Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP )

1. Virginia Alternate Assessment Program(VAAP) Virginia Department of Education Revised Summer 2014

2. Presentation Topics • Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) Overview • DLM Essential Elements • DLM Benefits • DLM Timeline • VAAP Changes for Reading, Writing, Mathematics and Science • Levels of Performance • Technical and Scoring Changes • VAAP History/Social Science • Supporting Your Staff

3. Online Alternate Assessment Virginia is investigating a new online alternate assessment program for students with significant cognitive disabilities to replace the current “Collections of Evidence” in reading, writing, and mathematics.

4. Online Alternate Assessment • The online alternate assessment is being developed by the Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) Alternate Assessment System Consortium. • The DLM Consortium which includes 19 states was awarded a grant from the US Department of Education in 2010. • The DLM Assessment is based on research on how students with significant cognitive disabilities learn.

5. DLM Alternate Assessment The DLM system is designed to map a student’s learning throughout the year. The system will use items and tasks that are embedded in day-to-day instruction. In this way, testing happens as part of instruction, which both informs teaching and benefits students.

6. DLM Project Core Belief “all students should have access to challenging grade-level content”

7. Definition of the Essential Elements • The Essential Elements are specific statements of the content and skills that are expected of students with significant cognitive disabilities in reading, mathematics and writing. • They are linked to the grade level Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the Standards of Learning (SOL).

8. Essential Elements: Design Decisions • Focus on student learning • Create comparable expectations for students with significant cognitive disabilities (SCD) • Use performance terms to describe what students should know and be able to do • Insure that final elements are measurableand observable

9. Essential Elements Are: • Links to grade level Common Core State Standards (CCSS)/Virginia’s SOL • Statements of content and skills that provide a bridge for students with SCD to achieve grade differentiated expectations • Provide challenge and rigor appropriate for students with SCD in consideration of the significance of their disabilities Are not: • Downward extension to pre-K • General essence statements • Statements of functional skills

10. DLM Benefits • Embedded design will link day-to-day instruction to summative assessment. • Essential Elements and Levels of Performance will address the needs of the most challenged learner. • Online format for Reading, Writing and Mathematics will address the intensive time and labor associated with current VAAP for these content areas. • Computer adaptive feature will ensure that student are administered tasks/items appropriate to their ability levels.

11. DLM Benefits • Wide range of contributors provides access to teachers and experts from across the nation. • Grade level content and skills provided the forum for increased collaboration between general educators and teachers of students with significant disabilities. • Virginia teachers will have ongoing access to professional development and resources developed by national experts. • Support and contribution of multi-state consortium will address NCLB technical requirements critical to peer review.

12. The current VAAP… • supports the transition to DLM by exposing Virginia educators to important DLM features: • Essential Elements in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics • Levels of Performance

13. In 2012-2013 changes were made to the VAAP that affected...

14. Beginning in 2012-2013… • New SOL tests in reading, writing and science based on SOL adopted in 2010 • Aligned Standards of Learning (ASOL) based on the 2010 SOL are now used for VAAP Collections of Evidence

15. Beginning in 2012-2013… • To support the transition to DLM, ASOL in reading, writing, and mathematics are based on the DLM content • Science ASOL changed to reflect the new 2010 Science Standards of Learning

16. Selection of ASOL • Teachers must select ASOL listed at the student’s grade of enrollment for Reading, Writing, Mathematics and Science. • Teacher are not allowed to select ASOL at a higher or lower grade level for these content areas.

17. Levels of Performance • Teachers determine the level of performance for ASOL in Reading, Writing, Mathematics and Science. • Levels of Performance provide flexibility for instruction and assessment.

18. Levels of Performance (Applies to Reading, Writing, Science and Mathematics) • Level I: Student demonstrates the ASOL with significant support and modification • Level II: Student partially demonstrates the ASOL • Level III: Student fully demonstrates the ASOL

19. Level III: Fully Demonstrated To fully demonstrate an ASOL means: • To demonstrate the skills and concepts of the ASOL including the stem and related sub-statements referred to as bullets • Skills and concepts may be demonstrated with allowed accommodations documented in the Individualized Education Program (IEP)

20. Level III –Fully Demonstrated

21. Level II – Partially Demonstrated To partially demonstrate an ASOL means: • To reduce the number of skills or concepts addressed • To reduce the number of tools, instruments, type of texts required • To reduce the number or range of numbers required • To decrease rigor by changing the depth of knowledge

22. Level II – Partially DemonstratedTo reduce the number of skills or concepts

23. Level II – Partially DemonstratedTo reduce the number of skills or concepts

24. Level II – Partially DemonstratedTo reduce the number of tools, instruments, texts and/or environments required

25. Level II – Partially DemonstratedTo reduce the number or range of numbers required

26. Level I Demonstrates with significant support and modification To demonstrate an ASOL with significant support and modification means: • To modify the skills and concepts to a basic skill or concept • To provide significant allowed supports that will assist the student in performing the basic skill or concept

27. Sample Significant Supports Allowed in VAAP COE • Manipulatives • Pictures • Assistive technology Not Allowed in VAAP COE • Hand-over-Hand instruction (full physical assistance) • Hints, clues, or prompts that provide answers and violate testing conditions

28. Level IDemonstrates with significant support and modification

29. Level IDemonstrates with significant support and modification

30. Examples of Levels of Performancefor Mathematics 3 M-MG 3 (a) The student will tell time to the hour on a (sol 3.11) digital clock. • Level I Demonstrated with significant support and modification The student is able to identify the clock as the tool to tell time. • Level II Demonstrated partially The student will identify the location of the hour on a digital clock. • Level III Fully demonstrated The student will look at a digital clock and read the time to the hour.

31. Examples of Levels of Performancefor Reading 3 E-RW 2 (b)The student will demonstrate understanding of (SOL 2.6) the meaning of newly acquired vocabulary. • Level I Demonstrated with significant support and modification The student is able to identify a new vocabulary word when presented with a pair of words. • Level II Demonstrated partially The student is able to identify new vocabulary in a reading selection. • Level III Fully demonstrated The student is able to correctly answer questions using new vocabulary per its definition.

32. Technical Requirements SEI Tags must include: • Content Area • ASOL • Bullet • Level of Performance must be included for Reading, Writing, Science and Mathematics

33. Technical Requirements Content Area Cover Sheet must include: • Student Information • Reporting Category • ASOL & bullet if applicable • Level of Performance for each ASOL assessed must be indicated for Reading, Writing, Science, and Mathematics Virginia Alternate Assessment Program 2012-2013 VAAP Content Area Cover Sheet Student Name:__________________________________________________________ State Testing Identifier (STI)_____________________________ Grade:____________ School Division Name_______________________ School Name_________________ Check Content Area: __ Reading __ Writing __Mathematics __ Science __History/Social Science (does not require Level of Performance)

34. Scoring Rules for Reading, Writing, Mathematics and Science • If Level III is listed on the SEI tag --- the highest score the student can get is a “4”. • If Level II is listed on the SEI tag --- the highest score the student can get is a “3”. • If Level I is listed on the SEI tag --- the highest score the student can get is a “2”. • If the level of performance is not indicated on the SEI tag, the evidence will be scored as though it were Level III.

35. VAAP History • If there are no appropriate History/Social Science ASOL at the student’s grade level, teachers may select ASOL from a higher or lower grade level for each reporting category. • Levels of Performance are not used.

36. Supporting Your Staff Provide each staff person involved in VAAP with: • Current VAAP Implementation Manual • SEI tags • Content Area Cover Sheet • Ongoing VAAP Professional Development • A system for monitoring and pre-scoring collections • Access to division technical assistance and support • Accurate grade levels for each student participating in the VAAP

37. QUESTIONS Virginia Department of Education Division of Student Assessment and School Improvement Student_Assessment@doe.virginia.gov (804) 225-2102 Division of Special Education and Student Services (804) 371-2725