TN Diploma Project: Implementation of the NEW High School Policy for Students with Disabilities

1. TN Diploma Project: Implementation of the NEW High School Policy for Students with Disabilities Brian Mast, Coordinator of Exceptional Education & Gerry Altieri, Coordinator of Exceptional Education

2. TN Diploma Project Goals • Produce students who are workplace and/or college ready • Produce students who have a deeper understanding of math and science and their relationship to technology • Produce students who can work cooperatively in groups • Produce students who are ready to demonstrate responsibilities in their own lives and in service to their community

3. TN Diploma Project Affects the 2009-2010 9th Grade Class • Senior Capstone Project (recommended) • Revised Curriculum with more rigor • Requirement for four years of math (additional one credit in math) • Requirement for .5 credit in Personal Finance Course • Additional .5 credit requirement for P.E.

4. Impacts on Students with Disabilities • SWD will be included in regular classes to the degree possible and with appropriate support and accommodations. • School districts should be making every effort to begin the process of getting SPED teachers endorsed in the core academic courses they are to teach.

5. Focused Plan of Study • During the second semester of 8th grade, all students along with their parents, school counselor and administrator will jointly prepare at a minimum an initial 4 year plan of study. • www.collegefortn.org • www.kuder.com • http://tcids.tbr.edu/

6. Focused Plan of Study • By the end of the 10th grade, the same team will focus the plan to ensure the completion of the program of study and a smooth transition to postsecondary study and/or to work. • The plan will be reviewed annually by the student and the advisor/school counselor, and revised based on changes in the student’s interest and career goals.

7. Focused Plan of Study • High School and middle grades faculty will collaborate in planning curriculum and the transition between missle grades and high school. • Work-based learning (WBL) will be available to all students including SWD. • Students will have access to a system of structured WBL experiences that allow practical problems and explore career options at the work site.

8. Tennessee Code Annotated 49-6-6001 (b) states: “As a strategy for assessing students readiness to enter and succeed in postsecondary training, every public school student shall take a series of three (3) examinations, one (1) administered at grade eight (8), one (1) administered at grade ten (10), and one (1) at grade eleven (11). These assessments shall be approved by the commissioner of education and provide educators with diagnostic information to assist in developing interventions for the purpose of increasing high school graduation rates and improving student preparation for postsecondary achievement…”

9. ACT battery of exams • 8th Grade…EXPLORE (accommodations listed in IEP) • 10th Grade…PLAN (pre-ACT test) (accommodations listed in IEP) • 11th Grade…ACT (2 options for accommodations…State or ACT)

10. Regular Diploma • English 4 units • Mathematics 4 units • Science 3 units • Social Studies 3 units • Foreign Language 2 units • Fine Arts 1 unit • Health, Physical Fitness & Wellness 1.5 units • Personal Finance .5 units

11. Transition Certificate • A Transition Certificate may be awarded to SWD who, at the end of the 4th year of high school, have failed to earn a regular diploma but have satisfactorily completed an IEP, and have satisfactory records of attendance and conduct. • SWD may continue to work towards the high school diploma through the end of the school year in which they turn twenty-two years old.

12. IEP Certificate • An IEP certificate will be awarded to SWD who have (1) satisfactorily completed and IEP, (2) successfully completed a portfolio, and (3) have satisfactory records of attendance and conduct. • PLEASE NOTE: This replaces the “Special Education Diploma”

13. Graduation Requirements • Students with qualifying disabilities as documented in the IEP shall be required to achieve at least Algebra I and Geometry (or equivalent) • The required number of credits in math will be achieved through increased instructional time, appropriate methodologies, accommodations and other differentiated instruction as determined by the IEP team.

14. Math RequirementsSWD Option • Must be enrolled in a math course each year of high school • 9th Grade Algebra I A • 10th Grade Algebra I B End of Course Test • 11th Grade Geometry A • 12th Grade Geometry B End of Course Test

15. Algebra I A and I BGeometry A and B • An appropriately endorsed general education teacher who has demonstrated HQ status in math may serve as the teacher of record and award credit to general education and students with an IEP. • An appropriately endorsed SPED teacher who has demonstrated HQ status in math may serve as the teacher of record and award credit to students with an IEP.

16. Science Requirements SWD Option • Note: Only one Lab Course is needed if Biology A and B are taken for credit • 9th Grade Choose from Physical, Environmental, Earth or Agri science • 10th Grade Biology I A • 11th Grade Biology I B End of Course Test

17. Impact on Students with Disabilities • Students with qualifying disabilities as documented in the IEP are required to achieve at least Biology I and two other lab science credits. The required number of credits in science will be achieved through increased instructional time, appropriate methodologies, and accommodations and other differentiated instruction, as determined by the IEP team. • Only one additional lab course is needed if Biology IA and IB are taken for credit.

18. Biology I A and Biology I B • An appropriately endorsed regular education teacher who has demonstrated HQ status in biology may serve as the teacher of record and award credit to regular education and special education students • An appropriately endorsed SPED teacher who has demonstrated HQ status in biology may serve as the teacher of record and award credit to SPED students.

19. English I, II, III, IV An appropriately endorsed SPED teacher who has demonstrated HQ status in English may serve as the teacher of record and award credit to SPED students (only).

20. 2009-2010 EOC Exams • New EOC assessments aligned to new curriculum standards • New student achievement performance standards aligned with college and career readiness…(below basic, basic, proficient, and advanced)

21. EOC Examinations • The High School Transition Policy requires students to be assessed in the following end of course assessments: • English I, English II and English III • Algebra I • Geometry • Algebra II • U.S. History • Biology I • Chemistry and Physics

22. EOC Examinations • The weight of the EOC examination on the student's course average is as follows for entering 9th graders: fall of 2009 and 2010 – 20%, fall of 2011 and 2012 – 25%, fall of 2013 and thereafter – 25%...” • The EOC test grade will count toward the second semester grade.

23. Transition Plan for Gateway/EOC The Gateway assessments will continue to be administered to repeat takers that have not satisfied their diploma requirements by passing the assessment at the proficient or above level. These repeat takers would have fulfilled their credit requirements and would no longer be in a class for instruction. These students would continue to have access to an intervention for the Gateway assessments.

24. Alternative Performance Based Assessment (APBA) Background • The High School policy adopted by the State Board of Education in January of 2008 States that “Students with disabilities will be included in regular classes to the degree possible and with appropriate support and accommodations. To earn a regular high school diploma, students with disabilities must earn the prescribed number credit minimum.

25. Background cont. • Students failing to earn a yearly grade of 70 in a course that has an end- end-of-course test and whose disability adversely affects performance on that test will be allowed, through an approved process, to add to their end-of- course assessment scores by demonstrating the State identified core knowledge and skills contained within that course through an alternative performance-based assessment

26. Background Cont Cont’d • The Department of Education called together curriculum committees of practitioners in the various subject areas which currently have end-of- course assessments to identify the core knowledge and skills contained within those courses that may be demonstrated by students in a performance- based assessment. These committees produced documents identifying the core knowledge and skills and a rubric for teacher assessment of those skills in a performance-based format.

27. The Master Plan Connection • This supports the Board’s Master Plan by providing a rigorous curriculum for all students by identifying core knowledge and skills contained in courses with end-of-course tests and allowing students with disabilities to demonstrate proficiency in the regular course curriculum in ways that may not be reflected on the State end -of-course tests.

28. Implementation • The pilot project for the identified core knowledge and skills rubric scoring process for alternative performance-based assessments will be in the areas of Math, Science, English and U.S. History for the 2009-2010 school year. • Rubrics have been developed for Algebra I & II, Geometry, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English I, II & III, and U.S. History.

29. Key Requirements • These students must receive appropriate support and accommodations with the goal of mastering course content and passing the EOC assessment. • Students with disabilities must participate in the State End of Course (EOC) assessment. • However, a student on an active IEP whose disability interferes with performance on the EOC assessment may demonstrate mastery of core knowledge and skills for that course through the approved alternative performance based assessment

30. Requirements Continued • The IEP team should determine if the disability is likely to have an adverse effect on performance on the EOC test, but an IEP Team recommendation is NOT required. • Discussion of the potential need for the alternative performance based assessment may take place at the annual IEP meeting and be appropriately documented. • In the event the student fails to earn a passing grade for the course, the alternative performance based rubric will be used to assess the level of mastery of the course content. • The student’s level of achievement of the core knowledge and skills for each State end of course test is determined by the teacher of record in consultation with the IEP team and special education providers, using the State approved alternative performance based assessment document.

31. PLEASE NOTE • Results of the performance based assessment will not improve Adequate Yearly Progress calculations for the school, but will count toward graduation rate. • Students with disabilities who successfully participate in this process will meet the course requirement leading to a regular high school diploma.

32. PROCEDURE • Before the course begins, the special education teacher and the teacher of record* for any course requiring a State End of Course Assessment should familiarize themselves with the core knowledge and skills outlined on the State rubric. • Discussion and planning should take place around the types of documentation needed as evidence for meeting the core knowledge and skills identified on the rubric (see Key that gives examples of Methods of Assessment) in the event that a student’s disability may cause him/her to fail to earn a passing grade in the course.

33. PROCEDURE • During the course, the rubric can be used for reference and the types of documentation being collected on a regular basis should be kept in mind. The special education teacher can and should assist in the process.

34. Procedure Cont Cont’d • If the student fails to earn a yearly grade of 70 in a course that has an end-of course test and that student’s disability adversely affects his/her performance on that test, the teacher of record (with the assistance of the special education teacher*) will complete the rubric and assign a score for each essential skill area listed based on evidence from the student’s performance during the course. • Evidence should be available for review to document that the student has satisfactorily demonstrated proficiency or above of the essential skills for the course.

35. Procedure Cont Cont’d • The Method of Assessment should be documented by coding from the rubric Key. • The teacher will then assign a score based on the degree to which the student has demonstrated proficiency or above in each specific knowledge or skill area, based on a 0-2 scale. • This percent score will be used for calculating the student’s course grade. • The rubric will be kept on file as documentation .

36. PLEASE NOTE *The teacher of record assesses the students and assigns the grade, AND must be highly qualified in the course content. *In some instances the Special Education teacher may be the teacher of record.

37. Rubrics Access • State Board of Education • http://tennessee.gov/sbe/2009Julypdfs/IVAIdentification of Core Knowledge and Skills for Performance Based Assessment of Students with Disabilities.pdf • State Special Education Webpage • speced/ http:// www.State.tn.us/education/speced • assessment.shtml

38. Questions

39. Credit This power point is a compilation of power points that can be found on The Tennessee Department of Education, Division of Special Education website. www.tennessee.gov/education/speced