Learning Services Update Fall 2014

1. Learning Services UpdateFall 2014 Debbie Jones, Assistant Commissioner Stacy Smith, Director Curriculum & Instruction Hope Allen, Director Assessment Arkansas Department of Education

2. Learning Services Division Organizational Chart

3. Digital Learning • Act 1280-provided for expansion of digital learning opportunities for kids • Blended- instruction in the classroom complimented with online instruction • Online Instruction- instruction & content are delivered online • Approved Provider Courses

5. Virtual Arkansas • Core • Alternative Education • Career & Technical • Concurrent Credit • Content only • Home-Grown http://virtualarkansas.org/ Cathi Swan, State Coordinator of K12 Distance Learning

6. Virtual Arkansas • Follow iNACOL National Standards for Quality Online Courses • 20,000 registered students & 1,900 on waiting list • All courses are ADE approved • Arkansas certified teachers • 2 days/week minimum face to face instruction http://virtualarkansas.org/ Cathi Swan, State Coordinator of K12 Distance Learning

7. Schools of Innovation Innovation not Evasion Application Due: March 1, 2015 Application

8. Schools of Innovation 2014-2015 Schools of Innovation Posted Goals & Performance Targets • Reduce achievement gap • Increase student participation in curriculum options • College and career readiness • Motivating students by exploring innovative teaching & learning • Transform a school’s culture • Better prepared students for success in life and career • Innovative practices

9. Assessment Update What to Plan for in 2014-2015 Hope Allen, Director of Assessment

10. Assessments for 2014-2015

11. Major Changes for 2014-2015 • The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) tests align to the CCSS • All 3-11 students that do not qualify for NCSC • The National Center and State Collaborative (NCSC) alternate assessments for students with significant cognitive disabilities align to the CCSS • Only about 1% of students

12. PARCC Assessments • ELA/Literacy at grades 3 – 11 • Math at grades 3 - 8 • End-of-Course • Algebra I • Geometry • Algebra II Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers

13. PARCC Assessments Big Shifts • ELA/Literacy testing at grades 9 and 10 • Algebra II end-of-course testing • Online test administration • Accessibly features available to all • Two testing components for each grade/course • Each component has a separate administration window • Some school flexibility in scheduling testing

14. PARCC Assessment Design Summative Assessments Performance-Based Assessment + End-of-Year Assessment • After 75 percent of the school year • Extended tasks, applications of concepts and skills • ELA/Literacy: Writing effectively when analyzing text, research simulation • Math: Solving multi-step problems requiring abstract reasoning, precision, perseverance and strategic use of tools • All grades and courses • After 90 percent of the school year • Innovative, short-answer items • ELA/Literacy: Reading comprehension • Math: Short items that address both concepts and skills • All grades and courses All students take both components for a final PARCC score

15. Fall Block • PBA Window • December 1 – December 19 • EOY Window • December 15 – January 16 • Schools must schedule all assessments on 10 consecutive days within each window • All tests will be paper based

16. Spring • PBA Window • March 9 – April 10 • EOY Window • April 27 – May 22 • Computer Based • Schools can set assessment schedule within the windows • Paper Based • Assessment schedule will be provided by ADE

17. Scheduling PARCC • May schedule a grade cohort anywhere within the window • Grade cohort (or course) must test same unit/session in the same day • At the same time • Back-to-back • Morning and afternoon • Make up testing must be completed within the window

18. Preparing for PARCC • Practice Tests • Classroom Instruction • Revise all LPAC, IEP and 504 plans • There are changes in the accommodations PARCC will allow • Accessibility Features and Accommodations Manual

19. PARCC Accessibility Policies Built into the test Available to All Students • Example: magnification, highlighting, eliminate answer choices, line reader Available to All Students Must be turned on in Advance Example: answer masking, text-to-speech for mathematics, background/font color Available through LPAC/IEP/504 Must be identified in Advance Example: Word to word dictionary, small group testing, extended time

20. Features for All • Are operational for all students during Computer Based Testing • Students should determine whether they wish to use the feature on an item-by-item basis • Cannot be turned off • Do not require IEP/504/LPAC

21. Accessibility Features for All Students Built in Tools Other Audio Amplification Blank Paper General Administration Directions Clarified General Administration Directions Read Aloud and Repeated as Needed Headphones or Noise Buffers Redirect Students to the Test • Eliminate Answer Choices • Flag Items for Review • Highlight • Line Reader • Magnifications/Enlargement Device • NotePad • Pop-up Glossary • Spell Checker • Writing Tools • Math Tools

22. PARCC Accessibility

23. Accessibility Features • Are operational for identified students during Computer Based Testing • Students should determine whether they wish to use the feature on an item-by-item basis • Must be indicated in the Personal Needs Profile (PNP) • Turned on prior to testing • Training forthcoming this fall • Do not require IEP/504/LPAC

24. Accessibility Features Identified in Advance • Answer Masking • Background/Font Color (Color Contrast) • General Masking • Text-to-Speech for the Mathematics Assessments • Headphone will be needed

25. Accommodations • Are available for identified students during Computer and Paper Based Testing • Do require IEP/504/LPAC • It is advised to update all IEP/504/LPAC plans to reflect the PARCC wording of accommodations • Must be documented prior to testing

26. English Language Learners • Extended Time • Word-to-Word Dictionary • Scribe or Speech-to-Text: Responses Dictated for Mathematics Assessment in English • General Administration Directions Read Aloud and Repeated as Needed in Student’s Native Language (by test administrator) • General Administration Directions Clarified in Student’s Native Language (by test administrator)

27. Special Education • Extended Time • Word prediction on the ELA/Literacy PBA • Scribing or Speech-to-Text for constructed response on ELA/Literacy, mathematics and selected response ELA/Literacy • Calculation Device and Mathematics Tools on Non-Calculator session • Braille Test and/or Note-taker • Additional Assistive Technology • ASL Video for Mathematics and Test Directions • Closed Captioning • Descriptive Video • Paper-and- Pencil Edition • Tactile Graphics • Text-to-Speech or Video of Human Interpreter for ELA/Literacy

28. Administrative Considerations • Principal’s discretion • Must be documented prior to testing • Do not require IEP/504/LPAC • Small group testing • Frequent breaks • Time of day • Separate or alternate location • Specified area or seating • Adaptive and specialized equipment or furniture

29. PARCC Accessibility • School personnel must be familiar with the available features well in advance of testing • Students must have the opportunity to use the features available to all before operational testing • Administer tutorial and practice tests • http://practice.parcc.testnav.com/#

30. PARCC Resources Assessment information • http://www.parcconline.org • https://www.pearsonaccess.com (select PARCC) Accessibility and Accommodations Manual and Appendices*: • http://www.parcconline.org/parcc-accessibility-features-and-accommodations-manual *the appendices are separate documents and contain vital information for planning

31. Upcoming Trainings • Overview of new administration procedures • Mid September • Webinar from ADE • Pearson Regional Training • Mid October • Held locally – in person • Accommodations Training • Early October • Webinar from ADE Dates will be sent to District Testing Coordinators

33. NCSC* Alternate Assessment • For students with significant cognitive disabilities • An alternate assessment based on alternate academic achievement standards • Will replace the Alternate Portfolio in Literacy and Math • A student’s IEP team will determine if this assessment is appropriate to administer using the NCSC Participation Guidelines • If NCSC is not appropriate the student will take the PARCC Assessment NCSC* is pronounced like “nick-sick”

34. NCSC Alternate Assessment • Math and ELA testing • Grades 3 – 8 • Grade 11 • Administered online • Approximately 1.5 - 2 hoursper content area

35. NCSC Big shifts • Online test administration • HS math testing at grade 11 • no math portfolio at grade 9 • Resource math class does not determine the math assessment • NCSC – most significant cognitive disabilities ~ 1% • PARCC – resource students not qualifying for NCSC • Refer to Commissioner’s Memos LS-14-076 and LS-14-065 for updated course code and assessment information

36. Assessment Contacts • Hope Allen – Director • Hope.Allen@arkansas.gov • 501-682-5762 • Susan Gray – PARCC • Susan.Gray@arkansas.gov • 501-682-4559 • Charlotte Marvel - NCSC • Charlotte.Marvel@arkansas.gov • 501-682-5296

37. Curriculum and Instruction Update

38. ACT 1294 Dyslexia • ADE Dyslexia Webpage The reality for schools: • Strong core reading programs • Response to Intervention • Early intervention for students with dyslexia. • Therapy for students with dyslexia K-12

39. Universal Screening Who should be screened? According to Ark. Code Ann. § 6-41-603, a school district shall screen 1)  Each student in kindergarten through grade two (K-2); 2)  Kindergarten through grade 2 (K-2) students who transfer to a new school and have not been screened; 3)  Kindergarten through grade 2 (K-2) students who transfer from another state and cannot present documentation that the student has had similar screening; 4)  A student in grade three or higher experiencing difficulty, as noted by a classroom teacher. Universal Reading Readiness Fact Sheet

40. Now What? Universal reading screener Tier I or II RTI What if the student makes insufficient progress? Based on instruction and data (teacher observations, progress monitoring, student work, etc.) Tier II or III RTI What if the student has characteristics of dyslexia? (Dyslexia Resource Guide Section II and Dyslexia Awareness Training) YES characteristics of dyslexia Level 2 Dyslexia Evaluation (This is NOT a diagnosis) Now What?

41. Dyslexia Therapy • Dyslexia Therapy Program and Therapist Fact Sheet • A dyslexia therapist is defined in the law as a professional who has completed training and obtained certification in dyslexia therapy from a dyslexia therapist training program (A.C.A. § 6-41-602).

42. Approved Programs If the school district determines the following five (5) criteria are met within a dyslexia program, that program is considered approved and may be used for dyslexia. No application is required. • Training course is delivered by a certified trainer in the selected dyslexia program; • Training and program is systematic and research based; • Instruction is multisensory; • Provides small group instruction in the essential components of reading including phonemic awareness, graphophonemic knowledge, and structure of the English language, linguistic instruction and strategies for decoding, encoding word recognition, fluency and comprehension; and • The program is approved by another state department of education as an approved dyslexia program. If the program meets criteria 1-4 but is not recognized as an approved program by another state department of education, the district must submit the Dyslexia Program Approval Form to ADE.dyslexia@arkansas.gov. OR ADE approves dyslexia therapy programs that are nationally accredited by International Dyslexia Association (IDA) or International Multisensory Language Education Council (IMSLEC).

43. ACT 1294 Dyslexia • ADE Dyslexia Webpage • ADE.Dyslexia@arkansas.gov • ADE Dyslexia Specialist -Vicki King vicki.king@arkansas.gov

44. ACT 585 Transitional Math Class Transition classes are designed for students who are not college and career ready on a math assessment and would require remediation in college. Math Ready was designed as a transition course to College Algebra supported by SREB. • Will be available in the spring as a pilot if districts are interested (contact ADE for course code) • 6-15-2012(e) “high schools shall award the same credit for a full mathematics transitional course as it does for a fourth-year mathematics course” (will count as Smart Core 4th math course)

46. Math Ready-Transition to College Algebra • Professional Development will be offered in the summer of 2015 • Approximately 3-5 days, materials provided by SREB • Curriculum is written as a blended course taught with a math teacher. Approximate cost to districts for curriculum $200.00 • District would need technology • Students need TI84 Calculator • Will count as student’s digital course • Link to course information: http://www.sreb.org/page/1684/math_ready.html

47. English Language Learner • ADE has added two additional staff • Miguel Hernandez, Curriculum and Instruction • Dr. Alan Lytle, Assessment ADE English Language Learner Webpage

48. Questions?