Nebraska State Accountability System NeSA Alternate Assessment READING

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Nebraska State Accountability System (NeSA)
Alternate AssessmentREADING

• Nebraska Department of Education
• Statewide Assessment Office
• Special Education Office

Jan Hoegh, Assessment jan.hoegh_at_nebraska.gov Carl
a Osberg, Special Education carla.osberg_at_nebraska
.gov
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Agenda

• Overview
• Development of the NeSA-AAR
• Format of the NeSA-AAR
• NeSA-AAR Timeline
• On-line Submission of Student Responses
• Approved Testing Accommodations
• Test Security
• Scoring Rules
• Important Documents

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NeSA-AAR Overview

• Why does Nebraska have the NeSA-AAR?
• Federal Rule- 34 CFR Part 200
• Too often in the past, student with
  disabilities were excluded from assessments and
  accountability systems, and the consequence was
  that they did not receive the academic attention
  they deserved. These regulations are designed to
  ensure that schools are held accountable for the
  educational progress of students with the most
  significant cognitive disabilities, just as
  schools are held accountable for the educational
  results of all other students with disabilities
  and students without disabilities.
• (ii)(A) Alternate assessments must yield
  results for the grade in which the student is
  enrolled in at least reading/language arts,
  mathematics and, beginning in the 2007-2008
  school year, science

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NeSA-AAR Overview continued

• Why does Nebraska have the NeSA-AAR?
• IDEA 2004 Sec. 612 (16)
• (A) All children with disabilities are included
  in all general State and district-wide assessment
  programs.
• Rule 51 004.05 Participation in Assessments
• 004.05A School districts shall include all
  students with disabilities in all general state
  and district-wide assessments programs, including
  assessments described under Section 612
  (a)(16)(A) of the Individuals with Disabilities
  Education Act of 2004 with appropriate
  accommodations, modifications and alternate
  assessments where necessary and as indicated in
  their respective individualized education
  programs.

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NeSA-AAR Overview continued

• Who makes the decision?
• Determined by the IEP team
• Must be reviewed and determined each year.

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NeSA-AAR Overview continued

• What about the students IEP?
• Nebraska Rule 51
• 007.07A3 For children with disabilities who
  take alternate assessments aligned to alternate
  achievement standards, a description of
  benchmarks or short-term objectives
• 007.07A7a if the IEP team determines that the
  child must take an alternate assessment instead
  of a particular regular state or district-wide
  assessment of student achievement, a statement of
  why
• 007.07A7a the child cannot participate in the
  regular assessment and
• 007.07A7b The particular alternate assessment
  selected is appropriate for the child

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NeSA-AAR Overview

• What guidelines are provided for determining
  appropriate students?
• Reading Standards with Extended Indicators
• The student requires extensive, pervasive, and
  frequent supports in order to acquire, maintain,
  and demonstrate performance of knowledge and
  skills.
• The students demonstrated cognitive ability and
  adaptive behavior prevent completion of the
  general academic curriculum, even with
  appropriately designed and implemented
  modifications and accommodations
• The students curriculum and instruction is
  closely aligned to the Nebraska Reading Standards
  with extended indicators.
• The student may have accompanying communication,
  motor sensory, or other impairments.

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NeSA-AAR Development

• Nebraska educators involved in the process
• Test based on Nebraska Language Arts Standards
• Standards have been extended to make content more
  accessible
• Items cross Depth of Knowledge levels
• Items cross performance levels

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NeSA-AAR Format

• Paper and Pencil format only
• Includes
• Teachers Manual
• Student Test Booklet
• Answer Sheet (one for each student)

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Administrators Manual
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(No Transcript)
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NeSA-AAR Answer Sheet

• All grades have same answer sheet format.
• Grade Level of the Test
• The Test Form
• Student ID number
• Four answer options

1 2 3 No Response 1 2 3
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NeSA-AAR Operational Test

• 25 selected response items
• Five embedded field test items
• One-on-one test administration
• Test administrator records student responses on
  an answer document

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NeSA-AAR Operational Test Continued

• All test materials received at districts
  mid-March
• Flexible scheduling based on individual student
  needs
• District Assessment Contact (DAC) responsible for
  distributing and returning all testing materials

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NeSA-AAR Timeline

• Mid-March Alternate Test materials arrive to
• districts DAC
• March 29th April 30th Testing Window
• By May 7th Online Submission of Student Answers
• By May 14th All Test Materials Returned to NDE

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NeSA Assessment Approved Accommodations

• Found on-line http//www.nde.state.ne.us/assessm
  ent/Assessment.htm

Accommodations for All Students
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Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
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Accommodations For ELL Students

• Accommodations not on the Approved List
• Contact the Statewide Assessment Office by
  January 1, 2010
• Standing committee reviews all other
  accommodations for possible approval
• NeSA tests cannot be modified (below-grade-level
  testing is considered a modification)

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Submitting Answers

• NeSA Alternate Test Online Submission
• Process completed AFTER test administration
• Student ticket used to access recording site
• Test window extended to accommodate online process

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NeSA Security and Ethics

• Security Agreements
• Signed by building administrator
• Found in back of each administration manual
• Due by the beginning of each testing window.
• One for each type of assessment used in the
  building
• General Assessment (1 reading 1 math field
  test)
• Alternate Assessment (1 reading 1 math field
  test)
• Writing test
• ELDA Assessment (English Language Learners)
• All signed security agreements must be return to
  NDE before the test window opens.

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NeSA Security and Ethics continued

• All test materials (manuals, test books, and
  answer sheets) must be returned to the districts
  DAC. The DAC will return all materials to NDE.
• Every test booklet, teachers manual, and answer
  sheet must be accounted for and returned to NDE.

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NeSA Scoring Rules

• All enrolled students in required grade levels
  are to be included in Nebraska State
  Accountability in one of three ways
• NeSA General education tests
• NeSA General education tests with approved
  accommodations
• NeSA Alternate Assessment

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NeSA Scoring Rules continued

• If enrolled students are not tested, the district
  must account for the reason why a student is not
  tested
• Emergency medical waiver
• Recently arrived limited-English speaking
  students
• Parent refusal
• Absent for entire window
• No longer enrolled
• All students will be tested at grade level.

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NeSA Scoring Rules continued

• Students will receive scores only on the items
  that are completed. Incomplete items will count
  as incorrect items.
• Students will be considered a participant for AYP
  or in AMAOs if they respond to at least one
  question or prompt.
• If a student is given an out-of-level test, the
  student will receive a zero.
• If teachers modify the test, all resulting scores
  are zeros.

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NeSA Scoring Rules continued

• If a parent refuses (in writing) to allow a
  student to participate in a test, the student
  will receive a zero score and non-participant
  status in AYP/AMAOs.
• Student will be able to receive accommodations as
  outlined in their IEPS and as allowed by the
  Nebraska State Accountability Approve
  Accommodations Document.

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Accompanying Documents

• Reading Extended Standards
• http//www.nde.state.ne.us/sped/assessment.html
• NeSA-AAR Sample Test Items
• http//www.nde.state.ne.us/assessment/index.html
• NeSA-AAR Table of Specifications-
• http//www.nde.state.ne.us/assessment/index.html
• NeSA Approved Accommodations Document
• http//www.nde.state.ne.us/assessment/AssessmentAt
  oZ.htm
• Rule 51
• http//www.nde.state.ne.us/sped/regulations.html

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• Questions?
• This session will be taped and placed on the NDE
  Statewide Assessment and Special Education
  Offices websites by
• December 18, 2009