Practices in Support of the Transition to Next Generation Alternate Assessments Based on Alternate Achievement Standards
Session Participants Susan Weigert, Moderator Sharon Hall, edCount (NCSC), Presenter Meagan Karvonen, Center for Educational Testing and Evaluation (DLM), Presenter
Panelists: State Partners • Gretchen Cagle, Mississippi Department of Education GCagle@mde.k12.ms.us • Melissa Gholson, West Virginia Department of Education mgholson@k12.wv.us • Toni Wheeler, Idaho State Department of Education tcwheeler@sde.idaho.gov • Leila Williams, Arizona Department of Education Leila.Williams@azed.gov
U.S. Department of Education Susan Weigert, Ph.D. Office of Special Education Programs General Supervision Enhancement Grants to Support State Assessments
History of AA-AAS • First required in 2001 • Shift from functional to academics (aligned to grade level) • Alternate achievement standards • Often portfolio, performance assessment, or rater checklist approach • May be based on grade-level or extended academic content standards • Some advances in AA-AAS quality, but still gaps and limitations
Next Generation Alternate Assessments • Equality of opportunity is a core American value. • Inclusion of all Students in Educational Reforms is an Equity and Civil Rights Issue • Education can and must provide a path to a better life for all children.
Next Generation Alternate Assessments • Young people must have equal opportunity to learn and demonstrate their achievements • States and districts can become models of educational assurance • Students with the most complex support needs should have access to next generation alternate assessments
GSEG Consortia Membership • DLM – 20 States (confirmations expected by July 31) • NCSC – 24 States (confirmations expected by July 1) • Several states not committed to either alternate assessment
Next Generation Alternate Assessments • Fit coherently with the Race to the Top Assessment (RTTA) program; • Full performance range of eligible students; • Measure knowledge and skills against a common set of college and career-ready standards • Elicit complex demonstrations of knowledge and skills • Provide a valid measure of student growth
Next Generation Alternate Assessments • Validly, reliably, and accurately measure student achievement • Result in high-quality data for use in evaluating the performance of schools, districts, and States. • Produce data (including achievement and growth data) that can be used to inform – school effectiveness – principal and teacher effectiveness – determinations of principal and teacher professional development needs; – teaching, learning, and program improvement.
Other GSEG Program Requirements • Develop a strategy to make student-level data available on an ongoing basis for research; • Help prepare States to implement the alternate assessments in the 2014-2015 school year; • Maximize the interoperability of assessments across technology platforms
Teacher Reactions to Field Testing DLM: • "I have to say, I really wasn't expecting it” • "She was able to feel successful and not pressured” • A classroom of 4th through 6th graders with SCD were able to take the computerized test alongside their peers.
Teacher Reactions NCSC: • “A non-verbal freshman student came to us with functional goals: • Answered all of the questions with 80-100% accuracy • I have never been so happy to rewrite an IEP in my life”.
Next Generation Alternate Assessments • Accurate measurement is a responsibility • Target Instruction appropriately • Ensure technical adequacy • Scaling and Equating • Valid measure of growth
Next Generation Alternate Assessments • Valid and reliable • Support the measurement of growth • Cost-effective, easy to administer • Appropriate, accessible, and engaging for students • Technically sound
The National Center and State Collaborative Alternate Assessment System: Transforming Assessment and Instruction NCSA 2014
Theory of Action Long-term goal: To ensure that students with the most significant cognitive disabilities achieve increasingly higher academic outcomes and leave high school ready for post-secondary options (college, career, community). A well-designed summative assessment alone is insufficient. To achieve this goal, an AA-AAS system also requires: Curricular & instructional frameworks Teacher resources and professional development 6/29/2014 NCSC GSEG 17
A Comprehensive System 1) Incorporating evidence-based instruction and curriculum models; 2) Developing comprehensive approaches to professional development delivered through state-level Communities of Practice; and 3) Producing technically defensible summative assessments.
Professional Development Framework
NCSC Summative Assessments Technology-based System Test administrator training, assessment administration, documentation, and reporting Accessible Items and Form Mathematics and ELA (Reading and Writing) • SR items, system scored • CR/OE items, TA scored using rubric; entered into system as correct/not correct Writing Student products centrally scored
Transformative Practices • Online assessment system • CCSS/CCC aligned mathematics, reading and writing Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment • Accessible items and forms • Stakeholder involvement – State partners involved in every component of assessment system development – state stakeholder involvement – parent information – Transition plan
The Dynamic Learning Maps Alternate Assessment S ystem: Transforming Assessment and Instruction Meagan Karvonen
WHAT IS TRANSFORMATIVE FOR STUDENTS?
Large, Fine-Grained Learning Maps Support student learning Multiple pathways toward targets
Assessments Instructionally embedded Technology- based
Access to Content at Different Levels Connect the map… …to the items developed. Initial Testlet Behavior a Precursor Distal Testlet Behavior b Precursor Proximal Testlet Behavior Precursor c Target Testlet Behavior d Testlet Successors Behavior e
Other Transformative Experiences for S tudents • Expect independent responses • Customized accessibility
WHAT IS TRANSFORMATIVE FOR TEACHERS?
Professional Development • Integral to the system • Multiple approaches
Instruction & Assessment Integrated Choice and flexibility*
Dashboard: Educator Portal Choice of content Information to support instruction Information about testlet administration Managing student records & accessibility info Managing PD
Other Transformative Experiences for Teachers • On-demand reports show progress on Essential Elements • Decisions about accessibility • Expect student independence
STATE PANEL DISCUSSION: NCSC AND DLM PARTNERS
1. What is transformative? (Leila) • For Arizona there are 2 big shifts – NCSC will be assessing writing – A big shift to focus more on instruction or academics vs functional skills
1. What is transformative? (Melissa) • Paper-based performance task assessment versus online assessment • Computer adaptive items • Multiple item types • Rigor of the Common Core S tate S tandards • Emphasis on academic content • Higher expectations • Opportunity to measure growth
1. What is transformative? (Toni) • Teachers reported the presentation of the items was appropriate: “ I thought the way it was presented was good. My students had no problems.” Southwest Idaho Extended Resource Room Teacher • Teachers reported looking into current instructional practices: “…this experience has allowed me to reflect how I am currently teaching in the classroom and how I can improve and enhance the learning in the classroom to help students prepare for the future.” Idaho Extended Resource Room Teacher • Teachers have used their experience in the assessment to consider how they can use technology during instruction.
1. What is transformative? (Gretchen) • Moving from a portfolio based assessment to computer based • Essential Elements give stronger correlation to general education standards • Professional Development online • Teacher attitudes!
2. What state level changes are needed? (Melissa) • ES EA waiver language included the adoption of the standards in policy and provided a professional development outline of activities for transitioning to the DLM • Joint responsibility of OAA, Federal Programs & OS P • S pecific professional development moving students towards using technology, recognizing how to teach to multiple item type assessments and more rigorous standards
2. What state level changes are needed? (Toni) • Shift from Extended Content Standards to the same standards as general education: “Idaho Core is for all students” • Leveraging resources from assessment, content and special education divisions • ESEA flexibility from double testing and accountability allowed districts and schools to fully test their capacities and troubleshoot before assessments are operational
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