, that aligns to the appropriate grade level standards.

This document will be presented to the Ohio Department of Education, instead of taking the state mandated tests.

Sneak peak

Example:Grade 5Mathematics

Benchmarks are listed in grade

level bands

Indicators are specific to the

grade level

Standards-based Applications

Example:Grade 5Mathematics

(Note: Alignment withbenchmarks for this standardare shown in parenthesis.)

The applications in this column are applicable to students with the most

significant disabilities.

students get alternately assessed ?

WHICH

Which students should take analternate assessment?

• Ohio’s Alternate Assessment wasdeveloped for students withsignificant cognitive disabilities.

• Participation decisions are made bythe student’s IEP team

Testing page from iep

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Is there a “cap” on how many children mayparticipate in alternate assessment?

• The IEP team decides how a student willparticipate in statewide assessment.

• Federal rules limit the number of alternateassessments scores a district may count as“proficient” in district accountability

• This limit is set at 1% of tested population• Annual appeal process for states and districts to seek

waiver of impact of 1% cap• Waivers are granted for one year only

Roles and Responsibilities for theAlternate Assessment

• District Test Coordinator– Contact between the school district and the Ohio

Department of Education– Orders materials for Alternate Assessment– Submits COEs to contractors– Coordinates with other administrators to

distribute and collect materials

• Special Education Administrators• Building Administrators• School Test Coordinators

Roles and Responsibilities for theAlternate Assessment

• Teachers– Coordinate the collection of evidence within the

instructional process

• Related Service Personnel

• Paraprofessionals

• Parents

• Community members

First things first

•List the students being alternately assessed

•Check the IEP testing page

• Match your list with your supervisor’s

list

•List by grade level

Steps to Compile a Collection of Evidence

• Based on the student’s grade level, determine thestandards that are to be addressed for the AlternateAssessment.

• Each collection of evidence will consist of four entriesreflecting four different standards.

• Select a benchmark for each entry.

• Select an application for each entry.

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Step 1: Given the required academic content standards to be addressed at each student’s grade level, select benchmarks and applications within the identified content standards.

Steps to Compile a Collection of Evidence

• Select two to three tasks that will showcase the student’sskills, and document them on each entry sheet.

• Each task selected for an entry should be different andunique

? Multiple pieces of evidence that represent the sametask/activity will be judged nonscorable.

• A minimum of two tasks must be selected for each entry.However ODE recommends selecting three tasks.

Step 2: Select tasks that allow students to show skills related to the selected standards, benchmarks and applications.

How much data am I collecting?

4 entries

x 2 pieces of evidence/entry

8 total pieces of evidence

MINIMUM

Grade6

Entry Sheet 1(Reading:

Literary Text)1 2

3

Entry Sheet 3(Mathematics: Number and

Number Sense)

1 23

Entry Sheet 4(Mathematics:

Patterns,Functions

and Algebra)

1 23

Reading Reading

Mathematics Mathematics

optional

optionaloptional

1 23

optionalEntry Sheet 2

(Reading:Acquisition

of Vocabulary)

Visual Representation of COE 2007-08

Selecting Tasks• Select tasks that reflect real-world activities.

– Real-world activities are tasks performed in meaningful ways forpurposeful outcomes.

– Ask: “Will the outcome of this activity apply to daily life?”• Select materials that are age-appropriate.

– Age-appropriate materials reflect the chronological age of thestudent rather than the developmental level.

• Plan tasks that present a realistic challenge for thestudent.– AASWD evidence should capture student achievement at a time

when the student can perform these tasks with consistent skill.• Choose tasks that will elicit active student responses.

– An active response should be observable, measurable,purposeful, and voluntary.

Steps to Compile a Collection of Evidence

• Decide the best way to demonstrate the student’sperformance.

• Use a different type of evidence (e.g., data chart, checklist)for each task within each Entry.

• Clearly note on the evidence provided, the student’sperformance (i.e., provide an answer key or grade thestudent’s work).

• Collect evidence for all content areas assessed in the COE.• On each piece of evidence, indicate:

– the level and type of prompting,– the setting in which the task occurred,– the individuals with whom the student interacted, and– the way the student interacted with the individuals

Remember: Do not wait until binders and materials arereceived from contractor to begin collecting evidence

Step 3: Collect assessment evidence.

Types of Evidence• Examples of completed evidence forms are on pages 25-44

? Work samples (actual work or photographs of work);? Data charts:

? Event Recording Using Trial Format? Event Recording Using Tally Format? Event Recording Using Trial Format with item details

? Checklists;? Series of captioned photographs;? Observations;? Interviews with teachers, parents and employers;? Peer reviews;? Videos with scripts,? Audio with scripts.

• Blank Evidence forms are in Appendix 1

Tips for Step 3:

• Do not include the same worksheet given to the studenton three different dates.

• Do not include the same task recorded on three differenttypes of evidence.

• Clearly define the criteria for success…simply stating“80%” may not clearly define what is expected.

• On each piece of evidence indicate “Entry #” and“Evidence #.”

Tips for Step 3:• Do not confuse “natural cues” with prompting.

– Natural cues are normally occurring directions,reminders or signals that indicate to a student that aresponse is required or requested.

– Prompting is a verbal, physical or gestural stimulusthat directs a student toward a correct answer.

• If the student performs task independently, indicatethis on the evidence.

• Be cautious when indicating “continuous”prompting…does continuous prompting indicate thatthe student was not able to perform the task with anactive response?

• Indicate with who and how the student interacted inrelation to the task.

Jen’s tidbit: Work backwards

•Look at the examples of Alternate Assessment standard.

•Find the matching benchmark.

PerformanceThe degree to which the student demonstrates a

skill while completing standard-based tasks thatrequire and active response.

Each entry is scored on a 0 – 3 point scale.

Instructional ContextThe degree to which the tasks:

– Contain age-appropriate materials

– Reflect real-world applications/activities

Each entry is scored on a 1 – 4 point scale.

Independence

The degree to which assistance, or prompting isprovided to a student during the completion ofstandards-based tasks.

Each entry is scored on a 1 – 4 point scale

ODE WILL FAIL ALTERNATE ASSESSMENTS

They will not tell you exactly why you fail. For example; Entry forms

*When you enter Standard A and then you enter

the description, they need to match.

Double check all information in the alternate assessment and have another person check it again.