DTC Workshops January 24 and 25, 2012

DTC WorkshopsJanuary 24 and 25, 2012 Test Security Accommodations Special Populations Issues Leslie Lightbourne Louisiana Department of Education

District/School Test Security Policies • Statement of Assurance • Due January 1, 2012 • District/school test security policy must be submitted annually to LDOE • Electronic version preferred • Random sampling of policies will be reviewed and feedback provided. • EOC Emergency plan (required)

Bulletin 118 Changes The district’s test security policy shall provide: • procedures for ensuring the security of individual student test data in electronic and paper formats, including encryption of student demographics in any email correspondence; • to the extent practicable, procedures to assign a different test administrator for a class than the teacher of record for the class, except for teachers testing students with accommodations and younger students, grades 3 through 8; • procedures for monitoring of test sites to observe test administration procedures and to ensure that appropriate test security procedures are being followed.

Testing at Alternative Program Sites • If students are preidentified for their home base school but attending an alternative program at another site, districts may test them at the program site and either • Submit to LDOE a plan including security procedures for transporting the answer documents to the alternative program site and assignment of test administrators (TAs); or • Handcode documents at the alternative program site and accountability code the documents at the home base school.

Reporting of Irregularities (R.S. 17:81.6) • Allows public school employees to report irregularities or improprieties in the administration of standardized tests directly to LDOE who can investigate the allegations • Misdemeanor offenses: • Obstructing reporting • Retaliating against an employee who participates in an investigation or reports an irregularity • Submitting a false report

Administrative Errors • If high stakes tests (LEAP grade 4 & 8 ELA and Math, GEE, LAA 2 grades 10 & 11, and EOC tests) are voided by the district due to an administrative error that results in questions regarding the security of the test or the accuracy of the test data, the LEA superintendent may request (in writing) an opportunity to retest prior to the next scheduled test administration.

Administrative Errors (cont’d) • If, after test results are released, it is determined an administrative error resulted in a question of the accuracy of the test data, the LEA superintendent or the parent or legal guardian of the affected student may request (in writing) an opportunity to retest prior to the next scheduled test administration. • If LDOE determines that the retest is allowable, the original test will be voided by LDOE.

Administrative Errors: Procedures • LEA must provide a description of what occurred and a corrective plan of action. • Vendor will assess the LEA a fee (currently $350 per test). • LEAP/GEE/LAA 2 (grades 10 and 11) • Vendor sends retest materials to the district. • A memo will be produced with student’s scores. • EOC • Tests are provided through the EOC system. • Reports provided online. • Retest scores are not included in summary reports or accountability.

Administrative Error Test Schedule • LEAP, GEE, LAA 2 Spring 2012 Administration • April 12 – May 7, 2012 • May 29 – June 11, 2012 • EOC Spring 2012 Administration • June 11 – 15, 2012

Major Types of Administrative Errors in 2011 • Cueing students during testing or providing assistance in answering questions • Providing study materials prior to testing that included actual test items • Students were not provided accommodations or the appropriate accommodations. • Test administrator read aloud the Reading and Responding session to students with the accommodation Tests Read Aloud. • Students were not provided a Mathematics Reference Sheet or calculator.

Alternate Environment Form • Required if not testing • In class-sized groups (Bulletin 741) • In the usual classroom environment • Not Required/Exceptions • If environment is provided as an approved accommodation (i.e., IEP, Section 504 IAP, or LEP) • For EOC, if testing in computer lab or classroom • Submit 30 days prior to testing • Phase 1: by February 20, 2012 • Phase 2: by March 12, 2012 • Summer: by May 28, 2012

Alternate Environment Form (cont’d) • Must describe testing environment • Adequate spacing between students • Sufficient space for students to handle materials • If in multipurpose spaces (e.g., cafeteria, library, teacher’s lounge), describe procedures for controlling interruptions. • May not schedule different assessments in same room at same time • May not test more than one small group in same room at same time

Monitoring by State During Testing • Monitor’s Role • Observing testing • Documenting observations • Notifying LDOE of issues requiring immediate attention • NOT Monitor’s Role • Assisting in testing including supervision of students or materials • Answering questions regarding testing • Providing immediate feedback to schools • The monitoring forms will be posted on the LDOE Web site prior to testing.

Grade 2 ITBS Test • ALL students enrolled in grade 2 are tested. • Exception • Due to the visual nature of the test, students using braille as the primary learning media do not participate. • This must be documented on the Grade 2 ITBS Spring 2012 Accommodation form and submitted to LDOE. • Reading, Language and Mathematics tests • The Language and Mathematics tests are read aloud to all students. • The Reading tests are notread aloud to any students.

Grade 2 ITBS Test Accommodations • Approved accommodations are either BOLDED on IEP Accommodations page or in the Standardized Testing Accommodations section of the Section 504 plan. • After testing, document used accommodations on the Grade 2 ITBS Spring 2012 Accommodation Form • Completed form must be placed in the student’s cumulative folder for documentation purposes • Locate at https://la.drcedirect.com • click on Documents

Field TestsGrades 3-8 • All accommodations, except for braille, are provided for the field tests. • Students who are eligible for LAA 2 who take English Language Arts or Mathematics in iLEAP or LEAP should participate in the field test for that subject. • Students who take LAA 1 or all LAA 2 do not participate in the field test.

LAA 1 • Deadline for assessment decision for LAA 1 and submission to SER is January 27, 2012. • For significant cognitively disabled students • Must meet participation criteria • Students with Mental Disability – Mild are not eligible • Even though LAA 1 is not administered in 9th grade, LAA 1 must be documented on the IEP.

LAA 2 • Deadline for assessment decision for LAA 2 and submission to SER for spring LAA 2 testing is March 9, 2012. • LAA 2 is still available in grades 10 and 11. • Students may use the LAA 2 results to meet graduation requirements. • LAA 2 must be reflected on the 9th grade IEP and all following years, including all content areas that LAA 2 will be taken in regardless of the grade the LAA 2 content area tests are administered.

EOC and LAA 2 • Students eligible for LAA 2 must take EOC tests if enrolled in the corresponding courses. • For students eligible under IDEA who meet the LAA 2 participation criteria prior to taking the first EOC test, the EOC test score shall count as 5% of the final course grade in the content areas identified as LAA 2 on the IEP. • Participation in LAA 2 and content areas must be reflected on the IEP prior to April 23, 2012.

Graduation Waiver Requests • For graduating seniors with disabilities (IEPs only) taking GEE or LAA 2 • A waiver request will NOT BE PROCESSED if all required documentation is not included in the request. It is the district’s responsibility to ensure all required documentation is submitted for each student.

Graduation Waiver Requests • Student must have passed at least one test before the waiver can be submitted to LDOE. • Waiver requests only need to be submitted once in a school year. LDOE will check test scores of any student who was denied the waiver within the year. • Any waiver request submitted after the January deadline will be processed with the May submissions.

Section 504 • Data Validation Form no longer has to be submitted to LDOE. • Temporary Accommodation Plan • For those “broken arm” students • No longer has to be submitted to LDOE • Records must be maintained at the school and available for review upon request.

ELDA and English Language Learners (ELLs) • Even if parents refuse ELL services, students identified as LEP must take ELDA. • Title III Requirements • Coordinators need access to data during the summer for federal reporting and to determine student status. • Consistent demographic coding across tests • Critical demographics for federal reporting • First or native language • Born in U.S. or Date of Entry into U.S. • Time enrolled in school in the U.S. • Type of specialized language program

Accommodations • All test administrators, proctors, monitors, and interpreters MUST be trained in test security and administration. • Reading aloud or signing the following tests = VOID. • LEAP/GEE/LAA 2 ELA: Reading and Responding • iLEAP ELA: Reading, part 2 • ELDA: Reading test • EOC English II or English III: passages with related questions • Small group requirements • Maximum of 8 • Careful monitoring: Testing irregularities, such as students sharing answers resulting in voiding of tests, continue to happen. • May test students with IEPs and students with Section 504 plans in the same group

Accommodations (cont’d) • Transferred Answers: Student writes or types responses and TA transfers to answer document. • STC must verify that responses are transferred. • Testing companies will not transfer responses • Any materials containing student responses other than the scorable answer document or large print test booklet must be kept by the STC in a locked, secure area until test scores are returned. • Papers must not be attached to answer documents. • Administrative Error: For LEAP ELA/Math, GEE, and LAA 2 (grades 10 and 11), if materials with responses are found after answer documents are returned, the district may pay DRC to return test booklet and answer document to district for responses to be transferred. • Answers Recorded: Student signs or says responses and TA acts as scribe writing answers on answer documents.

Accommodations (cont’d) • Students may provide answers in multiple ways requiring both Transferred Answers and Answers Recorded. • For example, a student may write the constructed responses in the answer document; circle answers to multiple-choice questions in the test booklet, which the test administrator transfers to the answer document (Transferred Answers); and dictate the Writing session to the test administrator who writes the Final Draft in the answer document (Answers Recorded). • Requires clear documentation • Tests Read Aloud: Students may not have Tests Read Aloud as an accommodation if tests are not read aloud to them on a regular basis in the classroom.

Accommodations (cont’d) • Electronic Readers (Assistive Technology) • Text-to-speech may be used except for • Reading and Responding (LEAP, GEE, LAA 2) • Reading, Part 2 (iLEAP) • Reading (ELDA) • only needed for Writing • CDs containing PDFs may be requested from LDOE. • District must have a written plan for preparation of materials and security procedures.

End of Course (EOC) Test Accommodations • Must be entered prior to starting any of the tests • Once a student begins testing, the accommodations may not be changed. • If it is determined a student needs an accommodation that was not entered, such as Tests Read Aloud, Communication Assistance, or Large Print, the TA should inform the STC and determine how to provide the accommodations. (Document as a testing irregularity.) • Both braille and large print cannot be coded for EOC. • Tests Read Aloud • Check headphones prior to beginning testing. • Make sure icon appears on the screen. • Small group is not necessary unless student requires it for other reasons.

Accommodation Questions? • Call or e-mail if you have a question regarding legitimacy of an accommodation. • Guiding questions • Does it subvert the purpose of the test? • Examples: reading aloud the reading test, LEP accommodations for students taking ELDA • Does it breach test security? • Examples: providing class-made glossaries or math fact sheets, test administrator clarifying questions • Does it provide an unfair advantage? • Examples: providing a dictionary for sessions other than Writing, allowing access to an electronic thesaurus for sessions other than Writing

Contact Information • Noah Wartelle (noah.wartelle@la.gov; 225-342-0202) • Questions regarding students with disabilities • Graduation Waiver information • LAA 1 and LAA 2 eligibility • Shelia Campbell (shelia.campbell@la.gov; 225-219-4436) • Questions regarding English language learners • Questions regarding Title III • Leslie Lightbourne (leslie.lightbourne@la.gov; 225-342-0170) • Test security and testing irregularities • Special population testing issues, including accommodations • Questions regarding ELDA

DTC Workshops January 24 and 25, 2012