STAAR and Special Education May 13, 2011

1. STAAR and Special EducationMay 13, 2011 Lisa Kirby lisa.kirby@esc20.net 210-370-5469 Kimberly Baumgardner Kimberly.baumgardner@esc20.net 210-370-5431 Kelly Woodiel kelly.woodiel@esc20.net 210-370-5432 Cindy Miller cindy.miller@esc20.net 210-370-

2. Number of Testing Days

3. Will begin in 2011-12 • Grades 3 through 8 • First year 9th graders • Will be “significantly more rigorous” than TAKS • Will measure student performanceAND academic growth • Grades 3-8 STAAR tests in Reading and Math will be linked (from grade to grade) to performance expectations for • English III STAAR and • Algebra II STAAR

4. STAAR For grades 3–8, students are tested in the same grades and subjects as TAKS: • Grades 3–8 reading • Grades 3-8 mathematics • Grades 4 and 7 writing • Grades 5 and 8 science • Grade 8 social studies For high school, twelve end-of-course tests replace ten grade-level tests.

5. Subjects Tested for EOCs

6. Plan for phase-out of HS TAKS and phase-in of EOC assessments *Out-of-school testers and 12th grade retesters

7. Assessment Program for Spring 2012

8. Student Success Initiative (SSI) • Because performance standards for STAAR grades 3–8 will not be set until after the spring 2012 administration, only raw-score information will be reported prior to the end of the school year. • SSI retest opportunities for STAAR grades 5 and 8 reading and mathematics will not be offered in May and June of 2012. • For the 2011–2012 school year, districts will use other relevant academic information to make promotion/retention decisions. More information will be provided in the future.

9. Fewer + Deeper = Longer • Math Gr. 3-8 • +6 questions • Reading Gr. 3‐8 • +4 questions • Writing • +1 composition • Social Studies Gr. 8 • +4 questions • EOC • +6 to 10 questions From the 2011 SWEP Conference; John Fessenden, lead 4ward

10. What does it mean to be an assessment of academic readiness? • TAKS • Did I learn what I was supposed to learn in 6th grade? • STAAR • Did I learn what I was supposed to learn in 6th grade? • Am I ready for 7th grade? • And 8th grade?

11. New Assessment design: Staar • “Fewer, deeper, clearer ” focus • Linked to college and career readiness (CCRS) • Will emphasize “readiness” standards, defined as those TEKS considered critical for success in the current grade or subject and important for preparedness in the grade or subject that follows • Will include other TEKS that are considered supporting standards and will be assessed, though not emphasized

12. More rigorous items • assessing content and skills at a greater depth and higher level of cognitive complexity • assessing more than one student expectation in an item

13. A more rigorous test… • assessing more focused student expectations but doing so multiple times and in more complex ways • including a greater number of rigorous items on the test, thereby increasing the overall test difficulty

14. Readiness Standards≈30% of eligible TEKS • Are essential for success in the current grade or course • Are important for preparedness for the next grade or course • Support college and career readiness • Necessitate in-depth instruction • Address broad and deep ideas

15. Supporting Standards≈70% of eligible TEKS • Although introduced in the current grade or course, they may be emphasized in a subsequent year • Although reinforced in the current grade or course, they may be emphasized in a previous year • They play a role in preparing students for the next grade or course but not a central role • They address more narrowly defined ideas

16. Readiness vs. Supporting Standards

17. Reviewing Readiness and Supporting Standards Readiness Standards • ≈ 30% of Assessed Curriculum • ≈ 65% of STAAR test • 2-4 questions per standard Supporting Standards • ≈ 70% of Assessed Curriculum • ≈ 35% of STAAR test • 0-1 question per standard

18. STAAR Assessment Options • STAAR • STAARWith accommodations • Modified • Alternate • Linguistically Accommodated Testing (L) • Spanish (Grades 3-5)

19. Not a separate test • Accommodations WILL be allowed on STAAR • STAAR will be in Verdana font, larger type, more white space

20. 2011–2012 Accommodations Manual • Plan to post around May 2011 • Will address grades 3–8 and EOC • Current discussions on accommodation policy regarding: • Calculators • Dictionaries • Supplemental Aids • Oral Administration – standardized options • Electronic Devices • Dyslexia Bundled Accommodations • Photocopying • Extended Time for Testing

21. 2011–2012 Accommodations Manual • Online Accommodation Request Form only • Faxing ARFS only in special circumstances • Documentation for accommodations that require TEA review should be noted as “pending TEA approval.” • This is especially important for STAAR accommodations since accommodation policy is under development.

22. Dyslexia Accommodations • Current dyslexia accommodations for the TAKS program are limited to grades 3–8. • TEA is expanding these testing policies to include high school students with dyslexia and other similar reading disabilities. • Students will be allowed to take the STAAR English I, II, and III assessments as well as the grades 3–8 reading assessments with accommodations, such as the oral reading of item stems/answer options and extended time. These accommodations represent two of the three accommodations in the current dyslexia bundle.

23. Subjects Tested for Modified and Alternate EOC

24. Differences Between TAKS–M & STAAR Modified • As with the current modified assessments, the STAAR Modified assessments will cover the same content as the general STAAR assessments but will be modified in format and test design. • Grades 3-8 • 9 of the 12 EOCs • Will have the same increased rigor and focus of the general assessments with approximately 20% less items decreased proportionally over the reporting categories.

25. STAAR Alternate • “Higher standard of rigor” than TAKS-Alt • Testing format will be the same

26. Alternate for ALL Assessed Grades in 2011-2012 • Fall 2011-2012, STAAR Alternate will be the only alternate assessment offered for students with significant cognitive disabilities. • The ARD Committee will select the STAAR Alternate assessments for students who meet the participation requirements for the students’ enrolled grade (grades 3-8). • For students in grades 9, 10, 11, 12 and beyond, the ARD committee will determine which EOC courses listed on the minimum plan will be addressed each year.

27. Plan for phase-out of TAKS-Alternate and the phase-in of EOC Alternate

28. STAAR Alternate Students will be given credit for the TAKS-Alt assessments previously administered for grades 9 & 10

29. Grade 11 for the 2011-2012 School Year Students will take the following assessments prior to graduation: • ELA III • World History • U.S. History

30. Rationale? • HS teachers would have to navigate two different online systems • New teachers would have to complete all the TAKS-Alt and STAAR Alternate modules and qualifications in one year. • The prerequisite skills targeted for STAAR Alternate (PK-6) are those student expectations that will be assessed in STAAR for the general population.

31. New STAAR Modules and Resources Modules 1, 2, & 3: • August 29, 2011 Module 4: • October 3, 2011 **Teachers will need to print the new resources No more TAKS-Alt training !!

32. 2011STAAR Alternate Resources • Essence Statements • Assessment Tasks • Vertical Alignment • Curriculum Framework * Delayed posting of the following subject areas: • Social Studies ~ due to possible curriculum revisions • ELA ~ due to reporting issues

33. TEA Guidance for ARDs • Do we need to hold an ARD because we are moving from TAKS to STAAR? • No, however ARD committees must make sure students taking the STAAR Modified meet the updated participation requirements.

34. The Issue of Rigor Goal of STAAR is to increase rigor (“fewer, deeper, clearer” ) • Focuses on fewer skills • Addresses those skills in a deeper manner • Provides a more clearly articulated assessment program So… How can we increase rigor from TAKS-M and TAKS-Alt but still create modified and alternate STAAR tests?

35. Start with a More Rigorous Test • High school end-of-course tests will include questions that are subject-specific, not grade-specific • STAAR Modified tests will be longer • STAAR tests will most likely have higher passing standards

36. STAAR features that will directly impact Modified and in some cases Alternate • Reading, English, Writing • Will assess different genres since the curriculum is now genre-based • Will include multiple written compositions for students to respond to • Written compositions will include different modes of writing depending upon the grade level • Test questions will be geared toward higher order thinking skills • Social Studies • Social studies skills (Obj. 5 or 6) will no longer be tested in isolation, but will be embedded into other objectives resulting in more complex questions • Questions will require a deeper understanding of concepts

37. STAAR features that will directly impact Modified • Science • Process skills (Obj. 1) will no longer be tested in isolation, but will be embedded into other objectives resulting in more complex questions • Questions will be developed at a higher level, as reflected in the new science curriculum • Math • Problem-solving skills (Obj. 6 or 10) will no longer be tested in isolation, but will be embedded into other objectives resulting in more complex questions • Will include more questions that require multiple steps with more than one operation

38. STAAR Modified and Alternate Assessments Critical Amendment to 19 TAC 89.1070. Graduation Requirements • In accordance with state and federal law, an ARD committee may determine that, for a student receiving special education services, a locally developed course is an appropriate substitute for a course that meets state graduation requirements for the minimum high school program. • Under current policy, however, there is no requirement for locally developed courses to be aligned with the courses for which they substitute. • For example, a student taking Consumer Math or Fundamentals of Math to substitute for Algebra I or Geometry may not receive adequate instruction in the Texas essential knowledge and skills (TEKS) for Algebra I or Geometry, which are both required to be assessed through end-of-course (EOC) assessments.

39. STAAR Modified and Alternate Assessments Critical Amendment to 19 TAC 89.1070. Graduation Requirements • Therefore, a student taking a locally developed course as a substitute for an assessed course would not be prepared to participate in a state assessment. This would include students receiving special education services participating in the general assessments as well as alternate assessments. • Beginning with the 2011-2012 school year, school districts will be required to review the content of locally developed courses for alignment with the TEKS to ensure students receive instruction that is aligned with the required course and respective EOC assessment.

40. Assessment for English Language Learners • With the development of the new STAAR program, all aspects of linguistic accommodations are being reviewed, including student eligibility criteria, grades and subjects included in the linguistically accommodated version of STAAR, known as STAAR L, and the types of accommodations that will be provided.

41. Assessment for English Language Learners • The most important change for the STAAR program for English language learners is that linguistic accommodations will be available for most STAAR assessments, not just for those used in AYP calculations. • There are no changes to the current TELPAS program and associated policies for the 2011–2012 school year.

42. COLLEGE READINESS • House Bill 3 defines college readiness as the level of preparation a student must attain in English language arts and mathematics courses to enroll and succeed, without remediation, in an entry-level general education course for credit in that same content area for a baccalaureate degree or associate degree program (Section 39.024a)

43. College and Career Readiness • Most changes are effective 2011-2012 • Response to Senate Bill 1031 (80 Texas Legislature, 2007) and House Bill 3 (81st Texas Legislature, 2009) • Increase rigor and relevance – standards and assessments • Creation and assessment of postsecondary readiness standards – College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) • Accountability based on CCRS on STAAR and distinctions outside of STAAR

44. Alignment with Postsecondary • CCRS content standards fully incorporated into the TEKS • Assessed on EOC • Performance standards set using empirical data linking performance from year-to-year, from high school down through grade 3, and from specific courses to college readiness.

45. College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS): • First integrated into the EOC assessment at the end of the sequence (English III and Algebra II) • Then mapped backwards across courses and grades to form a content-aligned system TAKS:Standards were set separately for each grade and subject and were primarily informed by examination of test content

46. STAAR Performance Categories

47. TAKS is horizontal ---------STAAR is vertical! • Learning builds between grades • Learning DEPENDS on earlier grades • Intervention areas are easier to identify • Differentiation is predictable • Growth measures are built in (score and concept)

48. Resources Coming Soon • Accommodations Manual • ARD Manual • Participation Requirements • Modification Guidelines • PEIMS Codes for EOCs Modified and Alternate • 19 TAC 89.1070: Guidance Document for Graduation