Georgia Alternate Assessment

1. Georgia Alternate Assessment Fall Training for the 2011-2012 Administration of the GAA

2. Welcome to the Georgia Alternate Assessment 2011-2012Fall Training • This session will begin at 1:00 p.m. • While you are waiting, please do the following: • Enter/edit your profile information by going to: • Tools - Preferences - My Profile… • Fill out the info on the“Identity”tab and click“OK” • To view the profile of another user, hover your mouse over his or her name in theParticipantswindow • Configure your microphone and speakers by going to: • Tools – Audio – Audio setup wizard • Confirm your connection speed by going to: • Tools – Preferences – Connection speed

3. Welcome to the 2011-2012 Georgia Alternate Assessment This slide presentation is designed to provide trainers and teachers with the information and resources necessary to administer the 2011-2012 GAA in their schools and systems. Companion presentations are available on the GAA Presentations portlet on the GAA webpage with information specific to various topics and audiences. These presentations serve as introductory components for training. Reading and understanding the GAA Examiner’s Manual, 2011-2012, is necessary to implement the portfolio process.

4. http://gadoe.org/ci_testing.aspx?PageReq=CI_TESTING_GAA Presentations Portlet

5. Hot Topics • Lessons Learned from the ’10-’11 Administration • Updates for the 2011-2012 Administration • Opportunities to Learn through Instruction • Alignment Scenarios • Documentation Dos and Don’ts • Demonstrating Achievement/Progress

6. Lessons Learned from the 2010-2011 Administration Congratulations! • 2010-2011 marked the fifth successful administration of the Georgia Alternate Assessment! • Instructional activities, assessment tasks, and the quality of the portfolio entries continue to improve. • Teaching through the academic content standards is becoming a more integral part of daily instruction.

7. Lessons Learned from the 2010-2011 Administration • The portfolios provided valuable information as to areas of focus for upcoming training. • Training will continue to focus on alignment and documentation. • Continued training is needed to support teachers in their understanding of the academic content and the intent of the standards and elements.

8. GAA Portfolios Submitted

9. Student Proficiency on the 2010-2011 GAA • Across all grades and content areas, the vast majority of students met or exceeded expectations as demonstrated by their Performance Level Indicator. • ELA: 89% Established or Extending Progress • Mathematics: 92% Established or Extending Progress • Science: 98% Established or Extending Progress • Social Studies: 98% Established or Extending Progress

10. Frequency of Nonscorables by Number and Percent

11. Lessons Learned from the 2010-2011 Administration • Great job! Nonscorable entries account for a very small percentage. • Analysis of nonscorable entries provided valuable information regarding issues and trends noted for this administration. • This information is used to inform topics for continued training.

12. Lessons Learned from the 2010-2011 Administration Issues of note: • Need for further training in the content standards; misunderstanding of what constitutes a prerequisite skill • Activities that represented instruction but did not assess the student on a task aligned to the standard and element • Alignment issues; tasks connecting to the standard but not to the element; all four (4) tasks must align • Documentation discrepancies

13. Lessons Learned from the 2010-2011 Administration • Even the most successful endeavors can be improved through evaluation of both strengths and weaknesses. • The 2010-2011 GAA exemplified far more strengths but continues to improve through ongoing evaluation.

14. Updates for the 2011-2012 Administration

15. Updates for the 2011-2012 Administration Two different SDIFs will be utilized beginning with the 2011-2012 administration of the GAA • SDIF for grades K and 3-8 • Form is tan • SDIF for High School (regular administration and retesters) • Form is orange

16. SDIF for Grades K and 3-8

17. SDIF for Grades K and 3-8 • Be certain that the SDIF form marked GradesK, 3-8 is used for all students in those grades taking the GAA. Must use the Grades K, 3-8 form

18. High School SDIF

19. High School SDIF • Be certain that the SDIF form marked High Schoolis used for all high school students taking the GAA- whether 1st time testers or retesters. Must use the High School form

20. High School SDIF Following the instructions provided for Box L, mark the content area(s) in which the student is being retested.

21. Updates for the High School Assessment • Changes to the High School Mathematics Blueprint • Retest Opportunities for the High School GAA

22. Changes to the High School Mathematics Blueprint • The mathematics courses to be assessed for the GAA must be selected based upon the high school math course offerings designated by the local system. • Integrated courses for Math I and Math II • Discrete courses for GPS Algebra and GPS Geometry

23. Changes to the High School Mathematics Blueprint • It is a requirement that both mathematics entries on which a student is assessed come from the same course. • If taking the integrated courses, the student must be assessed on Math I and Math II. • If taking the discrete courses, the student must be assessed on GPS Algebra and GPS Geometry.

24. Changes to the High School Mathematics Blueprint • DO NOT assess students on any combination of integrated and discrete courses! • For example: A student who is assessed on Math I for the first mathematics entry and on GPS Geometry for the second mathematics entry will receive a nonscorable code for the second mathematics entry. • This will result in a nonscorable entry.

25. High School Mathematics Blueprint Integrated Math Math I and Math II

26. High School Mathematics Blueprint Discrete Math GPS Algebra & GPS Geometry

27. Retest Opportunities for the High School GAA • Students pursuing a diploma, who are assessed on the GAA and do not achieve a proficient score in one or more content areas, will be offered retest opportunities beginning in 2011-2012.

28. Retest Opportunities for the High School GAA • Retesting is required only in the content area(s) for which the student achieved a proficiency level of Emerging Progress (not proficient). • For each content area requiring a retest, both entries for the content area must be submitted. • If the student was not proficient due to receiving a “1” in Generalization, he/she must be retested in all 4 content areas.

29. Retest Opportunities for the High School GAA • The Grade 11 Retest will be offered for the first time beginning in the fall of 2011 with the opportunity to administer and submit the retest at three different times during the 2011-2012 administration window.

30. Retest Opportunities for the High School GAA • Retest Option 1: • Administration begins on 9/6/11; High School portfolios are returned to Questar by 11/11/11. System will receive scores the week of 1/13/2012. • Retest Option 2: • Administration begins on 9/6/11; High School portfolios are returned to Questar by 3/30/12. System will receive scores the week of 6/1/12. • Retest Option 3: • Administration begins on 1/9/12; High School portfolios are returned to Questar by 3/30/12. System will receive scores the week of 6/1/12.

31. Materials for High School Retest • High School Student Demographic Information Form (SDIF) • Black Portfolio Binders • Administration Forms • Return Shipping Instructions

32. Retest Materials • Systems with students who did not pass one or more content areas on the High School GAA will receive retest materials. • GAA High School retest materials will be included in Shipment 1 • Arriving in systems August 24–26, 2011 • Black Portfolio Binders • High School Student Demographic Information Forms (SDIF) • Retest Return Kits

33. Retest Materials • You must utilize the BLACK PORTFOLIO BINDERS when administering the High School Retest. • Be certain to use the Student Demographic Information Form designated High School. • Pre-ID Labels ARE NOT used for the High School Retest. • You must hand complete all information requested on the High School SDIF if the student is a retester. • You must mark the content area in which the student is retesting as required by Box L.

34. Providing Learning Opportunities through Instruction Teach, then Assess!

35. Giving Students Opportunities to Learn The purpose of the GAA is to measure student achievement and progress relative to selected skills that are aligned to grade level GPS. The expectations can be different in terms of depth and/or complexity. Assistive technology and adapted materials may be needed to give access. The focus may be on prerequisite skills, but must apply to the grade level content and standard. The level of instruction must be appropriately challenging for each individual student.

36. Giving Students Opportunities to Learn Access to the curriculum should be a part of ongoing instruction and should not be limited to singular events represented by the assessment tasks on the GAA. It is vital that students participate in instructional activities prior to assessment in order to give the students the greatest opportunity to learn and retain knowledge and skills related to the academic curriculum.

37. Georgia Performance Standards Instructional Practices and Resources Opportunities to Learn Georgia Alternate Assessment

38. Understanding the GPS • In order to best serve our students, it is vital that teachers are provided with the necessary resources and training opportunities to enable them to understand the Big Ideas of the GPS standards and elements. • Big Ideas are key concepts– the intent of the standard and element. • Look for big ideas in key nouns found in the standard and element

39. Access to GPS Resources Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities • https://www.georgiastandards.org/standards/pages/BrowseStandards/GPS-Impairment.aspx

40. Access to GPS Resources

41. Teach first, then Assess! Teach Learn Assess Collection Period 1 Collection Period 2 GAA Learn Assess Teach

42. Teach first, then Assess! • Opportunities for learning • Exposure to materials • Activities for learning and practice • Assessment • Student demonstrates what they know about the content and meaning of the standard and element

43. Teach first, then Assess! • Access to the curriculum should be a part of ongoing instruction. • not a single task/event used as an assessment task for GAA • Students participate in instructional activities prior to assessment to allow opportunities for learning concepts and skills related to the standards.

44. Teach, then Assess! The opportunity to learn via the academic curriculum should be provided throughout the school year. Ongoing academic instruction should provide access to a variety of standards from the curriculum–not just those assessed on the GAA. Instruction between collection periods which will allow students to demonstrate the greatest amount of progress in the standards and elements on which they were assessed.

45. Teach, then Assess! The student’s knowledge, as demonstrated through Collection Period 1 evidence, demonstrates the student’s initial skill on a task that clearly connects to the intent of the standard and element. Assessment tasks for Collection Period 1 may occur: After introductory lessons At the end of a unit Prior to teaching a new unit that builds on previous skills

46. Teach, then Assess! • Additional tasks that provide exposure or practice with vocabulary or concepts related to the standards can be done for instructional purposes, but should not be used for assessment purposes. • Example: a Bingo activity may provide additional practice with vocabulary related to the Civil War but is not an assessment of knowledge of the standard.

47. Teach, then Assess! Consider the following: Matching vocabulary words such as measure, point, and distance before the student determines the distance between two points Learning to read a map key or compass rose before locating GA on a map Identifying <,>,= symbols before using them to compare numbers Word searches, crossword puzzles, word banks that expose students to the concepts of character, plot, and setting

48. Teach, then Assess! The preceding tasks could be helpful to familiarize the student with the terms, materials, and concepts used to access the standard. However, the tasks DO NOT, in and of themselves, constitute aligned tasks.

49. Teach, then Assess! • Matching vocabulary words such as measure, point, and distance before the student determines the distance between two points. • Matching vocabulary is not necessary for measurement. • E.g., a student can measure by comparison and matching.

50. Teach, then Assess! • Learning to read a map key or compass rose before locating GA on a map • Georgia can be located without a map key or knowledge of a compass rose