Professional Development

1
Professional Development

• USING ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY TO ACCESS LAA 1

2
Introduction

• LAA 1 is an assessment for students with
  significant cognitive disabilities.
• LAA 1 is an assessment program composed of many
  parts.

3
Extended Standards

• Extended Standards (ESs)
• Are the foundation of the LAA 1 assessment
  program
• Are based on selected state content standards,
  benchmarks, and Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs)
• Are extensions of the state standards for
  students with significant cognitive disabilities
• Are to the significant population what GLEs are
  to the general population
• Are organized by grade spans (3-4, 5-6, 7-8, and
  9-11)
• Subjects
• English Language Arts
• Mathematics
• Science

4
Extended Standards, cont.

• Articulate academic learning from one grade to
  the next
• Facilitate access to grade level content
• Move from the concrete to the abstract
• Attend to prerequisite skills and understandings

5
Complexity Levels

• Three complexity levels exist for each extended
  standard.
• They provide descriptions of ways to access the
  academic content identified by the extended
  standard.

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• Alternate Achievement Level Descriptors (AALDs)
• Describe the expected level of performance at
  each achievement level
• Provide a progression for the achievement levels
• Speak to a range of abilities within an alternate
  achievement level, recognizing that not all
  students can do all things within these ranges
• It is understood that all students may not
  accomplish all academic skills described at each
  achievement level.

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LAA 1 Achievement Levels and AALDs

• Exceeds Standard
• A student at this level has demonstrated expanded
  academic knowledge and skills included in the
  grade-level Extended Standards.
• Meets Standard
• A student at this level has demonstrated
  fundamental academic knowledge and skills
  included in the grade-level Extended Standards.
• Working Toward Standard
• A student at this level has demonstrated minimal
  or inconsistent academic knowledge and skills
  included in the grade-level Extended Standards.
  However, the student may be developing
  introductory academic knowledge and skills that
  can be built upon to access the grade-level
  curriculum.

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Grades 3-4English Language Arts
9
Extended Standards Handbook Bulletin 127

• Describes development process
• Summarizes the knowledge, skills, and abilities
  emphasized at each grade span by subject (English
  language arts, mathematics, and science)
• Presents the extended standards and their link
  back to benchmarks and GLEs
• Contains a glossary of terms
• Can be downloaded from http//www.louisianaschools
  .net/lde/uploads/11618.pdf

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LAA 1 Assessment Design

• ELA and Mathematics
• Grade spans 34, 56, 78, and 910
• Science
• Grades 4, 8, and 11
• Each subject is composed of 25 performance tasks.
• Test booklets include all subjects for that grade
  span.

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LAA 1 Grades and Content Areas
12
LAA 1 Assessment Guide

• Provides detailed information on the purpose,
  design, and accommodations of the test
• Contains 33 sample performance tasks
• Includes frequently asked questions by Test
  Administrators (TAs)
• Can be downloaded from http//www.louisianaschools
  .net

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LAA 1 Student Booklet

• A large print 12½ X 11 inch
• spiral-bound booklet used
• directly with the student
• Each performance task includes
• Graphics and text
• Answer options
• Color coded to match Administrator Booklet and
  Response Document
• Linked back to Administrator Booklet by page
  numbers

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Student BookletPage
graphics and text
answer options
task
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LAA 1 Administrator Booklet

• An 8½ X 11 inch spiral-bound booklet
• used by the TA
• One per grade span
• Color coded to match Student Booklet and Response
  Document
• All subjects tested in that grade span
• Item-specific instructions
• Each performance task includes
• Directions
• Scoring rubric
• Correct answer/s
• Copy of corresponding pages from Student Booklet

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LAA 1 Administrator Booklet Pages
copy of page in Student Booklet
directions
rubric
correct answer
17
1-point Scoring Rubric (one question, response
is either correct or incorrect)
Different Rubrics

• Question Which object is a tool?
• Options apple, toy blocks, ruler, ball

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2-point Scoring Rubric (one question, two
correct responses )

• Question Which two animals spend much of their
  lives in water?
• Options fish, alligator, cat, pig

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2-point Scoring Rubric (two questions, one
correct response for each question)

• Question A Which animal spends most of its life
  in water?
• Question B Which animal spends most of its life
  in the air?
• Options rabbit, bird, fish, pig

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Individualized Administration

• Pacing is based on the individual needs of the
  student.
• Allow sufficient wait time for the student to
  respond.
• Administer each task using the students primary
  mode of communication.
• Repeat the instructions and questions, if needed,
  during a testing session.
• Unless the task is interrupted, administer a task
  only once. The task must not be administered in
  its entirety multiple times (give the task today
  and repeat for a higher score tomorrow).

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Individualized Administration, cont.

• Observe the student for indications that a break
  is needed. The assessment may be stopped at any
  point (even in the middle of a task) and resumed
  at a later time on the same day or a different
  day within the testing window.
• If the student is tired, having a bad day, or
  unresponsive, stop testing and reschedule for a
  better time or day.
• If after attempting at least five tasks in a
  content area, the student is unresponsive on all
  of the items resulting in a score of zero, the TA
  may stop testing.

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Accommodations

• Assistive Technology
• Manipulatives Lists
• Task Descriptions
• Other

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Assistive Technology

• Any item, piece of equipment, or product system
  used to enable a student to access the assessment
• Augmentative communication devices
• Switch with scanning
• Voice recognition software
• Communication board
• Eye gaze board
• Voice output device with dynamic display

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Assistive Technology, cont.

• Students symbol system
• Not all students use a symbol system.
• The language in the task may be translated into a
  students symbol system.
• TAs who translate the task language utilizing the
  symbol system used in the classroom may do this
  for the assessment.
• Translated tasks must be kept secure and returned
  to the School Test Coordinator (STC).

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Assistive Technology, cont.

• A CD of graphics is available upon request for
  each grade span or the graphics may be downloaded
  from the LDE website prior to testing.
• Two file formats are available tiff and jpeg.
• Graphics may be imported into a device or printed
  as needed.
• The graphics may be resized or color, texture,
  or raised lines may be added.

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Manipulatives List

• Manipulatives may be used to access any task.
• Prior to testing, review tasks to determine if
  the student will need a manipulative for a task.
• Use manipulatives familiar to the student.
• Manipulatives Lists are provided
• Include suggested manipulatives and activities
• Organized by subject and grade span
• Can be downloaded from http//www.louisianaschools
  .net prior to testing
• Code as Assistive Technology on Response
  Document.

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Manipulatives List, cont.
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Manipulatives List, cont.

• These suggestions are optional, and other
  appropriate manipulatives, familiar to the
  student, may be used.
• Use manipulatives in a manner consistent with the
  measurement goals of the task
• For example, if the task measures recognition of
  number symbols, dont replace symbols with
  counters.
• Use manipulatives consistently within a task
• For example, if the options are an apple, orange,
  ball, and table, dont use the picture for the
  table and real objects for the others.

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Manipulatives List, cont.

• The statement, This performance task does not
  lend itself to the use of manipulatives, doesnt
  mean that manipulatives cant be used for the
  task.
• Options to using Wikki Stix include soda straws,
  yarn, string, and dry spaghetti.
• Counters can be used to count objects in a
  graphic (tree counter, house counter).
• Different types of counters (different colors,
  different shapes) can represent the various
  objects in a pattern (red counter bird, yellow
  counter dog).
• Be careful not to clue a response by the type of
  counter used.

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Tips for Using Manipulatives
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Tips for Using Manipulatives, cont.
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?Task Descriptions

• Includes a list of tasks needing further
  description and/or modifications to accommodate
  the needs of students who cannot access print
  graphics
• For visually impaired-blind or other students who
  cannot access graphics
• Automatically sent for students preidentified as
  VI-Blind
• Available upon request for other students who
  cannot access graphics
• Some tasks are not accessible even with
  descriptions for these students and are
  identified as omitted in the Task Descriptions.
• The accommodation Task Descriptions must be coded
  on the Response Document to ensure the student is
  not penalized.

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Task Descriptions Page
information on omitted items
instructions
modified task description
instructions
task affected
34
Task Descriptions, cont.

• This is an example of a performance task that
  requires a Task Description for students unable
  to access print graphics.
• Task Description
• Say
• Students are reading.
• Which statement describes
• the meaning of the word
• students?
• A girl is reading.
• A boy and a girl are reading.
• A girl is reading with her
• dog.

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Other Accommodations?

• Consider the intent of the task to ensure the
  accommodation does not invalidate the purpose
• For example, if the task measures recognition of
  number symbols, dont replace symbols with
  counters.
• All accommodations must be used regularly during
  classroom instruction and assessment and
  documented on the IEP.
• Questions about accommodations
• Go from the TA to the STC, then to the District
  Test Coordinator (DTC), and finally to LDE.

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Administrator Booklet

• Header bar identifies task number, grade span,
  and subject of the performance task.
• Words in bold should be read aloud to the
  student.
• Task specific instructions guide the
  administration of the specific performance task.

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Administrator Booklet, cont.

• Page numbers referenced in the instructions are
  for the corresponding pages in the Student
  Bookletthey are the links between these two
  booklets.
• Rubric specifies how the students response
  should be scored and the points possible.
• Correct answer options from the Student Booklet
  are indicated below the rubric.

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Please turn to pages 7-8 (Task 2)

• This is an example of a 2-point science task
  where the student is asked to identify two
  similar things.
• After repeating the question, what would you do
  if the student points to the same example twice?

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Please turn to pages 11-12 (Task 4)

• This is an example of a 1-point mathematics task
  where the answer is either correct or incorrect.
• The measurement goal of this task is to identify
  the fraction associated with a given model.
• How might you use manipulatives with this item?

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Please turn to pages 13-16 (Task 5)

• This is an example of a 2-part task where the
  first part of the task appears on one page and
  the second part of the task appears on a second
  page in the Student Booklet.
• What should you do if the student responds to the
  first part of the task, but is too tired to
  proceed?

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Please turn to pages 21-22 (Task 8)

• This is an example of a more complex mathematics
  task where the Manipulatives List recommends the
  use of both Wikki Stix and counters.
• Describe the types and quantities of
  manipulatives needed for this task.
• Explain how you would use these manipulatives
  with this task.
• How might you modify this task for students
  requiring Task Descriptions?

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QA

• May more than one student be assessed at a time?
• No. Each student must be assessed individually.
• Must the TA move through the Administrator
  Booklet and the Student Booklet in the order of
  the tasks presented?
• In each content area, the tasks are arranged in
  the order of content and then assumed complexity,
  from least to most complex. Consequently, within
  a content area, assess each student on tasks as
  ordered in the booklets.
• Must students be assessed in the content order of
  the booklet?
• No. The TA may begin with the content area that
  it is felt will provide the most success for the
  individual student.

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• May the TA prompt the student?
• The TA must follow the instructions as written
  in the Administrator Booklet. The instructions
  may be read as many times as deemed necessary.
• Must the student respond aloud?
• Students may communicate responses in their
  typical communication modality. The
  accommodations section in the LAA 1 Assessment
  Guide may be helpful.
• What if the student responds to the first part of
  a question, but then is not ready to proceed (too
  tired, non-responsive) with the second part?
• The TA should record the score for the first
  part on a post-it note affixed to the Response
  Document, and return to the question at a better
  time. Do not repeat the first part of the
  question.

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• May a TA assess a student with a grade-span
  assessment that does not coincide with the
  students enrolled grade? For example, if the
  student is enrolled in grade 9, but the TA
  believes a 56 grade-span assessment is more
  appropriate, can that student be assessed in the
  56 grade-span assessment?
• No. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act does not
  permit out-of-level testing.
• Must the instructions in the Administrator
  Booklet be read word-for-word?
• Yes. (Some exceptions are made for students who
  are unable to access print graphics.)
• What if the student doesnt respond to a question
  after the instructions have been read several
  times?
• The TA should mark a zero.

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• May a LAA 1 task be administered more than once
  when the TA believes that the students
  performance on the initial request does not
  represent the students typical performance?
• No. The TA may repeat the task instructions
  several times during the course of administering
  any one assessment task and before moving to the
  next task or taking a break. However, once a
  score has been recorded, even a score of zero,
  that task is not to be revisited.

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Case Study Discussion

• Consider
• Assistive Technology
• Augmentative Communication Devices
• Graphics Presentation
• Symbol Systems
• Manipulatives
• Task Descriptions
• Other Accommodations

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LDE Contacts

• Diane Knight, Ed.D.
• Diane.knight_at_la.gov
• 225-342-5576
• Leslie Lightbourne
• Leslie.lightbourne_at_la.gov
• 225-342-3404

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Thank You!