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Alternate Assessments
The
State of Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
has redesigned Alaska’s Alternate Assessment. Beginning with
the 2007-2008 school year, Alaska's Alternate Assessment
is the Extended Reading, Math, and Writing Alternate Assessment.
It will be administered in Anchorage School District February 25
- April 4.
Approximately 2% of students taking
statewide assessment will take the alternate assessment. NCLB allows
up to 1% of scores to be counted as proficient that are scores generated
from alternate assessment.
The Alternate Assessment
is part of Alaska’s Comprehensive System of Student Assessment
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Diploma Track or Regular Assessment |
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Non-diploma Track or Alternate
Assessment |
Students taking Alaska’s Alternate Assessment
are on the non-diploma track.
Parents must be informed that students taking
alternate assessment will NOT receive a diploma. The IEP team must add
a statement about the reason or reasons that the student will take the
alternate assessment. Also, if alternate assessment is chosen, the parent
must acknowledge participation in a non-diploma track by signing this
section of the IEP:
| Example
of the IEP section to complete when an IEP team decides that
a student will take the Alternate Assessment.
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Alaska’s
2007-2008 Alternate Assessment:
- Replaces the previous portfolio based assessment
- Is based on Alternate Achievement Standards
- Contains performance tasks in:
- Is administered 1:1 with each student
- Is administered by a Qualified Assessor, typically the
student's teacher
- Is scored by the Qualified Assessor and scores are entered
online
- Will be administered February 25 - April 4, 2008.
Training for Administering the ExRMW Alternate
Assessment
- ExRMW Assessors must complete online training and meet administration
proficiency standards
- Online training is available at http://ak.k12test.com
- ExRMW Assessors will administer a practice test and
receive feedback on the administration before becoming a Qualified
Assessor.
- ExRMW Assessors will receive face-to-face training on
preparing for the test administration for their students.
- If you are a teacher who has a student requiring alternate
assessment, you should be in contact with one of Anchorage School District's
Alternate Assessment Mentors.
Alternate Assessment Mentors
Alternate Assessment Mentors are assigned to support teachers
who are administering Alternate Assessments.
Mentors will:
- Provide training and coaching
- Assist in problem solving
- Award Qualified Assessor Certificates
2007-2008 ASD Alternate
Assessment Mentors:
- Bernadette Hansen, Elementary Special Education Teacher
Consultant
- Lesa Walker, Secondary Special Education Teacher Consultant
- Loni Jirik, Secondary Special Education Teacher Consultant
- Susan Diemer, Elementary Special
Education Teacher Consultant
- Amye Wallace, Elementary Special Education Teacher
Consultant
- Susie Wilson, Elementary Special Education Teacher
Consultant
Eligibility
In deciding that a student should be taking an alternate
assessment and be on the non-diploma track, an IEP team must ensure that
the following criteria are met:
- The student’s cognitive ability and adaptive skill
levels prevent completion of the standard academic curricula that lead
to a diploma, even with adaptations
- The decision is not being made for program administration
reasons
Examples:
The decision cannot be made so that school or district
is more likely to meet AYP
The decision cannot be made because the alternate assessment
is too much work for the teacher.
- The student requires extensive direct instruction in
multiple settings to apply and transfer skills.
An
IEP team must ensure that the student’s inability to complete
the standard academic curricula is not primarily due to the following:
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| Extended absences |
Inability to read at grade level |
| Expectation of poor performance on state assessments |
Social, cultural, or economic differences |
| Visual, auditory, physical, or emotional-behavioral disabilities |
Specific learning disabilities |
| Anticipated test stress or test anxiety |
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| Teachers
responsible for coordinating one or more alternate assessments
will receive an administration manual, face-to-face training,
and an individualized User account to work through online training.
Contact one of the alternate
assessment mentors listed above
if you need this training and have not yet received it. |
Implementation
and Documentation
- Check IEP’s to see if you have a student
on alternate assessment
- Complete training and administer and receive feedback
on a practice test before administering an ExRMW Alternate Assessment.
- Contact Special Education Department Chair or
other (depending on the process in your school) and principal when
a student on alternate assessment moves into or out of your caseload.
Continue
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