ARD Committee Training for the 2012–2013 Texas Assessment Program

1. ARD Committee Training for the 2012–2013 Texas Assessment Program Presented at TETN #14279 August 22, 2012

2. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division • These slides have been prepared and approved by the Student Assessment Division of the Texas Education Agency and serve as state guidance about how ARD committees should make and document in an IEP statewide assessment decisions for students receiving special education services. • This information takes the place of a published manual and should be made available to all region, district, and campus staff, as well as parents, who participate in ARD committee meetings. • Additional ARD Committee resources can be found at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/ard/. • If any slide is amended or revised for use in local or regional trainings, please remove this slide as well as the TEA footer at the bottom of each slide.

3. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division Table of Contents

4. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division Table of Contents

5. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division Table of Contents

6. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division Table of Contents

7. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division Training-Related Acronyms • ARD - Admission, Review , and Dismissal • DAP - Distinguished Achievement Program • ELL - English Language Learner • EOC - End-of-Course • IDEA - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act • IEP - Individualized Education Program • LAT – TAKS linguistically accommodated testing • LEP - Limited English Proficiency • LPAC - Language Proficiency Assessment Committee • MHSP - Minimum High School Program • STAAR - State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness • STAAR L - Linguistically accommodated version of STAAR • TAC - Texas Administrative Code • TAKS - Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills • TAKS–Alt - Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills Alternate • TAKS–M - Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills Modified • TEA - Texas Education Agency • TEKS - Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills • TETN - Texas Education Telecommunication Network • PEIMS - Public Education Information Management System • RHSP - Recommended High School Program

8. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division Overview of the Texas Assessment Program

9. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division 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.

10. 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/ What STAAR Assessments Do ELLs Receiving Special Education Services Take?

11. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division TAKS, TAKS (Accommodated), and TAKS–M • Exit level TAKS and TAKS (Accommodated) primary tests and retests ARE available. • TAKS–M grade 11 tests ARE available. • TAKS–M grade 11 assessments are not exit level tests. They are only administered once a year during the primary administration to students enrolled in grade 11 who meet participation requirements. • TAKS–M retests are not available. • TAKS–M grade 11 assessments are not administered to students in grade 12. • TAKS, TAKS (Accommodated), and TAKS–M grade 10 tests are no longer available.

12. Same tests as on previous TAKS slide. • For TAKS program, no changes to • LEP postponements for exit level • Participation requirements for unschooled asylees/refugees • More information on LPAC Resources webpage at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/ell/lpac/ What TAKS Assessments Do ELLs Receiving Special Education Services Take?

13. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division 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/.

14. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division Making the Statewide Assessment Decision

16. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division What does “access” mean? • Access = a means of approach… how a teacher exposes a student to the grade-level/course TEKS

17. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division

18. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division 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)

19. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division 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.

20. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division The First Consideration = the General Assessment • 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.

21. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division The First Consideration = the General Assessment • ARD committees must understand • What statewide assessments are required and available (STAAR, STAAR Spanish, STAAR L, STAAR Modified, STAAR Alternate, TAKS, TAKS (Accommodated), TAKS–M, LAT) • Assessed TEKS • Design and format of each statewide assessment • Accommodation policies • Implications of taking a particular statewide assessment

22. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division • 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.

23. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division Participation RequirementsSTAAR ModifiedSTAAR AlternateTAKS–M

24. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division TAKS–M • Should be used only for students in grade 11 during the 2012–2013 school year • Grade 10 TAKS, TAKS (Accommodated), and TAKS–M tests will no longer be administered.

25. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division STAAR Modified and STAAR Alternate

26. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division 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).

27. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division 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.

28. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division Step I: Review the Eligibility Criteria STAAR 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

29. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division Step I: Review the Eligibility Criteria STAAR Alternate • Eligibility is being considered for all tested subjects in the student’s enrolled grade or all courses the student is enrolled in. • If the student is eligible to take STAAR Alternate, then he/she must take this assessment for all subjects/courses.

30. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division Step I: Review the Eligibility Criteria STAAR Modified • The ARD committee must review each of the three questions for every subject or course being considered and circle YES or NO. • 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? • 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? • Does the student require direct and intensive instruction in order to acquire, maintain, and transfer skills to other contexts?

31. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division Step I: Review the Eligibility Criteria STAAR Alternate • The ARD committee must review each of the five questions if STAAR Alternate is being considered, and circle YES or NO. • Does the student have a significant cognitive disability? • Does the student require specialized supports to access the grade-level curriculum and environment? • Does the student require intensive, individualized instruction in a variety of instructional settings? • Does the student access and participate in the grade-level TEKS through prerequisite skills? • Does the student primarily demonstrate knowledge and skills through performance tasks?

32. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division 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.

33. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division • 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. STAAR Modified PLAAFP section PLAAFP section PLAAFP section STAAR Alternate Pg. 2

34. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division 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.

35. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division Step II: Discuss Assurances • 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 of why student cannot participate in general assessment with or without allowable accommodations, AND…

36. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division • 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.”

37. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division Step II: Discuss Assurances • 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.

38. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division Step II: Discuss Assurances • 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.

39. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division Step II: Discuss Assurances • 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).

40. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division Step II: Discuss Assurances • 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

41. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division Step II: Discuss Assurances • As cited in TAC §74.61(e), a high school student who takes STAAR Alternate or at least one STAAR Modified EOC assessment is receiving a different type of instruction (e.g., prerequisite skills, modified) than his/her peers. Therefore, the student will graduate on the MHSP. • To graduate on the Recommended or Distinguished Programs, a student must have successful completion on STAAR.

42. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division Step II: Discuss Assurances • 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.

44. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division Step III: Summarize Assessment Decisions STAAR Modified • Indicate the subjects in which the student will take STAAR Modified if the eligibility criteria has been met. • This step was updated this year to include World History, which will be administered for the first time in spring 2013. • This step will be updated next year to include English III and U.S. History, which will be administered for the first time in spring 2014. If a student is enrolled in these courses in 2012–2013 and receives modified instruction, eligibility for STAAR Modified should still be determined. • If the student meets participation requirements for STAAR Modified, the student will not be assessed since these tests are not available. • If the student does not meet participation requirements for STAAR Modified OR if eligibility is not determined for these courses, then the student will take STAAR.

45. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division Step III: Summarize Assessment Decisions STAAR Modified continued • STAAR Modified assessments for Algebra II, chemistry, and physics will never be available because the courses are not required on the MHSP. However, eligibility for STAAR Modified should still be determined if a student is enrolled in these courses and receives modified instruction. • If the student meets participation requirements for STAAR Modified, the student will not be assessed since these tests are not available. • If the student does not meet participation requirements for STAAR Modified OR if eligibility is not determined for these courses, then the student will take STAAR.

46. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division 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.

47. 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.

48. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division Factors to Consider When Making Statewide Assessment Decisions

49. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division 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.

50. Texas Education Agency's Student Assessment Division Commissioner’s Rule on Substitute High School Courses • TAC §89.1070(b)(3) • Districts are allowed to provide locally developed substitute courses for those required on the MHSP for some students receiving special education services. • The content of these locally developed substitute courses must be fully aligned to the TEKS for the courses they replace. • Students will be required to participate in an EOC assessment (general, modified, or alternate) for the course that has been substituted.