ARD Committee Decision-Making Process for the Texas Assessment Program 2009-2010

1. ARD Committee Decision-Making Process for the Texas Assessment Program 2009-2010 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) November 6, 2009

2. This training should NOT replace reading the manual.

3. Agenda • Purpose of Training • Federal and 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 Service

4. Purpose • Understand state assessment options for 2009-2010 • Review changes and/or revisions to state assessments that that impact ARD Committee decision-making

5. 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 graduating high school students receiving special education services

6. Federal and State Requirements

7. Texas Assessment Program: General Assessments • TAKS & TAKS (Accommodated) are administered in English for • Grades 3–9 reading, including SSI retests at grades 5 & 8 • Grades 3–10 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

8. Texas Assessment Program:General Assessments • TAKS & TAKS (Accommodated) are administered in Spanish for • Grades 3–5 reading, including SSI retests at grade 5 • Grades 3–5 mathematics, including SSI retests at grade 5 • Grade 4 writing • Grade 5 science

9. TAKS-Accommodated • ONLY for students receiving special education services • ONLY at Enrolled Grade Level (EGL) • Same test items that appear in corresponding TAKS tests – reformatted to Verdana font, larger, more white space • Fewer test items – does not include embedded field test items • Allowable accommodations (in addition to the formatting accommodations) described in 2009-2010 Accommodations Manual

10. Texas Assessment Program: Alternate Assessment • TAKS–M is administered in English for • Grades 3–9 reading, including SSI retests at grades 5 & 8 • Grades 3–11 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

11. Texas Assessment Program: Alternate Assessment Students taking TAKS-M or TAKS-Alt MUST meet participation requirements.

12. Updated TAKS–M ParticipationRequirements • Original (old) language: • The student needs extensive modifications and/oraccommodations to classroom instruction, assignments, and assessments… • Updated language: • The student needs extensive modifications andaccommodations to classroom instruction, assignments, and assessments… 12

13. Updated TAKS-M Participation Requirements • A modified state assessment is only appropriate for students who receive modifiedinstruction, assignments, or classroom assessments to access the grade–level TEKS. • TAKS-M is not the appropriate assessment for a student who only receives extensive accommodations but no modifications to instruction, assignments, or classroom assessments. 13

14. Updated TAKS-M Participation Requirements • If an ARD committee determined that a student met the original TAKS-M participation requirements only because of extensive accommodations (and not modifications), the ARD committee should address this at the next regularly scheduled meeting to reconsider whether the student meets the updated TAKS-M participation requirements. 14

15. Texas Assessment Program: Alternate Assessment • TAKS–Alt is administered for • Grades 3–9 reading • Grades 3–11 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

16. Texas Assessment Program: Alternate Assessment • TAKS-Alt • Only for students receiving special education services with the most significant cognitive disabilities • Aligned with enrolled grade level (EGL) TEKS • Based on access activities that are designed to measure student’s mastery of prerequisite skills aligned to the essence of EGL TEKS • Alternate assessment based on alternate academic achievement standards • Students MUST meet participation requirements

17. 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-Accom, and TAKS-M

18. 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)

19. Excellent source of information at a glance: “TAKS Assessment Comparison Chart for Students Receiving Special Education Services”, p. 6

20. The Four Steps in Making Assessment Decisions

21. Step 1: Review student’s 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 student’s 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

22. Step 2: Determine in what manner student will receive instruction in grade-level TEKS based on student’s PLAAFP • Using information in Step 1, the ARD committee must • Determine student’s 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?

23. Step 2: Determine in what manner student will receive instruction in grade-level TEKS based on student’s PLAAFP • Helpful resources for this step • TAKS Information Booklets • TAKS–M 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

24. 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 student’s 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

25. 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 TAKS–M and TAKS-Alt in ARD Manual (pp. 16-17) • Student scenarios in ARD Manual (pp. 18-21) • Released tests • Accommodations Manual

26. 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-Accomm • Why selected alternate assessment is appropriate • What accommodations are necessary to measure student’s academic achievement

27. 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

28. 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 student’s 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

29. 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

30. 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-Accomm, or TAKS–M. • 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.

31. TELPAS • Required by federal law for LEP students in grades K–12 • 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 student’s 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.

32. Student Success Initiative • Applies to students in grades 5 & 8 who take TAKS, TAKS (Acc), and TAKS–M 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 student’s specific disability-related needs

33. 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

34. Graduation Flowcharts: Historical Perspective

35. Graduation Flowcharts: Explanation • No substantive changes to flowcharts from last year’s manual • Flowchart A: testing requirements for students who entered grade 9 in2008–2009 school year, including all students who enter grade 9 after 2008–2009 • 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 9prior to the 2008–2009 school year • Requirements of Commissioner’s Rules do not apply

36. Graduation Flowcharts: Reminders • TAKS-Alt and TAKS-M are not exit level assessments; ARE grade level tests • 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

37. Assessment • Districtwide Assessments • Norm/criterion referenced assessments • District developed/administered assessments • Example: District benchmarks • ARD COMMITTEE MUST ADDRESS HOW STUDENT WILL PARTICIPATE IN DISTRICTWIDE ASSESSMENT • Process followed by ARD Committee will be similar to process followed for statewide assessments

38. Student Scenarios

39. Student Scenarios

40. Student Scenarios

41. Student Scenarios

42. Student Scenarios

43. Student Scenarios

44. Student Scenarios These scenarios are based on real students currently receiving special education services. The information included for each student was based on the actual IEP.

45. Student #1: Present Level of Performance

46. Student #1: Assessment Decision 7 = The student has a significant cognitive disability and meets all of the state’s participation requirements for TAKS-Alt

47. Student #1: Documentation • Clear • Student’s strengths and needs in relation to the grade-level curriculum are provided for reading, math, and writing • Some accommodations are listed • Unclear • How student’s present academic functioning relate to the assessment decision for TAKS-Alt; how student meets each criterion in the participation requirements for TAKS-Alt • How the committee determined the student has a significant cognitive disability • Current progress in science and social studies TEKS is not addressed

48. Student 2: Present Level of Performance

49. Student #2: Assessment Decision 9 = The student is receiving TEKS instruction on grade level with or without approved or allowed accommodations (TAKS or TAKS-Acc).

50. Student #2: Documentation • Clear • Student’s strengths and needs in relation to the grade-level curriculum are provided for reading, math, and writing • Modified TEKS are needed • Instructional arrangement is described • Accommodations are listed • Unclear • How student’s present academic functioning relate to the assessment decision for TAKS (Accommodated) • How accessing curriculum through modified TEKS leads to TAKS (Accommodated)