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Supporting Materials

Webcast Tutorials

The IAA Process Webcasts review the instructions for each of the parts of the Iowa Alternate Assessment process. These instructions provide guidance to teachers and administrators on how to administer the IAA Rating Scales to students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Administration

Parent

IEP

IAA Rating Scales

Reading Rating Scales

Math Rating Scales

Science Rating Scales

Cut Scores

IAA Alternate Achievement Standards

Technical Specifications

Iowa Alternate Assessment 1%

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Overview

The Iowa Alternate Assessment (IAA) promotes fair measurement of student knowledge on the Iowa Core Content Standards and Benchmarks. The Iowa Alternate Assessment is for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities whose academic performance is appropriately judged against alternate achievement standards. The Iowa Alternate Assessment measures student performance in Reading, Mathematics, and for some students, Science. The Iowa Alternate Assessment process involves providing information about student characteristics, teaching students academic content throughout the school year, reporting student performance and having evidence of performance on academic skills, collaborating with building administrators about the alternate assessment process and students' performance on the assessment, reporting results to parents in ways that describe what students are doing and how students have improved over time, and providing information to the Iowa Department of Education on the efficiency and effectiveness of the alternate assessment process.

IAA Enhancements for 2011

  • Teachers do not create a login, the system creates a login
  • Teachers select 15 items per content area to monitor and report
  • Teachers provide data on performance in November, January, and March
  • Teachers keep evidence throughout the year
  • No mastered items on each content rating area assessed
  • Assurance process is replaced by an audit from the Department of Ed
  • Webcast tutorials embedded within the online system
  • Building Principals or designees will participate in the assurance process through instructional walk-through tool(s) rather than through online reporting of assurance
  • District assessment coordinators will receive process emails from IAA system
  • Scores will allow for growth index

Rationale for Enhancements in 2011

The Iowa Department of Education evaluates the Alternate Assessment process annually. Since inception in 2001, several enhancements have been made, most recently in 2006. Since 2006, we have evaluated the assessment around (a) effort needed by teachers, (b) effort needed by administrators, and (c) results obtained for children. Based on the data, several enhancements are being made in 2011:

In order to eliminate the achievement gap by 2020 the Department and Area Education Agencies must support teachers around instruction and not participation within a test.

Data indicate many students are earning scores through the "mastered" checkbox: no evidence that instruction occurred

Data indicate many items are being checked "not taught," limiting the scores that students can obtain

Data indicate the assurance process is a "rubber stamp" and not the way the Department detects invalid results

Data indicate that invalid results are best detected by examining all students on a teachers' roster (all students at the top of the assessment), by examining change from year to year (advanced one year, basic the next or basic one year, advanced the next), or by examining the correlation between student profile and results obtained.

Race to the Top and 21st Century Assessments need a growth component.

The Alternate Assessment is part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act Legislation and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The Alternate Assessment must measure student performance in Reading and Math, and for some students, Science.

Timeline for the IAA Process

September 28, 2011: IAA Process Begins

September 28, 2011 to March 30, 2012

  • Complete Student Profile
  • Indicate Mastered Items on the Rating Scales for each student
  • Select 15 items in each content area to report progress on

September 1 to March 30: Teach and gather evidence on 15 items per content area assessed in the Iowa Alternate Assessment

  • 1st Report on performance data collected from September 1 to November 30 - Due April 15, 2012
  • 2nd Report on performance data collected from December 1 to January 30 - Due April 15, 2012
  • 3rd Report on performance data colloected from February 1 to March 30 - Due April 25, 2012

Exclusions

The reporting process is three times a year. Expectation is that you report on all 15 items per content area rating scales assessed. Prompted or a performance score is reported on each item on each reporting period. Any item left blank or indicated not taught will result in exclusion for that student in performance and participation. Exclusions may be appealed through the Department.

Summative Scoring

Mastered option is replaced with student performance on 15 selected rating scale items per content area assessed. There will be no checkbox for Mastered on the rating scales.

There is a check boxed option for not taught and prompted performance. See exclusion above, not taught should be used sparingly. Prompted performance results in one point.

All other performance is rated in percent accurate and converted to a 3 point scale to generate a summative score which will determine levels of proficiency.

Growth Scoring

If student demonstrates growth across each reporting period, in percent accurate, (not converted score) on 10 of 15 items the student will be counted as proficient even if their score does not meet the proficiency level cut score. Students who are prompted can count for growth if they move from prompted to unprompted performance.