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Designing from the Ground Floor: Alternate Assessment on Alternate Achievement Standards
Alternate Assessments on Alternate Achievement Standards (AA-AAS)
Term 4: Alternate Assessments on Alternate Achievement Standards (AA-AAS)
Should have:
- Clearly defined structure and content
- Guidelines for student participation
- Clearly defined scoring criteria and procedures
- Report format that clearly communicates student performance in terms of the academic achievement standards defined by the state
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Alternate assessments on alternate achievement standards must have clearly defined structure, content, procedures, scoring criteria and report format that communicates student results effectively. In the case of alternate assessments on alternate achievement standards, the correct identification/verification of student participants is essential to the assessment design. To do this, we propose that stakeholder groups design an assessment plan to guide the design and building of the assessment.
Alignment and Appropriate Challenge
Term 5: Alignment for General Assessments (of Content and Achievement Standards)
- Academic Achievement Standards must be aligned with the Academic Content Standards in that they:
- Capture the range of content
- Measure content and process
- Show the degree and pattern of emphasis
- Reflect the full range of cognitive complexity
- Represent achievement levels as defined by the challenging, coherent, rigorous content standards.
(Peer Review Guidance, April 2004, pp. 14, 41)
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Term 5: Alignment for AA-AAS (of Content and Achievement Standards)
- AA-AAS linkage to Content and Achievement should:
- Represent similar achievement levels
- (basic, proficient, advanced)
- Represent a similar pattern of emphasis
- Represent both content and process
- Represent an increasing range of cognitive complexity
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Term 6: Appropriate Challenge
- Rely on the judgment of experienced special educators [and general educators], administrators, higher education representatives, and parents of students with disabilities.
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Term 6: Appropriate Challenge (cont.)
- As you have learned in previous training modules, our understanding of what students with significant cognitive disabilities can learn in the grade level content has dramatically expanded the past few years. Thus, up until now, we have not defined what proficiency on grade level content is - "how good is good enough in 4th grade or 8th grade or 10th grade- for students with significant cognitive disabilities.
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Term 6: Appropriate Challenge (cont.)
- In order to do so, you need a stakeholder group that includes people who know the students, people who know the grade level curriculum, as well as researchers, parents, administrators and policymakers. You also will have to prepare them to understand our past expectations may have been too limiting - that what we hope for in the future is more than what we have seen in the past.
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Alignment in the measurement world commonly refers to the extent to which the academic content standards are aligned to academic achievement standards in the following five characteristics: 1) range of content, 2) measurement of content and process, 3) the degree and pattern of emphasis, 4) the range of cognitive complexity and 5) representative achievement levels. Alternate assessments on alternate achievement standards for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities must be linked to content and achievement standards in that the same achievement levels must be represented, the pattern of emphasis at each grade is similar, measurement includes both content and process, and represent an increasing range of complexity. The Peer Review Guidance (USDOE, April 28, 2004) suggests that an appropriate level of challenge can be determined by relying on the judgment of a diverse stakeholder group that includes special educators, administrators, higher education representatives and families of students with disabilities. Effective practice would emphasize the importance of including general education and content specialists in the work group.
Alternate Achievement standards must be linked to grade-level content in order to promote access to the general curriculum as required by IDEA 97. The key is to achieve an appropriate level of challenge as judged by experienced professionals and stakeholders who understand the learning characteristics and theory of learning around the population of learners with the most significant cognitive disabilities. As you have learned in previous training modules, our understanding of what students with significant cognitive disabilities can learn in the grade level content has dramatically expanded the past few years. Thus, up until now, we have not defined what proficiency on grade level content is - "how good is good enough in 4th grade or 8th grade or 10th grade - for students with significant cognitive disabilities. In order to do so, you need a stakeholder group that includes people who know the students, people who know the grade level curriculum, as well as researchers, parents, administrators and policymakers. You also will have to prepare them to understand our past expectations may have been too limiting - that what we hope for in the future is more than what we have seen in the past.
The achievement standard must be defined through a documented, validated standard setting process. This may result in grade-level content that is reduced in complexity, depth and breadth. There may be one or more alternate achievement standards. Alternate achievement standards should be linked and defined in such a way that supports individual growth across grade-level. It is important to remember for students participating in alternate assessment on alternate achievement standards, that while required to link to grade level content standards the alternate assessment on alternate achievement standards will not be required to meet the same grade level achievement standards in regard to breadth, depth, and complexity.
Technical Quality
Term 7: Technical Quality
- Content validity
- Relationship of assessment to other variables
- Consistency of student responses
- Internal structure
- Statistical techniques used to verify reliability and validity
- Reliability
(Peer Review Guidance, April 2004, pp. 32, 33) |
Technical quality encompasses at least five elements: content validity, the relationship of the assessment to other variables, consistency of student response, internal structure and reliability. The first step in defining technical quality of alternate assessments on alternate achievement standards is to define content validity. The purpose of this workshop is to assist states in determining the appropriate academic content for alternate assessments on alternate achievement standards for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.
Term 8: Universal Design for Learning for AA-AAS
- Multiple means of expression.
- Students must be able to show what they know and can do
- Multiple means of representation.
- Students must be able to access the content of the assessment
- Multiple means of engagement.
- Students may need more time, meaningful activities, and contextual orientation
(CAST, 2002)
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Universal Design as applied to alternate assessment means that consideration should be given to multiple means of expression, multiple means of representation, and multiple means of engagement.
The Critical Link
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Since IDEA 1997 all students with disabilities are required to have access and have opportunity to progress in the general education curriculum. For students with disabilities to access the curriculum, they must have multiple ways in which content is presented and they can express what content they have learned. They also must have individually adapted ways to engage in daily classroom curricular activities. IDEA 2004 requires alternate assessments that are linked to grade-level content standards for all students so that states can measure the performance of all children including students with significant cognitive disabilities. It is unfair to students with disabilities to assess them on curriculum and content for which they have not had the opportunity to learn through lack of instruction in the format that is individually required based on the Individual Education Program (IEP). It is also necessary to assure students with significant cognitive disabilities be assessed in a format which they can access and express what they know and will engage participation and a response. So it is critical to provide a direct link between daily instruction in general education content, the state grade-level content standards on which instruction takes place, and the assessment content that is measured to demonstrate how much students learned after receiving that instruction.
Content Linking Process and Documentation Outcomes
- Use "tools" to build common understanding among stakeholders about appropriate instruction/assessment content
- Provides professional development materials that link to grade-level content
- Identify content for instruction & assessment
- Produce a Content Linking Chart
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Linking to the
Content Standards
Process
Step 1: Plan and select grade level teams
Step 2: Review the standards for that grade-level and identify what the standard is all about
Step 3: Identify the typical instructional activities and their outcomes for ALL students
Step 4: Identify specific examples of additional activities and outcomes that ensure access for kids who take AA- AAS
Step 5: Assess depth of knowledge or cognitive demand
Step 6: Prioritize, summarize, and chart the content using prioritization questions
Step 7: Evaluate the content linking chart |
Step 1: Plan and select grade level teams
- Grade level teams
- Regular Education (all grade levels)
- Special Education Teachers (experience with students with significant cognitive disabilities)
- Content Specialists for each content area
- Others, if desired.
- Assistive Technology Specialist
- Administrator
- Parents
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CAUTION
- DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS WITHOUT YOUR VERY BEST CURRICULUM PARTNERS AND SPECIAL EDUCATORS WORKING WITH YOU ON EVERY STEP!
- WHO you have do this work makes a big difference in the quality of the product.
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Step 1: Plan and select grade level teams (cont.)
- Planning
- Facilities with break out areas
- AV Equipment
- Computer with internet access
- Projector
- Materials
- Agenda
- Presentation/handouts
- Copies of grade-level content standards
- Worksheets
- Resource materials for content activities
- Amenities
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The process overview for linking to the content standards includes the seven steps listed in the slide above. Step 1 requires that stakeholders select grade level teams and then divide up into grade-level teams with appropriate representation in each: general, special education teachers and/or content specialists at a minimum. Parents, administrators, assistive technology specialists, etc., can be added to each group as appropriate. Remember that who you choose to do this work makes a BIG difference in the quality of the product. Do not attempt this without your very best curriculum partners and special educators working with you on every step. Each team will review each of the content standards and indicators if available. Slide 37 is a reminder of considerations when planning teams and securing rooms for the workday.
Trainer's Hint: Standards can be entered onto an electronic form that can be found in Appendix A prior to the work session. Each team should appoint a recorder. Laptop computers for each team would be a great way to get this done quickly.
Process for Developing the Content Linking Worksheet
Content Linking Worksheet Steps 2-7
- A tool to help identify content for alternate assessment
- A grade-level curriculum link for instruction
- Can preload Grade-Level Standards into form to save time
- Can complete electronically
- Start with example developed in PART IV of these training materials
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The Content Linking Worksheet is used to assist in providing a conduit to identify ways students with significant cognitive disabilities can access the grade-level standards using typical instructional activities and providing support and/or modified amount or complexity of the content and/or activity. After we demonstrate that the student can access grade-level content, then we can then provide ways to assess students. Once we have identified that we can provide access and assess on grade-level content, then we can prioritize content for inclusion in the alternate assessment by using a series of questions, summarizing, and charting our results.
Example of Step 2
Content Linking Worksheet
Content Area: Reading
Grade Level: 3
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What is the State Standard? Reading and Literature: B. Vocabulary Expansion; The student will use a variety of strategies to expand reading, listening and speaking vocabularies.
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What is the standard all about? Use a variety of strategies to increase vocabulary.
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In Step 2, we will identify the State Content Standards in each content area and for each grade level and describe what the standard is all about (critical function, big idea, or essence of the standard). For this process you will need your grade-level standards and short term objectives, indicators, or performance standards which will show the outcomes for all students. You may preload your worksheets with the Grade-Level Standards to provide more time for the rest of the process if desired.
Step 3: Identify the typical instructional activities and their outcomes for ALL students
- What are the desired outcomes for all students in general education?
- What will the classroom based assessment look like?
- What are the instructional activities planned for all students?
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Step 3: Identify the typical instructional activities and their outcomes
What are the desired outcomes for all students in general education? What will the classroom based assessment look like? |
What are the instructional activities planned for all students?
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- Acquire, understand and use new vocabulary.
- Use context and word structure to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words.
- Use dictionaries and glossaries to understand the meaning of new words.
ASSESSMENT
- Written vocabulary test with word bank.
- Multiple choice comprehension test using short excerpts from Charlotte's Web.
- Create original sentence for each vocabulary word.
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- Students will read new vocabulary from the book Charlotte's Web and identify new words as they read and develop a word bank using a dictionary to define the words.
- Students will read passages from Charlotte's Web and answer 10 comprehension questions to define and use new vocabulary
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In Step 3, we will list the outcomes for all students for the grade-level standard and a typical instructional activity used to teach and assess the standard. The outcomes may be identified in your Grade-Level standards document, or you may have your content experts and general education teachers identify them. You may wish to have resources available for teachers to use to help in identifying appropriate grade-level activities. Please use the concepts of universal design when designing instructional activities.
Step 4: Identify specific examples of additional activities and outcomes that ensure access for kids who take AA-AAS
- Which outcomes will be prioritized for direct instruction and monitoring for the student with significant cognitive disabilities?
- What will formative assessment look like?
- How can the student actively participate in the instructional activities?
- What are the assessment products available from the planned activity?
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Step 4: Identify specific examples of additional activities and outcomes that ensure access for kids who take AA-AAS
Which outcomes will be prioritized for direct instruction and monitoring for the student with significant cognitive disabilities? What will formative assessment look like? |
How can the student with significant cognitive disabilities actively participate in the instructional activities? |
- Acquire, understand and use new vocabulary.
- Use picture symbols to read words in context to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words.
- Use picture symbol dictionary to understand the meaning of new words.
ASSESSMENT
- Picture symbol vocabulary test using two choices.
- Multiple choice comprehension test using excerpts from Charlotte's Web using picture symbols and two choices.
- Create a sentence using 2-3 picture symbols
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- Students will read new vocabulary from the book Charlotte's Web and identify 3 new words as they read and develop a word bank using a dictionary to define words.
- Students will read passages from Charlotte's Web and answer 3 comprehension questions to define and use new vocabulary
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Step 4: Identify specific examples of additional activities and outcomes that ensure access for kids who take AA-AAS
What are the assessment products available for the planned activity? |
- Instructional Data on accuracy and level of support for answering comprehension questions
- Fill in the blank test using words, symbols, pictures, or objects
- Multiple choice comprehension test using words, symbols, pictures, or objects
- Performance task using a modified picture dictionary to define new words
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In Step 4, we will list the outcomes for students with significant cognitive disabilities for the grade-level standard and ways in which these students can access/participate in the typical instructional activity used to teach and assess the standard. The outcomes may be the same or prioritized to the most important. This decision is made through collaboration of content specialists, general education teachers and special education teachers. Remember to think about the "highest expectations possible" for these students.
Step 5: Assess depth of knowledge or
cognitive demand [D]
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Activity
- Given a content standard and grade-level expectation, the participants will use the example they developed for Step 4 to:
- Create one assessment activity for each level of complexity.
- Record activities on chart paper and post on wall.
- Share with large group.
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Activity
- Content Standard: Reading and Literature: The student will actively engage in the reading process and read, understand, respond to, analyze, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate a wide variety of fiction, poetic, and nonfiction texts.
- What is the Standard all about? The student will read, understand, and respond to a variety of literary text.
- 3rd Grade Performance Indicator: Acquire, understand, and use new vocabulary.
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Step 5: Assess depth of knowledge or cognitive demand (cont.)
Level of Complexity Of Assessment Activity for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities (Check one) |
__ Level 1 Knowledge
__ Level 2 Skill/Concept
__ Level 3 Strategic Thinking
__ Level 4 Extended Thinking
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