Outline

Assessments and SWDs – NCLB/IDEA Elimination of the OMAAP Assessment Formative Assessment Accommodations UDL Resources

NCLB and IDEA

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The World of Accountability

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Assessment

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) prohibits schools from excluding students with disabilities from the educational accountability system.

Excluding students with disabilities from testing is also a violation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

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Assessment

States are required to provide accommodations and alternate assessments as needed, to ensure that students with disabilities fully participate.

These assessment requirements were put into place as a way to determine if the school is adequately educating every student in critical core academic areas.

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OMAAP

The Oklahoma Modified Alternate Assessment Program (OMAAP) is an alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement of the standards (AA-MAS).

All first time test takers in a subject area must now participate in the OCCT or OAAP for grades 3-8 and EOI.

From 2013-2016: Any student who participated in the OMAAP during the 2012-2013 school year or earlier and was unsuccessful has the option to retake the OMAAP (for EOI only) in the same subject area in order to apply a modified proficiency score for ACE graduation requirements.

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OMAAP

Why are teachers and administrators concerned about the discontinuation of the OMAAP?There will be no middle ground between the OAAP and the OCCT.Students who previously took the OMAAP might not be able to pass the OCCT.Repercussions due to ACE legislation. TLE (http://ok.gov/sde/oklahoma-teacher-leader-effectiveness-tle)

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OMAAP

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OMAAP

Our gravest worry is that students with learning disabilities, who may need some extra time to work on grade level and benefit from intensive, research-based instruction and support services, will be assigned to the new assessment and over time, will effectively be taken off track from receiving a regular high school diploma.

National Center for Learning Disabilities

OMAAP

In essence, the new regulation provides states the opportunity to test certain students receiving special education differently than their peers — a tempting offer for states looking to find ways to avoid teaching and testing all children equally.  National Center for Learning Disabilities

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OMAAP

The AA-MAS was never intended to be a long-term solution for students with disabilities.

The USDE has also expressed the intent to no longer allow states to use it.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on the 2% rule: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P0oL2QOkhs&feature=youtu.be

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OMAAP

Secretary Duncan has also expressed the need to eliminate the “2% test”, saying “I want to say here and now for the record that we

are moving away from the 2% rule. We will not issue another policy that allows districts to disguise the educational performance of 2% of students. That’s unacceptable, and that must change. We have to expect the very best from our students and to tell the truth about student performance so that we can give all students the supports and the services they need”.

http://www.ed.gov/news/speeches/preparing-students-disabilities-success-secretary-duncans-remarks-american-association   

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OMAAP Participation 2011-2012

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English II10.5

OMAAP Test Takers

Disability categories of AA-MAS test takers, 2008 Learning disability Other health impairments Intellectual disability Emotional disturbance

(Students from all categories participated, these represent the majority).

Improving the Oklahoma Modified Alternate Assessment Program General Supervision Enhancement Grant (GSEG) 2007-2010; Renée Cameto, Principal Scientist and Katherine Nagle, Project Director

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OMAAP Test Takers

Behavioral characteristics of students taking the AA-MAS, 2008 Trouble with organizing and keeping track

of their work Required frequent clarification of

instruction and one on one support Difficulty with memorization Difficulty finishing assignments and were

easily distracted

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OMAAP Test Takers

Academic learning characteristics of students taking the AA-MAS, 2008

Reading: Read slowly Difficulty drawing inferences from grade level text Difficulty answering comprehension questions on long

passages Limited awareness of narrative or expository text

structures Difficulty identifying the main idea

Mathematics: Difficulty with problems requiring multi-step solutions Difficulty understanding and applying mathematics

procedures Slow or inaccurate retrieval of basic math facts

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OMAAP Test Takers

Professional development needs of teachers of AA-MAS eligible students, 2008 Teachers had many professional

development needs

More than half of the teachers wanted training in: Teaching students organization and study

skills Improving student’s problem-solving skills Increasing student’s persistence on tasks Strategies for teaching comprehension of

narrative text

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Student Needs

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GeneralOrganization, keeping track of work

Memorization

Clarification

Finishing assignments

Limiting distractions

ReadingReading speed

Drawing inferences

Comprehension on long passages

Awareness of narrative or expository text structures

Identifying the main idea

MathFast and accurate retrieval of basic math facts

Understanding and applying mathematical procedures

Solving problems with multi-step solutions

OMAAP

Even though the assessment included numerous changes designed to make it less difficult for these students (e.g., limited use of terminology and language from other content areas, segmented passages, reduced amount of reading through elimination of words and phrases, simplified words or phrases in item prompts, minimized use of pronouns and prepositional phrases), the barriers that students encountered seemed to be related less to the assessment itself.

Reading level, test-taking strategies, and possible lack-of-instruction appear to be the actual ‘barriers’ to reading proficiency. http://www.cehd.umn.edu/nceo/OnlinePubs/LessonsLearned.pdf

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Providing Access to Assessment To ensure successful participation we must:

Understand the needs of students with disabilities, Select appropriate accommodations that improve

access, Focus core instruction on the Oklahoma Academic

Standards, Utilize the principles of Universal Design for Learning, Consider access to the curriculum when determining

LRE, Utilize formative assessments, Support educators in the classroom, and Make better use of technology in assessments.

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Providing Access to Assessment Providing students with disabilities

with the tools necessary for success in the classroom and to show their knowledge and skills in a regular assessment format means that they are truly included in the world of education. NICHY (2007). Assessment and Accommodations. Evidence for

Education. 2(1), p. 10

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Improving Reading Proficiency Understanding factors related to reading

proficiency. Example of a Research Based

Instructional Strategy: Collaborative Strategic Reading

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Factors for Proficient Reading

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Reading Instruction

Collaborative Strategic Reading / Four Strategies:

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Reading Instruction

Cooperative Group Roles:

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Reading Instruction

More Strategies:

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Reading Instruction

Scaffolding Fluency Strategies Vocabulary Strategies Study Guide Strategies Literature-Based Approaches Text Mapping Strategies Vocabulary and Concept Mapping Word Analysis Strategies

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Formative Assessment

Part of the Instructional Process

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Formative Assessment

Instructional Strategies:

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Accommodations

A critical part of teaching and assessing students with disabilities… is providing them with accommodations that support learning and that support their ability to show what they know and can do. NICHY (2007). Assessment and Accommodations, Evidence for

Education, V2, Issue 1, p. 1

ACCOMMODATIONS

Accommodation v. Modifications

Accommodations – Changes in materials or procedures that enable students to meaningfully access instruction and assessment. Assessment accommodations do not change the construct that is being measured. Accommodations mediate the effects of a student’s

disability and do not reduce learning expectations.

Modifications – Changes in materials or procedures that enable students to access instruction and assessment. Assessment modifications do change the construct that is being measured. Modifications create challenges for assessment validity.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Accommodation vs. Modification Accommodation:

Enhances access and progress. Changes do not alter the validity, reliability, or

security of the test or curriculum.

Modification: Substantive changes in an assessment or academic curriculum that change the rigor or expectation.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Choosing Accommodations

1) Expect students with disabilities to achieve grade-level academic content standards.

2) Make decisions about assessment accommodations based on a student’s academic and behavioral needs.

3) Don’t use accommodations that students don’t need.

4) Administer accommodations during instruction and assessment.

5) Evaluate, improve, and in some cases remove accommodations when appropriate.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Assessment Accommodations Without accommodations, the

assessment may not accurately measure the student's knowledge and skills.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Assessment Accommodations Generally grouped into the following

categories:

ACCOMMODATIONS http://ok.gov/sde/accommodations-students-iep-or-504-plan

http://www.cast.org CAST© 2003

All learners are unique and

universal does not mean

“one size fits all”.

UDL and the Learning Brain

UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING

New Assumptions

Students with disabilities fall along multiple continua

Typical classes are highly diverse Teacher adjustments benefit all learners Curriculum needs fixing, not the students Curriculum materials must be flexible,

varied, and diverse General Education and Special Education

teachers plan curriculum

UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING

UDL Principles

http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/whatisudl/3principlesUNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING

How we should stop thinking:

UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING

Assessments using UDL Principles are designed from the beginning to be

accessible and valid for the widest range of students

provide optimal standard assessment conditions

UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING

Assessments using UDL Principles Minimize/eliminate features of the

assessment that are irrelevant to what is being measured, so that all students can more accurately demonstrate their knowledge and skills;

Use Universal Design to create accessible assessments throughout every stage and component of the assessment, including items/tasks, passages, performance tasks, graphics and performance-based tasks; and

Use technology to make all components of the assessment as accessible as possible.

UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING

Achieving Classroom Excellence (ACE)

Must show mastery in: Algebra I English II

Plus, must show mastery in 2 of the following 5: Algebra II Geometry English III Biology U.S. History

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Alternative Routes to a Diploma

Modified Proficiency Score

Alternative Tests End of Course Projects

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Modified Proficiency Score

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Alternate Tests

A Few Examples: CLEP Work Keys ACT/PLAN PSAT

These tests may not be given in lieu of End-of-Instruction (EOI) exams.

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End–of–Course Projects

Categories A, B, and CMemo Regarding Category Options:

http://ok.gov/sde/sites/ok.gov.sde/files/Additional%20ACE%20EOC%20Projects.pdf

These projects may not be used in lieu of End-of-Instruction (EOI) exams.

• Four projects for Algebra I

• One project for Algebra II

• One project for

Geometry

• One project for Biology I

• Four projects for U.S. History

• One project with many options for English II

• 14 projects for English III

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Web Resources

AssessmentA. http://www.osepideasthatwork.org/toolkit/index.aspB. http://

www.amle.org/publications/webexclusive/assessment/tabid/1120/default.aspx

C. http://www.osepideasthatwork.org/toolkit/InstPract_never_to_late.asp

AccommodationsA. http://www.cehd.umn.edu/nceo/topicareas/accommo

dations/accomtopic.htmB. http://www.cehd.umn.edu/NCEO/onlinepubs/NCLD/

Accommodations.pdf Universal Design for Learning (UDL) http://www.cast.org/ http://www.udlcenter.org/

OSDE-SES Resources

http://ok.gov/sde/special-education (Home) http://ok.gov/sde/documents-forms (Educator

Resources) http://ok.gov/sde/assessment (Assessment) http://ok.gov/sde/educational-supports

(Instruction) http://ok.gov/sde/universal-design (UDL) http://ok.gov/sde/least-restrictive-environment

(LRE and Co-Teaching) http://ok.gov/sde/newsupdates (News) http://ok.gov/sde/node/4410 (Events) http://ok.gov/sde/training-0 (Trainings)