South Carolina Alternate Assessment

1. South Carolina Alternate Assessment Test Administrator Training South Carolina Department of Education American Institutes for Research January 2012

2. South Carolina Department of Education Suzanne Swaffield Douglas Alexander Anne Mruz Office of Assessment Elizabeth Stout Office of Exceptional Children

3. American Institutes for ResearchSC-Alt Team Jennifer Chou, Project Director Lynnett Wright, Alternate Assessment Specialist Emma Hannon, Operations Mollie Sandberg, Operations

4. Teachers Who Assisted with Training Kim Thompson Richland School District 2 Jackie Hyatt Lexington School District 2 Emmy Lou Todd Lexington School District 2 Nancy Kramer Richland School District 1

5. Teachers (cont.) Mary Siegrist Richland School District 1 Jennifer Brucker Lexington School District 1 Anna Faust Lexington School District 1 Amber Weeks Lexington School District 1

6. South Carolina Alternate AssessmentOverview

7. South CarolinaAlternate Assessment (SC-Alt) Alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards. For students with significant cognitive disabilities who cannot participate in PASS, EOCEP, or HSAP even with accommodations.

8. Purpose • To ensure that these students have the opportunity to participate in a challenging standards-based curriculum, and • To meet IDEA and ESEA (NCLB) requirements.

9. SC-Alt Design • Series of performance tasks • Linked to grade-level academic standards in grade bands 3–5, 6–8, and 10 • Specific script • Scaffolded questions and answers

10. Grade-Band Forms • Elementary School Form: ages 8–10 • Middle School Form: ages 11–13 • High School Form: age 15 (Age on September 1, 2011)

11. Who Is To Be Assessed? • Students who meet the participation criteria for alternate assessment (TAM page 3) and • Who were between the ages of 8-13 or 15 on September 1, 2011. (See Age and Birth Date Reference Sheet, appendix B-1)

12. Participation Criteria • Significant cognitive disability and adaptive skills that result in performance that is substantially below grade level expectations; • Access the state-approved curriculum standards at less complex levels and with extensively modified instruction; and • Adaptive skills requiring extensive direct instruction and practice in multiple settings;

13. Participation Criteria (cont.) • Inability to apply or use academic skills across natural settings when instructed solely or primarily through classroom instruction; and • Inability to achieve state grade-level achievement expectations is not the result of excessive or extended absences or social, cultural, or economic differences.

14. What is to be Assessed? • Grade-level academic standards • Less complex or prerequisite skill level • Links to the grade-level academic standards • Extended Academic Standards

15. Content to be Assessed • English Language Arts • Mathematics • Science • Social Studies • High School Biology

16. Extended Academic Standards Define how standards and indicators can be accessed on grade level (essence of the grade-level standards and indicators). Based on the academic standards in ELA, mathematics, social studies, science, and biology. Provide extensions for all standards and indicators not just those addressed by the SC-Alt.

17. Extended Academic Standards (cont.) • Foundation for the development of assessment tasks and items. • Basis for classroom instruction. • Link to students’ communication level.

18. Examples of Communication Levels • SYMBOLIC • AbstractSymbolic: Uses vocabulary of signs, pictures, words to communicate. Recognizes some sight words, numbers, etc. Some symbols are abstract (e.g., yesterday, happy). • ConcreteSymbolic: Beginning to use pictures or other symbols to communicate; primarily concrete symbols (e.g., eat, drink, outside, play, more). • PRE-SYMBOLIC • Pre-symbolic: Communicates with gestures, eye gaze, purposeful movement to object, sounds; communication is purposeful (e.g., holds up cup for drink). • Awareness: May communicate by crying, vocalizing; communication may be difficult to interpret; no clear cause and effect.

19. Example of Extended Standard Science Academic Standard Grade 3 3.2 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the structures, characteristics, and adaptations of organisms that allow them to function and survive within their habitats.Extended Standard: The student will demonstrate an understanding that organisms have special traits and characteristics that allow them to survive in their habitats throughout the stages of their life cycle.

20. Standard 3-2

21. Video Clip

22. Extended Standards Documents • ELA • Mathematics • Science • Biology

23. Social Studies • Revised Social Studies Academic Standards were adopted by the State Board of Education, August 2011. • Social Studies Extended Standards are in process of development. • Social Studies Literacy Skills for the 21st Century are the basis for SC-Alt tasks for 2012.

24. Link to Extended Standards • http://ed.sc.gov/agency/programs-services/48/SC-AltExtendedStandards.cfm • www.ed.sc.gov • Click on: • Agency • Divisions • Accountability • Assessment • S.C. Alternate Assessment

25. Additional Resources http://ed.sc.gov/agency/programs-services/48/ • Sample Tasks • Support Guide • Examples of Instruction • Skills Progression Matrices for SC-Alt • Literacy Instruction for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities More resources: • www.naacpartners.org • www.sc.edu/scatp

26. Administration Window March 5 - April 27 Testing materials will arrive in the districts by February 24th

27. District Test Coordinator for Alternate Assessment - DTC-Alt • Coordinates all aspects of the administration of SC-Alt at the district level. • Your contact for any questions regarding the assessment.

28. Test Administration Manual (TAM) The TAM is your procedural guide to the SC-Alt administration—review it thoroughly after the training.

29. SC-Alt Task and Item Information

30. Overview of SC-Alt Design Task • Consists of set of four to eight related activities called items; • Begins with an introductory statement that establishes the context of the task; • Has clear progression from one item to the next; and • Has scripted directions for administering and scoring.

31. Overview of SC-Alt Design (cont.) Cover page includes: • Materials needed to administer each item; • Some are provided by the teacher • Access limitations; and • Adaptive instructions.

32. Access Limitations Clearly marked Do not administer A bubble is provided for all items marked as Access Limited (A) Deaf Blind Blind/non-verbal

33. Item Information For each item: • Directions for setup • Script • Placement of manipulatives • Response cards • Scoring directions

34. Example of Item Script Say: Show (tell) me which one means _______. This (indicate the response card), this (indicate the response card), or this (indicate the response card)? Say: We’re going to talk about ________. Do: Give the student the __________. OR

35. Graphic Setup ™ ™ ™ • Tells where each of the materials is to be placed. • Script is always on the left. • Scoring scaffolding directions are always on the right.

36. Item Format

37. Print Manipulatives • Print manipulatives are printed and packaged as strips. • Three picsyms are placed on each strip. • Each strip is be associated with a particular item.

38. Using the Print Manipulatives • The strips do not need to be cut or torn apart unless you need this format for your student. Dotted lines are on the back for ease of separating cards if needed. • The strips are in a stack in task and item order so that the top strip is the item you are administering.

39. Using the Print Manipulatives • Administer the item. • If the answer is incorrect, cover the incorrect response and re-administer the item with the two remaining answer options. • Remove the answer strip and the next item should be on the top of the stack.

40. Video Clip

41. Affixing Materials • Place • Tape • Velcro

42. Video Clip

43. Physical Manipulatives • Some tasks require the use of manipulatives such as shapes, balls etc. • These are included in the materials for each grade band assessment. • Do Not Return physical manipulatives at the end of the assessment.

44. SC-Alt Accommodations

45. Replace Response Cards with Concrete Objects • Similar in size, shape, color; • Not change what is being measured; and • Materials must be age & grade appropriate.

46. Allowable Accommodations Picture Communication Symbols™ (PCS™) have been used throughout the tasks and items. If your student uses a different symbol for the same word, you may substitute that symbol for the one provided. For example:

47. Adapting and Accommodating • Test Administrator can say the response option aloud. • Test Administrator can point to all of the response options or concrete objects. • Describe a chart or graph. • Have student touch or hold the object. • Place the objects in a specific location or orientation when the student has a limited visual field. • Place on different background.

48. Braille • Braille response cards are provided for some response cards that include numbers, letters, and a single word and for some tactile graphics. • Order Braille materials from your DTC-Alt.

49. Ordering Braille Materials • Complete the Braille Materials order form (Appendix N). • Give to your DTC-Alt. • DTC-Alt will submit it via fax. • Materials will be shipped as soon as order form is received. • The shipment will include a list of tasks for which there are braille materials (teachers may also braille any materials that they think the student may need). • Schedule administrations using these materials toward the middle or end of the assessment window.

50. Resources South Carolina Interagency Deaf – Blind Project SCDeafBlind@scsdb.org www.scsdb.org American Printing House for the Blind www.aph.org SC Assistive Technology Program www.sc.edu/scatp TAM Appendix L