2014 Fall Assessment Conference Sessions

1. 2014 Fall Assessment ConferenceAssessment Program Update 2014-2015September 9, 2014 (Part 2), 1:00-3:00 PM

2. 2014 Fall Assessment Conference Sessions

3. Agenda • General Updates • Calculator Usage Policy • Accommodation Policy • Questions and Answers

4. General Updates • Testing/Assessment homepage has been reconfigured • Current Assessments • Legacy Assessments • Former/Retired Assessments • Georgia Milestones webpage launched • Content Weights

5. Georgia Milestones • Grades 3 – 8 • End of Grade (EOG) in language arts, mathematics, science, social studies • High School • End of Course (EOC) in 9th Grade Literature & Composition, American Literature & Composition, Coordinate Algebra, Analytic Geometry, Physical Science, Biology, US History, and Economics The calculator and accommodation policies arise out of the constructs inherent in the grade level/course content standards and the purposes of the assessment system.

6. Georgia Milestones Calculator Policy

7. Georgia Milestones Calculator Policy 1Basic four-function calculator with square root and percentage functions. 2Graphing calculator with functionalities consistent with TI-84 or similar models. Calculators are not permitted on certain designated sections of each mathematics test.

8. Georgia Milestones Calculator Policy Students and staff must adhere to the guidelines listed below and those that appear on subsequent slides. Given that technology changes rapidly, these guidelines may change at any time. A list of state approved calculators will not be issued. • It is incumbent upon the System Test Coordinators, School Test Coordinators, and Test Examiners to ensure all calculator policies are implemented and followed. Calculators may not be shared by students. The following devices/features are NOT allowed: • For Basic and Scientific calculators, devices that store text and/or have QWERTY keyboards or typewriter-like keyboards. • Calculators that have programs stored in the memory other than those that are factory installed • No cell phones, personal laptops, minicomputers, pocket organizers, iPods, and personal tablets • Calculators with beaming capabilities • Calculators with wireless communication technologies and/or Internet access • Calculators with built in Computer Algebra System – CAS • Calculators that make noise, have paper tape, or that have voice

9. Georgia Milestones Calculator Policy Graphing Calculators and End of Course (EOC) Mathematics • Graphing calculators will be allowed for student use on the Coordinate Algebra and Analytic Geometry EOCs ONLY. (Note: For Physical Science and Economics only a scientific calculator is allowed.) • Given that many models of graphing calculators possess the ability to store text, and may prevent that feature from being disabled, it is required that System and School Test Coordinators, and Test Examiners, confirm prior to testing and immediately after testing (before dismissing students) that all graphing calculators are cleared of any stored text. • A failure to confirm that text is cleared may raise school-wide (and possibly system-wide) security concerns. • A failure to take these steps constitutes an irregularity that must be reported to GaDOE. • Should it be confirmed that a student either brought information into a test setting through stored text, or left the test setting with secure test information stored on a device, the student’s test will be invalidated. Such an event must be reported to GaDOE. • Georgia Milestones will provide an online graphing calculator, where appropriate, for student use. Concerns regarding the logistics and stipulations surrounding the use of hand-held graphing calculators can be eliminated by testing students online. • GaDOE encourages online test administration

10. Additional Georgia Milestones Calculator Considerations and Information • Review calculator guidelines for elementary, middle, and high school very carefully as they vary. • Mathematics test forms will have sections where calculator use is permitted and a section where calculator use is NOT permitted. Test manuals will be very clear on this point and will include script to address the logistics involved. Adherence, by examiners and students, will be critically important. • Again, online testing will ease the logistics around the transition from calculator to non-calculator sections. • All students testing online must use the online calculator providedand may not use a hand-held device. • All questions regarding calculator usage should be directed to the System Test Coordinator who can then contact the GaDOE Assessment Administration Division if necessary. Do not refer school-level staff directly to GaDOE – this is important to ensure consistent information is shared across your district. Calculator questions that come to GaDOE from school-level staff will be forwarded to the System Test Coordinator for review. Please note that Linux OS cannot support the online scientific or graphing calculator at this time.

11. REMINDER: Calculator Policies for Legacy High School Assessments (EOCT & GHSGT) Remember, the calculator guidelines for Georgia Milestones and our legacy high school testing programs differ . . . Students and staff must adhere to the guidelines listed below. It is incumbent upon the School Test Coordinator and Test Examiner to ensure all calculator policies are implemented and followed. Calculators may not be shared by students. The following features are NOT allowed: • Graphing calculators • Calculators that store text and/or have QWERTY keyboards or typewriter-like keyboards • Calculators that have programs stored in the memory other than those that are factory • installed • Non-calculators such as cell phones, PDAs, laptops, minicomputers, pocket organizers, iPods, • etc. • Calculators with beaming capabilities • Calculators with wireless communication technologies and/or Internet access • Calculators with built in Computer Algebra Systems – CAS • Calculators that make noise, have paper tape, or that have voice

12. Test Administration Accommodations

13. Online Tools Available for All Students • Blocking Tool • Eraser • Highlighter • Magnifying Glass • Mark for Review • Online Calculator – if allowable • Option Eliminator • Scratch Pad • Test Pause These tools are available to all students who test online and are therefore NOT considered accommodations.

14. Accommodations • Accommodations allow access… • they are practices and procedures in the areas of presentation, response, setting, and scheduling that provide equitable instructional and assessment access for students with disabilities and English learners. • Accommodations reduce or eliminate the effects of a student’s disability or limited English proficiency • Accommodations donot provide an unfair advantage • Accommodations donot reduce or change learning expectations

15. Modifications • Modifications, on the other hand, involve: • Changing, lowering, or reducing learning or assessment expectations • May result in implications that could adversely affect a student throughout that individual’s educational career • Examples include • Requiring a student to learn less material • Revising assignments or tests to make them easier Modifications are not allowed on Georgia assessments.

16. Accommodations In Georgia accommodations MAY NOT • alter, explain, simplify, paraphrase, or eliminate any test item, reading passage, writing prompt, or choice option • provide verbal or other clues or suggestions that hint at or give away the correct response to the student These types of practices would constitute modifications. Only state-approve accommodations may be used on state-mandated assessment, following the guidance issued.

17. Eligible Students • Students eligible for accommodations include: • Students with Disabilities • students with individualized educational plans • students served under Section 5041 • English Language Learners • Students qualifying for language assistance services • ELL students who are also SWD • Students who have exited language assistance services in the last two years (ELL-Monitored) 2 1Only in the rarest of circumstances would a 504 student qualify for a conditional accommodation. 2ELL-M students are not eligible for conditional accommodations.

18. Important Points to Remember • Allowable accommodations always grow out of the content and skills measured by the assessment and the purpose of the assessment • Teams and committees should consider the purpose and content of the assessment as well as the individual student’s need and circumstance when selecting accommodations • Inappropriate use of accommodations can (and does) negatively impact student achievement

19. Test Administration Accommodations • Accommodations provide access for demonstration of achievement • Allow participation • Do not guarantee proficiency • and therefore should not be selected solely as mean to help ensure proficiency • Must be required by the student in order to participate in the assessment • Must be provided during routine instruction and assessment in the classroom (both before and after the state tests are administered)

20. Test Administration Accommodations • Selection of accommodations for students may not be based on the following: • the amount of time the student has received special education or English language services; • excessive or extended absences; • language, cultural, or economic differences; or • administrative decisions made outside the team’s discussion of the student’s needs.

21. Test Administration Accommodations • Some accommodations appropriate for instruction are not appropriate for assessments • It may be appropriate to use some instructional accommodations to provide access to grade level content, but these should be faded over time • The ultimate goal is always meaningful measurement of what the student has learned as a result of instruction

22. Key Considerations • For students with disabilities we should consider – • the characteristics of the disability or the combination of disabilities for the individual student • how the disability affects/impacts the learning of specific content • how the disability affects/impacts the demonstration of learning

23. Key Considerations • For English language learners we should consider – • the student’s level of English proficiency • the student’s level of literacy in English • the student’s level of native language proficiency • the student’s level of literacy in native language

24. Key Considerations • For English language learners who also have a disability we should consider – • whether the need is based on • the disability or • language acquisition needs or • some combination of both • The IEP team should include an language service teacher to help make appropriate decisions – services should be coordinated

25. Key Considerations • For all students we should consider – • the student’s need for the accommodation • the student’s experience with the accommodation • whether the accommodation is of benefit to the student • the student’s feelings and beliefs about the accommodation

26. Standard Accommodations • accommodations which provide access to students in order to demonstrate their achievement of target skills • standard accommodations do not alter or encroach on the construct measured • as with any accommodation, it is important that the student require the accommodation and use it regularly during routine instruction and assessment

27. Conditional Accommodations • More expansive accommodations that provide access for students with more severe disabilities or more limited English proficiency who would not be able to access the assessment to demonstrate their achievement without such support • must be used sparingly, per State Board Rule • must be considered when interpreting scores State Board Rule 160-3-1-.07 limits the use of conditional accommodations to 3%.

28. Conditional Accommodations • Guidance on the appropriate use of conditional accommodations is provided in the Student Assessment Handbook • Only students meeting the guidance criteria are eligible for conditional accommodations • The educational plans for students qualifying for conditional accommodations must include specific goals that address the deficits which necessitate the accommodation

29. Conditional Accommodations • There are three accommodations that are considered conditional: • Signing reading passages (SWD only) • Reading of reading passages (SWD or EL) • Use of a basic function calculator (SWD only) Reminder: It is exceptionally rare for a student with a 504 plan to qualify for a conditional accommodation.

30. Why must we attend to the guidance for conditional accommodations? • These accommodations were never intended to be available for all students. • The guidance is designed to protect the accommodations for students who truly require them.

31. Why must we attend to the guidance for conditional accommodations? • Anytime an accommodation is considered it is important to reflect what the test is designed to measure. • The goal is meaningful (i.e., valid) measurement of student achievement • It is important to consider the long term effects of inappropriate accommodation use. • Accommodations should foster independence, not dependence

32. Eligibility Criteria Reading of Reading Passages: SWD The use of this conditional accommodation for the English Language Arts Georgia Milestones, regardless of grade level, must be restricted to only those students with IEPs who meet ALL eligibility criteria outlined below: • The student has a specific documented disability that severely limits or prevents his or her ability to decode text at any level of difficulty, even after varied and repeated attempts to teach the student to do so (i.e., the student is a non-reader, not simply reading below grade level); and • The student has access to printed materials only through a reader or other electronic format during routine instruction; and • There are clear and specific goals within the student’s IEP addressing the deficits which necessitate the need for this conditional accommodation. NOTE:Students who are assigned this conditional accommodation must be administered Georgia Milestones online using the screen reader functionality of the online platform with a headset. Note that these criteria now apply to all grades, including the high school ELA courses.

33. Eligibility CriteriaReading of Reading Passages: EL The use of this conditional accommodation for the English Language Arts Georgia Milestones, regardless of grade level, must be restricted to only those EL students who meet ALL eligibility criteria outlined below: • The student’s English proficiency scores and performance in the classroom indicate that the student cannot access, retain, or comprehend text without the assistance of a reader (i.e., the student is unable to access English text due to their language proficiency, not simply reading below grade level); and • The student is not poised to exit language services within the current school year; and • There are clear and specific goals within the student’s educational plan addressing the deficits which necessitate the need for this conditional accommodation. NOTE:Students who are assigned this conditional accommodation must be administered Georgia Milestones online using the screen reader functionality of the online platform with a headset. Students poised to exit: Tier C or any student approaching a performance level of 4. Consider ACCESS reading score – if approaching a 3, this accommodation is not appropriate. Note that these criteria now apply to all grades, including the high school ELA courses.

34. Reading of Test Questions • Most students who need accommodations are struggling readers (e.g., read below grade level). • Reading of the questions reducing the reading load and allows the student to focus on the passages • Given that we are not attempting to measure reading comprehension on other content area tests (Mathematics, Science, Social Studies), it is permissible to read any prompts that accompany the items. • This should only be done when appropriate NOTE:Students who are assigned this accommodation must be administered Georgia Milestones online using the screen reader functionality of the online platform with a headset.

35. Eligibility Criteria Calculator: SWD Grades 3 - 5 The use of this conditional accommodation for the Mathematics Georgia Milestones for students in grades 3 - 5 must be restricted too only those students with IEPs who meet ALL eligibility criteria outlined below: • The student has a specific disability that prohibits his or her from performing basic calculations (i.e., addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division), even after varied and repeated attempts to teach the student to do so; and • The student is unable to perform calculation only without the use of a calculating device during routine instruction; and • There are clear and specific goals within the student’s IEP addressing the deficits which necessitate the need for this conditional accommodation. NOTE:Only a basic function or basic adapted calculator may be used; scientific and other advanced calculators are strictly prohibited. The test administrator may not provide any assistance or direction to the student regarding the use of the calculator.

36. What is a basic function calculator? • A basic function calculator has the four computational functions (addition, subtraction, multiplication, & division). • many basic function calculators also have square root and percentage functions • A basic function calculator is not a scientific calculator. • these calculators have additional functions that encroach on the concepts and skills inherent in the content standards for grades 3 - 5

37. New Accommodations Chart • IEP, IAP, and EL-TPC teams should review table to determine what accommodations are available online versus paper. • Conditional accommodations are indicated by “C” in accommodations table.

38. New Accommodations Chart IEP, IAP, and EL-TPC teams must note the differences between legacy programs and the Georgia Milestones Assessment System. The logistics of providing accommodations during assessments must be planned well in advance of the opening of a district’s local testing window.

39. Accommodations: Summary of Changes • Reading of reading passages is now a conditional accommodation for the high school ELA courses • Students assigned read-aloud accommodations must participate in the online administration using the screen-reader to standardize the accommodation • Mode of administration (online/paper-pencil) should be considered – some accommodations are not applicable for a particular mode • for example, marking answers in the test book for online administration

40. Points to Remember • Only state-approved accommodations may be considered • Federal regulations specify that students participating with unapproved accommodations may not be considered participants for accountability purposes • Use of accommodations must be accurately coded

41. Questions & Answers