A Guided Tour of the 1% Exception Process

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A Guided Tour of the 1 Exception Process

• From Documentation to Approval

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NCLB Assessment Basics

• All students are required to be assessed under
  the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).
• All scores (ISAT, PSAE, IAA) affect performance
  and participation data and therefore, AYP.
• (2009 threshold 70)

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Exception Application

• Exceptions are only processed at the district
  level. Individual schools may not apply
  separately.
• If more than 1 of your districts students are
  identified as having the most significant
  cognitive disabilities,
• YOUR DISTRICT SHOULD APPLY FOR AN
  EXCEPTION.

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Why Apply?

• If the exception is approved
• Your districts IAA scores are applied to AYP at
  the levels earned by those students.
• IAA SCORE EQUIVALENT SCORE
• Mastery Level 4
• Satisfactory Level 3
• Foundational Level 2
• Entry Level 1

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EXAMPLE

• Your district has 1,000 students in the grades
  assessed.
• Your district has 25 Students with the most
  significant cognitive disabilities.

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Lets do the Math

• 25/1000 Of all students tested, your district
  has 2.5 with the most significant cognitive
  disabilities.
• Lets sayall 25 children score at the 3 or 4
  proficient levels.

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• With an exception
• All 25 proficient scores
• are counted as passing
• for the purpose of AYP.
• Without an exception
• 10 proficient scores will count as passing
  for AYP.
• 15 proficient scores will be counted as
  failing for AYP.

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That Mysterious 1
NO LAW LIMITS HOW MANY STUDENTS WITH
DISABILITIES MAY BE ASSESSED WITH THE IAA.
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That Mysterious 1

• NCLB sets this percentage as the legal
  expectation of the incidence of students with
  significant cognitive disabilities at the
  national, state and local levels.

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That Mysterious 1

• The NCLB cutoff for scores that can be accepted
  as progressing/attaining based on alternate
  academic achievement standards
• UNLESS AN EXCEPTION IS GRANTED.

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Conditions for an Exception

• The LEA must document that the incidence of
  students with the most significant cognitive
  disabilities exceeds 1.0 percent of all students
  in the grades assessed.

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Locating the Exception Form

• Exception form and instructions will be available
  after March 1, 2009 at
• http//www.isbe.net/spec-ed/html/exception_cap.htm
  
• Click link for Exception Form 37-58
• For the purpose of this presentation, you will
  find sample documents at the end of this packet.

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Filling Out the Form, Section 1

• Row A All students enrolled at the time of
  State testing in grades 3-8 and 11 (submit after
  all State testing is completed).
• Row B All students with the most significant
  cognitive disabilities in the same grades.
• Row C Divide Row Bs TOTAL by Row As TOTAL to
  determine percentage.

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Section 2Why Incidence Is Above 1

• School, community or health programs in the LEA
  draw large numbers of families of students with
  the most significant cognitive disabilities.

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Section 2 Another Possibility

• The LEA has a small overall student population
  that would take only a very few students with
  such disabilities to exceed the 1 cap.

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Section 2 Other Possibilities

• Beyond the control of the LEA, students are
  placed in a group home within the LEAs
  boundaries.

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• One family adopts special needs children,
  resulting in a potential perennial incidence rate
  issue for the LEA.

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• Families move to the area due to proximity to
  Federal or State institutions.

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Mobility Rate Issues
Large Low SES Population
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Section 3 - 34 CFR 200.6(a)(2)(iii)The
Superintendent Assures

• District IEP teams implement clear and
  appropriate guidelines to determine IAA as the
  State assessment for students with significant
  cognitive disabilities.

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Section 3The Superintendent Assures

• Parents are informed that their childs
  achievement will be based on alternate academic
  achievement standards.
• Additional line on notification form for IAA
  decision.

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Section 3The Superintendent Assures

• Such students are, to the extent possible,
  included in the general curriculum and in
  assessments aligned with that curriculum.

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34 CFR Part 200 Title I--Improving the Academic
Achievement of the Disadvantaged Final Rule
Regardless of where students receive
instruction, all students with disabilities
should have access to, participate in, and make
progress in, the general curriculum (emphasis
added). Thus, all students with disabilities
must be included in the measurement of AYP toward
meeting the State's standards.
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Section 3The Superintendent Assures

• The District disseminates information and
  promotes the use of appropriate accommodations to
  increase the number of these students who are
  tested against grade-level academic achievement
  standards.

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Section 3The Superintendent Assures

• General and special education teachers and other
  appropriate staff know how to administer
  assessments, including making appropriate use of
  accommodations for these students.

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Section 3The Superintendent Assures

• The district must provide for the participation
  of all students in the grades assessed.

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OutcomesWith an Exception

• All IAA scores actual performance
• All proficient scores are counted as passing.
• Potentially, IAA scores have a decreased
  negative impact on AYP.

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Avoid shooting yourself in the
foot!!!
Apply for the 1 Exception!!!
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When Should I Apply? NOT NOW Elementary
Districts after the IAAs are completed
on March 27, 2009. High School Unit
Districts after the final PSAE makeup on May
7, 2009.
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Contact Information for Exception Applications

• Pearl Schneider
• Student Assessment Div., ISBE
• Phone [phone]
• FAX [phone]
• Email pschneid_at_isbe.net

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OutcomesWithout an Exception

• Data Analysis Division will contact your district
  with options for assignment of failing IAA
  scores.
• The district identifies the possible choices for
  placement of the deficient scores and the
  specific students whose scores will be affected.

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Methods of Assignment

• The District chooses assignment
• to the fewest subgroups.
• to the largest subgroups.
• to the smallest subgroups
• to the subgroups whose performance is farthest
  above the 2008-09 target.
• to the subgroups whose performance is farthest
  below the 2008-09 target.

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Contact Information Methods of Assignment
Questions

• Data Analysis Div.
• Phone
• 217/782-3950
• Fax
• 217/524-7784