LEAP Alternate Assessment, Level 1 Spring 2013 Administration

1. LEAP Alternate Assessment, Level 1 Spring 2013 Administration

2. Grades Tests Subjects Standards Scoring Reporting Tasks Accommodations Manipulatives LEAP Alternate Assessment, Level 1 (LAA 1) is an assessment program composed of many parts.

3. Grades Tests Subjects Standards Scoring Tasks Reporting Accommodations Manipulatives The goal of this workshop is to help you assemble the LAA 1 puzzle!

4. What is LAA 1? Standards • The LEAP Alternate Assessment, Level 1 (LAA 1), is a performance-based student assessment that evaluates each student’s knowledge and skills on selected Louisiana Content Standards. • It is an “on-demand” assessment, meaning the test administrator (teacher or other school staff who knows the student being assessed) presents the tasks and observes the student’s performance of those tasks. The test administrator then uses a rubric to score the student’s performance. • Students with the most significant cognitive disabilities are eligible to take LAA 1. • Students who take LAA 1 may receive a Certificate of Achievement, not a high school diploma.

5. Extended Standards Standards • Extended Standards are • the foundation of the LAA 1 assessment program • based on selected state content standards, benchmarks, and grade-level expectations (GLEs) • extensions of the state standards • organized by grade spans (3-4, 5-6, 7-8, and 10-11) • Grade 9 students will not be assessed. • Subjects: • English Language Arts • Mathematics • Science

6. Extended Standards (continued) Standards • Represent the core academic content considered appropriate for LAA 1 students, not the entire curriculum for a given grade or content area • Articulate academic learning from one grade to the next • Facilitate access to grade-level content • Move from the concrete to the abstract

7. Complexity Levels Extended Standards (continued) Standards • Three complexity levels for each extended standard • Descriptions of ways to access the academic content identified by the extended standard

8. Level 1 Least complex Reflects a student’s initial encounter with content related to the extended standard Level 2 A more complex application of the extended standards Level 3 Even more complex learning situations (e.g., comprehension and subsequent processing of discourse, text, and underlying text structure) Mastery of an extended standard generally indicated by a student performing at level 3 Levels of Complexity Standards

9. Sample of Extended Standards ChartGrades 3-4English Language Arts Standards

10. Extended Standards Handbook The best resource on Extended Standards • Bulletin 127 • Describes the development process • Summarizes the knowledge, skills, and abilities emphasized for each subject by grade span • Presents the extended standards and their link back to benchmarks and GLEs • Includes a glossary of terms • Can be downloaded from http://www.louisianaschools.net/lde/uploads/11618.pdf

11. LAA 1 Assessment Design Grades Tests Subjects • ELA and Mathematics • Grade spans 3–4, 5–6, 7–8 • Grade 10 (Grade 9 students will not be assessed.) • Science • Grades 4, 8, and 11 • Each subject area assessment is composed of 25 performance tasks.

12. LAA 1 Grades and Content Areas

13. Test Administration Procedures Tests • LAA 1 is administered individually. • The test administrator reads aloud or signs the test to students. • LAA 1 is administered over a 6–week period. • February 4 to March 15, 2013 • Test administrators should review materials before February 4 and start assessing students at the beginning of testing window.

14. Individualized Administration • Pacing is based on the individual needs of the student. • Allow sufficient wait time for the student to respond. • Repeat the question or directions if needed during a testing session. • Unless the task is interrupted, administer a task only once. The task must not be administered in its entirety multiple times (e.g., give the task today and repeat for a higher score tomorrow). • If student is having a “bad” day or is unresponsive, stop testing and reschedule testing.

15. LAA 1 Materials

16. LAA 1 Materials • Administrator Booklet • Student Booklet • Response Document • Graphics • Manipulatives Lists • Task Descriptions • Assessment Guide • Manuals

17. Tests LAA 1 Administrator Booklet An 8½ X 11 inch spiral-bound booklet used by the test administrator: • one per grade span • all subjects tested in that grade span • task-specific instructions • each performance task includes • directions • a scoring rubric • correct answer(s) • a copy of corresponding pages from the Student Booklet

18. Grades Subjects PD Administrator Booklet • Introduction • General Instructions • LAA 1 Practice Tasks

19. Administrator Booklet Tasks header bar • Header bar • Directions • Page numbers • Scoring rubric • Correct answer page numbers directions Scoring rubric correct answer

20. Scoring Scoring Rubrics 1-point Scoring Rubric (one question, response is either correct or incorrect) Question: Which object is a tool? Options: apple, toy blocks, ruler, ball

21. Scoring Scoring Rubrics 2-point Scoring Rubric (one question, two correct responses ) Question: Which two animals spend much of their lives in water? Options: fish, alligator, cat, pig

22. Scoring Scoring Rubrics2-point Scoring Rubric (two questions, one correct response for each question) Question A: Which animal spends most of its life in water? Question B: Which animal spends most of its life in the air? Options: rabbit, bird, fish,pig

23. Tests LAA 1 Student Booklet A large print spiral-bound booklet for the students: • one for each grade span • includes all subjects tested in that grade span • assessment tasks include • graphics and text • answer options • task number

24. Student BookletPage graphics and text Tasks answer options task #

25. Tests Response Document • One per student • Grade specific • Confidential • Test administrator enters student’s scores Use only #2 pencils to complete!

26. Tests Response Document (cont.) Wait until the student has completed all parts of a task before entering a score. Use only #2 pencils to complete!

27. Test Accommodations for LAA 1

28. Test Accommodations Accommodations Manipulatives • Assistive Technology • Manipulatives • Task Descriptions • Other

29. Assistive Technology Accommodations • Any item, piece of equipment, or product system used to enable a student to access the assessment • Augmentative communication devices • Switch with scanning • Voice recognition software • Communication board • Eye gaze board • Voice output device with dynamic display

30. Assistive Technology (cont.) Accommodations • Student’s symbol system • Not all students use a symbol system. • The language in the task may be translated into a student’s symbol system. • TAs who translate the task language utilizing the symbol system used in the classroom may do this for the assessment. • Translated tasks must be kept secure and returned to the School Test Coordinator (STC).

31. Assistive Technology (cont.) • A CD of graphics is available upon request for each grade span or the graphics may be downloaded from the LDOE website prior to testing. • Two file formats are available: tiff and jpeg. • Graphics may be imported into a device or printed as needed. • Graphics may be resized, or color, texture, or raised lines may be added.

32. Manipulatives Manipulatives • Manipulatives may be used to access any task. • Prior to testing, review tasks to determine if the student will need a manipulative for a task. • Code Assistive Technology in the Accommodations field on the response document. • Manipulatives Lists are provided. • Include suggested manipulatives and activities • Organized by subject and grade span • Can also be downloaded from drceDIRECT prior to testing

33. Sample Manipulatives List

34. Using the Manipulatives List • The suggested manipulatives are optional, and other appropriate manipulatives, familiar to the student, may be used. • Use manipulatives in a manner consistent with the measurement goals of the task. • For example, if the task measures recognition of number symbols, don’t replace symbols with counters. • Use manipulatives consistently within a task. • For example, if the options are an apple, orange, ball, and table, don’t use a picture for the table and real objects for the others.

35. Using the Manipulatives List (cont.) • The statement, “This performance task does not lend itself to the use of manipulatives,” doesn’t mean that manipulatives can’t be used for the task. • Options to using WikkiStix include soda straws, yarn, string, and dry spaghetti. • Counters can be used to count objects in a graphic (tree = counter, house = counter). • Different types of counters (different colors, different shapes) can represent the various objects in a pattern (red counter = bird, yellow counter = dog). • Be careful not to clue a response by the type of counter used.

36. Tips for Using Manipulatives

37. Tips for Using Manipulatives (cont.)

38.  Task Descriptions Accommodations • Grade span specific • nclude a list of tasks needing further description and/or modifications to accommodate the needs of students who cannot access print graphics • For visually impaired-blind or other students who cannot access graphics • Automatically sent for students who have VI-Blind listed as their primary exceptionality • Available upon request for other students who cannot access graphics • Some tasks are not accessible for these students even with descriptions and are identified in the Task Descriptions as “Omitted.” • The accommodation Task Descriptionsmust be coded on the response document to ensure the student is not penalized.

39. Accommodations Task Descriptions Page information on omitted items instructions instructions modified task description task affected

40. Task Description Example • Here is an example of a performance task that requires a Task Description for students unable to access print graphics. • For the Task Description, the TA says: Students are reading. Which statement describes the meaning of the word students? A girl is reading. A boy and a girl are reading. A girl is reading with her dog.

41. Other Accommodations? Accommodations • Consider the intent of the task to ensure the accommodation does not invalidate the purpose • For example, if the task measures recognition of number symbols, don’t replace symbols with counters. • All accommodations must be used regularly during classroom instruction and assessment and must be documented on the IEP. • Questions about accommodations • Go from the test administrator to the School Test Coordinator, then to the District Test Coordinator, and finally to the Louisiana Department of Education

42. Frequently Asked Questions about administration of LAA 1

43. Frequently Asked Questions 1. May I assess more than one student at a time? No. Each student must be assessed individually. 2. Must I assess each student in the content order of the booklet? No. You may begin with the content area that you believe will provide the most success for the student. For example, the mathematics test may be administered before the English language arts test. 3. Must I move through the Administrator Booklet and the Student Booklet in the order of the tasks presented in a content area? Yes. In each content area the tasks are arranged in the order of complexity, from least to most complex. Consequently, within a content area, assess each student on tasks as ordered in the booklets.

44. Frequently Asked Questions (cont.) 4. May I prompt the student? You must follow the directions as written in the Administrator Booklet. You may read the directions as many times as you think necessary. You may direct the student’s attention to the task or manipulatives and also encourage the student to attempt the task. 5. Must the student respond verbally? Students may communicate responses in their typical communication modality. 6. What if the student doesn’t respond to a question after it has been read several times? Mark a zero.

45. Frequently Asked Questions (cont.) 7. What if the student responds to the first part of a question, but then is not ready to proceed (too tired, nonresponsive) with the second part? Record score for the first part on a post-it note affixed to the Response Document and return to the question at a better time. Do not repeat the first part of the question. 8. May a test administrator assess a student with a grade-span assessment that does not coincide with the student’s enrolled grade? For example, if the student is enrolled in grade 8, but the TA believes a 5–6 grade-span assessment is more appropriate, can that student be assessed in the 5–6 grade-span assessment? No. The student must take the test for the grade in which he or she is enrolled. This is a federal guideline based on No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

46. Frequently Asked Questions (cont.) 9. Must I read the directions in the Administrator Booklet word-for-word? Yes. (Some exceptions are made for students who are Visually Impaired-Blind.) 10. May I reduce the number of tasks administered, e.g., assess 20 tasks instead of 25? No, the student should have the opportunity to take all tasks. However, if after attempting at least 5 tasks in a content area the student is unresponsive on all of the items resulting in a score of zero, you may stop testing. Do not code a score on the RD for the remaining items. Note: If the student is unresponsive because he or she is having a bad day, try administering the test on another day.

47. Test Security

48. Test Security of Materials Tests • School Test Coordinators are responsible for storing materials in a locked, secure area and disseminating materials. • These materials must be returned at the end of the day if they are checked out: • Administrator Booklets • Student Booklets • Response Documents • Task Descriptions

49. Security of Response Documents Tests • Once the TA enters scores on the response document (RD), it becomes confidential information and must be kept secure. • Be sure to check both Student and Administrator Booklets when assessment ends for RDs accidentally tucked inside. Count them! • There is a $100 charge for the testing company to look for a response document.

50. Nonsecure Materials Manuals Test Coordinator Test Administrator Graphics Manipulatives Lists