2. STAAR Alternate 2 Preparing for the STAAR Alternate 2 Assessment 2015

3. STAAR Alternate 2 l 20153 Overview STAAR Alternate 2 Assessment Participation Counts Materials Texas Assessment Management System Tasks Test Results Resources Contact Info

4. STAAR Alternate 2 l 20154 STAAR Alternate 2 Assessment STAAR Alternate 2 Overview Updates Important Dates Eligibility and Participation Requirements Subjects Assessed Test Design Accommodations Information Who can Administer STAAR Alternate 2? Test Administrator Responsibilities

5. STAAR Alternate 2 Overview STAAR Alternate 2 l 20155 STAAR Alternate 2 is: an assessment based on alternate academic standards designed for students with significant cognitive disabilities receiving special education services. a standardized assessment (redesigned based on state legislation) administered individually to each eligible student.

6. Updates STAAR Alternate 2 l 20156 State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR ® ) Alternate 2 will now be a paper-based assessment and individual student responses will be transcribed into the TestNav online form. Participation counts must be entered during the window (Sept. 22 – Oct. 24). Districts will need to submit their own student data files. Pearson will not load previous year STAAR Alternate 2 students. The End-of-Course (EOC) Code field (CSV location AI) is mandatory for STAAR Alternate 2 grades 9–12.

7. Updates (continued) STAAR Alternate 2 l 20157 The Alternate Assessment Assistant and Alternate Assessment Teacher roles will no longer have any permissions associated with them beginning December 2014. Alternate Assessment Teachers no longer have to be assigned to students in the assessment management system. Test sessions must be created and students added to test sessions. Student responses will be transcribed into TestNav. The STAAR Alternate 2 assessment window is shorter.

8. STAAR Alternate 2 l 20158 Important Dates STAAR Alternate 2 Important Dates 9/22/2014 – 10/24/2014Participation counts window 11/5/2014 – 2/27/2015 SDU submission window Registration available 12/29/2014 - 03/27/2015Additional order window 1/9/2015 Materials list posted online 1/19/2015 Test session creation 1/23/2015Materials due in district 2/2/2015Proctor caching available 2/9/2015 – 2/20/2015STAAR Alternate 2 Assessment 3/6/2015Return nonscorable materials 5/20/2015Grades 3 – 8 reports due in district 6/5/2015EOC reports due in district

9. Eligibility and Participation Requirements STAAR Alternate 2 l 20159 The admissions review and dismissal (ARD) committee determines whether a student with a significant cognitive disability is eligible to take STAAR Alternate 2 based on specific criteria. Please review the Educator Guide for STAAR A and STAAR Alternate 2 for additional information on eligibility and participation requirements.

10. Subjects Assessed STAAR Alternate 2 l 201510

11. Test Design STAAR Alternate 2 l 201511 Six clusters comprise a test form resulting in 24 scripted questions per test. The test materials will include a test administrator booklet and a student booklet. The test administrator booklet contains scripted questions and guidelines for how the test will be administered. A student booklet contains stimulus images and text needed for the student to select answers. This design allows for standardization of the assessment and eliminates the need for teachers to prepare tasks or materials.

12. Accommodations Information STAAR Alternate 2 l 201512 The accommodations must: maintain the integrity of the assessment, avoid leading to or providing the student with a direct answer, be used routinely in instruction, reflect the student’s learning styles, and allow a student to respond using a mode that is appropriate for the student.

13. Who Can Administer STAAR Alternate 2? STAAR Alternate 2 l 201513 The STAAR Alternate 2 test administrator should be the student’s teacher for the subject being tested, and must have a high level of familiarity with the student so that testing accommodations can be prepared appropriately and the student’s typical response modes can be understood.

14. Test Administrator Oath STAAR Alternate 2 l 201514 The STAAR Alternate 2 test administrator must initial and sign the test administrator oath following training on test security and general testing procedures and before handling secure test materials.

15. Paraprofessionals STAAR Alternate 2 l 201515 Certified and noncertified paraprofessionals who may serve as test administrators or test administrator assistants are: currently employed by the district, and routinely work with students in the classroom. Paraprofessionals must be supervised by a certified professional on the same campus throughout the test administration.

16. Test Administrator Responsibilities STAAR Alternate 2 l 201516 Include: maintaining security of test materials while in their possession, preparing test materials for each administration, implementing the test administration processes and procedures stated in the manuals, monitoring and maintaining test security, viewing secure test materials, reporting any suspected violation of test security to the campus coordinator, transcribing student responses into TestNav (can also be done by other designated individuals), and preparing test materials for return to the campus coordinator at the conclusion of test administrations.

17. Test Administrator Assistants STAAR Alternate 2 l 201517 The test administrator assistant can provide assistance including: preparing allowable accommodations, manipulating materials during the testing session, translating or signing information for the student, and managing student behavior. All test administrator assistants: must be trained in test security and administration procedures prior to the assessment, and must sign the test administrator’s oath of test security and confidentiality.

18. STAAR Alternate 2 l 201518 Participation Counts Participation counts must be entered in the Texas Assessment Management System, delivered through PearsonAccess, beginning September 22, 2014, and submitted no later than 11:00 PM (CT) on October 24, 2014.

19. STAAR Alternate 2 l 201519 Materials Materials list posted online by: 1/9/2015 Due in district by: 1/23/2015 Additional Order window: 12/29/2014 - 03/27/2015 Return secure nonscorable materials to Pearson by: 3/6/2015

20. Materials (continued) STAAR Alternate 2 l 201520 Return all nonscorable materials: test booklets grouped by grade for grades 3–8 test booklets grouped by course for EOC assessments STAAR Alternate 2 test administrator manuals photocopies of secure test materials, if used Pack STAAR Alternate 2 materials either by campus or by district. If you are packing by campus, be sure that all the materials for a single campus are grouped together and packed in the box before adding materials from another campus. Do not mix STAAR Alternate 2 materials with STAAR or TELPAS materials in the same shipment.

21. STAAR Alternate 2 l 201521 Texas Assessment Management System Tasks Enter or Upload Student Data Create Test Sessions Print Student Authorizations Transcribe Student Responses into TestNav Enter Score Codes Verify Accommodation Categories

22. Enter or Upload Student Data There are two options for entering student data to the Assessment Management System. Districts may upload student data using a file created locally, and/or enter student data manually. STAAR Alternate 2 l 201522

23. Create Test Sessions In order to transcribe scoring information into TestNav, students must be assigned to test sessions. Test sessions are electronic groupings of students that are specific to each grade, subject, course and test form (five forms in most grades). Campus testing coordinators should create test sessions at least one to two weeks before testing. After sessions have been created, students can be added individually or by group. STAAR Alternate 2 l 201523

24. Print Student Authorizations Student authorizations may be printed after students have been placed into a test session. The student authorizations contain the URL that will be entered into a browser to access TestNav and the unique username and test code needed to log in to transcribe scoring information for an assessment. STAAR Alternate 2 l 201524

25. Transcribe Student Responses into TestNav After student authorizations have been printed, student responses can be added into TestNav. The test administrator will log in to TestNav using the student’s authorization ticket and transcribe student responses. A student’s transcribed performance information is automatically scored when the Final Submit button is clicked at the end of the test. It is not necessary to make a selection in the Score Code menu for performance data to be scored. STAAR Alternate 2 l 201525

26. Enter Score Codes If a student does not complete the test, one of the following score codes must be selected when marking the student’s test complete. A = Absent Student is absent throughout the testing window. A student should not be marked absent if the student was absent on the testing days but also fits one of the score designations below. M = Medical Exception Student does not participate in the STAAR Alternate 2 assessment on the basis of the student’s medical condition, as determined by the ARD committee and documented in the student’s IEP. A decision not to assess a student based on a medical exception should be rare. STAAR Alternate 2 l 201526

27. Enter Score Codes N = No Authentic Academic Response Student does not participate in the STAAR Alternate 2 assessment on the basis of the student’s disability, as determined by the ARD committee and documented in the student’s IEP. A decision not to assess a student based on the student’s disability should be rare. O = Other Student Not to Be Scored Student experiences a test administration irregularity or illness during testing and cannot complete the assessment. STAAR Alternate 2 l 201527

28. Verify Accommodation Categories Additionally, test administrators or other campus personnel will complete the accommodations information for each assessment after the student performance data has been transcribed. STAAR Alternate 2 l 201528

29. STAAR Alternate 2 l 201529 Test Results Score reports will include the individual performance level ratings of students, scale scores, and number of questions answered correctly within each reporting category for each of the assessed grades and content areas. Score reports are due in district: 5/20/2015 (Grades 3 – 8) 6/5/2015 (EOC)

30. STAAR Alternate 2 l 201530 Resources www.texasassessment.com/resources Educator Guide for STAAR A and STAAR Alternate 2 User’s Guide for the Texas Assessment Management System 2015 District and Campus Coordinator Manual STAAR Alternate 2 Test Administrator Manuals STAAR Alternate 2 Sample Items STAAR Alternate 2 Administration Participation Collection (broadcast e-mail) STAAR Alternate 2 Medical Exception Eligibility Requirements STAAR Alternate 2 No Authentic Academic Response Eligibility Requirements Texas Education Agency: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/special-ed/staaralt/ http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/special-ed/staaralt/

31. Support Texas Education Agency (TEA) Phone: (512) 463-9536 Email: staaralt@tea.state.tx.usstaaralt@tea.state.tx.us Pearson’s Austin Operations Center Phone: (800) 627-0225 Email: TXPearsonAccess@support.pearson.comTXPearsonAccess@support.pearson.com