NCAAAI: What Is It and Why and How Should I Use It As An Assessment? Sheila Garner Brown North...

NCAAAI:What Is It and Why and How

Should I Use It As An Assessment?

Sheila Garner BrownNorth Carolina State University

Technical Outreach for Public [email protected]

What is the NCAAAI? The North Carolina Alternate Assessment Academic

Inventory (NCAAAI) is an assessment in which teachers utilize a checklist to evaluate student performance in the areas of reading and mathematics at grades 3-8 and 10, writing at grades 4, 7, and 10, and in high school courses in which an end-of-course test is administered.

Data are collected at the beginning of the school year or course (baseline), in the middle (interim), and at the end of the school year or course (final).

As stated in State Board policy HSP-C-005, eligible students with disabilities and students with limited English proficiency may participate in the NCAAAI instead of taking the multiple-choice test.

For students with disabilities, participation must be documented in each student’s current IEP.

Students identified as limited English proficient must meet particular criteria set forth in state policy.

COMMONLY USED ACRONYMS NCAAAI North Carolina Alternate

Assessment Academic Inventory

AAP Alternate Assessment Portfolio HSCT High School Comprehensive Test OCS Occupational Course of Study EOG End-of-Grade EOC End-of-Course EC Exceptional Children LEP Limited English Proficient ESL English as a Second Language NCLB No Child Left Behind

For which assessments can the NCAAAI be used as an alternate? Grade 3 Pretest in Reading and Math EOG Tests in Reading and Math at Grades 3-

8 Writing at Grades 4, 7, and 10 High School Comprehensive Test at Grade 10 EOC tests for Algebra I, Algebra II, Biology,

Chemistry, Geometry, English I, Physical Science, and Physics

Statewide EOC Field Tests for Civics and Economics and U.S. History

What do I do first?

Decide which assessment is most appropriate for your student (IEP team process).

This decision should be made using the Guidelines for Making Decisions for Participation of Students with Disabilities and all available academic information.

Considerations for Students With Disabilities

What should I think about when choosing an

assessment for my student?

Academics

Where is this student functioning academically?

How does the student access the standard course of study/at what level?

What supports and accommodations are needed for the student to access the curriculum?

Types of Assessments Used

What types of assessment has the student used previously?

How is the student assessed currently in the classroom?

What types of modifications and accommodations are used in the classroom?

Other Factors That Must be Considered

Parent Input Student Input When Appropriate Team Consensus

THE DECISION FOR ASSESSMENT SHOULD BE MADE ON AN INDIVIDUALIZED BASIS AND SHOULD NOT BE PART OF A “BLANKET”

DECISION FOR A PARTICULAR SCHOOL OR CLASS!!!!!!

“The decision to place a student with disabilities on a particular assessment should be made as part of the IEP process after careful consideration of the student’s current academic functioning and how that student accesses the Standard Course of Study. The addition of guidelines for determining students with the most significant cognitive disabilities is a federal NCLB requirement for reporting purposes and should not affect the assessment decision of an IEP team.”DPI/TOPS Staff, TNN announcement 10/6/04

The team has decided to use the NCAAAI as the assessment. What do we do now?

Notify test coordinator of decision.

Upon receipt of materials, begin baseline scoring.

How to Complete the NCAAAI

Principal’s Responsibilities Assigns assessors for each NCAAAI. Ensure that all assessors are trained

and understand the curriculum. Monitor completion of the NCAAAI

throughout the school year. Sign at the end of the assessment

period that all procedures have been followed appropriately and NCAAAIs are complete, valid, accurate and appropriate.

Assessor’s Responsibilities Teach from the North Carolina Standard

Course of Study. Attend a test administration training session. Complete NCAAAI following procedures and

according to established timelines. Meet with the principal periodically to review

the inventory. Ensure that the inventory reflects student

progress. Sign at the end of the assessment period that

all procedures have been followed appropriately and NCAAAIs are complete, valid, accurate and appropriate.

Front of folderMargaret Echo

Student Name ________________________ Student ID _________________________ School Name ________________________ School Code ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ LEA Name ___________________________ Circle all that apply: EC LEP Assigned Grade Level (circle one):

3 4 5 6 7 8 10

Grade

3 Mathematics

2004-05

MATHEMATICS SKILLS Description of Student Performance

Descriptors Description of Performance at Assessed Grade-Level

Distinguished 8 – High 7 – Low

The student: demonstrates consistent mastery and performance beyond assessed grade-level expectations works independently understands advanced concepts applies strategies creatively analyzes and synthesizes justifies and elaborates responses makes crit ical judgments makes applications and extensions beyond assessed grade-level; applies proficient level

competencies in more challenging situations

Proficient 6 – High 5 – Low

The student: demonstrates consistent mastery and performance on assessed grade-level academic

standard/expectations shows conceptual understanding applies strategies in most situations responds with appropriate answer or procedure completes tasks accurately needs minimal assistance exhibits fluency and applies learning shows some flexib ility in thinking recognizes cause and effect relationships applies and explains concepts

Apprentice 4 – High 3 – Low

The student: demonstrates inconsistent mastery and performance of assessed grade-level academic

standards/expectations shows some evidence of conceptual understanding has difficulty applying strategies or completing tasks in unfamiliar situations responds with appropriate answer or procedure sometimes requires teacher guidance frequently demonstrates some proficient level competencies but is inconsistent

Novice 2 – High 1 – Low

The student: demonstrates minimal or no mastery and performance of assessed grade-level academic

standards/expectations shows very limited evidence of conceptual understanding and use of strategies responds with inappropriate answer and/or procedure frequently very often displays lack of understanding of grade-level content infrequently completes task appropriately and accurately needs assistance and guidance continuously

0 - Not Yet This objective has not yet been introduced. (Available for baseline and interim scores only.)

Policies and directions related to the completion of the NCAAAI are found in the NCAAAI Test Administrator’s Guide

333-33-3333 Mustang Elementary School

1 1 1 1 1 1 1111 Ford Schools

Inside of folderBaseline Interim Final

Student’s Performance on this objective is:



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Evidence Baseline – Baseline Student Profile Final – Final Student Profile

The assessor is required to maintain a folder of student work throughout the year. Materials within that folder should support the scores assigned to each goal. Materials contained within the student’s folder must be available for NCDPI review upon request.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Competency Goal 1 Ex. This is an example of how to document scores. X 1.01 Read and write word names for numbers to 1,000. X

Objective omitted for training purposes. X


Objective omitted for training purposes. X Objective omitted for training purposes. X Objective omitted for training purposes. X

1.07 Compare and order fractions using models; describe comparisons.

X

Objective omitted for training purposes. X Objective omitted for training purposes. X

Objective omitted for training purposes.

X



X

1.13 Memorize multiplication facts/tables through 10. X


X


X

Competency Goal 1: The learner will model, identify and compute with numbers less than 10,000.

X

Competency Goal 2

2.01 Draw and classify polygons and polyhedra (solid figures) using appropriate vocabulary: faces, angles, edges, and vertices. Describe the rules for grouping.

X

Objective omitted for training purposes. X Objective omitted for training purposes. X

2.05 Observe and describe geometry in the environment. X


Back of folderSUMMARY OF FINAL SCORES

Directions: Transfer assigned final scores for each competency goal to the corresponding boxes below. Use these scores to assign a final score for the year based on this student ’s overall performance in mathematics. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Competency Goal 1: The learner will model, identify and compute with numbers less than 10,000. X Competency Goal 2: The learner will recognize, understand, and use basic geometric properties, and standard units of metric and customary measurement.

X

Competency Goal 3: The learner will demonstrate an understanding of classification, patterning, and seriation. X Competency Goal 4: The learner will demonstrate an understanding of data collection, display, and interpretation. X

OVERALL GRADE 3 MATHEMATICS SCORE (Refer to the EOG percentages) X Did the student achieve growth in mathematics?

YES NO

EOG Percentages: 3rd Grade Mathematics

Goal 1 = 40% Goal 2 = 30% Goal 3 = 15% Goal 4 = 15%

TRANSFER INFORMATION TO BE COMPLETED BY ORIGINAL SCHOOL IF STUDENT TRANSFERS: If student has been enrolled for at least 30 days, the baseline scoring must be completed by the original school. If the student transfers within the last six weeks of school, the original school must complete the inventory. Date of enrollment: ____________ School Name __________________________ Date of withdrawal/transfer: ___________ LEA Name __________________________ I verify that this inventory is accurate and complete to date. ____________________________ ______ __________________________ _______ Assessor’s Signature Date Principal’s Signature Date Date of enrollment: ____________ School Name __________________________ Date of withdrawal/transfer: ___________ LEA Name __________________________ I verify that this inventory is accurate and complete to date. ____________________________ ______ __________________________ _______ Assessor’s Signature Date Principal’s Signature Date If additional listings are required, a Transfer Form is to be completed as specified in the Test Administrator’s Guide.

FINAL EVALUATION

TO BE COMPLETED AT THE END OF THE YEAR: I verify that this inventory and enclosed Student Profiles are an accurate, valid, appropriate, complete, and true representation of the student’s performances. ______________________________________ ___________ Assessor’s Signature Date ______________________________________ ___________ Principal’s Signature Date

An optional Principal’s Checklist is located in the NCAAAI Test Administrator’s Guide and is available at.

James Doe

4/29/05

4/29/05

X

Baseline Student ProfileBaseline Student Profile - Mathematics

Respond to the following within the first 30 days of student participation. Student Name ____________________________ Assigned Grade Level __________

Assessor Name ____________________________ Assessed Grade Level __________

Assessor Signature ____________________________ Date __________

School Name ____________________________

School System Name ____________________________

Beginning Date of Student Participation1_____________

1. Describe specific mathematics skills that are strengths for this student. 2. Describe specific mathematics skills that are weaknesses for this student. 3. Describe any factors that may influence this student’s academic performance (i.e. medical issues, language proficiency level, disability, attendance, etc.). 4. Assessment History: Complete the information on the back of this form regarding the student’s participation in the North Carolina Testing Program.

1 See NCAAAI Test Administrator’s Guide for more information.

Baseline Student Profile – Mathmatics (Page 2) Assessment History

Complete the table below with the student’s assessment history up to the grade in which the student is presently assigned. For each test, complete the appropriate column depending on if the student was assessed by the standard test administration with or without accommodations, by the NCAAAI, or by the NCAAP1.

Mathematics Pretest/

End-of-Grade/ End-of-Course/ NCCATS as an accommodation

Mathematics NCAAAI

NC Alternate Assessment Academic Portfolio (NCAAP)

Test Date

(Ex. Spring 2003)

Achievement Level (circle one in each row

as appropriate)

Assessed Grade Level

Achievement Level (circle one in each row as appropriate)

Achievement Level (circle one in each row as appropriate)

Grade 3 Pretest

I II III IV

Grade 3 EOG I II III IV

I II III IV I II III IV

Grade 4 EOG I II III IV I II III IV I II III IV





Any Reading End-of-Course

Specify: ______________ I II III IV

I II III IV I II III IV

1 If a student has been assessed more than one time for a given grade, list the results below the assessment history table.

Final Student ProfileFinal Student Profile - Mathematics

Respond to the following within the final 30 days of student participation. Student Name ____________________________ Assigned Grade Level __________

Assessor Name ____________________________ Assessed Grade Level __________

Assessor Signature ____________________________ Date __________

School Name ____________________________

School System Name ____________________________

1. Describe specific areas in which this student has shown improvement in his/her mathematics skills this school year. 2. Describe specific mathematics skills that continue to present difficulties for this student. 3. Describe any changes in factors that may have influenced this student’s academic performance (i.e. medical issues, language proficiency level, disability, attendance, etc.). 4. Other comments:

Baseline Scoring Begin baseline scoring within the first

30 calendar days of student participation.

Score all objectives based on 0-8 scale. Date when scoring is completed. Complete Baseline Student Profile and

assessment history. Begin collecting student work samples.

Interim Scoring

Score all objectives using 0-8 scale.

Date when scoring is completed. Continue to collect student work.

Final Scoring Should be done within the final 30

calendar days of the school year or course.

Score all objectives using 1-8 scores. The 0 score is not allowed at final scoring.

Date when scoring is completed. Complete Final Student Profile. Finish collecting student work.

Completing Scoring-on back of folder

Transfer final goal or category scores.

Complete transfer information, if applicable.

Answer “Did student achieve growth?’

Complete final evaluation section.

Transfer scores to scannable information sheet.

You are finished!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the student work folder, and what goes in it? The student work folder is the same

folder that most teachers keep for all students.

Teachers place ongoing work samples in the folder that show evidence of the objectives in the student’s assessment.

Work samples can be any type of work that the student is completing in the classroom as part of instruction.

What information do I need to include for work samples/evidence?

DPI is not setting any requirements for work samples/folders at this time!

LEAs may place requirements on work samples/folders.

Dates and descriptions of modifications are nice…but NOT required by DPI at this time.

Does the evidence need to be matched to specific objectives?

NO!The work samples/evidence included

in the folder should match the student’s level of instruction. If the student is working on 4th grade math, the work samples should show 4th grade math concepts with or without modifications.

Who is responsible for completing the NCAAAI?

“The person assigned to complete the NCAAAI must have training in the specific content area being assessed and must have routine contact with the student.”

p. 16 of NCAAAI Test Administrator’s Guide for Grades 3-8 and 10

Can a student with disabilities score proficient using the NCAAAI?

All students with disabilities have an opportunity to score proficient on the NCAAAI IF they are being assessed on grade level and are completing grade level work.

Students with disabilities assessed 3 or more grade levels below can be scored proficient based on alternate achievement standards, if they are also considered to have a most significant cognitive disability.

Why is it possible for some students to achieve proficiency when they are not performing “on grade level?”

The federal government has realized the need to address concerns about proficiency for those students with the most significant cognitive disabilities as they relate to NCLB. The December 9, 2003 Federal Register provided that states were allowed to report up to 1% of the tested student population as proficient based on alternate achievement standards. Only students with the most significant cognitive disabilities may be included in this group.

What is a “most significant cognitive disability?”

“To identify students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, all of the following must be true:

The student requires extensive and explicit instruction to acquire, maintain, and generalize new reading and mathematics skills for independent living.

The student exhibits severe and pervasive delays in multiple areas of development and in adaptive behavior (e.g., mobility, communication, daily living skills, and self-care).

The student’s IEP annual goals focus on the functional application of academics (reading, mathematics, and writing).

The student’s performance is evaluated against alternate achievement standards (essences of the standard course of study or 3 or more years below grade level).”

Can a student be assessed using the NCAAAI for reading and math, and then assessed using the AAP (Portfolio) for writing?

NO, the portfolio is an “all-or-nothing” assessment. If a student is assessed using the NCAAAI for reading and math, they must be assessed using the NCAAAI or the standard test administration with or without accommodations for writing.

Is the NCAAAI for Grade 10 HSCT for reading and math a yearlong assessment?

The grade 10 reading and math High School Comprehensive Test (HSCT) is administered as a yearlong assessment.

What if my student is not taking math or English both semesters? Who completes the NCAAAI?

The principal assigns the assessor. The assessor must have training in the content area and must work routinely with the student.

It is possible that there will be a different assessor for the fall and spring semester.

Can a student who is LEP, but is also identified as a student with disabilities, be assessed below grade level?

A student who is LEP, but also identified as a student with disabilities MAY be assessed below grade level. This decision would be made by the IEP team.

The EC eligibility always takes precedence over the LEP status.

The student would be eligible for the standard test administration with or without accommodations, the NCAAAI or the AAP, depending on the decision from the IEP team.

Do students in the OCS who are in 10th grade have to take the writing assessment at grade level?

Students in the OCS are not required to take the writing assessment at grade 10.

Is the Writing Assessment at Grades 4, 7, and 10 always assessed on grade level? And if so, why can this assessment not be completed below grade level?

The writing assessments are required as part of the Statewide Testing Program. They are required for all 4th, 7th, and 10th grade students (except 10th grade students in the OCS program).

The writing assessments in grades 4, 7, and 10 do not have below grade level assessments because they are not offered at all grade levels as are the EOG tests (3-8). Therefore, there would be no below grade level assessment to offer.

Below grade level assessments for 3-8 reading and math are offered because standard tests have been developed for those grades.

If a student with disabilities has taken the standard test administration with accommodations last school year, and scored proficient (Level III or IV), should he/she be placed on the below grade level NCAAAI this school year?

If a student with disabilities took the standard test with accommodations last year and scored proficient, there would not seem to be a reason to place the student on the below grade level NCAAAI unless there were circumstances that had resulted in a change/decrease in the student’s abilities (ex. brain injury).

The student has proven that he/she is able to perform on grade level the previous year.

To be deemed proficient for this school year using the NCAAAI, the student would have to be assessed either on grade level OR 3 or more grade levels below and be determined to have a most significant cognitive disability.

As always, this is an IEP team decision.

Must every objective on the NCAAAI be taught during the school year?

Every objective included on the NCAAAI must be assessed by the final scoring period.

The score of 0 is available at baseline and interim to address those objectives for which you have no assessment information.

At the final scoring period, all objectives must have a score of 1-8.

Why does the NCAAAI for OCS 10th graders not cover the same objectives as the OCS curriculum? All assessments are aligned with the North

Carolina Standard Course of Study. OCS curriculum is based on the standard

course of study at a lower level. Activities in the OCS should parallel the objectives in reading and mathematics, though they may not be exact.

Existing AAAIs were designed to serve as alternate assessments for specific tests.

Evidence from OCS activities would be functional applications of skills taught in lower grades in reading and mathematics.

Why are students in the OCS program required to take the HSCT, if it is not a requirement for graduation?

According to NCLB, all students must be assessed in reading and math in grades 3-8 and once in grades 10-12.

The NCAAAI is one option for OCS students to fulfill this requirement.

A science requirement is being added in the next few years. An alternate assessment for science is in the process of being developed at this time.

What is the most important thing to remember when deciding whether or not to assess using the NCAAAI?

The most important thing to remember when making an assessment decision is what is best for the individual student. ALL assessment decisions should be made based on what is most appropriate and challenging for an individual student!

LISTEN TO THE MUSTN’TS

Listen to the MUSTN’TS, child,Listen to the DON’TSListen to the SHOULDN’TSThe IMPOSSIBLES, the WON’TSListen to the NEVER HAVESThen listen close to me—Anything can happen, child,ANYTHING can be.

Shel SilversteinWhere the Sidewalk Ends

Questions/More info. Needed? www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/testing/nc

aaai

ESL website: www.learnnc.org/dpi/instserv.nsf/Category4

NCAAAI questions: Sheila Brown at [email protected]

Policy questions: Pam Biggs at [email protected]

Contributors

Pam Biggs, Testing Policy and Operations, Department of Public Instruction

Phyllis Blackmon and Marcy Roan, Technical Outreach for Public Schools, North Carolina State University

NCAAAI: What Is It and Why and How Should I Use It As An Assessment? Sheila Garner Brown North...

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