Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP): Instructional Manual and Curricular Design

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Virginia Alternate Assessment Program
(VAAP)Instructional Manual and Curricular
Design

• Virginia Department of Education
• Office of Special Education Instructional Services

John EisenbergEducational Specialist in Severe
Disabilities and Assistive Technology(804) 225
-2711John.Eisenberg_at_doe.virginia.gov
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Flow of the Day

• Instructional Components/Overview
• John Eisenberg
• Division of Special Education Instructional
  Services
• Assessment Components/Procedures
• Nathan Sparks
• Division of Assessment and Reporting

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Agenda

• 830 Welcome and Introductions
• 845 930 Redesign of the VAAP and Manual
• 930 945 Participation
• 945 1000 Curriculum Foundations
• 1000 1020 Break write questions
• 1020 1040 QA
• 1040 1100 Aligned Standards of Learning
• 1100 1130 Walkthrough of manual
• 1130 1145 IEP and Technical Assistance Plan
• 1145 1200 QA
• 1200 1245 Lunch
• 1245 130 Step by Step Overview Assessment
• 130 - 230 Evidence for the Assessment
  Component
• 230 330 Scoring Protocol and Examples

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Housekeeping

• Cell Phones Vibrate/Off
• Breaks bathroom locations
• Questions write on post-its
• Collected by T/TAC staff
• Please ask questions no editorials
• Food lunch
• Manuals 1 per participant
• Instruction
• Assessment
• Resource CD is in pocket of manual
• Evaluations/Certificates

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Overview of the Presentation

• Historical Perspective
• Rationale/Requirements
• Process for Redesign
• Components/Using the Instructional Manual
• Aligned Standards of Learning
• Instructional Resources

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Goals

• Teach participants to use the Virginia Alternate
  Assessment Program Instructional Manual
• Teach participants the instructional components
  of the redesigned Virginia Alternate Assessment
  Program

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• The direction in which education starts a man,
  will determine his future life.
• -Plato, (427 BC - 347 BC)

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Understanding the Curricular Context for Students
with Significant Cognitive Disabilities
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Why Did We Change the VAAP?
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Why?

• Federal Requirements
• Accountability
• Raise Expectations
• Feedback from Field
• Instructional/Curriculum Shifts

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Federal Requirements

• Individuals with Disabilities Education
  Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEIA)
• Students with the most significant cognitive
  disabilities may be assessed on state established
  content standards through an alternate
  assessment.
• General grade level state standards must be
  accessible for all students.
• Regardless of where students receive
  instruction, all students with disabilities
  should have access to, participate in, and make
  progress in, the general curriculum.

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Required Federal Changes Authority

• No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001
• An alternate assessment is an assessment
  designed for the small number of students with
  disabilities who are unable to participate in
  the regular State assessment, even with
  appropriate accommodations.
• Final rules for NCLB found in the Federal
  Register, December 2003, section 200.1 (d)
  state that
• For students with the most significant cognitive
  disabilities who take an alternate assessment, a
  State may, through a documented and validated
  standards-setting process, define achievement
  standards that - i) are aligned with the States
  academic content standards and ii) reflect
  professional judgment of the highest learning
  standards possible for those students.
• Current Guidance from U.S. Dept of Education
• States must examine their regular state standards
  and explore how they might be reduced in depth,
  breadth, and complexity or modified to reflect
  pre-requisite skills, as well as show a clear
  link to the content standards.
• Yearly testing requirements in reading,
  mathematics, and science
• Grades 3,4,5,6,7,8 and 11th

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Accountability

• Linkage of IEP goals for VAAP will not be allowed
  in Assessment Systems
• (Non-Regulatory Guidance Document, Alternate
  achievement standards for students with
• the most significant cognitive disabilities US
  Dept of Ed, August 2005)
• B-5. May a State use student progress on IEP
  goals or an assessment of functional life skills
  to meet the Title I regulation requirements?
• No
• First, IEP goals are individualized for each
  student, and a students progress toward each
  goal is measured for purposes of reporting
  progress to parents and for making individualized
  decisions about the special education and related
  services a student receives. In addition, for AYP
  determinations, test results must ensure
  consistency in the judgments made about schools.
  IEP goals are not designed for this purpose.
• Second, as required by Title I, schools are
  accountable for student achievement only in the
  content areas of reading/language arts and
  mathematics.

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We don't focus on what we can't do we focus on
what we can do. And we do whatever it takes to
get kids across the finish line.This principle is
challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations,
and that is the spirit of our education reform,
and the commitment of our country. I believe
every child can learn and I refuse to accept
excuses when they dont. We will leave no child
behind. -George W. Bush
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Raise Expectations and Improving Outcomes

• National Longitudinal Study 2 (NLTS 2) What the
  data says for students with significant cognitive
  disabilities/multiple disabilities
• Graduation Rates
• Employment
• Post-Secondary Schooling/Training
• Independent Living
• Social Life

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Feedback from the Field

• Areas for VDOE Improvement
• VAAP needs to be a demonstration of student
  achievement not a program evaluation
• VAAP needs to be a part of normal instruction
• VAAP collections of evidence need to be relevant
  to instruction and not take so much time to
  compile
• What we are being asked to teach must be clear

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Instructional/Curriculum Shifts Best Practices

• Because their learning is perceived to be so
  significantly different than typical children,
  their curriculum has not traditionally focused on
  academic content but encompassed a separate
  curricular focus. Indeed, in many cases it is
  thought that the students Individual Education
  Program or IEP is the curriculum for each
  individual student. While the IEP certainly
  represents educational priorities and supports to
  achieve those educational priorities for the
  individual student, it does not represent the
  entire range of curriculum nor does it represent
  the academic standards upon which a curriculum
  should be based
• -(Giangreco, Cloninger, Iverson, 1999
  Grisham-Brown, Kearns, 2001)

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Instructional/Curriculum Shifts Best Practices

• All students having the opportunity to learn
  academic content
• Instruction in and not just access to the general
  education curriculum for ALL students
• Virginias SOL should be the basis for each local
  school divisions academic curriculum for ALL
  students
• Sequential versus catalog approach to curriculum
• Movement toward a blended curriculum that
  balances academic and functional skills
• IEP is not the curriculum but the tool to access
  the curriculum
• Curriculum utilizes Universal Design for Learning
  Principles
• Providing alternative formats for presenting
  information
• Provide alternative means for action and
  expression
• Provide alternative means for engagement

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• Starting Points for
• the Redesign of the VAAP

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Collaborative Development

• Over 85 professionals involved
• VAAP Stakeholder Committee
• Workgroups
• Reading, Math, Science and History/Social Science
• T/TAC Priority Project
• IEP Stakeholder Committee
• Membership
• Special Education Teachers
• General Education Teachers
• Administrators Special Ed Directors, Division
  Directors of Testing
• Instructional Specialists
• Consultants
• National Technical Assistance Providers
• Parents
• T/TAC Staff

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Organization of Manual

• Walkthrough
• VAAP Resource CD
• Standards Driven IEP PowerPoint can be downloaded
  from VDOE Website

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Guiding Principles (Sec 1, pg 5)

• Purpose
• Extend educational accountability and reform to
  students with significant cognitive disabilities
• Measure individual student achievement
• Provides an equal opportunity for students to
  fully demonstrate knowledge and skills

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Guiding Principles (Sec 1, pg 5)

• Highlighted Statements
• Instruction and progress in the general education
  curriculum
• Aligned Standards of Learning
• Increase positive post-school outcomes
  employment, independent living, etc.
• IEP team REQUIRED to use PARTICIPATION CRITERIA
  to determine eligibility for the VAAP
• New criteria
• Cant use students disability or placement
• VAAP is focused on academic skills but does not
  limit instruction on functional skills
• Blended curriculum is encouraged
• High expectations
• Rigor Relevance

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Which Students Should Take the VAAP?
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Learner Characteristics (Sec 1, pg 7-10)

• Diverse group of learners
• Unique skills, preferences, and experiences
• Students in the VAAP may exhibit some or all of
  the following characteristics
• Communication difficulties
• Self-determination, behavior, social interactions
• Uneven learning patterns in all domains
• Cognition, communication, socialization, and
  self-help
• Multiple disabling conditions impacting health,
  stamina and learning
• Physical, sensory, medical challenges
• Difficulty learning new tasks
• Maintaining new skills
• Generalizing skills to new environments
• Access information in alternative ways
• Tactile, visual, auditory, multi-sensory
• Require extensive long-term supports

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Guidelines for Participation (Sec 1, pg 11-12)

• Annual Testing Changes

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Guidelines for Participation (Sec 1, pg 11-12)

• IEP team determines participation
• Review current and historical documentation
• Evaluation data, school records, parent/teacher
  observation, anecdotal notes, previous IEPs,
  learner characteristics, etc.
• The following reasons alone are not sufficient
• Poor attendance
• English as a Second Language
• Social, cultural, and economic differences
• Disruptive behavior
• Students reading level
• Expectations of poor performance
• Amount of time receiving special education
  services
• Low achievement in general education
• Categorical disabilities labels
• Place where the student receives services.

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Guidelines for Participation (Sec 1, pg 11-12)

• Participation Questions YES/NO
• 1. The student has a current IEP or one is being
  developed.
• 2. The student demonstrates significant cognitive
  disabilities.
• 3. The student's present level of performance
  indicates the need for extensive, direct
  instruction and/or intervention in a curriculum
  framework based on Aligned Standards of Learning.
  The present level of performance or student
  evaluation may also include personal management,
  recreation and leisure, school and community,
  vocational, communication, social competence
  and/or motor skills.
• 4. The student requires intensive, frequent, and
  individualized instruction in a variety of
  settings to show active interaction and
  achievement.
• 5. The student is working toward educational
  goals other than those prescribed for a Modified
  Standard, Standard or Advanced Studies Diploma
• YES must be answered for all questions to
  participate in the VAAP
• NO to any question disqualifies that student from
  participation
• Explore other assessment options VGLA, VSEP, SOL
  with accommodations

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Guidelines for Participation (Sec 1, pg 12-13)

• If yes to all then fill in the bottom section

The IEP team members agree that
___________________________ meets the
participation criteria stated above for the VAAP
for the _________________________ school year and
will not participate in any other statewide
assessment. This participation decision will be
stated on the IEP and is supported by the current
and historical data found on the following
documents Supporting Documentation List
documents used to make decision     Please Fill
Out and Keep This Document!!!!!!  
 
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Curriculum Foundations
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(No Transcript)
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Where did the curriculum come from?

• Remember this?
• Regardless of where students receive
  instruction, all students with disabilities
  should have access to, participate in, and make
  progress in, the general education curriculum.
• What is the general education curriculum in
  Virginia?
• Remember this?
• States must examine their regular state standards
  and explore how they might be reduced in depth,
  breadth, and complexity or modified to reflect
  pre-requisite skills, as well as show a clear
  link to the content standards. US DOE, 2005

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What is going to be assessed?

• Aligned Standards of Learning
• Academic Skills
• Communication Skills

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The Process for Developing Aligned Standards of
Learning
Depth Breadth
Aligned Standards Of Learning
Stakeholder Committees
SOL K-12 Reading Math Science History
standards selected for each content area
Pre-requisite Skills
Complexity
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Q A
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Aligned Standards of Learning

• Same skills as SOL Language is intact
• Grade levels have been removed from selected
  standards and renamed/numbered
• Organized by content area, strands and taught by
  topical areas
• Depth/Breadth Fewer standards selected than in
  SOL and from a wide range of grade levels
• Complexity The number of standards/sub-skills
  and time frame for mastery for the curriculum has
  been reduced
• Pre-requisite skills selected skills represent
  pre-requisite skills for the more advanced SOL
  skills in later grades/courses

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Aligned Standards of Learning
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Aligned Standards of Learning

• Example 1
• Content Area Mathematics (Section 5)
• Strand Measurement (Page 152)
• Selected Aligned Standard M-M5 (Page 152)
• M-M 5 The student will
• a) identify the number of pennies equivalent
  to a nickel, a dime, and a quarter
• b) determine the value of a collection of
  pennies, nickels, and dimes whose total value is
  100 cents or less.

How Aligned Standards are Labeled
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Aligned Standards of Learning

• Example 2
• Content Area History Social Science (Section
  6)
• Strand Civics (Page 338)
• Selected Aligned Standard HS-C1 (Page 338)
• HS-C1 The student will demonstrate that being a
  good citizen involves      a)taking turns and
  sharing
•       b) taking responsibility for certain
  classroom chores
• c) taking care of personal belongings and
  respecting what belongs to others
• d) following rules and understanding the
  consequence of breaking rules
• e) practicing honesty, self-control, and
  kindness to others.

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Closer Look at Aligned Standards

• Most Aligned Standards of Learning have multiple
  sub-skills
• Example
• E-R4
• Quick Review Which Content Area? Which Strand?
• E-R4 The student will demonstrate comprehension
  of fiction and nonfiction.
• a) Use pictures to make predictions about
  content.
• b) Retell familiar stories, using beginning,
  middle, and end.
• c) Discuss characters, setting, and events.
• d) Use story language in discussions and
  retellings.
• e) Identify what an author does and what an
  illustrator does.
• f) Identify the topics of nonfiction
  selections.

Sub-skills
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Language is the basis of human community. With
it we inform, persuade, challenge, support, and
entertain each other." -(Dias,Beer,
Ledwell-Brown,Paire, Pittenger, 1992)
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VAAP Communication Component Section 3

• Communication skills represent a significant
  challenge for students with significant cognitive
  disabilities
• Critical curriculum component for this population
  of learners
• Predictor of post-school success
• Every student should be taught a means to
  effectively communicate
• Instruction should promote student performance
  through best practices
• Use age appropriate materials to perform
  meaningful tasks in real world situations
• Teach in multiple settings
• Provide opportunities with non-disabled peers
• Promote the use of effective communication
  system/supports

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VAAP Communication Component Section 3

• Committee developed a list of communication
  skills based on modified oral language SOL that
  reflect the communication needs of students with
  significant cognitive disabilities
• Communication Skills
• Section 3, Page 29

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• Sections of the Manual Instructional Tools

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Communication Skills

• Section 3 Page 23 -29
• Communication Resource Document
• Communication Skills

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English Reading

• Section 4 Page 31 -144
• Reading Aligned Standards
• Page 31-37
• Reading Enhanced Scope and Sequence
• Page 39-139
• Reading Strategies
• Page 140-144
• Resource CD
• Reading Curriculum Framework
• Sample Activities

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Enhanced Scope and Sequence

• Purpose
• Overview of the curriculum
• How aligned standards are organized
• Understanding an overview of essential knowledge
  and skills
• Examples of sample activities
• How to map out classroom and child-specific
  instruction
• Determining instructional entry points for
  individual students
• Which topics to address for instruction
• Which skill group a student might fall under
• Way to informally assess a student skills and
  previous experience with the content

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Enhanced Scope and Sequence

• Overview
• Introductions to early literacy (pgs
  41-47)/numeracy (pgs 165-169)
• Foundation blocks teaching a literacy and
  numeracy enriched environment
• Note if student has not been exposed to the
  content at all, reference the building block
  information to promote early content skills
• Scope and Sequence for teacher
• Matrix for Reading page 49
• Matrix for Math 1, page 2 pages 171, 172
• Organizing Topics
• Critical concepts that define the content area
• Example Reading is defined by the ability to
  understand
• letters and sounds
• Concepts of print
• Vocabulary and comprehension, etc
• Skills Groups
• Clusters of aligned standards that relate to the
  organizing topics
• Grouped 1-6 by level of complexity
• 1 - basic skills
• 6 - more advanced skills

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Enhanced Scope and Sequence

• Use Scope and Sequence Matrix to determine
• Current competency in the content
• Skills to be taught
• Skills can be taught across all or selected
  organizing topics
• Students can progress across skill groups without
  having to master the entire skill group
• Student masters skills in E-R1 under concept of
  print (Skill Group 1) and moves up to E-R5 (Skill
  Group 1) but has not mastered E-R2, E-R4 (Skill
  Group 2)
• Matrix for Reading page 49

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Getting Started Entry Points

• Use the Student Profile to gather information
  (Section 2, pages 17-18)
• Identify entry points based on (also use Scope
  and Sequence)
• Strengths and needs
• Academics/communication
• Effects of Disability
• Example Student that is Deaf, youre not going
  to focus your instructional efforts on phonemic
  awareness using typical instructional methods
• Supports
• Environmental supports lighting, seating, etc
• Modifications
• Assistive technology
• Use Instructional Priorities Planning Sheet
  (Section 2, page 19-21)
• Help to define starting points for designing
  instruction

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Mathematics

• Section 5 Pages 147-323
• Mathematics Aligned Standards
• Strands
• Pages145-161
• Mathematics Enhanced Scope and Sequence
• Pages 163-319
• Mathematics Strategies
• Pages 321-323
• Resource CD
• Mathematics Curriculum Frameworks
• Sample Activities

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History Social Science

• Section 6 Pages 325-340
• History and Social Science Aligned Standards
• Pages 325-340
• Strands
• Resource CD
• History Social Science Curriculum Frameworks
• Other resources to come

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Science

• Section 7 Pages 341-357
• Science Aligned Standards of Learning
• Pages 341-357
• Strands
• Resource CD
• Science Curriculum Frameworks
• Other resources to come

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Instructional Resources

• Section 8 Pages 359 -366
• Instructional Strategies
• Pages 359 -364
• Assistive Technology Ideas
• Pages 365 -366

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Resource CD

• Curriculum Frameworks
• All 4 content areas by strand
• Sample Activities
• Reading/Math
• VDOE SOL Instructional Resources

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Resource CD

• IEP Resources
• Sample PLOP
• Student profile
• Priorities for Instruction
• Sample VAAP IEP Agenda
• Standards Driven IEP Power-Point
• On VDOE website

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Implications for the IEP Process

• IEP
• New participation criteria
• Team review criteria for appropriateness
• Using tools to develop PLOP and find entry points
• Student Profile
• Instructional Priorities
• Scope and Sequence
• Resource CD
• Sample PLOP
• Sample VAAP IEP Agenda

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Technical Assistance Plan

• 5 Regional rollouts
• T/TAC Regional follow-ups
• VCU T/TAC
• 9/28 - Chesterfield
• 9/29 - Chester
• VT T/TAC
• 9/30 - Abingdon
• JMU T/TAC
• 9/30 - Lynchburg
• 10/14 - Harrisonburg
• ODU T/TAC
• 10/11, 11/17, 12/7 - Fredericksburg
• 10/26, 11/30, 12/6 - Norfolk
• 10/13, 11/15, 12/13 - Hampton
• GMU T/TAC

• 10 Regional Trainings on a Process for
  Instruction
• Using the manual and resources to begin
  instruction in Reading Math
• http//www.customconference.com/vadoe/gmuvdoe05oct
  .html

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Technical Assistance Plan

• T/TAC Online www.ttaconline.org
• Manual materials
• Upcoming local trainings
• Coming soon
• Community of practice
• Share lesson plan ideas, strategies
• Webshops
• Online training self study
• EVAAP News
• Electronic Newsletter sign up
• VDOE Website
• Manual materials
• Access for All Summer Training information
  coming soon

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Who to Call with Questions

• John Eisenberg
• [phone] or john.eisenberg_at_doe.virginia.gov
• Nathan Sparks
• [phone] or nathan.sparks_at_doe.virginia.gov
• T/TAC Staff
• Kelly Ligon VCU
• [phone] or kligon_at_vcu.edu
• Angela Levorse ODU
• [phone] or alevorse_at_odu.edu
• Brad Bizzell Diann Eaton VT
• [phone] or dweaton_at_vt.edu, bbizzell_at_vt.edu
• Debbie Yancey JMU
• [phone] or yanceymd_at_jmu.edu
• Kay Klein Karen Berlin GMU
• [phone] or Mklei1_at_gmu.edu , Kberlin_at_gmu.edu

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Q A