1. The Rhode Island Alternate Assessment (RIAA)
Science
September, 2015
Northern Rhode Island Collaborative, Lincoln, RI
This presentation is
RIAA Science

2. Agenda Alternate Assessment Grade Levels NCSC/MSAA
Welcome & Introductions
Website ( )
Alternate Assessment Grade Levels
NCSC/MSAA
Eligibility for alternate assessment
RIAA Science
Understanding science inquiry
Understanding AAGSEs
Putting it all together
ProFile: creating accounts, registering students, giving access to administrators
Introduce myself, Stephanie, and Sarah. Today we will cover the following topics regarding alternate assessment before diving in to the alternate assessment for science. I want to go over the website for alternate assessment just to make sure you know where to find things and you know what is there. After that, we will discuss a short update on NCSC and eligibility for the alternate assessment.
RIAA Science

3. The RI Alternate Assessment Program
Grade
RIAA Science
NCSC/MSAA (ELA/Math) 2 NA 3
Yes - Required 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Test Window
October 5 – April 29
March – May
This chart shows the grade levels and content areas tested by the two alternate assessments. Science is tested at grades 4, 8, and 11 only. NCSC (now called the MSAA) is the required test for English language arts and mathematics at grades 3-8 and 11. The testing windows for each test is different. The science test is a year-long portfolio-style assessment that begins on October 5 and ends with the final portfolio (datafolio) submitted for scoring on April 29, The dates for the NCSC/MSAA test have not been determined. The general testing window will be mid-March through May. More information will be sent about teacher training and student registration via the alternate assessment listserv as we get closer to January.
RIAA Science

4. MSAA Updates Standard setting occurred over the summer.
Score reports will be mailed to districts at the end of September.
Webinar dates to go over the data will be announced through the listserv.
MSAA: RI partnered with AZ, AR, CNMI, Guam, ME, MD, MT, SD, and TN to create the Multi-state Alternate Assessment.
Currently reviewing bids for test vendor
The last few years, the National Center and State Collaborative (NCSC) has been the name of the new alternate assessment in ELA and mathematics. Now, however, the US DOE grant that provided the funding for test development has ended. To prepare for this, RI partnered with the following states to create a new consortium: the Multi-State Alternate Assessment, or MSAA. The test you may have administered last year will remain essentially the same. There may be changes to administration procedures but not likely to the items themselves.
RIAA Science

5. Ways students participate in state assessments:
General education assessment without accommodations (PARCC/NECAP Science)
General education assessment with accommodations (PARCC/NECAP Science)
Alternate assessments (MSAA/RIAA Science)
Make up about 1% of the student population
Students with significant cognitive disabilities who meet the eligibility criteria
Disability impacts all domains of learning
There are three ways students participate in the state assessments [read list]. Students who cannot participate in the general education assessments with accommodations, and who meet the eligibility criteria, participate in the alternate assessments. These assessments, as we already discussed, are academic assessments in English language arts and mathematics.
Students who qualify to take the alternate assessment make up about 1% of the total student population. In RI, that is about 1,000 students at grades 3-8 and 11.
RIAA Science

6. Participation Criteria (page 10 of the IEP Team Guidance Document)
Each student who takes this assessment must meet each of these three criteria. These criteria are covered in great depth in the IEP Team Guidance document found on the RIDE website:
RIAA Science

7. Eligibility for the Alternate Assessment
Eligibility should be determined before the start of the school year.
IEP Team Guidance for Eligibility
The eligibility form must be used for all IEPs that will be reviewed this year.
For ALL members of the IEP Team.
Review pages 11 – 12 to understand which evidence and data are appropriate to use for eligibility determinations.
Every student registered for the alternate assessment should have an eligibility determination prior to beginning the test. Do not register a student if you do not have an eligibility determination. If the IEP meeting is late, try to get it moved to the soonest possible date so a proper determination can be made.
All IEPs from this point forward should use the form found in the current guidance document. Older forms do not have the current eligibility criteria and updated guidance around making a determination. This applies to any outstanding IEPs going forward. You do not need to reconvene an IEP team if that IEP has already been reviewed and a determination was made.
RIAA Science

8. The Structure of RIAA Science
Investigation
Content Standard (AAGSE)
Observe or Question
Plan
Conduct
Analyze
Inquiry Entry
“doing” science
Knowledge Entry
“learning” science content
The alternate assessment for science captures the two halves of science: the content (what is a star, what makes a living thing different from a non-living thing, what is the water cycle) (or “learning” content) and the scientific process (the “doing” of science) used during an experiment.
The Knowledge Entry captures the learning of the content and the Inquiry Entry captures the skills students need to conduct an experiment or investigation. In the graphic here, the Investigation bubble contains the Content standard. This means that the standard you select to assess will provide the context for the investigation. This is for the simple reason that you can’t have an experiment about nothing; it must have something to investigate and the standard provides that.
There are three areas of science content: Life Science, Earth and Space Science, and Physical Science. One standard must be assessed from each of these areas. The list of the standards available are in the back of the manual.
There are four Inquiry Constructs: Observe or Question, Plan, Conduct, and Analyze. Together these constructs create a process by which the each investigation should be done. The first step in any process of inquiry is having a question to answer or making an observation that then provides a direction for the investigation. Once a question or observation is made, the plan for carrying out the investigation must be made. After the plan is made, the student needs to carry out the plan, or conduct the investigation. Once there are results from the investigation, the student must analyze the results or make a statement about what they learned about the content.
One investigation will be done for each of the three science domains.
Life Science
Earth and Space Science
Physical Science
RIAA Science

9. The Inquiry Entry (entry 1)
Investigation
Observe or Question
Plan
Conduct
Analyze
Now we will focus on understanding the Inquiry Constructs in depth.
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10. Step 1: Observing/Questioning (page 17)
Make and describe observations in order to ask a question or make a prediction related to the science investigation.
Students learn about the content in the AAGSE:
Watch (observe) animals, the sun, the stars, ice to water which turns to steam,…plants grow, documentaries, movies, etc.…
Read books, articles, etc…
As I mentioned before, the inquiry constructs form a process by which a science investigation is carried out. The first part of any investigation is about having a question to answer. It’s important to understand that the description of observing or questioning includes making AND describing an observation in order to ask a question about the science content. For any AAGSE (standard) that you select, the question or observation must be about that content. For example, if you selected the life science AAGSE, Distinguish between living and non-living things, the students must learn about living and non-living things in order to ask a question that would form the rest of the investigation. Understand that for students to be able to “distinguish” between living and non-living things, they must first learn what makes something living or non-living. It is acceptable, and sometimes preferable, if the investigation does not focus on the entire AAGSE for the inquiry section of the assessment. The focus here is process of the investigation, not necessarily the content standard in it’s entirety.
If you select ESS1.1.4a Match rocks and minerals using one physical property to assess earth and space science, you might choose to focus on learning and making observations what the physical properties are for rocs and minerals for an investigation rather than on having the student “match” the rocks and minerals. Matching rocks and minerals to their physical properties would be assessed in the knowledge section of the assessment, which we will cover later.
RIAA Science

11. Step 2: Planning (page 17) Tools to be used
Identify information or evidence that needs to be collected or tools to be used in order to answer a question or check a prediction.
Tools to be used
tangible items
Information to be collected
Sources of information, times, frequency of data collection
What they will collect
Number of something, temperature, people with a certain trait, etc.
The second step in an investigation, after deciding what question will be the focus, is to plan exactly what will be needed (tools) and what data students will gather during the investigation in order to answer the question. Students, with your help, should be able to identify what they need in order to carry out the investigation: the tools they need and the data they are planning to collect during the investigation. To continue with the example of the physical properties of rocks and minerals, tools might include the rocks and minerals themselves, scrapers to identify hardness, magnifying glass to see the luster, etc. The information collected might include the attributes of the rocks and minerals to see if there are any differences between them as groups.
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12. Step 3: Conducting (page 18)
Grade 4: Follow procedures or use appropriate equipment or measurement devices accurately to record qualitative or quantitative data.
Procedures: How the student collected data
Equipment/measurement devices: How and what the student recorded the data on their datasheet
Others?
Grade 8: Use data to summarize results.
Numerical (quantitative data)
Observational (non-numerical data)
Grade 11: Use accepted methods of organizing, representing, or manipulating data.
Organizing: uses data sheets, groupings of observations.
Representing/manipulating: tables, graphs, pictures, etc.
Conducting is the third step in carrying out the science investigation. This is the only inquiry construct that has grade-level descriptions. The descriptions sound very much like what was discussed in Planning. The important distinction is that Conducting is carrying out the investigation, not planning it. In some cases, this will be repetitive and similar to Planning and that’s ok.
RIAA Science

13. Step 4: Analyzing (page 18)
Use evidence to support and/or justify interpretations or conclusions or explain how the evidence refutes the hypothesis.
Involves looking at the data and making decisions.
Uses data to answer the investigation question.
The arctic hare changes from brown in summer to white in winter. This means that animals can respond to changes in season.
Analyzing is not recording data on the data sheet.
Analyzing is not answering questions about the data.
How many people in class have dogs?
The last step in the investigation is analyzing. After the investigation is complete, the student needs to make some kind of statement using the data that they collected. Analyzing is the part where the question is answered. Sometimes teachers interpret this step as asking questions of the student like ‘how many people in class have dog?”. Analyzing is not recording information on a data sheet. This is incorrect. Writing or recording data on a data sheet would be considered Conducting. Using the example of the arctic hare above, the data the student collected may have been pictures of the hare in summer, spring, fall, and winter. From those pictures, they could say that animals can respond to changes in the season because they went from brown to white.
RIAA Science

14. Putting it Together Mapping out the science investigation
Now that the inquiry constructs and the steps in an investigation have been explained, let’s put all of that together and create an outline for an investigation.
RIAA Science

15. ESS1.2.1a: Identify the forms of water in the water cycle
Observe/Question:
Watch a video to learn about the water cycle.
Watch evaporation happen and identify condensation
What observations will students make? Observe the water in the glass; observe the water evaporating when the light is turned on. Observations will be recorded on their observation sheet.
Question: Is water always liquid or does it change into something else?
Planning:
Tools needed for investigation: bowl/measuring cup, plastic wrap, water, desk lamp, observation sheet
How will the investigation get set up?
Conducting (steps of investigation):
Fill measuring cup with water
Cover with plastic wrap
Shine desk lamp on measuring cup filled with water
Record what you see on the observation sheet
Analyzing:
After the student records what they observed, answer the questions:
Is water always liquid or does it change into something else? Answer: __________
What observations did you make that tell you water can change from one form to another? _______________________
This AAGSE is very popular and chosen by many teachers at Grade 4. Remember, for the inquiry entry, you have to assess the entire AAGSE but you must focus on the essential content of that standard. In other words, not all of the AAGSE needs to be addressed in the science investigation. On the slide, essential content of the AAGSE is in pink. The context of the investigation will be Forms of water in the water cycle. The entire AAGSE will be assessed in the Knowledge Entry.
It should be noted that sometimes the entire AAGSE can be included in the investigation. This is fine as well.
On the slide are each of the four inquiry constructs with notes about what would be included in each section. Writing it out like this is very helpful, especially when you have to write a description of each inquiry construct.
For Observe/Question, there are some videos student can watch that show them the different parts of the water cycle along with sample questions. Planning just outlines the order in which the investigation will take place. Conducting shows the steps of the investigation and analyzing lists those potential questions that students would answer in order to help them draw conclusions about what they learned about the water cycle.
RIAA Science

16. PS 3.2.1a Identify objects that are or are not attracted to magnets.
Observe/Question:
Watch a video to learn about magnets
(Teachers)
(Teachers)
Observe: What kinds of objects do magnets stick to?
Test: Do bigger magnets attract more paperclips than smaller magnets?
Planning:
Tools needed for investigation: 2 magnets (one big and one small), paperclips (or a lot of something magnetic), paper and pencil to record data
How can the investigation be set up?
Conducting (steps of investigation):
Take one magnet and hold it over the paperclips
Move the magnet away from the paperclips to make sure they stick and it can hold as much as possible.
Take all of the paperclips off the magnet and count them.
Record how many paperclips magnet #1 holds
Repeat the steps with magnet #2
Analyzing:
After recording how many paperclips the magnet holds, answer the questions:
Which magnet holds the most paperclips? __________
Is the bigger or smaller magnet more powerful? _______________________
If you had an even bigger magnet, do you think you would be able to pick up more paperclips?
This is another popular standard that teachers select. Here the essential part of the standard is magnets. In the Observe/question section, I added some resources for teachers who may feel they need to learn more about magnets. Please take a minute a read through this.
As I’ve said before, writing out investigations like this is very helpful when designing an investigation. When you complete the forms that go into the datafolio, an outline like this is very helpful.
RIAA Science

17. LS 1.1.1 Distinguish between living and non-living things.
Observe/Question:
Watch a webcam of a favorite animal(s)
Watch animals in the classroom, at home, in the park, etc.
webcam/index.php
Any animals in the classroom, service dogs, therapy dogs, etc.
Observe: What does the student notice about the things in the classroom and on the webcams?
Question: What do all living things have in common?
Planning:
Develop a checklist of living attributes to decide if something is alive or not.
Pick 10 objects to test. They are:…..
Conducting (steps of investigation):
Observe the webcams and animals, people, and other objects in the classroom
Select one of the objects (list is above) and answer each question on the checklist
Based on the answers to the questions, is the object living or non-living?
Repeat the steps with next object
Analyzing:
After completing the checklist to determine what makes something alive, answer the question: what do all living things have in common? How do you know?
This is a popular standard chosen for Grades 8 & 11 but there is a similar standard at the 4th grade.
It is important that for any standard containing living organisms, you include some way for the student to experience those organisms. The traits of living things includes breathing, eating, moving, growing, and it’s essential that students have a way to experience living organisms first-hand so they have a chance to identify those traits through experience. Included in the observing/questioning list are several web cams that connect to various zoos and aquariums around the country. In the absence of animals in the classroom, this could be a good substitute for students to learn about the traits of living and non-living things.
RIAA Science

18. Assessing Inquiry (page 16)
Page 58: ESS 1.2.1a: Identify the forms of water in the water cycle
Observe/Question
Conducting
Page 60: PS 3.2.1a Identify objects that are or are not attracted to magnets.
Page 56: LS Distinguish between living and nonliving things
Now that you have a good understanding of each inquiry construct and how they fit into a solid science investigation centered around the essential part of the standard you chose and you have a good outline of each science investigation, you have to assess ONE of the inquiry constructs. You are not assessing the standard for this entry. For the Inquiry Entry, you are assessing how well the student did on the inquiry construct, not the standard.
For each grade level, there are certain inquiry constructs that can be assessed. While all inquiry constructs are included in the investigation, only one will be assessed. In the manual where you find the AAGSEs, there are codes that tell you which inquiry constructs can be assessed for each standard. For the ones listed here, there are two to choose from. We could either pick Observe/Question for each domain or Conducting for each domain.
RIAA Science

19. Science Inquiry Entry Structure
Once you have selected the inquiry construct you will be assessing, you must assess that construct for each domain. Here is a diagram of each collection period. Each collection period has one domain and the same inquiry construct will be assessed throughout. For the examples provided so far, the inquiry construct being assessed is Conducting.
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20. Did the student complete all of the steps in the investigation?
MAGNETS:
Conducting (steps of investigation):
Take one magnet and hold it over the paperclips
Move the magnet away from the paperclips to make sure they stick and it can hold as much as possible.
Take all of the paperclips off the magnet and count them.
Record how many paperclips magnet #1 holds
Repeat the steps with magnet #2
Collection Period 1
WATER CYCLE:
Conducting (steps of investigation):
Fill measuring cup with water
Cover with plastic wrap
Shine desk lamp on measuring cup filled with water
Record what you see on the observation sheet
Collection Period 2
When you assess the inquiry construct, you grade the student on how accurate he/she was in completing the conducting portion of the investigation only. For conducting, this is what the student would be graded on for each of the investigations. You would note how many steps the student did and how many they got correct. This becomes the student’s Accuracy Score. Additionally, and this will be covered more later in the presentation, you would indicate when the student needed assistance from you and what kind of assistance they needed (hand-over-hand, verbal prompting, etc.). In terms of providing student evidence of these steps, pictures of students engaged in carrying out one of the steps listed here or the observation sheet would be perfect. Usually pictures of the student engaged in the investigation are most effective.
Collection Period 3
LIVING and NON-LIVING:
Conducting (steps of investigation):
Observe the webcams and animals, people, and other objects in the classroom
Select one of the objects (list is above) and answer each question on the checklist
Based on the answers to the questions, is the object living or non-living?
Repeat the steps with next object
RIAA Science

21. The Knowledge Entry (entry 2)
Assessing the content of the AAGSEs.
Content Standard (AAGSE)
The knowledge entry is the second part of the alternate assessment for science. The knowledge entry is where you assess the full AAGSE (standard) that you selected.
Life Science
Earth and Space Science
Physical Science
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22. Our example so far: CP 1 CP 2 CP 3 Entry 1: Inquiry Conducting
Knowledge
ESS1.2.1a: Identify the forms of water in the water cycle.
CP 2
Entry 2: Knowledge
PS 3.2.1a Identify objects that are or are not attracted to magnets.
CP 3
LS Distinguish between living and non-living things.
So far, we have three science investigations, one for each science domain, one will be conducted in each collection period.
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23. Science Knowledge Entry Structure (page 16)
For each collection period, you will also assess one AAGSE in one of the domains. The order, or which domain is assessed in which collection period, doesn’t matter. One domain must be assessed in each collection period. This means that for each collection period, you will assess one inquiry construct and one AAGSE.
We have already discussed the inquiry entry and inquiry constructs at length. The focus for the Knowledge entry is the content, the full AAGSE.
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24. ESS1.2.1a: Identify the forms of water in the water cycle
For this AAGSE, the student must identify the forms of water in the water cycle. Here is a worksheet for a student to complete that can provide evidence that they know the forms of water in the water cycle. You don’t need to focus on the inquiry construct or the investigation at this point. After the student completed this worksheet, you would grade it for accuracy and not where the needed assistance and what type of assistance the student used (hand-over-hand, elbow prompt, verbal prompt, or no assistance).
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25. LS 1.1.1 Distinguish between living and non-living things.
For this AAGSE, distinguish between living and non-living, sometimes the investigation can overlap the Inquiry and Knowledge entries easily. In this case, the data sheet used for assessing conducting can also be used for the knowledge entry as evidence that the student can distinguish between living and non-living things.
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26. PS 3.2.1a Identify objects that are or are not attracted to magnets.
Assesses the AAGSE
For this AAGSE, this is a sample data sheet where the student can record what kinds of objects magnets stick to. Be careful! This worksheet is evidence of the AAGSE but not Conducting that was assessed during the investigation. What you use to assess the AAGSE and the inquiry construct doesn’t have to match.
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27. How to write up the Inquiry Entry
Describe the science investigation clearly.
Convey how the student was assessed.
Ensure that description clearly shows what the data was collected on.
After the investigations and student evidence is collected for both the inquiry and knowledge entries, you have to complete the RIAA Science forms.
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28. Datafolio Forms for Inquiry
Data Summary Sheet
Student Documentation Form (LS)*
Student Documentation Form (ESS)*
Student Work
(can be any domain – Water/Magnets/Living)
SDF:
Conducting (Water Cycle)
SDF:
Conducting (Magnets)
These are the forms you must complete for the datafolio. There is one sheet that has all of the data for each collection period on it, called the Data Summary Sheet. Following that are three sheets, one for each domain, called the Student Data Forms (SDF). Here you can see the AAGSEs that examples were provided for. Then, completing this entry, is one piece of student work for the inquiry entry. The evidence can come from any of the domains; use your discretion to choose what you believe is the clearest example of the student engaged in the inquiry construct you chose to assess. For our example, we would choose the best evidence that showed the student engaging in Conducting.
Student Documentation Form (PS)*
SDF:
Conducting (Living/non-living)
* Science domains can be assessed in any order as long as all three are covered over the course of the year.
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29. Description of Investigation Student-Level Description
SDF for Inquiry (page 30)
Description of Investigation
When you register students in ProFile, it will automatically complete the Student name, grade, date, collection period. Also when you register a student, you have to select the AAGSE and inquiry construct your are assessing for the collection period that has begun (shown here in pink). ProFile will automatically add that information to the Student Documentation Form. The rest of the form will be blank for you to fill out.
The box that says “Describe the four components of the SPT/Science Investigation…” is where you describe each of the inquiry constructs. All four parts of the science investigation, OBSERVE/QUESTION, PLANNING, CONDUCTING, and ANALYZING, must be included in the description in order to receive full credit for that section. Be brief in this section. One or two sentences per inquiry construct are all that are necessary. Be sure to include specific examples of organisms, types of magnets used, objects that magnets stuck to, specific rock and mineral names, etc. If the description is vague, scorers won’t know what the student really did.
The next box contains the description of how the did on the inquiry construct that is being assessed. This is not about the AAGSE, only the inquiry construct. Describe what the student did only regarding the inquiry construct that is being assessed, not the AAGSE. Remember, the AAGSE is only providing the essential content for the investigation and will be assessed in the Knowledge entry.
The last two boxes: Accuracy and Independence are where you describe how the student did on the inquiry construct. How many steps did the student get right? Writing it up does not have to be complicated. The example on the slide is one way and there are others in the examples in the manual.
Independence is where you describe, for each opportunity (step in conducting that we are assessing), you write what the student needed for prompting, if anything. If the student didn’t receive any prompting, they are 100% independent.
Student-Level Description
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30. How to write up the Knowledge Entry
Describe the AAGSE activity clearly.
Convey how the student was assessed.
Ensure that the description clearly shows how the data was collected.
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31. Datafolio Forms for Knowledge
Data Summary Sheet
Student Documentation Form (LS)*
Student Documentation Form (ESS)*
Student Work
(can be any domain – Water/Magnets/Living)
SDF:
AAGSE Water Cycle
SDF:
AAGSE Magnets
The Knowledge Entry has the same forms as the inquiry entry but with a focus on the AAGSE. The Student Data Forms are where you describe how the student was assessed on the complete AAGSE. Then, completing this entry, is one piece of student work showing evidence that the student was assessed on the complete AAGSE. The evidence can come from any of the domains; use your discretion and choose what you believe is the clearest example of the student showing his or her knowledge of the AAGSE.
Student Documentation Form (PS)*
SDF:
AAGSE
Living/non-living
* Science domains can be assessed in any order as long as all three are covered over the course of the year.
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32. SDF for Knowledge (page 30)
Copy/Paste from Inquiry
As with Inquiry, the only sections you need to complete are the boxes describing the investigation, how the student showed what he or she did to demonstrate they know the AAGSE, and the accuracy and independence sections.
You already wrote the description of the investigation so it can be copied and pasted into the first box (Describe the four components of the SPT/science investigation). You do not need to change what you wrote.
The second box is a description of what the student did to show what they know about the AAGSE. They could have complete a worksheet similar to the examples provided so you would need to say that the student completed a worksheet on the water cycle and then name each form water.
The accuracy box is how well the student did on the worksheet or other activity. How many did they get correct? The independence box describes any prompting the student required in order to complete the task.
Student-Level Description
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33. How to Complete the Data Summary Sheet (DSS)
Student Documentation Form (LS)*
Student Documentation Form (ESS)*
Student Work
(can be any collection period)
The last form to complete for both the Inquiry and the Knowledge entries is the Data Summary Sheet.
Student Documentation Form (PS)*
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34. Data Summary Sheet Includes: (Page 28)
One Data Summary Sheet for Inquiry and one for Knowledge
Data over the year in the following categories:
Level of Accuracy
Level of Independence
Levels of Assistance
Data points
Three data points in each collection period
Each data point is from a different day
One data point is a narrative written on the Student Documentation Form (SDF).
The Data Summary Sheet captures all of the data for the year, across all of the collection periods, on accuracy, independence, and prompting the student requires. There are three data points/collection period. Each data point is from a different day. One of these datapoints will be linked to the Student Documentation Form we just learned about.
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35. Least
On the Data Summary Sheet, ProFile will populate each collection period with the AAGSE you selected and it will also have the inquiry construct you selected to assess for each domain. For Collection period one, there are three data points, or DPs, and one SDF. This should tell you that there should be a Student Data Form with the data October 1 on it. Below it, you will select the percentages for independence from the drop-down list. Below that are the prompts. It is important that any prompts a student uses are entered with the least invasive prompt, like a verbal prompt, at the top with more invasive prompts listed below. ProFile will do the math to ensure that all percentages equal 100%. ProFile also has several built-in error messages that will alert you to an incorrect or unfinished section of this sheet.
Most
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36. Accuracy, Assistance, and Independence
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37. Level of Accuracy
Example: # of times the student is correct #of opportunities the student the student has “James was given 2 opportunities to select the animals that breathe. He was correct 1 out of 2 times for an accuracy rate of 50%.” 1/2 = 50%
RIAA Science

38. 1 out of 5 independently 1/5 = 20%
Level of Independence
Example:
“The student performed [the skill; what is being measured] independently 1 out of 5 opportunities.”
1 out of 5 independently 1/5 = 20%
RIAA Science

39. Levels of Assistance Are prompt hierarchies/instructional prompts
Facilitates the completion of a task
Individualized for each student
Fade and/or modify as a student progresses toward independence
RIAA Science

40. Examples of Levels of Assistance
Gestural Prompt (GP)
Prompts of a nonverbal nature that help students respond and provides them with cues related to the content of the activity.
Verbal Prompt (VP)
Spoken statements that help students respond and provides them with cues related to the content of the activity.
Model (M)
Requires the teacher to demonstrate a desired behavior in order to prompt an imitative response.
Partial Physical Prompt (PPP)
Physically guides the students through the target skill/task, but at a less intrusive level (hand-over-wrist, elbow, shoulder)
Full Physical Prompt (FPP)
Requires the teacher to place his/her hand on top of student's hand and physically guide the student through the target behavior/task (hand-over-hand). The teacher, rather than the student, exerts the effort, which minimizes errors.
You can use whatever abbreviations or words you need to use for the prompts you enter into ProFile. These are some examples and general descriptions.
RIAA Science

41. Entering the Level of Assistance
Choose three prompts for each student and arrange them from least invasive to most when you enter them into ProFile.
Verbal prompt (VP)
Wrist prompt (PPP)
HOH prompt (FPP)
These are examples. If your student uses only one prompt, the other two can be blank. It is important to note that once you select the prompts, you cannot change them for subsequent collection periods.
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42. What if the student doesn’t require a Level of Assistance?
In ProFile:
Leave prompts blank and N/A
Select 100% for level of Independence.
This must be completed in order for calculations to be correct.
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43. Connection between Levels of Independence and Assistance
1 out of 5 opportunities independent 1/5 = 20%
0 out of 5 with verbal prompts 0/5 = 0%
2 out of 5 with partial physical prompts 2/5 = 40%
2 out of 5 with full physical prompts 2/5 = 40%
100%*
*Must add up to 100%.
ProFile will provide an error message when they do not add up to 100%.
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44. Choosing and Submitting Student Work
It is important that any student work submitted meet the criteria in order for it to be considered valid for scoring.
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45. Student Work Product Criteria:
completed by the student
graded and initialed by the teacher
Graded in a way that is clear what is and is not correct. Scorers will not spend time trying to figure out how a teacher graded something.
ONE piece of student work should be submitted for the science knowledge entry and ONE for the inquiry entry. If more than one is submitted for an entry, the first student work product will be used for scoring.
Examples of work products include drawings or writings, worksheets, journal entries, projects, lab reports, and data sheets.
If the student work is a worksheet or data collection form, observation form, etc., then it must be completed by the student. It must also be graded in a way that clearly shows what is right and what is wrong. Scorers of the datafolios will not spend time trying to decipher what is correct or incorrect. The teacher must initial the student work. Lab reports or worksheets that are more than one page are acceptable.
Only one piece of student work should be submitted for Inquiry and one for Knowledge, just like the earlier diagrams in previous slides. This means that one piece of student work should be submitted for ONE science domain of your choice. If you submit one piece of student work for each domain, then the first domain will count for scoring and the rest will be ignored.
There are examples of student work in your manual that you can use for reference.
RIAA Science

46. Photograph Criteria: (page 36)
A photograph of the student participating in the science investigation, not a picture of the student standing next to the finished product, is the only acceptable kind of photograph.
Multiple photographs are acceptable.
An explanation of the student’s participation must be included on the Photograph Evidence Documentation form.
To activate the form in ProFile, click the box under the heading on the SDF. Activate the form on each SDF for each collection period if you are unsure which piece of evidence to submit. This way you will have access to the form, whether or not you need it.
NOTE: If you didn’t activate the form and you would like to include student work for that collection period, you may type or hand-write a description and include it with the photograph. This is the ONLY part of the datafolio that can be hand-written.
Photographic evidence works well for showing the student participating in the planning and conducting inquiry constructs especially but it can be used for any of the inquiry constructs as well as AAGSE evidence. The photograph must show the student participating in an activity, not standing next to work. This is the only kind of photograph that is acceptable.
Multiple photos are acceptable.
A short description of what the student is doing in the photo must be included on the Photo Evidence Form found on ProFile. If you cannot access it, don’t worry, you can type or handwrite an description and include it with the entry documentation in the datafolio without being penalized.
RIAA Science

47. Student Work Product Label: (page 36)
The optional Student Work Product Label was designed as a reminder to include the required data for student work. Some things to keep in mind:
It is a tool to ensure all information is included; it is NOT required to submit student work.
If a Student Work Product Label is used, that information must correspond to the graded student work attached.
One sheet of labels will be shipped to schools with binder materials.
More labels can be printed from the RIDE website at and click on the “RIAA” tab.
Measured Progress will not ship additional labels to you.
Included with the datafolio materials are a sheet of student work product labels. These are to ensure you include all the necessary information required for scoring. These are, however, optional. What is required is the information, not the label. It doesn’t matter if you handwrite the information on the student work itself.
RIAA Science

48. Student Work Product Label
This is an example of the student work label. LOA means “levels of assistance” and this is where you should include the prompting information.
*The student work product must clearly show incorrect/correct answers in addition to accuracy calculation.
RIAA Science

49. Correcting Mistakes (page 33)
No white out for whole sentences
No tape, glue, etc.
Page X for an example…just cross out and write above.
One last note. As you complete and print the forms and put them into the datafolio, you may notice you made mistakes. In your manual, there are instructions on how to correct mistakes. However, the basic rules are: no white out for whole sentences, no tape or glue. Just cross out the mistake and write the correction above it.
RIAA Science

50. Other Forms Table of Contents Checklist – Page 37
FERPA Form – Page 38 & 39
Affirmation of Test Security – Page 40
RIAA Science

51. ProFile Creating your account – Page 24 Registering Students – Page 42
Transferring students – Page 48
Contacting the Help Desk – Inside Cover
Contacting RIDE – Inside Cover
RIAA Science

52. RIAA Science Calendar (inside front cover)
Student Registration
September 14
ProFile Open for Student Registration
February 12
Registration closes for
Last Day to Remove Students from Class Lists. Only transfer students processed after 2/12.
April 1
Last Day to Submit State-Approved Special Considerations and Waivers for MSAA
Materials Shipments
March 14
Binders & Return Materials Shipped to Schools
April 29
UPS Pickup
Discuss the Resource handout.
RIAA Science

53. RIAA Assessment Dates (inside front cover)
Collection Period 1
October 5 – November 13
Collection Period 1: Assessment
November 13 – December 4
Wrap-Up and Administrative Review
December 4
ProFile locks at midnight
Collection Period 2
January 4 – February 12
February 12 – 26
February 26
Collection Period 3
February 29 – April 8
April 8 – April 29
April 29
RIAA Science

54. RIAA Administration Training Survey
Participation Certificates will be distributed via after the survey has been completed.
RIAA Science