1. Alabama Alternate Assessment (AAA)…
FROM THE BEGINNING
August 31, 2012
Peggy Windham, Presenter

2. Alabama Alternate Assessment
Developed as requirement of IDEA
Based on IEP goals in all areas
Scored by individual IEP Team
Sent to vendor for report generation
Additional requirements under NCLB
Must develop guidelines for students eligible to take AAA
Must be based on extension of state content standards in reading, mathematics, and science
Must meet same technical requirements as all other assessments (i.e., validity, reliability, etc.)

3. What is the AAA? Is a portfolio assessment
Is based on the Alabama Extended Standards in reading, mathematics, and science which were developed by a task force made up of special education teachers, regular education teachers, and administrators
Is a collection of evidence of the assessment of the student’s mastery of each extended standard

4. Who takes the AAA?
Portfolio performance assessment
Reading Grades 3-8 and 11
Mathematics Grades 3-8 and 11
Science Grades 5, 7, and 11
Collection of evidence of performance on the extended standards
Photographs — Teacher tests/Worksheets
Audio/video — Work Samples
Written Performance Summary
Designed for students with significant cognitive disabilities
Note we are not testing grades K-2, but if your school assesses 1st and 2nd grades with the Stanford then you must administer an assessment to your AAA students but it will not be the AAA. Coordinate with your Special Education Coordinator as to what assessment you will use.

5. Eligibility for the AAA
Criteria to consider during the decision-making process regarding which assessment is appropriate
Student’s cognitive functioning
IQ of 55 and below
Curriculum
Revised 2006 Alabama Extended Standards

6. Extended Standards Complexity
The complexity taught and tested may vary by extended standard.
Within a standard all 3 pieces of evidence are collected on only one complexity level
Example:
R. ES 4.1—Complexity 3 (all 3 pieces of evidence)
R. ES 4.2—Complexity 2 (all 3 pieces of evidence)
R. ES 4.3—Complexity 4 (all 3 pieces of evidence)
R. ES 4.4—Complexity 2 (all 3 pieces of evidence)
R. ES 4.5—Complexity 1 (all 3 pieces of evidence)

7. Teaching Extended Standards and Collecting Evidence
Teachers teach the ES and collect evidence of student performance throughout the school year.
Pacing guide/lesson plans
Crate/paper box (1 per student)
Select three pieces of evidence to be scored
Three pieces of evidence are collected on every extended standard. Must cover the ES for the grade level enrolled.
Reading 3-8 and 11
Mathematics 3-8 and 11
Science 5, 7, and 11

8. Five Ways to Submit Scorable Evidence
1. Student worksheets/teacher tests
― 10 item rule
2. Student work samples
― Something that has been manipulated (cut and paste)
3. Photograph or series of photographs
― Annotated word-for-word
4. Audio/video
― Scripted word-for-word
5. Written Performance Summary
SDE form must be used

9. Student Worksheets or Teacher Tests
Original student’s work should be sent for the AAA scoring.
Teachers should indicate accuracy of student answers.
Each worksheet/test must contain at least ten (10) items. (Worksheets may be combined to total at least ten (10) items. These combined worksheets will be considered one piece of evidence.)
Must have a Body of Evidence Entry Cover (BOE) Sheet attached.

10. Student Work Samples
Original student work samples will include, but not be limited to:
Student’s written work
Student drawings
Projects
Narratives
Must have a BOE Entry Cover Sheet attached.

11. Photograph(s)
A photograph or series of photographs must clearly illustrate the student’s performance of the standard.
The “Task Summary” on the BOE Cover Sheet must explicitly summarize the pictured activity.
Let another teacher look at the picture and read the summary to see if they can tell you what activity took place.
Must have a BOE Entry Cover Sheet attached.

12. Audio/Video
A tape, CD, or DVD is acceptable.
The audio/video must clearly illustrate the student’s performance of the standard.
The audio/video can be no more than five (5) minutes in length per piece of evidence.
Put all pieces of evidence for reading, math or science using audio/video on one to two cassette tapes/CD/DVD per subject area.
Ex: all reading on one CD, all math on one CD, all science on one CD.
Each audio/video must be accompanied by a word- for-word script.
Must have a BOE Entry Cover Sheet attached.

13. Audio/Video Restrictions
Audio cassette tape—no restrictions
Video tape/DVD—No mini DVDs, Hi8, or any small tapes. If these are used, they must be transferred to a standard tape/DVD to be submitted.
CD—no restrictions
Must include a word-for-word script

14. Written Performance Summary
This is a detailed description of the activity.
It documents, in detailed sequence, the steps or behaviors of how the student performs on the activity
All sections must be completed and the detailed summary of the student’s performance on the activity

15. Written Performance Summary
Always provide the details
Name the book that was read
Give the number of coins and which coins used
Give the words that were read
Give the letters sounded out or blended
Always include
Level of assistance and level of complexity
Participants, materials, and setting
Directions
Criteria for Success
Include any input from other adults and/or students
Please be very specific!!!

16. The Three Levels of Assistance
1. Independently—the student performs the task without prompting or support. The cognition of the task is performed entirely by the student.
2. Prompting—the student is provided cues by the teacher or aide (oral cues, repeat or additional directions, and/or gestures that initiate or sustain a task). The cognition of the task is performed entirely by the student.
These all come into play once I have given the materials and directions to the student for the first time. I may need to repeat the directions a couple of times to the student to ensure they understand what they are to do then after that the Levels of Assistance come into play.

17. Levels of Assistance
3. Support—the student receives direct assistance to achieve the skill. The cognition of the task is not performed by the student alone; however, the task is not completed by the teacher. This assistance is more than prompting.
The teacher may assist the student in completing the task.
Hand-over-hand is not support (teacher is performing cognition)

18. Minimum Evidence Alabama Alternate Assessment(AAA)
Minimum Evidence Per Extended Standard
Online at click on:
Sections
Assessment and Accountability
Publications
AAA information

19. Good Instruction vs. Good Assessment
Lesson Plans
Based on content standards with individual student needs in mind
Instruction
Simple and concise with possible demonstration of what is expected
Practice
Student will practice what is expected many times
Assess
Pre-test if needed
Test student on mastery of content standard
Collect 3 best pieces of evidence

20. Common Misunderstandings
Expecting Level III proficiency to be the same as Level 3 complexity
Showing progress over time
Showing evidence during the teaching of each skill
Showing one piece of evidence at the beginning of teaching the skill, one at the middle of teaching the skill, and one at end of teaching the skill
Showing multiple trials by the student on the same evidence

21. Common Misunderstandings
Using different complexities within a standard
Including directions in the level of assistance
The teacher completing the task for the student
Using hand-over-hand as “support”

22. Evidence Alignment
The evidence must be aligned to the extended standard.
The activity must relate to the extended standard. Evidence that does not relate/not aligned to the standard will be given a score of “zero”. The link between the evidence and the extended standard must be clear.
Remember: 3 pieces of evidence per ES must be submitted. You can not achieve alignment if you have pieces mixed between the different complexity levels. You may change the complexity level once you change ES.
Ex: R. ES pieces of evidence on Complexity 2
R. ES 4.2 – 3 pieces of evidence on Complexity 3
R. ES 4.3 – 3 pieces of evidence on Complexity 1

23. Goal: To find the highest Complexity Level the student can work at, most Independently, and receives the most Mastery.
Always ask before filling in the Achievement Descriptor Clarification Column, “Who am I assessing”? Answer: The Student.
When looking at the Minimum Evidence Column consider what way your are submitting evidence for the complexity chosen to determine if you have covered the amount needed for your student to receive the opportunity to receive the most points possible for that ES.

24. Aligned and Valid

25. Aligned and Valid

26. Aligned and Valid

27. Aligned and Valid

28. Just a sample empty sheet.

30. Participate in an activity matching pictures of multiple meaning words
With at least 10 different words in sentences across the pieces of evidence
R. ES 5.1
Identify words with more than one meaning.
Use multiple meaning words in sentences
Student reads word and associates the word with meaning. (bat-flies, bat-baseball)
With at least 10 different words across the pieces of evidence
Identify words with more than one meaning
Student is asked to find the pictures that match the word the teacher gives them. (bat-flies, bat-baseball)
Sometimes the way we teach an ES is not necessarily the same way we are going to assess it. This example is one where the way you teach it is the way you would assess it. Some of the materials students will use to practice or learn the materials is not appropriate when assessing the ES. Example: I may give the student exactly 10 dimes;/10 items when teaching them to count from by 10s but when I need test them on their knowledge of counting by 10s I will give them more or less than 10 items. I need to always ask this question. “Who is doing the cognition?”
With at least 10 different matches across the pieces of evidence
Match pictures of multiple meaning words
Student participates by watching another student match pictures and multiple meaning words.
Participate in an activity matching pictures of multiple meaning words
With a different activity per piece of evidence

31. Support

32. Independent

33. Touch Math
Can not submit Touch Math it is invalid.

34. Show Work
Students must show their work with regrouping.

35. Student Registration SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONAL FACTORS:
All students who are being assessed by the AAA MUST have this item checked on the second page of the IEP that states:
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONAL FACTORS:
Items checked "YES" will be addressed in this IEP:
Is the student working toward alternate achievement
standards and participating in the Alabama Alternate
Assessment? Item MUST be checked YES!
If the AAA box is not checked “YES” on the student’s IEP, he/she will not be picked up by the testing company as a student being assessed by AAA. The pre-labels will be made according to this information.
Also make sure the State Testing pages indicate AAA as the state assessment.
STI/INOW demographics must be accurate. Make sure the student is in the correct grade in INOW.

36. Curriculum for the AAA
All extended standards (ES) for the grade- level of enrollment according to STI must be taught and tested.
Each ES contains 4 complexity levels. The highest level of complexity the student is expected to achieve should be selected.

37. Spring 2013 AAA
The AAA is administered in reading in Grades 3-8 and 11 only.
The AAA is administered in mathematics in Grades 3-8 and 11 only.
The AAA will be administered in science in Grades 5, 7 and 11 this spring.
The testing window for the 2013 AAA is April 15, 2013 through May 3, 2013.

38. Scoring Qualifications of scorers Must have a college degree
Trained on the population and expectations for students participating
Trained on the Alabama Extended Standards for the grade level scoring
Trained on the Minimum Evidence Required

39. Scoring Individuals must qualify to serve as scorer.
Individual is trained and will score specific grade or grade range.
There is a 10% percent read-behind (like the ARMT open-ended items).
There is retraining of individuals, if necessary.
Reliability statistics are computed.
SDE staff assist in training.
SDE staff is conferenced in on unusual evidence.

40. Scoring Rubric Alignment Complexity—one to four points
Assistance—one to three points
Content mastery
0 points for 0-24%
1 point for 25-49%
2 points for 50-74%
3 points for %

41. Scoring Student 1 Student 2 Complexity (Level 3) 3 points
Assistance (Support) point
Mastery (25-49%) point
Total Score points
Student 2
Complexity (Level 2) points
Assistance (Independent) points
Mastery (75-100%) points
Total Score points

42. Have a Great Year and Good Luck!!