1. Field-test FLEXIBILITy: an overview
October 31, 2013

2. field-test flexibility: an overview
2013–2014: States field test new assessments aligned to college- and career-ready standards in reading/language arts and mathematics June 18, 2013: Secretary Duncan announced that the Department would be willing to entertain requests for waivers related to “double testing” for this one year of field tests
In September, the Department released additional documents related to this flexibility that explained the opportunity in further detail. Today we are going to review the information in those additional documents. 1

3. Field-test flexibility: key documents
Letter from Assistant Secretary Delisle
Frequently Asked Questions
Optional Request Templates 2

4. Field-test flexibility: what is it?
Double-Testing Flexibility: Allows schools that participate in the field tests to administer only one reading/language arts and one mathematics assessment to an individual student
Determination Flexibility: Allows schools that participate in the field test to retain for 2014–2015 the same Federal accountability designations as they have for 2013–2014 and implement the same interventions and supports in 2014–2015
Collectively: Field-Test Flexibility 3

5. Field-test flexibility: who can request it?
Any State that will field test new assessments aligned to college- and career-ready standards in reading/language arts and mathematics in 2013–2014 can request the flexibility
Not limited to States with ESEA flexibility or a grant under Race to the Top
Fall testing States may request the flexibility (see A-10 in the Field-Test Flexibility FAQs)
On the last bullet, we’ve received some questions about whether fall testing states may request the field-test flexibility. They may, but they must provide the same information in their request that all other States must provide, including the list of schools that will participate in the field test. In addition, as is noted in A-10 in the Field-Test Flexibility FAQs, a fall testing state must submit its request prior to the 2013–2014 administration of its State assessments. 4

6. Field-test flexibility: which assessments?
Assessments aligned to a State’s college- and career-ready standards, including:
General assessments, including those developed by a Race to the Top Assessment consortium (PARCC or Smarter Balanced)
Alternate assessments based on alternate academic achievement standards, including those developed by a General Supervision Enhancement Grant consortium (DLM or NCSC) 5

7. Field-test flexibility: participating in the field test
For purposes of the field-test flexibility, a school “participates in the field test” if at least one full classroom or course section within the school takes the full form of the assessment in one subject area during the 2013–2014 school year. (See A-6 in the Field-Test Flexibility FAQs) 6

8. Participating in the field test: one classroom/course section
All students in the class who are required to take the assessment being field tested, for example:
Students in tested grades (if class includes multiple grades)
Students who take the general assessment (if field test is of the general assessment)
For high school, all students in one period during which a course is taught
(See A-11, A-12 in the Field-Test Flexibility FAQs) 7

9. Participating in the field test: full form of the assessment
“Full form of the assessment” means all items and components of the form of the field test
Not just some test items
May be full form of the assessment in just one subject (i.e., reading/language arts or mathematics) 8

10. PARTICIPATING IN THE FIELD TEST: DURING 2013–2014
“During 2013–2014” means completing the full form of the field test during this school year
Need not be in one sitting or one test window (e.g., may be multiple testlets over the course of the year) 9

11. PARTICIPATING IN THE FIELD TESt
This definition is for purposes of the field-test flexibility only. A school is not prohibited from being part of a field test if it does not meet the definition.
Remember: A school may get the flexibility as long as it “participates in the field test” of at least one assessment (reading or math, general or alternate). 10

12. Participating in the field test: an example
K-8 school, four classes at each grade level. One 5th-grade class takes the full form of the math field test; all other classes take the current State math test. All classes in grades 3-8 take the current State reading/language arts assessment.
The school participates in the field test for purposes of the field-test flexibility.
(See A-6 in the Field-Test Flexibility FAQs)
This means that if the SEA for this school requests and receives the field-test flexibility, the students in the 5th grade class taking the math field test would be required to take only that math field test and would not also need to take the current state math test. Of course, the students in the 5th grade class would also take the current state reading test, and the students in all other classes in the school in grades 3 through 8 would take both the current state math test and the current state reading test.
*Pause here for questions 11

13. Double-testing flexibility
Allows schools that participate in the field tests to administer, for purposes of meeting the assessment requirements in ESEA section 1111(b)(3), only one reading/language arts and one mathematics assessment in 2013–2014 to any individual student — i.e., either the current State assessment or the field test. All students must still participate in both a reading/language arts assessment and a mathematics assessment in 2013–2014. 12

14. Double-testing flexibility: what does it waive?
ESEA sections 1111(b)(1)(B) and 1111(b)(3)(C)(i)
Require an SEA to apply the same academic achievement standards, and to use the same academic assessments, for all public school children in the State
Waivers would permit any individual student to take only one assessment in each content area in 2013–2014 — i.e., either the current State assessment or the field test 13

15. Double-testing flexibility: what does it waive?
ESEA section 1111(b)(3)(C)(xii)
Requires individual student interpretive, descriptive, and diagnostic reports that include information regarding achievement on State assessments to parents, teachers, and principals as soon as is practically possible after an assessment is given
Waiver would permit an SEA or LEA to refrain from producing or providing these individual student reports for a student’s performance on the field test
All reporting obligations must still be met for performance on the State test.
We’ll talk more about reporting in a bit, but I wanted to mention it here because there is one reporting provision that is waived for the double-testing flexibility.
See B-1 in the Field-Test Flexibility FAQs for the list of provisions waived under the double-testing flexibility. 14

16. DETERMINATION FLEXIBILITY: WHAT DOES IT WAIVE?
ESEA sections 1116(a)(1)(A) and 1116(c)(1)(A)
Require an LEA and an SEA to make AYP determinations for schools and LEAs, respectively
Waivers would permit an LEA to refrain from making AYP determinations for schools that participate in the field test and an SEA to refrain from making AYP determinations for one-school LEAs that participate in the field test
AYP determinations must still be made for all other schools and LEAs
An SEA with ESEA flexibility may already have these waivers 15

17. DETERMINATION FLEXIBILITY: WHAT DOES IT WAIVE?
ESEA sections 1111(h)(1)(C)(ii) and 1111(h)(2)(B)
Require an SEA and LEA, respectively, to report on performance against AMOs
Waivers would permit SEA or LEA to refrain from reporting performance against AMOs for any school or single-school LEA that participates in the field test
An SEA and its LEAs would still report performance against AMOs for:
Subject that is not part of the field test
All other schools and LEAs
See B-2 for a list of the provisions waived under the Determination Flexibility. 16

18. Determination flexibility in a non-esea flexibility state
No AYP determination for schools or single-school LEAs that participate in the field test
Schools and single-school LEAs that participate in the field test would retain their 2013–2014 improvement status for 2014–2015
Would not enter or exit improvement
Would not move up in the improvement timeline
Would continue same interventions in 2014–2015 17

19. Determination flexibility in an esea flexibility state
Greater flexibility in implementing because ESEA flexibility already permits waiver of AYP and does not require annual identification of priority and focus schools
Determination flexibility might affect:
Identification of reward, priority, and focus schools
Exiting focus or priority status
Annual grades or ratings
AYP determinations (if not already waived)
(See D-2 in the Field-Test Flexibility FAQs)
How the determination flexibility affects these factors will depend on the SEA’s particular ESEA flexibility request. For example, an SEA that has chosen to annually identify priority schools might want to amend its request to provide that, following the 20132014 school year, it will maintain its current list of priority schools for one additional year, as it is permitted to do under ESEA flexibility. An SEA requesting the determination flexibility should consider how it wishes to implement the flexibility with respect to each of these issues and submit an amendment request and redlined ESEA flexibility request along with its waiver request. 18

20. Determination flexibility and amao 3 under title III
Where possible, make AMAO 3 determinations based on the performance of English Learners within an LEA who take the current State assessment.
Where not possible (i.e., because an LEA does not meet the minimum “n” because of English Learner participation in the field test or is a single school LEA participating in the field test), make Title III accountability determinations based on AMAOs 1 and 2 performance.  
 Contact your Title III program contact with questions.
Some SEAs have raised questions about how they would make AMAO 3 determinations under the Title III program if they receive the determination flexibility, which is making AYP for the subgroup of English Learners.
Because the accountability flexibility is focused on schools, not LEAs, the Department expects that an SEA will usually be able to continue to make AMAO 3 accountability determinations for its LEAs based on the performance of English Learners who take the current State content area assessments across the schools within an LEA.  But, for single-school LEAs that receive the flexibility or for an LEA that does not have enough English Learner students taking the current State content area assessments to meet the State’s accountability n size as a result of their participation in the field test, the SEA should still make Title III accountability determinations for that LEA based on AMAO 1 and 2 performance.  We encourage SEAs to reach out to their Title III program contacts at the Department with any questions regarding this guidance. 19

21. DOUBLE-TESTING FLEXIBILITY AND DETERMINATION FLEXIBILITY
Applies to all schools that participate in the field test
May request for field test of either or both general or alternate assessment aligned to alternate academic achievement standards
SEA may choose not to request at all or to request only for some schools that participate in the field test
May request only in conjunction with the double-testing flexibility
An SEA may choose to apply the determination flexibility to only some schools that participate in the field test because it’s possible that the rest would have valid and reliable data from which to make accountability determinations. This would be the case, for example, if only the minimum number of students in the school participated in the field test, such that the students who take the current State assessments constitute a representative sample of all students at the all students level and within each subgroup.
The SEA might want the determination flexibility only for the schools that have so many students participating in the field test that the students taking the State assessment do not constitute a representative sample.
*Pause here for questions. 20

22. REPORTING UNDER THE FIELD-TEST FLEXIBILITY
An SEA or LEA need not report results from a field test.
It must …
Must meet all reporting obligations with respect to results on State assessments, including for students who also participate in a field test
Report participation rate — total, for the field test, and for the State assessments
Report against AMOs for reading if the field test is only for math and vice versa
Report Federal accountability designation (even if same as the prior year)
See Section E in the Field-Test Flexibility FAQs. 21

23. FIELD-TEST FLEXIBILITY FOR ALTERNATE ASSESSMENTS (1% TESTS)
Special rule for application of double-testing flexibility:
Individual students who take full form of the field test of an alternate assessment based on alternate academic achievement standards in reading/language arts or mathematics during 2013–2014 may receive the benefit of this flexibility (i.e., need not be double tested)
However, the full classroom or course section threshold would still have to be met for the students’ school to receive the benefit of the determination flexibility
(See F-1 in the Field-Test Flexibility FAQs)
Remember, when we say the full classroom or course section threshold would still have to be met, we mean as we discussed previously (i.e., all kids in the class in the tested grades who take the assessment being field tested). 22

24. FIELD-TEST FLEXIBILITY AND INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAMS (IEPs)
IEP teams should determine whether a student’s IEP should be modified so that the student can participate in the field test, including modifications to address:
Accommodations available on the field test that might not previously have been available but meet the student’s needs
A student’s participation in the field test of the general assessment if the IEP indicates participation in an alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards
(See F-2, F-3 in the Field-Test Flexibility FAQs)
We do not anticipate that all IEPs will necessarily need to be modified so that a student can participate in a field test, but we know a number of questions have been raised about how IEPs might be affected by the flexibility.
On the first bullet, we know that there are other issues that may arise relating to the accommodations required by a student’s IEP, for example, the situation in which a student’s IEP requires an accommodation that will be available on an operational assessment but is not yet available on the field-test. We encourage IEP teams to consider these issues carefully in order to ensure that all students participate in an assessment – whether the field test or the current State assessment – with the accommodations they need.
On the second bullet, we encourage SEAs to develop plans that ensure that students who previously participated in an alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards participate in the field test of a general assessment. This will be particularly important for ESEA flexibility States because, under ESEA flexibility, an SEA may no longer administer an alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards beginning in
Please review F-2 and F-3 carefully, as they contain a lot of helpful information and considerations related to IEPs and Section 504 plans. 23

25. FIELD-TEST FLEXIBILITY: OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
In deciding whether to request the field-test flexibility, an SEA should consider, for example:
Whether state law requires annual assessments or annual accountability determinations based on assessments
Promotion, remediation, or graduation requirements
Implications for the operation of the SIG program
Implications for teacher and principal evaluation and support systems
Implications for determining English Learner status
Implications for its ability to carry out external evaluations of particular programs
Note, in particular, the first bullet; remember, the Department can waive only Federal requirements, not any relevant State or local requirements.
These are merely examples. 24

26. REQUESTING THE FIELD-TEST FLEXIBILITY
An SEA may, but is not required to, use the template requests posted on ED’s website
Must include list of schools that will implement the flexibility
Must include comments from LEAs, per the waiver requirements of ESEA section 9401
An ESEA flexibility SEA should also include an amendment request and a redline of its approved ESEA flexibility request
Requests are due November 22, 2013 25

27. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION …
All documents related to the field-test flexibility are available on the Department’s website: Contact your ESEA flexibility contact or, for non-ESEA flexibility States, Carlos Martinez at with additional questions
More questions? 26