20092010 ARD Manual Training presented at Special Education Assessments TETN

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2009-2010 ARD ManualTraining presented at
Special Education Assessments TETN 5159
Manual available online only on the ARD
Committee Resources page at http//www.tea.state.
tx.us/student.assessment/resources/ard (Copy as
needed for educational purposes)
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Agenda

• Purpose of Training
• Federal State Requirements
• Components of the Texas Assessment Program
• The Four Steps in Making Assessment Decisions
• ELLs Receiving Special Education Services
• SSI Requirements for Students Receiving Special
  Education Services
• Graduation Flowcharts for Students Receiving
  Special Education Services
• Miscellaneous

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Purpose

• Provide guidance to ARD committees for the
  2009-2010 school year
• How to use the state-mandated curriculum (TEKS)
  to make assessment decisions for students
  receiving special education services , including
  ELLs and students affected by SSI requirements
• How assessment decisions affect high school
  students receiving special education services who
  are graduating

This training should not replace reading the
manual.
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Federal and State Requirements
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Federal Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)

• NCLB limits number of proficient assessment
  results from alternate assessments that may be
  included in federal AYP performance calculations
• TAKSM proficient results cap of 2 of tested
  population
• TAKSAlt proficient results cap of 1 of tested
  population
• There are no student-level consequences (for SSI
  or graduation) for exceeding cap limit
• The federal cap does NOT limit number of students
  with disabilities who can take alternate
  assessments

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Texas Assessment Program General Assessments

• TAKS TAKS (Accommodated) are administered in
  English for
• Grades 39 reading, including SSI retests at
  grades 5 8
• Grades 310 and exit level mathematics, including
  SSI retests at grades 5 8 and exit level
  retests
• Grades 4 and 7 writing
• Grade 10 and exit level ELA, including exit level
  retests
• Grades 5, 8, 10, and exit level science,
  including exit level retests
• Grades 8, 10, and exit level social studies,
  including exit level retests

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Texas Assessment Program General Assessments

• TAKS TAKS (Accommodated) are administered in
  Spanish for
• Grades 35 reading, including SSI retests at
  grade 5
• Grades 35 mathematics, including SSI retests at
  grade 5
• Grade 4 writing
• Grade 5 science

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Texas Assessment Program Alternate Assessment

• TAKSM is administered in English for
• Grades 39 reading, including SSI retests at
  grades
• 5 8
• Grades 311 mathematics, including SSI retests at
  grades 5 8
• Grades 4 and 7 writing
• Grades 10 and 11 English language arts (ELA)
• Grades 5, 8, 10, and 11 science
• Grades 8, 10, and 11 social studies

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Texas Assessment Program Alternate Assessment

• TAKSAlt is administered for
• Grades 39 reading
• Grades 311 mathematics
• Grades 4 and 7 writing
• Grades 10 and 11 English language arts (ELA)
• Grades 5, 8, 10, and 11 science
• Grades 8, 10, and 11 social studies
• Can be administered using any language or other
  communication method routinely used with student

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Texas Assessment Program

• Linguistically Accommodated Testing (LAT) is
  available for
• Grades 3-8 reading
• Grades 3-8 and 10 mathematics
• Grade 10 ELA
• Grades 5, 8, and 10 science
• Assessment process for immigrant English language
  learners (ELLs) who are eligible to take tests
  with linguistic accommodations that help them
  better understand the language used on TAKS, TAKS
  (Accommodated), and TAKS-M

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Texas Assessment Program

• Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment
  System (TELPAS)
• K-12 assessments of listening, speaking, reading
  and writing that measure the progress ELLs make
  in learning English
• Composed of multiple-choice reading tests for
  grades 2-12 and holistically rated assessments
  based on student observations and written student
  work
• Grades 2-12 reading tests are administered as an
  online testing program (in rare cases a
  paper-based administration may be approved by TEA
  for a student)

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Excellent source of information at a glance
TAKS Assessment Comparison Chart for Students
Receiving Special Education Services, p. 6
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The Four Steps in Making Assessment Decisions
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Step 1 Review students present level of
academic achievement and functional performance
(PLAAFP)

• All necessary information on a given student
  should be available so ARD committee can consider
  a students strengths and weaknesses in relation
  to the TEKS when making assessment decisions
• IEP and PLAAFP statements
• Describes how student currently accesses and
  progresses in grade-level TEKS
• CSRs (if available)
• Previous test results, including student
  performance by objective
• Just one piece of information to be considered -
  changes in assessment decisions should NOT be
  made simply because a student failed a test
• Other relevant information
• Examples work samples, informal teacher
  assessments, norm-referenced and
  criterion-referenced tests, diagnostic testing,
  data collection recording forms

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Step 2 Determine in what manner student will
receive instruction in grade-level TEKS based on
students PLAAFP

• Using information in Step 1, the ARD committee
  must
• Determine students individual skills and level
  of progress in grade-level TEKS
• Determine extent of modifications to grade-level
  TEKS that have enabled student to progress
• Access TEKS through accommodations?
• Access TEKS through modifications?
• Access TEKS through prerequisite skills?

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Step 2 Determine in what manner student will
receive instruction in grade-level TEKS based on
students PLAAFP

• Helpful resources for this step
• TAKS Information Booklets
• TAKSM and TAKS-Alt Resources web pages
• Access to the General Education Curriculum
  chart in ARD Manual (p. 13)
• Choosing the Appropriate Assessment for Students
  Receiving Special Education Services flowchart
  on ARD Committee Resources web page

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Step 3 Determine appropriate assessment for
student

• Assessment decisions ARE based on individual
  student needs as determined by ARD committee
• Assessment decisions ARE NOT determined
  administratively and are not based solely on
  students disability category or placement
  setting
• TAKS or TAKS (Accommodated) should be first
  consideration
• If TAKS-M or TAKS-Alt is being considered, review
  participation requirements

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Step 3 Determine appropriate assessment for
student

• Helpful resources for this step
• Participation Requirements Comparison Chart in
  ARD Manual (p. 15)
• Descriptors for the Participation Requirements
  for TAKSM and TAKS-Alt in ARD Manual (pp. 16-17)
• Student scenarios in ARD Manual (pp. 18-21)
• Released tests
• Accommodations Manual

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Step 4 Document appropriate assessment and
testing accommodations

• If TAKS-M or TAKS-Alt is selected, IEP
  documentation must include
• Why student cannot participate in TAKS or TAKS
  (Acc)
• Why selected alternate assessment is appropriate
• What accommodations are necessary to measure
  students academic achievement

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Step 4 Document appropriate assessment and
testing accommodations

• Helpful resources for this step
• Summary of ARD Assessment Decisions form on ARD
  Committee Resources web page
• Student Roster on ARD Committee Resources web
  page
• Accommodations Manual

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Making Assessment Decisions for ELLs Receiving
Special Education Services

• These students have special needs related to a
  disability as well as needs related to second
  language learning.
• The ARD committee and the LPAC must
• work together to ensure that instruction is
  tailored to meet each students linguistic and
  special needs
• collaborate on assessment decisions for these
  students, both in terms of appropriate
  participation in assessments and appropriate use
  of accommodations during testing (19 TAC
  101.1009 (b))

Term ELLs is used interchangeably with LEP
students
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ELLs Served by Special Education

• Note that
• unless an ELL who is receiving special education
  services is LEP-exempt (an exemption on the basis
  of limited English proficiency), the student is
  subject to the same assessment requirements as
  other students receiving special education
  services, as described in the ARD manual

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LEP Exemptions LAT

• State-defined criteria are used to determine the
  need for a LEP exemption.
• A student may be LEP-exempt from TAKS, TAKS
  (Accommodated), or TAKSM.
• There are no LEP exemptions for TAKS-Alt because
  it can be administered using any language or
  other communication method routinely used with
  the student.
• Federal law requires that LEP-exempt students
  take LAT administrations of TAKS, TAKS
  (Accommodated), or TAKS-M in certain grades and
  subjects.

See the TEA manual titled LPAC Decision-Making
Process for the Texas Assessment Program for
information about LEP exemption criteria.
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TELPAS

• Required by federal law for LEP students in
  grades K12
• Because its purpose is to measure growth in
  English language acquisition, TELPAS should be an
  appropriate assessment tool for the vast majority
  of ELLs served by special education.
• In very rare cases the ARD committee and the LPAC
  may determine that a student should not be
  assessed in one or more domains due to a
  students particular disability.
• See LPAC Decision-Making Process for the Texas
  Assessment Program for more information about
  appropriate participation in TELPAS of LEP
  students receiving special education services.

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Student Success Initiative

• Applies to students in grades 5 8 who take
  TAKS, TAKS (Acc), and TAKSM reading and
  mathematics tests
• Does not apply to students who take TAKS-Alt or
  students who are LEP-exempt
• ARD committee functions as grade placement
  committee (GPC) to make decisions regarding
  appropriate
• Assessment (three testing opportunities to meet
  passing standard)
• Accelerated instruction
• Grade placement based on a students specific
  disability-related needs

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Student Success Initiative

• ARD committee decisions do not have to be
  unanimous but must follow the general rules
  governing ARD committee decision-making as set
  forth in 19 TAC, Chapter 89, Subchapter AA
• ARD committees should use the ARD Manual to
  appropriately place students in the Texas
  Assessment Program, but must also use the Grade
  Placement Committee Manual for Grade Advancement
  Requirements of the Student Success Initiative
  (GPC Manual) to determine how SSI requirements
  affect students in grades 5 8

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Graduation Flowcharts Historical Perspective
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Graduation Flowcharts Explanation

• No substantive changes to flowcharts from last
  years manual
• Flowchart A testing requirements for students
  who entered grade 9 in 20082009 school year,
  including all students who enter grade 9 after
  20082009
• Students must pass TAKS or TAKS (Accommodated)
  exit level assessments to graduate under
  Distinguished or Recommended high school programs
• Flowchart B testing requirements for students
  who entered grade 9 prior to the 20082009 school
  year
• Requirements of Commissioners Rules do not apply

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Graduation Flowcharts Reminders

• TAKS-Alt and TAKS-M are not exit level
  assessments
• Retest opportunities for grade 11 are not
  applicable
• Repeating 11th graders take assessment every year
  they are enrolled in grade 11
• Operational tests not administered to students in
  grade 12
• When considering dismissal from special
  education, ARD committee should have confidence
  that student will be able to successfully
  complete all requirements for high school
  graduation, including satisfactory performance on
  general exit level assessment

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2009-2010 Special Education Assessments TETN
Schedule

• 11/4/09 ( 5160) TAKSAlt
• 1/6/10 ( 5175) Accountability for alternate
  assessments TAKS-Alt
• 3/30/10 ( 5161 ) Questions and answers about
  upcoming testing and close of TAKS-Alt submission
  window
• 5/11/10 ( 5162) General information for
  20102011 school year regarding assessments for
  students receiving special education services and
  accommodations

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2009-2010 ELL Assessment TETN Schedule

• 12/16/09 ( 35301) Annual LPAC Update open to
  ESCs only
• 1/13/10 ( 35320) TELPAS Spring Online Training
• 1/26/10 ( 35319) TELPAS Electronic Submission
  System
• 2/12/10 ( 4905) LAT Procedures

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TEA Student Assessment Division Contact
Information

• Phone [phone]
• E-mail
• General Student.Assessment_at_tea.state.tx.us
• Accommodations Test.Accommodations_at_tea.state.tx.u
  s
• TAKS (Accommodated) and TAKS-M
  Assessment.StudentsWithDisabilities_at_tea.state.tx.u
  s
• TAKS-Alt Taksalt_at_tea.state.tx.usELLs
  ELL.tests_at_tea.state.tx.us