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Ohio’s Alternate Assessments for Students with Disabilities 2003-04. Thomas Lather Office for Exceptional Children (614)466-2650 thomas.lather@ode.state.oh.us. What are Alternate Assessments?.
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Ohio’s Alternate Assessments for Students with Disabilities 2003-04 Thomas Lather Office for Exceptional Children (614)466-2650 thomas.lather@ode.state.oh.us
What are Alternate Assessments? • A state wide assessment process that is designed for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who are unable to participate in regular assessment. • Ensures that all students can participate in the assessment systems.
Alternate Assessments • Basic Assumption: • The vast majority of students with disabilities should be able to participate in the regular State assessment with appropriate and allowable accommodations, if needed. • A “small number” of students should participate in alternate assessment. (US DOE Non-Regulatory Draft Guidance, March 10, 2003 at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/saa/standassguidance03.doc
What are Alternate Assessments • Must be aligned with the State’s content and student achievement standards. • Must report student achievement in the same way as the State’s regular assessment. • i.e.,advanced, proficient, basic • Must serve the same purpose as the assessment for which it is an alternate • i.e., Reading, Math
What are Alternate Assessments • Ohio’s Standards based Alternate Assessment is for students with the most severe disabilities. • The Alternate Assessment consists of a Collection of Evidence (COE) of a student’s achievement of Ohio’s Academic Content Standards. • The collection of evidence documents access to grade level content but reflects an alternate level of achievement. • Alternate assessment is a “snapshot” of achievement during a window of time
Ohio’s Alternate Assessment for Students with Disabilities • Collection of Evidence scored across four domains • Performance • Support/Independence • Complexity/Context • Settings and Interactions • Evidence is scored independently according to professionally accepted standards
Alternate Assessments • Proposed Federal Policy for purpose of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) • Use of alternate achievement standards at state and LEA levels may not exceed 1% of tested population with maximum positive impact for AYP (USDOE Proposed Rules, Federal Register, March 20, 2003 (Vol. 68, No. 54, pp. 13796-13801)
Alternate Assessments • 1% proposed cap does not limit the number of the students who can participate in Alternate Assessment. • The proposed cap provides that only 1% of those students who participate in an Alternate Assessment, and scored proficient and above, will be counted towards AYP.
Alternate Assessments Which students should take an Alternate Assessment? • IEP team determination • Decision based on individual needs of the student, NOT the category of the disability • Follow Ohio Guidelines for Participation in Alternate Assessment
Ohio Guidelines for Participation in Alternate Assessment: Criteria to Assist IEP Teams • Appropriate for students with severe disabilities • In most cases, this means students with cognitive disabilities • However, this is NOT exclusive of other disability conditions
Ohio Guidelines for Participation in Alternate Assessment: Criteria to Assist IEP Teams • Severe limitations documented in evaluation team report • Instruction chiefly focused on acquisition of essential life skills • Generally not appropriate for students engaged in general curriculum without significant modification. • Appropriate for students who require the highest level of individualized instruction
Ohio Guidelines for Participation in Alternate Assessment: Criteria to Assist IEP Teams • If alternate assessment is appropriate for a student, that student would participate in alternate assessment “across the board” (i.e., in all tested subject areas) • Determination should be reviewed annually
Transitions in Ohio’s alternate assessments for students with disabilities, 2003-04 • Existing “IEP” based Alternate Assessments • Grade 4 Citizenship, Science, and Writing • Grade 6 Citizenship, Science, and Writing • Grade 9 Reading, Mathematics Citizenship, Science, and Writing (if needed) • New “Standards-based Alternate Assessment (“collection of evidence”) • Grade 3 Reading • Grade 4 Reading/Mathematics • Grade 6 Reading/Mathematics • Grade 10 (OGT) Reading/Mathematics
Alternate Assessment/EMIS • Student Testing Record • “Subject” Test Type • Select ALT – Alternate Assessment • “Subject” type of accommodation • Select NO
Alternate Assessment/EMIS • Since the Standards Based Alternate Assessment will be scored, and the score reported to the Department, the results of the IEP-Based Alternate Assessment will need to be reported as followed: • AAA Advanced • B BB Proficient • CCC Basic • DDD Below Basic
Alternate Assessment • Additional information regarding Alternate Assessment can be located on the web-pages for the Offices of Exception Children and Curriculum and Assessment.