Updates:

1. Updates: These appear in red throughout the LAA 1 PowerPoint and provide current information. This information will also be in the Assessment Guide, soon to be available, and in the Test Administration Manual, which is part of the LAA 1 assessment materials.

3. LAA 1 Redesign • October 30, 31, November 1, 2007 • Division of Standards, Assessments • And Accountability

4. Why a Redesign? • Redesigned LAA 1 must pass USDE peer review • Peer review requires • academic based assessments • aligned/linked to content standards • at grade level or grade spans • Retired LAA 1 is 7 years old

5. Why Fast Track? • LDE learned late in the Peer Review process that LAA 1 had not been approved. • LDE was advised to: • Redesign LAA 1 • Implement by spring 2008

6. What Remains the Same? • The participation criteria and form • Determination made by IEP team • Use of accommodations • Assessment window (2/11–3/28) • Test administrator is the student’s teacher

7. What Is Changing? • Redesigned LAA 1 measures extensions of the standards, benchmarks, and GLEs • Referred to as Extended Standards • Assessments by 4 grade spans • Three content areas to be assessed, currently • Assessment design: printed items/tasks • Assessment book per grade span • Response documents (RDs) easier to mark • Method of administration, individual • Use of dual assessors for a sample of students

8. Extended Standards • Developed by testing contractor Data Recognition Corporation • Reviewed, revised, and approved by Louisiana educators representing general and special education • 3 committees: English language arts, math, and science • LAA 1 items/tasks based on extended standards

9. ELA, Math, Science ELA, Math ELA, Math, Science ELA, Math ELA, Math Science 3 and 4 5 and 6 7 and 8 High school 9 10 11 Grade Span Content Area

10. Dual Assessors • Student sample: 10 percent of the LAA 1 population • Random selection • Noted with asterisk by student name on school roster • RD with words Scoring Study Documentprinted upper right beside student name to be dually assessed

11. Dual Assessors • Central office special education personnel • Support personnel • Speech therapist • Adapted PE teacher • Occupational therapist • Another special education teacher • Not a paraprofessional Update: Members of the Evaluation Team, including the psychologist, may also serve as dual assessors.

12. Assessment Books and Response Documents • These documents are formatted by grade span: • One marked: Grade Span 3–4 • One marked: Grade Span 5–6 • One marked: Grade Span 7–8 • One marked: Grade Span 9–11 • Each TA will receive: • One assessment booklet per grade span taught • One response document per student Update: These materials will be spiral bound and color coded.

13. And . . . • One duplicate of student assessment book(s) • One supplement book(s) of tactile images as needed • One Test Administration Manual (TAM) Update: Tactile images will not be used.

14. Total Materials for Any One Test Administrator (TA) • Student assessment book(s) • TA duplicate assessment book(s) with script and task descriptions for students with vision impairments • Supplemental book with tactile images used as needed • Response Document(s) • Test Administration Manual (TAM) Update: Task descriptions will be on a separate sheet and available upon request.

15. Assessment Design • Standardized: all students in the same grade span respond to the same tasks • Rubric for each task • Approximately 25 tasks per content area • Therefore, approximately 75 tasks total • Flexibility: in the accommodations

16. Rubrics • Per task • Rubric scores are either: • 2 or 1 or 0 • 1 or 0

17. Assessment Materials • Student books are 11" x 12 1/2" and contain large-print tasks. • They are color coded and spiral bound with hard covers so they can be placed on classroom stand if so used in class. • Students in the same grade span use the same book. • Students do not mark or write in the assessment book • TA books are standard size (8 1/2" x 11") and contain duplicate tasks plus scripts, rubrics, and written descriptions of the graphics to use as needed.

18. Materials Security • LAA 1 materials should be treated the same as general assessment materials, i.e., secure materials, not to be duplicated. • Must be returned the same day they are checked out. • Student books • Response Documents • TA books • Supplemental book with tactile images Update: Assistive technology that in any way reproduces the assessment or graphics and task descriptions for VI-blind are considered secure.

19. Materials Security (continued) • Response document: TA will complete this task- by-task as student responds to each task. Therefore, the RD is confidential. • RD is designed to be left in the student assessment book as a place marker when checked in and out. • RD is removed from student book when assessment ends, and all RDs are returned in their own envelope at the end of assessment.

20. Accommodations • Tactile images • Assistive technology • Other Update: Assistive technology includes augmentative communication devices, manipulation in presentation of graphics, objects/manipulatives, symbol systems, and task descriptions for VI-blind. These are the most common assistive technology devices or product systems that may be used during LAA 1, as long as they are used routinely in the classroom.

21. Accommodations (continued) • Tactile images • This population does not read braille. • Tactile images are similar to braille but include dark lines along the raised areas. • Not all students will need tactile images. • Not all tasks will need to include tactile images. • We have yet to determine the numbers who use tactile images regularly in the classroom.

22. Accommodations (continued) • Assistive technology • Any and all communication devices • Any type of symbol system • TAs (teachers) who translate the task language using the symbol system used in the classroom may do this for the assessment. • Not all students use a symbol system. • Translated materials will need to be handed in at the end of assessment.

23. Accommodations (continued) • Other • Questions about accommodations: teacher to School Test Coordinator (STC) to District Test Coordinator (DTC) to LDE, Leslie Lightbourne or Jeanne Johnson • All accommodations used for LAA 1 must be used regularly during classroom instruction.

24. Suggestions • It’s best for STC to handle LAA 1 materials him- or herself rather than hand them off to a special education teacher. • LAA 1 materials have tracking numbers. • STCs and DTCs are responsible for LAA 1 materials—security, distribution, daily collection, final collection, and return. • These are not special education functions.

25. Special Education Responsibilities • Facilitate IEP team in making assessment decision • Complete LAA 1 Participation Criteria Form (annually) to help make determination • Preparation is in classroom instruction • Teach extended standards

26. LAA 1 Extended Standards Handbook Draft • Content areas • English Language Arts (ELA) • Mathematics • Science • Grades spans • Selected general education standards, benchmarks, grade-level-expectations (GLEs) • Were extended for the significant population

27. Extended Standards • Three complexity levels (CLs) for each extended standard (ES) • These are numbered, 1 being the least complex task and 3 being the most complex task • Assessment tasks developed to these 3 complexity levels to provide a range of task difficulty

28. Extended Standards • Students who are presymbolic and at the awareness level have limited representation in this assessment • They must address this assessment as best they can

29. Extended Standards • Extended standards (ESs) are to the significant population AS • Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs) are to the general population.

30. LAA 1 Extended Standards Handbook Draft • These books are to arrive in the districts October 31, to the attention of the DTCs. • Please distribute them to the schools and be sure they get to the special ed personnel as soon as possible. • An accompanying memo advises this distribution and explains the draft status.

31. Questions Later? • Jeanne.Johnson@la.gov (general questions) • Claudia.Davis@la.gov (general questions) • Leslie.Lightbourne@la.gov (accommodations) • Bernadette.Morris@la.gov (materials distribution, collection, return to vendor)

32. Questions now? Thank you!