STAAR Alternate is the state assessment for students with significant cognitive disabilities.

2. STAAR Alternate is the state assessment for students with significant cognitive disabilities.

3. TEA Resources For Testing Coordinators Coordinator Checklist of Responsibilities All can be found on the STAAR Alternate Resources webpage on the TEA website. http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/special-ed/staaralt Policy Information Training Center Information

4. Assessment Window January 6th -April 18th Monitoring Test Assignments • Check if any recent ARD decisions have been made that would affect how the student assignments are set up in the system. • Ensure that student assessments are linked to the appropriate alternate assessment test administrator in the Assessment Management System so that evaluations can begin. • Unregister any students no longer being assessed with STAAR Alternate and add any new students or alternate assessment teachers. • Ensure that all test administrators have completed all required training before access to the Assessment Management System is provided. Have the alternate assessment teacher verify the grade level and courses!

5. Pearson Resources to Help Link Teachers to Student Assessments Home>Resources>Training> Texas Assessment Management System

6. Monitoring Completion of Assessments District testing coordinators did a great job last year in monitoring! Monitor progress on the assessments. Number of registered students Need to have “0” in these columns to ensure that all students will be tested.

7. Test Administrator Training Monitor test administrator training by verifying that • all training modules have been completed and the test administrators passed with 80% accuracy • supplemental support is provided before the third attempt is given to the teacher • supervision is occurring for any test administrator that has not passed all the modules but is continuing to implement the assessment Check to verify the training status of all test administrators on the TrainingCenter by viewing the STAAR Alternate At-A-Glance Training & Qualification Report

8. Storing the Documentation Forms District Testing Coordinators must: • develop and communicate the district policy on where the documentation forms will be stored • ensure that only one official documentation form exists and that all forms are stored in the same location for the campus • make sure test administrators know that the form must remain secure and confidential while it is in their care until given to the testing coordinator for storage • secure all forms by the close of the assessment window • inform staff that forms will not be accessible after April 18, 2013 at 7:00pm CST Test administrators should use caution when taking the documentation forms out of the classroom or building or when forms are stored on computers, laptops, or flash drives.

9. STAAR Alternate Timeline lists key administration dates. March 28, 2014 is the transfer cut-off date. Students who move into the district after that date do not have to be tested by the receiving district.

10. Parent Materials will be updated in March to explain the growth measure that will be added to the CSR this year. Grades 3-8 Parent Brochure for Grades 3-8 Available in English and Spanish PowerPoint available in English and Spanish EOC

11. Growth Measure • The range of available score points for STAAR Alternate (0-84)will be divided into stages that will be applied to the student’s performance. • The growth measure will compare two years of results to determine if growth occurred between the stages. • Positive growth between stages will be factored into AYP calculations. • The adjusted cut score for satisfactory performance used during the 2012 administration will be applied to the May 2014 results. Cut Scores

12. STAAR Alternate Redesign • Due to state legislation, STAAR Alternate is being redesigned for administration in spring 2015. • The test will be a standardized item-based assessment that will be administered to all students in that grade or course who meet the participation requirements for an alternate assessment. • Complexity levels will no longer be a part of the new assessment design and will not need to be determined by the ARD committee. • During December and January, many districts participated in the STAAR Alternate Pilot Study. • Information collected during the pilot study is currently being analyzed for use in developing the final assessment design.

13. More detailed information about STAAR Alternate can be found at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/special-ed/staaralt

14. STAAR Modified

15. What is STAAR Modified and who is it for? • An alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards • different passing standard than STAAR • test questions that are based on STAAR • For students receiving special education services who meet participation requirements

17. How have the test designs for STAAR Modified English I and II changed? • For the spring 2013 administrations, • reading and writing were separate tests • the tests were administered over two four-hour days • For the spring 2014 administrations, • reading and writing are combined into one test • the tests will be administered in one five-hour day • A redesigned test blueprint is posted on the “What’s New” page of TEA’s Student Assessment website.

18. How does an ARD committee determine whether STAAR Modified is the appropriate assessment? Participation Requirements • Review the student’s present level of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP). • Review the student’s instructional plan, which includes the goals, objectives, accommodations, and/or modifications the student will need in order to access the grade-level/course Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). • Determine the appropriate assessment for the student based on the instruction the student is receiving and whether the student meets the participation requirements. • Document the assessment decision, including any accommodations.

20. Participation Requirements • What does “State-required Documentation Form” mean? • TEA requires the completed STAAR Modified Participation Requirements Form to be included in the student’s IEP. • Which district personnel can complete this form? • a member of the ARD committee who participated in the meeting where the statewide assessment decision was determined (e.g., special education teacher, ARD facilitator, administrator)

21. Since 2014 is the last year that STAAR Modified will be administered, what do ARD committees document in the IEP regarding assessment for next year? • In the 2014-2015 school year, STAAR and STAAR Alternate will be the assessment options for students receiving special education services. • The types of accommodations that may be provided to students moving from a modified assessment to a general assessment have not yet been determined. • Further information regarding plans for the inclusion of this population of students in the general assessment program beginning with the 2014–2015 school year will be forthcoming.

22. If a student fails a STAAR Modified EOC assessment, is he/she required to retest? • It is not necessary for a student to retest if he/she failed a STAAR Modified EOC assessment or was absent during testing. • According to federal and state regulations, students who take a modified assessment are not held to the same graduation requirements as students who take the general assessment. Meeting the passing standard on a STAAR Modified EOC assessment is not a graduation requirement, so participating in additional testing opportunities is not necessary. • In addition, students taking a STAAR Modified EOC only have one final opportunity in spring 2014 to take the assessment.

23. If a student takes STAAR Modified in high school but is dismissed from special education before graduation, will the student now have to take STAAR? • Yes. The student is now held to the same requirements as all other general education students. • Students dismissed from special education who have already fulfilled some of their course and assessment requirements for graduation under an IEP are not required to retake any such courses or assessments. • The student will continue on the MHSP, as only students meeting curriculum requirements for the RHSP or DAP and performing successfully on all five STAAR EOC assessments can graduate on these programs.

24. Available Resources Website http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/special-ed/staarm/ Email Assessments.studentswithdisabilities@tea.state.tx.us