Alabama Extended Standards & Body of Evidence Marla Davis Holbrook & Susan Skipper Fall Leadership Conference August 17, 2006

Federal Legislation & State Response  Federal legislation mandates: State content standards State content standards Access to the general curriculum for all students Access to the general curriculum for all students Participation of all students in state assessments Participation of all students in state assessments

Federal Legislation & State Response  State response : Content standards listed in Alabama Courses of Study Content standards listed in Alabama Courses of Study All content standards must be taught and tested All content standards must be taught and tested State assessments measure achievement of content standards State assessments measure achievement of content standards For students with significant cognitive disabilities For students with significant cognitive disabilities Teacher task force developed the Alabama Extended Standards (linked to state content standards) Teacher task force developed the Alabama Extended Standards (linked to state content standards) Alabama Alternate Assessment measures achievement of the Alabama Extended Standards Alabama Alternate Assessment measures achievement of the Alabama Extended Standards

Student Achievement & Accountability State Assessment StateStandardsParticipants Alabama Reading and Math Test (ARMT) Alabama Content Standards Most students including students with disabilities, with or without accommodations Alabama High School Graduation Exam (AHSGE) Alabama Content Standards Most students including students with disabilities, with or without accommodations Alabama Alternate Assessment (AAA) Alabama Extended Standards Students with significant cognitive disabilities

Changes in Curriculum & Assessment Then…Now… No required content for students with significant cognitive disabilities Students with significant cognitive disabilities must be taught and tested using grade level Alabama Extended Standards Functional curriculum and academic curriculum seen as an either/or choice Functional and academic skills are blended in the curriculum Students with significant cognitive disabilities were assessed on IEP goals/benchmarks by the IEP Team Students with significant cognitive disabilities are assessed on Alabama Extended Standards based on a body of evidence submitted to a third party

Alabama Extended Standards  The Alabama Extended Standards are the courses of study for students with significant cognitive disabilities who participate in the Alabama Alternate Assessment.

Teaching Alabama Extended Standards  All Alabama Extended Standards for the student’s grade of enrollment must be taught and tested.  Materials used for teaching Alabama Extended Standards and documenting performance should be age appropriate.  Materials are age appropriate if a same age peer without a disability would use something similar.

Monitoring Student Progress  Student performance should be continuously measured.  Classroom instruction should be driven by the results of ongoing student progress monitoring.

Body of Evidence  A variety of evidence must be collected on each Alabama Extended Standard throughout the academic year.  Teachers will select the items most representative of student performance for inclusion in the body of evidence.

Body of Evidence  The Body of Evidence includes a variety of products that illustrate student achievement on each Alabama Extended Standard for the grade level of enrollment.  A Body of Evidence may include actual student work, captioned photographs, videotapes, audiotapes, data charts, and graphs.

Documenting Student Performance  Evidence must document the student’s demonstration of knowledge and skills while attempting a given task.  Teacher lesson plans, teaching materials, and classroom schedules DO NOT document student performance.  Entries into the body of evidence that document only when and/or how a skill was taught will be given a score of zero.

Collecting Evidence  Documentation must be clear, readable, and easily interpreted by a third party.  Record the date, standard, and a brief description as each piece of evidence is collected.  Evidence should not include unidentifiable materials, inaudible tapes, or unreadable copies.

Collecting Evidence  Evidence must clearly relate to the standard.  The link between the evidence and the extended standard must be clear. For example, tracing and coloring measure fine motor skills, and are not evidence of academic performance.

Submitting the Body of Evidence  The body of evidence will be sent to a third party for evaluation.  The evidence alone will determine the scores on the AAA.  Teachers will not have an opportunity to explain or clarify evidence once it is submitted.

Submitting the Body of Evidence  Documentation submitted as part of the body of evidence must stand on its own.  Evidence stands on it own if persons unfamiliar with the student can look at the submitted documentation and draw consistent conclusions related to student performance.