STAAR
Alternate
State of Texas
Assessments of
Academic Readiness
Alternate
Frequently Asked
Questions and Answers
about STAAR Alternate
Copyright © 2012, Texas Education Agency.
Table of Contents
General Information About STAAR Alternate
1. What is STAAR Alternate? ................................................................................1
2. What are the features of STAAR Alternate?......................................................1
3. Why are students with significant cognitive disabilities assessed with a state-developed assessment?...............................................................2
4. What type of instruction do students assessed with STAAR Alternate receive?............................................................................................................2
Choosing STAAR Alternate as a Student’s Assessment
5. Which students can participate in STAAR Alternate? ......................................3
6. Can students qualifying for special education services with an eligibility code of learning disabled take STAAR Alternate?............................3
7. Do homebound students or students in residential settings who meet the eligibility criteria for STAAR Alternate have to be assessed? ....................3
8. Do English language learners (ELLs) eligible and designated for STAAR Alternate also participate in the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS)? ....................................................4
STAAR Alternate Versus TAKS–Modified/STAAR Modified?
9. What are the differences between TAKS–Modified/STAAR Modified and STAAR Alternate?.............................................................................................5
10. Can a student take TAKS–Modified/STAAR Modified for some subjects and STAAR Alternate for others? .....................................................................5
Standardized Assessment Tasks and Complexity Levels
11.
12.
13.
14.
What is a standardized assessment task?.......................................................6
What is a complexity level?..............................................................................6
What are the distinguishing characteristics of each complexity level? ...........6
Can students be assessed at different complexity levels across their
subject or course assessments? .....................................................................7
Required Teacher Training
15. What training is required for teachers before administering STAAR Alternate? .........................................................................................................8
16. What are qualification activities?......................................................................8
17. What happens if a teacher does not score at least 80 percent on each qualification activity?........................................................................................8
18. What is supplemental training support? ..........................................................8
Administering STAAR Alternate
19. What are the steps for administering STAAR Alternate?..................................9
20. How does the assessment observation differ from instruction? ......................9
21. How many times can a test administrator conduct an assessment observation?...................................................................................................10
22. What is the state’s definition of an unfair STAAR Alternate assessment observation?...................................................................................................10
STAAR ALTERNATE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
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Making Assessment Tasks Accessible for Students
23. How can assessment tasks be made accessible for students?....................11
24. What happens if a student is able to make authentic responses but is unable to access a task due to his or her disability?.....................................11
25. What if a student is unable to demonstrate any observable, measurable response? ......................................................................................................11
Supports and Cueing and Prompting
26. What is the difference between presentation supports (accommodations) that a test administrator plans to use during a STAAR Alternate assessment observation and cues and prompts provided after the task begins?.............................................................................................12
27. What is the difference between cueing and prompting for STAAR Alternate?...........................................................................................12
28. What is the impact of cueing and prompting on a student’s score?..............13
Documentation of Student Performance
29. How is student performance for an assessment observation documented? .................................................................................................14
30. When is the documentation form used? ........................................................14
31. What happens to the documentation forms after STAAR Alternate testing?...........................................................................................................14
32. How long is a district required to store the completed documentation forms of students’ performance? ...................................................................14
The Texas Assessment Management System
33. What does a test administrator do after the assessment observation? .........15
34. What is the Texas Assessment Management System?..................................15
35. How can the Assessment Management System assist testing coordinators and test administrators with tracking the progress and completion of student assessments? .....................................................15
36. What happens if an alternate assessment test administrator shares
his or her user ID and password with someone else in the district? .............16
Evaluating the Student
37. How do test administrators evaluate student performance? .........................17
38. Who can enter and submit a student’s evaluation in the Assessment Management System? ...................................................................................17
Generalization
39. What is Generalization of Skill? ......................................................................18
40. Do all students get an opportunity for Generalization of Skill? ......................18
41. How does the primary observation compare with the generalization observation?...................................................................................................18
42. What is the benefit for a student for generalizing the skill? ...........................18
Transfer Students
43. What is a test administrator’s responsibility for assessing a student designated to take STAAR Alternate who enrolls late in the school year?...................................................................................................19
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STAAR ALTERNATE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
44. What is a test administrator’s responsibility when a student designated to take STAAR Alternate transfers out of the district? ....................................19
Scoring and Reporting
45. Once a student has been evaluated in the Assessment Management System, how are final scores calculated?......................................................20
46. How and when are student scores reported to districts? ..............................20
47. How does a NRO designation for a student’s assessment affect a district’s AYP?.................................................................................................20
Standard Setting
48. When will standards be set for STAAR Alternate? .........................................21
49. How are standards determined for STAAR Alternate?...................................21
50. What are the STAAR Alternate Performance Labels and Policy Definitions?.....................................................................................................21
51. Will STAAR Alternate have a growth measure?..............................................22
Validity Checks for STAAR Alternate
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
What types of validity checks are used for STAAR Alternate?.......................23
What is a STAAR Alternate Validity Audit? .....................................................23
What is a STAAR Alternate Interrater Reliability Study?.................................23
Will there be a STAAR Alternate Validity Audit in 2012–2013?.......................23
Will there be a STAAR Alternate Interrater Reliability Study in 2012–2013?....................................................................................................24
STAAR ALTERNATE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
iii
General Information About
STAAR Alternate
1.
What is STAAR Alternate?
The State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness Alternate (STAAR Alternate) is an
assessment designed for students receiving special education services who have the
most significant cognitive disabilities and are unable to participate in the other statewide
assessments even with substantial accommodations. Unlike other statewide assessments
in Texas, STAAR Alternate is not a traditional paper or multiple-choice test. Instead, the
assessment involves test administrators observing as students complete state-developed
assessment tasks that link to the grade level or high school course Texas Essential
Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) curriculum. Test administrators then answer a series of
questions in the Texas Assessment Management System, delivered through
PearsonAccess, to evaluate student performance.
2.
What are the features of STAAR Alternate?
To meet federal policy directives and to incorporate feedback from district and campus
personnel, the STAAR Alternate assessment includes the following key features:
• Mandatory teacher training including four online training modules
• Successful completion of qualification activities for each module required of all
STAAR Alternate test administrators
• Four state-required essence statements that summarize the grade-level content to
be measured with STAAR Alternate per assessed subject
• Rigorous standardized assessment tasks at three levels of complexity developed
from state-selected prerequisite skills linked to the grade-level curriculum
• Three state-developed predetermined criteria for each assessment task designed
to measure the student’s performance on the tested skill
• Standardized defined expectations for the verbs used in each predetermined
criterion
• Completed state-required documentation forms recording student performance as
evidence of the reported score
• Online submission of the evaluated student performance by the test administrator
through the Assessment Management System
• Online automated scoring based on test administrator evaluation of student performance STAAR ALTERNATE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1
3. Why are students with significant cognitive disabilities
assessed with a state-developed assessment?
STAAR Alternate is federally mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA) and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). These
federal requirements mandate that all students be provided access to the grade-level
curriculum. Additionally, all students served by special education must be included in the
state assessment program. According to federal law, there are no exemptions to these
requirements regardless of the severity of the student’s disability.
4. What type of instruction do students assessed with STAAR
Alternate receive?
Students designated by their admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committees to take
STAAR Alternate will continue to learn the skills they need to be as independent as possible
in adulthood, as outlined in their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). In addition,
teachers are required to provide instruction linked to the grade level or high school course
curriculum that has been adapted in scope, complexity, materials, methods of presentation,
and response styles appropriate to the individual needs of the student. Students designated
for assessment with STAAR Alternate receive instruction in the TEKS curriculum through
prerequisite skills linked to the grade-level student expectations.
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STAAR ALTERNATE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Choosing STAAR Alternate as a
Student’s Assessment
5. Which students can participate in STAAR Alternate?
STAAR Alternate has specific participation requirements that must be met for a student to
qualify to take the assessment. The student must be receiving special education services,
have a significant cognitive disability, and be unable to participate in the other statewide
assessments, even with substantial accommodations. The admission, review, and
dismissal (ARD) committee must review the eligibility criteria outlined in the state-required
document “STAAR Alternate Participation Requirements” and provide evidence to justify
that the student meets the criteria. The student must meet all the eligibility criteria in order
to qualify for STAAR Alternate.
6. Can students qualifying for special education services with
an eligibility code of learning disabled take STAAR Alternate?
No. Students who receive special education services with an eligibility code of learning
disabled are not eligible for STAAR Alternate. Before a student qualifies for a learning
disabled eligibility code, an assessment specialist must first rule out a cognitive disability
that would not allow the student to meet the STAAR Alternate requirements.
7.
Do homebound students or students in residential settings
who meet the eligibility criteria for STAAR Alternate have to
be assessed?
Yes. All students must be assessed by one of the statewide assessments. As per federal
requirements, exemptions cannot be given for homebound students, students who are
medically fragile, or students in residential settings. A test administrator must be designated
for each student by the district. The test administrator will conduct the STAAR Alternate
assessments following the same steps and guidelines as specified for any test administrator
implementing STAAR Alternate.
STAAR ALTERNATE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
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8. Do English language learners (ELLs) eligible and designated
for STAAR Alternate also participate in the Texas English
Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS)?
Federal law requires that all students in grades K–12 who are designated limited English
proficient (LEP) be assessed annually for English language proficiency. In rare cases it
may be necessary for the ARD committee, in conjunction with the Language Proficiency
Assessment Committee (LPAC), to determine that an ELL receiving special education
services should not participate in one or more TELPAS assessments due to the student’s
particular disability. The ARD, in conjunction with the LPAC, should consider participation
in TELPAS on a domain-by-domain basis in order to ensure that issues related to the
student’s language proficiency are carefully weighed. The reason for the decision not to
assess a student in a particular language domain of TELPAS must be well-supported and
documented in the student’s IEP and permanent record file. This decision does not affect
the student’s participation in STAAR Alternate. A student designated for assessment with
STAAR Alternate must be assessed in all required subjects. ELLs are not exempt from
STAAR Alternate.
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STAAR ALTERNATE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
STAAR Alternate Versus TAKS–Modified/
STAAR Modified
9. What are the differences between TAKS–Modified/STAAR
Modified and STAAR Alternate?
TAKS–Modified and STAAR Modified are the State of Texas alternate assessments based
on modified academic achievement standards. The modified assessments cover the same
grade-level content as STAAR, but have a different test design. All students who meet the
participation requirements for a modified assessment should take the assessment, but only
2 percent of the tested population can count as proficient for AYP calculations.
STAAR Alternate is an alternate assessment based on alternate academic achievement
standards. STAAR Alternate is designed for students with significant cognitive disabilities.
STAAR Alternate assesses content that is linked to the grade-level curriculum through
prerequisite skills. All students who meet the participation requirements for STAAR Alternate
should take the assessment but only 1 percent can count as proficient for AYP calculations.
10. Can a student take TAKS–Modified/STAAR Modified for some
subjects and STAAR Alternate for others?
No. A student designated by the ARD committee to take STAAR Alternate must take STAAR
Alternate for all assessed subjects/courses. Even though a student with a cognitive
disability may have strengths in certain subjects, a cognitive disability is pervasive across
all domains.
STAAR ALTERNATE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
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Standardized Assessment Tasks and
Complexity Levels
11. What is a standardized assessment task?
Standardized assessment tasks are test items for each subject or high school course
tested with STAAR Alternate. The assessment tasks are developed by content and special
education experts and reviewed by Texas educator committees comprised of teachers
from both the general and special education fields. The assessment tasks are observable
performance tasks that students execute as the test administrator observes. Predetermined
criteria, a set of three observable and measurable student expectations that measure the
performance on the targeted skills, are included with each assessment task. The
predetermined criteria help ensure a standardized assessment by providing the precise
skills for which the student will be assessed.
12. What is a complexity level?
The United States Department of Education (USDE) requires all states to include a range of
complexity levels for assessments as well as progression across grades for students with
significant cognitive disabilities. To address this requirement for STAAR Alternate, three
assessment tasks for each essence statement were written in descending order of
complexity. Prerequisite skills were selected by the state to ensure adequate progress of
skill development over time.
13. What are the distinguishing characteristics of each
complexity level?
Assessment tasks at Complexity Level 3 are the most complex and involve applying
knowledge. Level 3 assessment tasks require the student to internalize skills, use higherlevel thinking skills, and arrive at answers on his or her own without choices.
Assessment tasks at Complexity Level 2 are moderately complex and involve recalling or
reproducing information that has just recently been presented or is right in front of the
student. Level 2 assessment tasks require the student to demonstrate only a basic
understanding of information and arrive at answers when at least three choices are
provided.
Assessment tasks at Complexity Level 1 are the least complex and involve responding to
knowledge at the beginning awareness level. Level 1 assessment tasks require the student
to be aware of the task as it is occurring, be aware of a change in stimuli but not be
required to act on the stimuli, and be aware of information but not make choices or
decisions based on the information.
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STAAR ALTERNATE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
14. Can students be assessed at different complexity levels
across their subject or course assessments?
Yes and no. Combinations of Level 3 and Level 2 tasks and Level 2 and Level 1 tasks are
allowed within an assessed subject. However, due to the expectations that define each
complexity level, students assessed with Level 3 (application) cannot also be assessed
with Level 1 (awareness) assessment tasks within the same subject. For the same reason,
it is also unlikely that a student would be assessed with a Level 3 in one subject and a
Level 1 in another subject.
STAAR ALTERNATE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
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Required Teacher Training
15. What training is required for teachers before administering
STAAR Alternate?
All teachers who will be test administrators for STAAR Alternate must view four training
modules and successfully pass the qualification activities that accompany each module. In
addition to the STAAR Alternate training modules, all test administrators must receive
annual test administration and security training from district personnel, receive training
from the STAAR Alternate Manual for Test Administrators (Teachers), and sign the STAAR
Alternate oath of test security and confidentiality before beginning the assessment. All
training must be completed before STAAR Alternate assessment observations are
conducted.
16. What are qualification activities?
Qualification activities are a set of questions following each of the four training modules
that a teacher must answer and pass with at least 80 percent accuracy prior to administering
STAAR Alternate.
17. What happens if a teacher does not score at least 80 percent
on each qualification activity?
Teachers have two attempts to achieve 80 percent or higher on the qualification activity for
each module. If a teacher is unable to pass a qualification activity with 80 percent accuracy
after two attempts, the district will need to determine if the teacher should be provided a
third and final attempt after supplemental training support has been successfully provided.
If a teacher fails the final attempt, the district or campus testing coordinator will determine
if the teacher will be allowed to administer the assessment under careful supervision by a
district administrator.
18. What is supplemental training support?
Supplemental training support is required training for any teacher who has failed two
attempts on a STAAR Alternate training module and whom the district wants to receive a
third and final attempt at passing. The manner and specific details of the support are
determined by a supplemental support provider assigned by the district.
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STAAR ALTERNATE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Administering STAAR Alternate
19. What are the steps for administering STAAR Alternate?
After adequately instructing students on targeted skills, the test administrator should follow
these steps to administer STAAR Alternate:
• Step 1 – Select appropriate assessment tasks for each required essence statement
individually for each student.
• Step 2 – Determine the best implementation by planning appropriate supports,
materials, and response modes for each individual student.
• Step 3 – Observe and document student performance on each predetermined
criterion.
• Step 4 – Evaluate student performance and answer the evaluation questions in the
Assessment Management System.
20. How does the assessment observation differ from
instruction?
The STAAR Alternate assessment process is designed to mirror the instructional process.
However, differences do and should exist.
Student-Teacher Interaction
During instruction, teachers are allowed to change strategies, intervene, clarify information,
and directly assist students with performing a task. However, during the assessment
observation, the interaction between the test administrator and the student should be much
more limited. Test administrators must take a step back and allow the student to
demonstrate what he or she knows as independently as possible.
Time Span
During instruction, the skills needed for the assessment task can be taught in stages over
time. During the assessment observation, tasks must be conducted all in one class session
with the time allotted specific to the needs of the student.
Cueing and Prompting
During instruction, cueing and prompting can be used at the teacher’s discretion to help a
student learn skills. It is recommended, however, that teachers attempt to gradually fade
cueing and prompting to allow a student to be more independent. During the assessment
observation, it is expected that the student will demonstrate an independent response
when provided the preplanned supports. Cueing and prompting can be used only when a
student begins to struggle. At this point, the test administrator must be cautious and supply
cues and prompts in a very prescriptive way that is defined by TEA.
STAAR ALTERNATE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
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Materials
The same supports can be used during the assessment observations that were effectively
used during instruction. However, the materials or the approach used for the assessment
observation must vary enough from those used in instruction to ensure that the student has
truly demonstrated the skill and is providing an authentic response. The change in materials
or approach for the assessment observation must be content-related and require a different
answer or experience to demonstrate the assessed predetermined criterion.
21. How many times can a test administrator conduct an
assessment observation?
A test administrator can decide to stop the assessment observation at any point if the
student is not able to demonstrate a typical performance due to unforeseen circumstances.
However, only three observations will be allowed for a task. Any observations that are
started must be counted in the total number of three that are allowed, whether the
observation was completed or not. An observation should only be repeated if the test
administrator feels that the observation was unfair according to the official TEA definition. If
a third observation is deemed unfair, one of the three observations conducted must be
evaluated whether they have been completed or not. An observation that was stopped
cannot be completed at another time.
A test administrator should not stop or repeat an observation of a typical performance to
try to improve the score.
22. What is the state’s definition of an unfair STAAR Alternate
assessment observation?
The state’s definition of an unfair STAAR Alternate observation is an assessment observation
in which a student is not able to demonstrate a typical performance due to unforeseen
circumstances. Unforeseen circumstances include adverse environmental conditions
during the assessment observation; insufficient amount of instruction prior to the
assessment observation; insufficient supports or time allotted for the observation; or
excessive use or absence of cueing and prompting when the student struggles during the
assessment observation.
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STAAR ALTERNATE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Making Assessment Tasks Accessible
for Students
23. How can assessment tasks be made accessible for students?
Planning accessibility for students is critical since STAAR Alternate assessment tasks are
written broadly to encompass the diverse needs of students with cognitive disabilities. Test
administrators make tasks accessible through the careful use of presentation supports and
materials and the identification of appropriate student response modes. The supports a
test administrator plans must be routinely used with a student during classroom instruction.
Response modes identified for each predetermined criterion should be the actions the
student routinely exhibits to demonstrate understanding. The supports must be recorded
on the state-required “STAAR Alternate Documentation Form of Student Performance”
before the assessment observation is conducted.
24. What happens if a student is able to make authentic
responses but is unable to access a task due to his or her
disability?
Assessment tasks have been carefully written and cannot be altered by anyone other than
a member of the STAAR Alternate team at TEA. Although the assessment tasks have been
reviewed and approved by educator committees, it is conceivable that in some rare
instances a task as it is written cannot be made accessible using the guidelines for
presentation supports/materials and response modes. When a student with multiple
disabilities who can provide authentic responses is not able to access the assessment task
as it is written without compromising the integrity of the task, the district testing coordinator
should be made aware and call a STAAR Alternate team member at TEA to request special
considerations.
25. What if a student is unable to demonstrate any observable,
measurable response?
A No Response Observed (NRO) designation can be used if a student is unable to display
any observable change in affect or movement due to an ongoing medical condition or the
severity of the student’s disability.
When the NRO designation is not appropriate because a student does not meet the official
state description, the student must be assessed at complexity Level 1 for all grade level or
high school course assessment tasks.
STAAR ALTERNATE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
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Supports and Cueing and Prompting
26. What is the difference between presentation supports
(accommodations) that a test administrator plans to use
during a STAAR Alternate assessment observation and cues
and prompts provided after the task begins?
Presentation supports are accommodations that may be used during STAAR Alternate
observations that are routinely used during regular instruction and do not change the
integrity of the complexity level or supply the student with an answer. Supports level the
playing field for students with disabilities and allow students to be as independent as
possible. Student supports must be preplanned and recorded on page 1 of the STAAR
Alternate documentation form before the assessment observation is conducted. The use of
supports does not negatively affect the student’s score.
Cueing and prompting refer to any additional assistance the student may need beyond the
preplanned supports. The standardized state-defined terms listed in the “Hierarchy of
Cueing and Prompting” document are used to describe this additional assistance that may
be needed during an observation when the student is unable to proceed as expected or
planned. The use of cueing and prompting does affect the score that the student receives;
therefore, it is critical that the test administrator use this assistance only as necessary and
in the prescribed order (task directions, wait time, cueing, and then prompting).
27. What is the difference between cueing and prompting for
STAAR Alternate?
For STAAR Alternate purposes, cueing (general assistance) is an action intended to
encourage a student to initiate or continue a task that he or she had previously executed. A
cue is a hint or a nudge in the right direction that does not provide a direct answer.
Prompting (specific assistance) is an action taken when directly assisting a student with
the completion of a task. A prompt pulls the student through each step to the end of the
task and either gives the student the answer or leads to a direct answer.
Although the use of the terms “cueing” and “prompting” may vary from teacher to teacher,
the state has developed standardized definitions for cueing and prompting terms for use
with STAAR Alternate. The “Hierarchy of Cueing and Prompting” document lists and defines
the terms that must be used when documenting the level of support a student might have
required during a STAAR Alternate assessment observation. This document is available at
the STAAR Alternate Resources webpage of TEA’s Student Assessment Division website.
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STAAR ALTERNATE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
28. What is the impact of cueing and prompting on a student’s
score?
Cueing and prompting result in deduction of points from the student’s achievable score.
For each predetermined criterion, an independent student performance earns 2 points, a
cued performance earns 1 point, and a prompted performance earns no points. For a
complete description of the scoring components, refer to the “STAAR Alternate Scoring
Rubric” on the STAAR Alternate Resources webpage of TEA’s Student Assessment Division
website.
STAAR ALTERNATE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
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Documentation of Student Performance
29. How is student performance for an assessment observation
documented?
A student’s performance is recorded on the state-required “STAAR Alternate Documentation
Form of Student Performance.” These observation notes become the basis for evaluating
the student’s performance in the Assessment Management System.
30. When is the documentation form used?
The state-required “STAAR Alternate Documentation Form of Student Performance” is used
• before the observation to record preplanned student access including supports,
materials, and student response modes;
• during or immediately after the observation to record student performance
(Demonstration of Skill), any additional assistance needed in the form of cueing and
prompting (Level of Support), and generalization information (Generalization of
Skill); and
• after the observation to evaluate student performance in the Assessment Management System.
31. What happens to the documentation forms after
STAAR Alternate testing?
All documentation forms used to evaluate student performance in the Assessment
Management System are required to be securely stored in the district. These documentation
forms must be given to the district-designated party by 7:00 pm (CT) on the last day of the
assessment window.
32. How long is a district required to store the completed
documentation forms of students’ performance?
Districts are required to securely maintain all documentation forms used to evaluate student
performance for five years if housed with assessment records or seven years if housed
with special education records. Student confidentiality must be maintained at all times.
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STAAR ALTERNATE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
The Texas Assessment Management
System
33. What does a test administrator do after the assessment
observation?
Once the primary observation is completed and observation notes have been recorded on
pages 2 and 3 of the state-required “Documentation Form of Student Performance,” the
student’s performance is evaluated by the test administrator by answering a series of
questions in the Assessment Management System at http://www.TexasAssessment.com.
Both the documentation form and student data recorded and submitted in the Assessment
Management System must be kept secure and confidential until the close of the assessment
window.
34. What is the Texas Assessment Management System?
With regard to STAAR Alternate, the Texas Assessment Management System is a webbased online system delivered through PearsonAccess. District testing coordinators
access the system to register students for STAAR Alternate administrations; assign tests to
students; and assign alternate assessment teachers (test administrators) to students’ tests.
Teachers assigned the Alternate Assessment Teacher role in the Assessment Management
System access the Assessment Management System to evaluate and submit student test
performance for scoring and reporting.
35. How can the Assessment Management System assist testing
coordinators and test administrators with tracking the
progress and completion of student assessments?
Testing coordinators can access Assessment Status Roster Reports for viewing and
printing at the district, campus, and teacher levels through the Assessment Management
System. Testing coordinators can access these reports by clicking the View Status Reports
link on the homepage in the Assessment Management System.
Alternate assessment teachers can access the Assessment Management System to view a
Teacher Assessment Status Roster Report, which tracks the progress of the teacher’s
assessments by student for each subject or high school course and essence statement.
Alternate assessment teachers can access this report by clicking the View Student
Evaluation Status Reports link on the homepage in the Assessment Management System.
STAAR ALTERNATE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
15
36. What happens if a user shares his or her user ID and
password for the Assessment Management System with
someone else in the district?
User IDs and passwords to the Assessment Management System must be kept confidential.
This protects student privacy as well as the privacy of the user. Sharing of user IDs and
passwords will result in a testing irregularity.
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STAAR ALTERNATE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Evaluating Student Performance
37. How do test administrators evaluate student performance?
After instruction has occurred and an assessment observation has been conducted, a
student’s performance is recorded on the “STAAR Alternate Documentation Form of
Student Performance.” These notes become the basis for evaluating the student’s
performance in the Assessment Management System. Once the system has been
accessed, alternate assessment teachers answer a series of questions relating to the
student’s demonstration of skill and level of support for each of the predetermined criterion.
After saving the evaluation for the primary observation, the system will alert alternate
assessment teachers that the student is or is not eligible for generalization.
If eligible, another observation on another day must be conducted with a change in
materials. After the generalization observation, alternate assessment teachers evaluate the
student’s performance for generalization in the Assessment Management System using
the same procedures as in the primary observation.
38. Who can enter and submit a student’s evaluation in the
Assessment Management System?
Only the alternate assessment teacher to whom the student is assigned for that subject
can evaluate and submit a student’s performance.
STAAR ALTERNATE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
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Generalization
39. What is Generalization of Skill?
Generalization is the ability to transfer knowledge and learned skills to new contexts. For
STAAR Alternate, the student must generalize the assessment task with new materials only.
When a student with a cognitive disability demonstrates that he or she has internalized a
skill by applying the skill or using the skill in a different way at a later time, this is true
mastery. Generalization is an important part of STAAR Alternate.
40. Do all students get an opportunity for Generalization of Skill?
No. Students accessing Level 1 assessment tasks are not eligible for Generalization of Skill
since student performance is being measured at a beginning awareness level. Students
assessed on Complexity Level 2 or Level 3 who demonstrate each predetermined criterion
without prompting in the primary evaluation earn the opportunity to generalize the skill. If a
student earns the opportunity to generalize the skill, then a generalization opportunity must
be provided, recorded, and evaluated in the Assessment Management System.
41. How does the primary observation compare with the
generalization observation?
The generalization observation measures the same predetermined criteria and utilizes the
same supports and response modes as planned for the primary observation. Students
who earn the opportunity for generalization are assessed on the task again on another day
using materials different from those used during the primary observation and instruction.
The change in materials must require the student to provide a different answer to the
predetermined criteria than was observed during the primary observation. However, the
change in materials should not make the difficulty level harder or easier than what was
expected in the primary observation. Additionally, the teacher must be careful not to
introduce a new skill during the generalization observation.
42. What is the benefit for a student for generalizing the skill?
Students who successfully generalize the skills in an assessment task can earn an
additional six points. For each predetermined criterion that is demonstrated independently,
the student will earn two extra points. For each predetermined criterion that is demonstrated
with cueing, the student will receive one additional point. No points are awarded for any
predetermined criterion demonstrated with prompting.
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STAAR ALTERNATE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Transfer Students
43. What is a test administrator’s responsibility for assessing a
student designated to take STAAR Alternate who enrolls late
in the school year?
If a student designated to take STAAR Alternate transfers into a district after March 29,
2013, the receiving district is not required to assess the student.
If the student is transferring in from another Texas school district after March 29, 2013 and
has assessments already started in the Assessment Management System, the receiving
district will need to move the student data so that the student’s score report is sent to the
new district. The assessment does not need to completed or submitted by the receiving
district. The Assessment Management System will automatically finalize the assessment as
is at the close of the assessment window.
Students who are in one district for the October snap-shot date and in a different district at
the close of the assessment window do not count for or against either district for AYP.
44. What is a test administrator’s responsibility when a student
designated to take STAAR Alternate transfers out of the
district?
If a student designated to take STAAR Alternate transfers out of a district to another Texas
district and the test administrator has conducted any portion of the assessment
observations, the evaluations of those observations need to be entered into the Assessment
Management System immediately before or just after the student leaves. It is a benefit to
the student, and a recommended courtesy, for the sending district to provide the receiving
district with the student’s “STAAR Alternate Documentation Forms of Student Performance”
for the completed portions of the assessment since this is where the student’s scores will
be reported.
If a student designated to take STAAR Alternate transfers out of the district to another Texas
district and the test administrator has not conducted any of the assessment observations,
the test administrator should immediately notify the district testing coordinator of the
student transfer so the student can be unregistered for STAAR Alternate.
Scores for students who are in one district for the October snapshot date and in a different
district when the STAAR Alternate assessment window closes do not count for or against
either district for AYP.
STAAR ALTERNATE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
19
Scoring and Reporting
45. Once a student has been evaluated in the Assessment
Management System, how are final scores calculated?
The STAAR Alternate assessment program includes a scoring rubric which provides an
overview of how scores are applied by the automated scoring feature of the Assessment
Management System. The rubric includes information on score points awarded for a
student demonstrating each predetermined criteria and points for independent, cued, or
prompted performances. Additionally, the rubric provides information on the weighting
applied to assessment tasks based on the complexity level that was chosen. Generalization
of Skill points are also described. The rubric can be used to interpret the final score on the
student’s CSR. The STAAR Alternate rubric is available at the STAAR Alternate Resources
webpage of TEA’s Student Assessment Division website.
46. How and when are student scores reported to districts?
STAAR Alternate score reports and CSRs are generated by the Assessment Management
System based on assessment evaluation data input by the teacher. The reports are then
provided to districts at the same time as the other statewide assessments. These reports
are sent to the district testing coordinator, who then disseminates them according to the
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Specific reporting dates are available
on the TEA Testing Calendar website at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/
admin/calendar.
47. How does a NRO designation for a student’s assessment
affect a district’s AYP?
Assessments designated as NRO in the Assessment Management System by the alternate
assessment teacher are not included for proficiency in AYP calculations; however, students
do count as participants. Student assessments designated as NRO do not count as failures
and a student’s CSR will reflect the NRO status.
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STAAR ALTERNATE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Standard Setting
48. When will standards be set for STAAR Alternate?
Standard-setting committees for STAAR Alternate were convened in September 2012 to
make recommendations for cut scores.
49. How are standards determined for STAAR Alternate?
TEA convenes standard-setting panels to recommend cut scores for all assessments in
Texas. For STAAR Alternate, standard setting committee meetings were convened in
September 2012.
The final cut score recommendations are approved by the Commissioner of Education.
Based on the approved cut scores, a student assessed with STAAR Alternate will receive a
performance standard of “Accomplished Academic Performance,” “Satisfactory Academic
Performance,” or “Developing Academic Performance” based on the total number of
points earned per subject. A student who obtains “Satisfactory Academic Performance” or
“Accomplished Academic Performance” has met the STAAR Alternate passing standard.
50. What are the STAAR Alternate Performance Labels and Policy
Definitions?
Level III: Accomplished Academic Performance: Performance in this category indicates
that students are well prepared for the assessment tasks in the next grade or course with
instructional supports for accessing the curriculum through prerequisite skills. They
demonstrate consistent understanding of the knowledge and skills by generalizing the
skills to a different context. Students in this category have a high likelihood of showing
progress and generalization of knowledge for the assessment tasks at the next grade or
course with supports.
Level II: Satisfactory Academic Performance: Performance in this category indicates
that students are sufficiently prepared for the assessment tasks in the next grade or course
with instructional supports for accessing the curriculum through prerequisite skills. They
demonstrate sufficient understanding of the knowledge and skills that are linked to content
measured at this grade or course. Performance on the tested skills required little or no
cueing. Students in this category have a reasonable likelihood of showing progress for the
assessment tasks at the next grade or course with continued supports.
Level I: Developing Academic Performance: Performance in this category indicates that
students are insufficiently prepared for the assessment tasks at the next grade or course,
even with instructional supports for accessing the curriculum through prerequisite skills.
They demonstrate insufficient knowledge and skills that are linked to content measured at
this grade or course. Performance on the tested skills required cueing and prompting.
Students in this category are in need of significant intervention in addition to continued
supports to show progress for the assessment tasks at the next grade or course.
STAAR ALTERNATE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
21
51.
Will STAAR Alternate have a growth measure?
Yes. Texas legislation requires TEA to measure student progress over time. The growth
measure for STAAR Alternate will be the tool used to report growth for students assessed
with STAAR Alternate. This growth measure is currently in the development phase. When
finalized, growth measure information will be available at the STAAR Alternate Resources
webpage of TEA’s Student Assessment Division website.
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STAAR ALTERNATE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Validity Checks for STAAR Alternate
52. What types of validity checks are used for STAAR Alternate?
STAAR Alternate conducts both a random audit of test administrators' documentation and
an interrater reliability check. The STAAR Alternate audit provides two types of validity
evidence for the assessment by determining
• how well the teacher’s documentation of the assessment observation supports the
evaluation of the student’s performance, and
• if the complexity level of the assessment task was maintained when the teacher
carried out the assessment observation with the student.
Interrater reliability studies are conducted periodically to evaluate the consistency with
which the scoring rubric is applied to students’ performance. Results of the interrater
reliability study are used to demonstrate that the scoring rubric is being applied consistently
across test administrators.
53. What is a STAAR Alternate Validity Audit?
A random sampling of the documentation forms of student performance is collected from
districts across the state. Teachers serve on audit committees and review the forms to
determine if the documentation supports the evaluation that the test administrator gave the
student and if the complexity level of the task was maintained during the observation.
Beginning in 2013, auditors will also review information about the instruction the student
received prior to the assessment observation to monitor whether there was an appropriate
change in materials or approach. This step will determine whether the task was
compromised during instruction.
In addition to providing validity evidence, the audit is a tool to monitor the implementation
of the assessment tasks and the teacher's documentation of student performance. Results
of the audit are used to demonstrate that the assessment is being administered consistently
and comparably and evaluated accurately.
54. What is a STAAR Alternate Interrater Reliability Study?
The interrater reliability study requires two educators who have successfully completed the
STAAR Alternate training modules and passed the qualification activities to observe the
primary observation and evaluate the same student performance at the exact same time
for a specific standardized assessment task. The two observers independently evaluate
the student’s performance and enter the results into separate online systems. The
evaluation information will be used to assess the reliability of the STAAR Alternate
assessment by determining the extent of agreement between the two observers.
STAAR ALTERNATE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
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55. Will there be a STAAR Alternate Validity Audit in 2012–2013?
Yes. TEA will notify districts by April 15, 2013 of the students who have been selected for
the audit.
56. Will there be a STAAR Alternate Interrater Reliability Study in
2012–2013?
Yes. Notification to districts of campuses selected for the study will be sent out on
October 19, 2012. Notification of student information for the study will be sent to districts
on November 19, 2012.
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STAAR ALTERNATE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS