The TRIAAD Project Targeting Research to Investigate Alternate Assessment Development January 16, 2008 Courtney Foster, Office of Assessment Melissa Metts, Office of Exceptional Children

A Practice to Avoid Oh magic 8 ball, can we develop an alternate assessment based on modified achievement standards?

Our Goal Determine the components necessary to design an alternate assessment based on modified achievement standards that responds to the identified needs in South Carolina

Developing Assessments Universal design principals and development of customized forms Each item on SC statewide assessments –Content and test development specialists (office of assessment staff) –Content review committees (teachers) –Bias and sensitivity committees (various stakeholders) –Students with disabilities experts

First Things First Who are the students that need an AA- MAS? –Looking at the data SC-Alternate Assessment based on Alternate Achievement Standards (SC-Alt) Use of accommodations Item characteristics (current research agenda)

2005 Off-Grade Level Assessment Administrations ELA 15,343 students 33.5% of students with disabilities 4.9% of all students tested state wide Math 13,729 students 29.8% of students with disabilities 4.4% of all students tested

Data from the SC-Alt The SC-Alt was designed to meet the needs of students with the “most significant cognitive disabilities”. –Student participation is based on their cognitive and adaptive skills without reference to their South Carolina disability classifications.

SC-Alt 2007 Number of Students Tested Compared to 2006 Group Increase NumberPercent Moderate % Autism % Severe % Mild % Orthopedic % OHI % Other % All Students %

Use of Accommodations

The Next Steps After identifying these students: –Develop assessment prototypes –Pilot the prototypes –Write modified achievement level descriptors –Professional development for SC educators