Selecting appropriate Evidence

1. Selecting appropriate Evidence Sept 2009

2. GAA training will be provided on-line via Blackboard. Alison Stafford will be sending out [today or tomorrow] a Blackboard tutorial. Teachers should review the tutorial. In about a week Alison will let them know when they can log into Blackboard and, using the tutorial as a guide, begin the GAA training. • The examiner’s manual also contains everything you need to know to conduct GAA.

3. The following slides were taken from 3 different presentation by the DOE testing department explaining GAA. • The first slides in pink were taken from a training powerpoint after the first year of GAA. • The yellow slides are from the New Teacher powerpoint for GAA and • The Green slides are from the DOE training powerpoint for testing coordinators and teachers in 2009 All 3 powerpoint presentations can be found in their entirety at: http://public.doe.k12.ga.us/ci_testing.aspx?folderID=3470&m=links&ft=GAA%20Presentations

4. Alternate Achievement Standards For the GAA, each teacher determines the alternate achievement standard (expectation) for each student, based on the learning characteristics and needs of the student. The GAA portfolio is reviewed for alignment to the grade level content standard, albeit an alternate achievement standard. Taken from GAA_Review_Final 2006-2007

5. GAA • The purpose of the GAA is to ensure all students, including students with significant cognitive disabilities, are provided the opportunity to access a challenging curriculum and demonstrate the progress they have made towards achieving the curriculum standards • Works best when IEP goals are embedded • Focus should be on academic progress, however • Academic instruction can be functional Taken from GAA_Review_Final 2006-2007

6. Types of Evidence Primary (shows what the student knows) Student work sample Permanent product Videotape; audiotape (with script) Series of Captioned Photos Secondary (reports what the student knows) Data sheet (Charts/Graphs) Interview Observation (Anecdotal record) An additional piece of primary evidence Taken from GAA_Review_Final 2006-2007

7. Remember… The focus is on student progress across the two collection periods There are multiple ways to demonstrate progress increase in accuracy of performance increase in complexity of task decrease in type and/or frequency of prompting Taken from GAA_Review_Final 2006-2007

8. Overview of the GAA The GAA is a portfolio of student work provided as evidence that a student is making progress toward grade-level academic standards, oftenat a pre-requisite or entry level. Evidence provided must show student work that is aligned to specific grade-level standards, adapted to meet the student’s cognitive, communication, physical and/or sensory impairments. Taken from: GAA_Training_for_New_Teachers_2008-2009_ GA DOE

9. Primary Evidence Collection Period 1 Initial/Baseline Secondary Evidence Entry (e.g., Reading Comprehension Standard) Primary Evidence Collection Period 2 Progress Secondary Evidence There must be at least 3 weeks (21 days) between the Primary Evidence in Collection Period 1 and the Primary Evidence in Collection Period 2. Taken from: GAA_Training_for_New_Teachers_2008-2009_ GA DOE

10. Types of Evidence • Primary Evidence • Demonstrates knowledge/skills by showing the student’s engagement in instructional tasks • Secondary Evidence • Reports knowledge/skills by documenting, charting, or interpreting the student’s performance Secondary Evidence refers to a type of evidence, not to the date or order in which evidence was collected. Taken from: GAA_Training_for_New_Teachers_2008-2009_ GA DOE

11. Types of Evidence Primary Evidence (shows what the student knows) - Series of captioned photographs (2 or more) - Permanent product - Videotape; audiotape (with script) - Work sample “Primary” refers to the type of evidence; it does not mean that it has to be dated earlier than the Secondary Evidence in that collection period. Taken from: GAA_Training_for_New_Teachers_2008-2009_ GA DOE

12. Types of Evidence Secondary Evidence (reports what the student knows) - Data sheet (Charts/Graphs) - Interview - Observation (Anecdotal record) - An additional piece of Primary Evidence Taken from: GAA_Training_for_New_Teachers_2008-2009_ GA DOE

13. Scoring Dimensions Entries will be scored for 4 dimensions • Fidelity to Standard assesses the degree to which the student’s work addresses the grade-level standard to which it is aligned. • Context assesses the degree to which the student work exhibits the use of grade-appropriate materials in a purposeful and natural/real-world application. Taken from: GAA_Training_for_New_Teachers_2008-2009_ GA DOE

14. Scoring Dimensions • Achievement/Progress assesses the increase in the student’s proficiency of skill across the two collection periods. - Ways to show progress across the collection periods include documenting: • an increase in accuracy, • a decrease in prompting/supports, and/or • an increase in the complexity of the student’s tasks and skills. Taken from: GAA_Training_for_New_Teachers_2008-2009_ GA DOE

15. Scoring Dimensions • Generalization assesses the student’s opportunity to apply the learned skill in other settings and with various individuals other than the teacher or paraprofessional. - This dimension is scored based on the evidence across all entries. Taken from: GAA_Training_for_New_Teachers_2008-2009_ GA DOE

18. Back to Basics:Choosing the correct standard and element As teaching academic curriculum through the content standards and elements becomes more a part of daily instruction, lesson plans are being designed that provide access to the curriculum while still embedding a student’s IEP goals. Creating units and instructional activities that can be used for multiple students is encouraged. However, the activities must be tailored to the needs and the abilities of the individual student. As such, be certain that the element chosen for assessment is still the best choice for the individual student and that the evidence submitted aligns to that element.

19. Choosing the correct standard and element • It is acceptable and recommended thatteachers try to develop lesson plans and instructional activities that can be used for multiple students and, sometimes, across grade-bands. • It is imperative, however, that they make certain that the activities clearly align to the grade-level standard and element chosen for assessment and that they are meaningful and fit the needs and abilities of the individual student. • As such, choosing the standard and element is a critical step in designing the assessment for each student.

20. Back to Basics:What is a prerequisite skill? A prerequisite skill is an entry point at which students may access an academic standard. This can include preliminary skills or knowledge that must be demonstrated before a more advanced concept can be understood. Prerequisite skills are the building blocks to the essential components of the academic content standards and elements.

21. Back to Basics:What is a prerequisite skill? The prerequisite skill must align to the specific element on which the student is being assessed. The skill should be true to the strand and standard, but must address the distinct characteristics of the element. Only when there is no element associated with the standard will the skill/task be aligned solely back to the standard. To bring an element down to its most basic prerequisites, look at the essence of what it is meant to assess. It is an oversimplification to say, for instance, that any exposure to numbers constitutes math or that any exposure to letters constitutes reading. The prerequisite skill must have meaning for the student and should lead to the appropriate completion of the activity which aligns to the standard/element.

22. Back to Basics:What is a prerequisite skill? M8A1:Students will use algebra to represent, analyze and solve problems. Element c: Solve algebraic equations in one variable, including equations involving absolute value. Is the ability to identify mathematics symbols (+, –, x, =) a prerequisite skill for this element? No. Consider the following example:

24. What is a prerequisite skill? • The instructional tasks for this entry were for the student to match or identify the mathematical symbols for addition (+), subtraction (–), multiplication (x), and equals (=). • The tasks did not change in complexity from one collection period to the next, and the student was able to match or identify the symbols at 100% accuracy throughout each of the 4 tasks. • Had the instructional tasks gone from identifying the symbols to somehow using them in an algebraic equation involving variables, the tasks may have aligned.

25. What is a prerequisite skill In order for an instructional task to align as a prerequisite skill, it must address the specific aspects of the element. In the case of this standard/element, the prerequisite skill would have to somehow address the concept of variables or missing values. Although mathematical symbols are often associated with algebra, it is not necessary to be able to use or identify them in order to be able to solve for a variable. For most students with significant cognitive disabilities, it may never be meaningful, purposeful, or attainable to solve higher grade-level algebraic equations that require the understanding of mathematical symbols. But they can do Algebra.

26. Prerequisite Skills M8A1:Students will use algebra to represent, analyze and solve problems. Element a: Represent a given situation using algebraic equations or equations with one variable. Is the ability to understand the concept of variables and missing values a prerequisite to this element? Yes. Consider the following example:

28. Prerequisite Skills • In this example, the instructional tasks required the student to determine a missing value to solve a problem. • In each case, she was asked to solve for a missing variable. • how many more napkins were needed (4 + x = 10)? • how many more chairs were needed (10 + x = 17)? • how much more flour was needed to double the recipe? • how much more money was needed to buy a soda? • These tasks aligned to the standard and element at a prerequisite level, and were purposeful for the student. • Consider the next example:

30. Prerequisite Skills • For this Reading Comprehension entry, the portion of the element that is being focused on addresses character development. • It is acceptable to focus on only one (or more) aspect of the element in order to make the instructional task attainable and meaningful for the student. • The instructional tasks require the student to identify and discriminate between characters from books being read in class. • As the teacher states on the Entry Sheet, the student must first be able to identify a character before he can analyze the development of the character in the story. • This is a prerequisite skill.

31. What makes good evidence: • Active participation - • Limit amount of worksheets or make them interactive not paper/pencil • Grade/age appropriate materials/content • Functional application • GENERALIZATION!!!!!!! • It showcases what the student can do related to the standard • INDIVIDUALIZATION • DOCUMENTATION!!DOCUMENTATION!!! DOCUMENTATION!!!

32. Test on GAA • Does student have to show progress on the content of the standard? • Name 3 ways student can show progress • What is primary evidence? • What is secondary evidence? • How many standards for each student? • How many pieces of evidence for each standard?