National Center and State Collaborative Assessment
Special Education Advisory Committee
Parent Meeting
October 22, 2015
Montgomery County Public Schools
Department of Special Education Services
Project Description-One Page Document
 One page of bullets highlighting key points from
three page Project Description document
 For more detailed information, please reference the
three page overview of the NCSC principles document
 Additional materials designed to help inform parents
about NCSC’s work and related issues can be found at
http://www.ncscpartners.org/resources
NCSC Philosophy
A well-designed state assessment alone is insufficient
for college, career, and community readiness.
To achieve these goals, an Alternate Assessment
system requires:
● Curricular & instructional framework
● Teacher resources and professional development
● Communicative Competence as a priority
4
Alternate Assessment
•The assessment will measure student performance in
mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA) for grades 3-8
and 11.
•There are alternate assessments for students who have the most
significant cognitive disabilities.
•These assessments are linked to grade level content but have
different expectations for achievement.
•They are referred to as alternate assessments on alternate
academic achievement standards (AA-AAS) Alternate
Assessment on Alternate Academic Achievement
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Standards .
Skills for College, Career, and Community
Readiness in NCSC Model
Important for ALL students including those with significant
cognitive disabilities:
 Communicative competence
 Social skills to function well in small groups
 Independent and team work skills
 Problem Solving
 Reading/writing/math
 Skills for identifying and requesting supports
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Communication Toolbox
Model
Respond
Preference
Inventory
Wait
Acknowledge vs.
Honor
Expect
Comm.
Authentic
Comm.
Quality Indicators for Instructional
Resources
•Promote Common Core State Standards;
•Set high expectations for all students;
•Apply principles of Universal Design for Learning
(UDL); and
•Apply evidence-based teaching practices for students
with the most significant cognitive disabilities.
Core Content Connectors (CCCs)
 Using the Learning progressions framework NCSC
identified the key knowledge and skills (“the big
ideas”) from the Common Core State Standards
needed at each grade to make progress in later
grades.
These “big ideas” were then broken down into
teachable and assessable segments of content called
CCCs.
 CCCs operate as a starting point for instruction
based on the Common Core State Standards.
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Core Content Connectors(CCC)
□
Identify the most salient grade-level,
academic content in English Language Arts
(ELA) and mathematics for students with
significant disabilities.
□
Provide access to Maryland College and
Career Readiness Standards
CCSS AND CCC Example
Standards for
English
Language Arts
Informational
CCSS
Common
Core State
Standards
3.RI.7 Use
information gained
from illustrations
(e.g., maps,
photographs) and
the words in a text
to determine
understanding of
the text (e.g.,
where, when, why,
and how key events
occur).
CCC
Core Content
Connector
Essential
Understanding
3.Ri.h4 Use
Identify an illustration
illustrations (e.g.,
in text.
maps, photographs,
diagrams,
timelines) in
informational texts
to answer
questions.
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Assessment
Assessment Participation Guidelines
•There will be a NCSC AA-AAS in math and one in
ELA, which includes both reading and writing, for
grades 3-8 and 11
•The IEP team will determine, on an individual basis,
whether a student will take the NCSC (National
Center and State Collaborative) AA-AAS (Alternate
Assessment on Alternate Academic Achievement
Standards).
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Assessment Participation Guidelines
● For students
○ with pervasive significant cognitive disabilities
○ whose IEP goals and instruction are based on
Common Core State Standards and
○ who need extensive direct individualized
instruction and substantial supports
● The IEP team will determine annually whether a
student will take assessment
Assessment Format
 Approximately 30 items for each subject, which will
cover approximately 10 CCC Core Content Connectors)
 Most of the assessment items ask the student to select the
correct response (e.g. multiple choice).
 Some items will require the student to construct a
response (e.g. write a short answer or use an alternate
way to respond e.g. picture symbols)
Length of the Assessment
 Expected testing time will be approximately 1.5 – 2
hours per student for each assessment (math and
ELA.)
 Each student’s assessment can be completed in
multiple smaller time slots over a 2 month period to
meet the student’s needs
NCSC Assessment Features
 Two content area assessments, mathematics and
ELA (reading and writing)
 Selected response and constructed response
 Math constructed response at various grade levels
 Writing both selected and constructed response
 Tiered items of varying complexity
 Embedded supports
 Visual support, simplified sentences or language
 “Remember statements” or prompts
 Scripted Directions for Test Administrators
Technology
 This will be an online testing program.
 Some students will use the online testing program
directly on the computer.
 For other students, the teacher may print out testing
materials and enter student responses into the
computer.
 Students may use a variety of assistive technology
devices to input responses, both as selected
responses (choice interactions) and as text-based
open responses.
Other Parent and Educator
Resources
Parent resources that provide summaries
about the NCSC curriculum and
instructional resources, the assessment and
explain related issues at:
http://www.ncscpartners.org/resources
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Parent Resources
 NCSC Project Description
 NCSC Project Description One Page
 NCSC Diagram of Instructional Resources and
Explanation NCSC Model of Curriculum,
Instruction and Assessment
 NCSC Alternate Assessment FAQs
 NCSC Commonly Asked Parent Questions
 NCSC IEP Team Guidance For Participation in
Alternate Assessment
Parent Resources
NCSC College and Career Readiness
NCSC College Career Ready (CCR) Policy Paper
Summary
NCSC Communicative Competence
NCSC Newsletter and Website Information for Parents
NCSC Discussion Points with Research
NCSC Value in States Without Common Core State Standards
* There are also PowerPoints on the main topics and one that is
comprehensive
Additional Resources Now Available:
 Tips for Wiki Navigation
 Tips for Parents on Using the NCSC Wiki (for
working with their child at home and parent-teacher
collaboration)
 Educator resource for Wiki use
THANK YOU for ALL
. you do as Parents to
support YOUR children but OUR
STUDENTS…