1. Alternative Maryland School Assessment (Alt-MSA)
Maryland State Board
of Education
August 26, 2008

2. Relationship between the General Curriculum and the MSA Program
Content
Achievement
Regular
Alternate
Modified
MSA/HSA 
Mod- MSA/HSA
Alt-MSA
In review, this chart details the relationship between the general curriculum and the Maryland State Assessment Program.
MSA/HSA - Assessments based on the State’s academic achievement standards for the grade in which a student is enrolled. For students with disabilities, it is administered in accordance with the student’s IEP with or without accommodations.
2. Mod-MSA/HSA - Alternate assessments based on grade-level content standards and modified academic achievement standards in order to address the instructional and assessment needs of eligible students with disabilities for whom the regular State assessment, even with accommodations, may be too challenging and the alternate assessment with alternate achievement standards, which may not provide challenging opportunities for students with disabilities to demonstrate their knowledge of a specific content area.
3. Alt-MSA – Alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards for students who have significant cognitive disabilities. Students are assessed based on “Extended” standards, which may include substantially simplified content, including emerging and pre-requisite skills. 2

3. Alternate Assessments based on Alternate Standards
NCLB 2001 allows states to define alternate academic achievement standards—
Aligned with the State’s academic content standards;
Yield results separately in reading/language arts, math, and science;
Designed to use of the results to determine AYP;
Should not focus on functional skills or IEP goals,
IEP goals that reference the content standards may be assessed and are appropriate to be included; and
Meet requirements for technical adequacy.
National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)
The development of the Alt-MSA is based on the guidance provided in legislation as highlighted here on this screen, it is recognized that each student participating in ALT-MSA has unique learning needs. 3

4. Maryland’s Alternate Assessment (Alt-MSA)
Assesses students with significant cognitive disabilities.
Reports student mastery of individually selected indicators and objectives from the reading, mathematics and science content standards.
It is a portfolio assessment constructed of evidence that documents individual student mastery of the reading, mathematics and science objectives.
The Alt-MSA is administered to students in grades 3-8 and grade 10 in reading and mathematics and science in grades 5, 8 and 10.
ALT-MSA is not designed to be the sole responsibility or be conducted by an individual classroom teacher.
Our students typically have multiple service providers and may follow a transdiciplinary model, including related service providers, special and general education teachers, and instructional assistants.
All staff involved in instruction with the student are expected to participate in instruction and assessment. 4

5. Mastery Objectives selected by the IEP team based on student’s instructional level
Combines instruction consistent with the Individualized Education Program (IEP)
Provides framework for the instructional program for students with significant cognitive disabilities
Timeline for Alt-MSA is a 6 month window of instruction and assessment: September 2, 2008 – March 18, 2009
The ALT-MSA test design places decision making about reading and mathematics instruction and assessment related to the Maryland Content Standards directly to the instructional team that teaches the student, instead of to the State. Selected Mastery Objectives form the framework for the student’s reading, math and science instructional program. 5 5

6. Alt-MSA Participation Guidelines
Learning extended at emerging, readiness, or functional literacy levels
Explicit and ongoing instruction in functional skills
Substantial modification of general education curriculum
Instruction that may require extensive supports
Extensive support to perform and participate meaningfully and productively in daily activities
Cannot participate in the ModMSA even with accommodations
As mentioned earlier, the decision for which assessment is appropriate for an individual student is made by each student’s IEP Team.
A student with a significant cognitive disability will participate in Alt-MSA if he or she meets each of the following criteria listed here.
Extended Maryland content standards refers to developed extensions of our state academic content standards for each grade level.
They are designed to allow students with significant cognitive disabilities to access the general education curriculum.
The extensions are a clear link to the content standards for the grade in which the student is enrolled.
The grade-level content may be reduced in complexity or modified to reflect emerging or pre-requisite skills to a particular content standard objective and/or indicator.

7. Characteristics of students who participate in Alt-MSA
Limited Communication
Very limited Academic Achievement
Highly Specialized Instruction
Extensive Supports:
The students who participate in Alt-MSA range from students with severe and profound disabilities to some students with moderate and other disabilities.
The students differ greatly in their ability to respond to tasks and provide responses.
Many of the alternate assessment students use simple language structures to communicate and seldom acquire new skills through incidental learning. They require intensive instruction with extensive supports, ranging from the use of augmentative communication devices/Assistive Technologies when communicating, to small group instruction and an individualized prompting system to participate meaningfully in instruction.
When general education peers are reading paragraphs and answering questions, the alternate assessment student might be identifying objects, pictures, or picture communication symbols, that allow the student to access the content and when typical peers are writing and solving equations, the alternate assessment student might be using objects, picture communication symbols, or pictures of objects to show their understanding of the content with a real world connection. 7

8. Access to Content through Assistive Technology
DynaVox 3100
Communication Book using Picture Communication Symbols (PCS)
Tech Talk
Step-by-Step
Communicator
On this side you see examples of Alternative and Augmentative Communication devices (AAC) that are used by many of our students who participate in Alt-MSA in order for them to respond to tasks and access the general curriculum by adapting and modifying activities using one or more of these methods.
4 Talk 8

9. SAMPLE: Grade 6 Math Sample
Master Objective (Math 9) – Given objects/pictures of objects in a patterned set. [STUDENT] will identify the number of items with 2 partial physical prompts. 1 time with 100% accuracy.
Student direction: [STUDENT] will dot the correct number using a bingo dabber.
How many sea animals are in each set? 2 7 3 8

10. SAMPLE: Reading Aligned with Science
Master Objective (Reading #4) – Given vocabulary words from a grade-level content unit, [STUDENT] will identify the correct word to use in a sentence/phrase with 2 model prompts. 1 time with 100% accuracy.
Observable and Measurable Student Response: Select the appropriate pre-glued symbol and place it in the space provided.
Alignment to Grade-Level Curriculum: Grade 3 Chemistry – A. Structure of Matter
1. Identify ways to classify objects using supportive evidence from investigations of observable properties.
a. Classify objects based on their observable properties.
Accuracy Score:
Prompts: ___ Independence: _2_ Gesture: _1_ Verbal: ___ Model: ___ Partial Physical: ___ Full Physical: ___ a
Water is a
Ice is a
liquid a
solid

11. Evidence (Artifacts) Acceptable Artifacts (Primary Evidence)
Videotapes-1 reading and 1 math mandatory
Audiotape
Student work (original)
Data collection charts (original)
Unacceptable Artifacts
photographs, checklists, narrative descriptions
The samples you have seen in this presentation are work samples. Test examiners may submit any one of the following listed here as evidence. 11

12. What is standardized in the Alt-MSA?
Number of mastery objectives assessed
Format of mastery objectives
Content standards/topics assessed
All MOs must have baseline data and evidence of mastery at 80%-100%
Types of artifacts permissible
Components/Requirements of artifacts
Training and Handbook provided
Scoring training and procedures
In review, the design of Alt-MSA, as outlined in the Alt-MSA Handbook, provides standardized guidelines. A list of what is standardized is provided here. 12

13. What is flexible in the Alt-MSA?
Which mastery objective within content standard/topic to assess
May write MOs vs. select from MO bank
Use of prompts
Type of artifact used
work sample, audiotape, videotape, data collection
In this slide you will see the flexibility in the design of the Alt-MSA for students to access and participate in the assessment based on their instructional level. 13

14. Alternative Maryland School Assessment (Alt-MSA)
Standard Setting

15. Alt-MSA
Alternative assessment for students with severe cognitive disabilities
Assesses reading, mathematics and science
Reading and math are administered at Grades 3-8 and 10
Science is administered in Grades 5, 8, and 10
Portfolio assessment- tasks specific to IEP
Reading and math scores included in AYP: 1%

16. Numbers of Students Participating in the 2008 Alt-MSA
Grade 3 4 5 6 7 8 10
Science NA
642
789
825
Reading
468
536
590
643
Math
537

17. Alt-MSA Standard Setting
Science
New assessment (NCLB)
First standard setting
Reading and Mathematics
Review, verify and realign

18. Standard-Setting Work Flow
8 content groups
Week of
July 28th
Psychometric Council
Review & Articulation Committee
Week of August 18th
State Superintendent
State Board of Education
August
26-27th
Set Alt-MSA Standards

19. 8 Standard-Setting Groups
Teachers who work with the student population
Alt-MSA Science (2 groups)
Lower (Grades 5 and 8)
High School (Grade 10)
Alt-MSA Reading (3 groups)
Elementary (Grades 3-5)
Middle (Grades 6-8)
High School ( Grade 10)
Alt-MSA Mathematics (3 groups)

20. Alt-MSA Scoring Alt-MSA uses raw scores
Portfolios receive a score between 1 and 10
Process is to determine which score range represents performance that is considered proficient and advanced

21. Reasoned Judgment Procedure
To make their judgments participants consider:
Exemplar portfolios (all possible score points)
Performance level descriptors
Design and scoring of the assessment
Their experience working with these students O
Portfolio Score of 1
Portfolio Score of 10

22. The Questions Participants are asked:
What score should a student receive on their portfolio to be considered “just barely” proficient?
What score should a student receive on their portfolio to be considered “just barely” advanced?
Note: Assessment is not content based- it is individualized to IEP objectives

23. Review and Articulation
Week of August 18, 2008
Superintendents
Local Accountability Coordinators
Local Directors of Special Education
Teachers
Central Office Personnel
Advocates for students with special needs
Parents
Business Community members
MSDE

24. Proposed Alt-MSA Cut Scores: All Grades
Content
Proficient
Advanced
Science 6 9
Reading
Math

25. Science Impact Data
Percent of Maryland Students Scoring Proficient and Advanced on 2008 Alt-MSA Science Portfolio
Grade
Proficient/
Advanced
Proficient 5
69.5
54.2%
15.3% 8
70.9
54.4%
16.5% 10
67.8
53.0%
14.8%

26. Reading Impact Data
Percent of Maryland Students Scoring Proficient and Advanced on 2008 Alt-MSA Reading Portfolio
Grade
Prof./Adv.
Proficient
Advanced 3
89.6%
16.5%
73.1% 4
87.8%
18.8%
69.0% 5
88.3%
18.2%
70.1% 6
21.2%
66.6% 7
87.1%
19.6%
67.5% 8
89.0%
22.2%
66.8% 10
84.7%
21.1%
63.6%

27. Math Impact Data
Percent of Maryland Students Scoring Proficient and Advanced on 2008 Alt-MSA Math Portfolio
Grade
Prof./Adv.
Proficient
Advanced 3
86.9%
22.6 %
64.3 % 4
87.8%
20.9 %
66.9 % 5
86.9 %
20.2 %
66.7 % 6
88.3 %
22.4 %
65.9 % 7
86.3 %
19.3 %
67.0 % 8
88.0 %
22.2 %
65.8 % 10
86.4 %
25.3 %
61.1 %

28. 2008 Alt-MSA Science, Reading & Math Results – Proposed Standards
Grade
Science
Reading
Math 3 NA
89.6%
86.9% 4
87.8% 5
69.5%
88.3% 6 7
87.1%
86.3% 8
70.9%
89.0%
88.0% 10
67.8%
84.7%
86.4%

29. Next Steps for Alt-MSA Science Assessment
September 1
Implement cut scores, double check the data for accuracy at school and system level
Late September
Parent reports on Alt-MSA Science sent to school systems
Data added to regular MSA science data and reported on website

30. Alternative Maryland School Assessment (Alt-MSA)
Questions &
Discussion