GAA PREVIEW
August 2011
WHO ARE WE?

Juanita Pritchard


Laura Hamm


ID Trainer
Brenda Watkins,


ID Trainer
Sandra Powell


ID Specialist
Special Ed Supervisor Overseeing Instruction for GAA
Beth Kartheiser,

Office of Accountability, GAA Project Manager
WHO ARE YOU?

First time participants in GAA

Second year participating in GAA

Successfully completed 2 or more years of GAA

Support staff

Other?????
PLAN FOR THE DAY

Basic GAA 101
 Emphasis
on problem areas
PLANNING IS THE KEY
Q&A

WHO PARTICIPATES IN GAA
Does the student have a
disability that presents “unique
and significant” challenges to
participation in statewide
assessments regardless of
available accommodations?
Does the student have
significant intellectual
disabilities or a
combination of intellectual
disabilities with motor,
sensory, or emotional
behavior disabilities?
Does the student require
substantial adaptations and
support to access the general
education curriculum?
GAA WINDOW
Sept 6th Collection window opens
 Oct. 3-7 GAA Accountability Review
 November 4 1st Collection Completed
continue gathering evidence for 2nd Collection
 December 5-9
2nd GAA Accountability Review
 February 10, 2011
Evidence collection completed
 Februrary 13-17 3rd & last Accountability Review
**Brigance and HELP scores must be in Goalview by Feb 10 or the IEP
whichever comes first.
 NOTE – All evidence should be collected prior to the winter break to allow
time to complete portfolios.

WE DON’T TEACH GAA…..
GAA is evidence of
appropriate instruction
•No “GAA” time on schedule or lesson plan
•GAA evidence should come out of instruction aligned to GPS &
IEP
•No “GAA” days
•No GAA planning time on lesson plan or schedule
•Do not tell parents that daily instruction, homework, or planned
events cannot be accomplished because of GAA.
•If you are working on gathering GAA evidence for 1 student, be sure
other students are actively engaged in appropriate instructional
activities.
WHAT IS A PORTFOLIO?

Portfolio assessment
4
pieces of evidence
 Entry sheets
 Annotation forms
 Binder & Tabs
High School
11
LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE
2010-2011 ADMINISTRATION
Congratulations!



2010-2011 marked the fifth successful administration
of the Georgia Alternate Assessment!
Instructional activities, assessment tasks,
and the quality of the portfolio entries continue to
improve.
Teaching through the academic content standards is
becoming a more integral part of daily instruction.
http://gadoe.org/ci_testing.aspx?PageReq=CI_TESTING_GAA
12
LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE
2010-2011 ADMINISTRATION

The portfolios provided valuable information as
to areas of focus for upcoming training.
 Training
will continue to focus on alignment and
documentation.

Continued training is needed to support
teachers in their understanding of the
academic content and the intent of the
standards and elements.
http://gadoe.org/ci_testing.aspx?PageReq=CI_TESTING_GAA
OVERVIEW OF THE GAA



The GAA is a portfolio of student work provided
as evidence that a student is making progress
toward grade-level academic standards, often at
a pre-requisite or entry level.
Evidence provided must show student work that
is aligned to specific grade-level standards,
adapted to meet the student’s cognitive,
communication, physical and/or sensory
impairments.
The Georgia Alternate Assessment meets NCLB
and IDEA mandates.
Collection 1
Collection 2
BASELINE
PROGRESS
PRIMARY
1
Secondary
1
14 + Days
PRIMARY
2
Secondary
2
TYPES OF EVIDENCE

Primary Evidence


Demonstrates knowledge/skills by showing the
student’s engagement in instructional tasks
Secondary Evidence

Reports knowledge/skills by documenting, charting,
or interpreting the student’s performance
PRIMARY EVIDENCE
Series of captioned photos (2-5)
 Work Sample
 Finished product
 Audio/video tape

SECONDARY EVIDENCE
Another piece of primary evidence
 Interview form
 Observation form
 Data sheet

Choose 1 standard & 1 element for Each Entry
All Collection Period 1 tasks must be completed before Collection Period 2 tasks are
begun – for each entry
ALIGNMENT

Alignment is the connection between the
instructional task submitted as evidence and
the curriculum standards.


Alignment demonstrates the linkage of the
instructional activities (student work) to the
grade-level standard and element on which the
student is being assessed.
In order for an entry to be scorable, all four (4)
instructional tasks must align to the standard
and element.
DOCUMENTATION
Keep it simple
 No extra information
 Use annotation form
 Only the work samples – not text, or
instructional materials

QUESTIONS ABOUT GAA
NOW WHAT DO I DO?
WHERE DO I START?
KEYS TO SUCCESS WITH GAA
P
L
A
N
•Plan for progress
•Lay it all out –get
a calendar
•Alignment/Fidelity
•Notes
P
•Pick appropriate
standards
L
•Lessons –
planned & data
driven
A
N
•Annotation
•Numbers – how
many & what type
of prompts
P
•Portfolio – leave
enough time
L
•Leave your room generalization
A
•Achievement PROGRESS
N
•Neat – simple,
nothing extra
RESOURCES FOR
EFFECTIVE CLASSROOM INSTRUCTON
DATA, DATA, DATA
IEPs should be data driven
 IEPs do not address standards
 IEPs should address the functional skills that
would prevent student from access general
curriculum
 Data should be clear to a total stranger
 IEP objectives need to be easily measureable.

COBB CURRICULUM GUIDE
FOR
STUDENTS WITH SIGNIFICANT COGNITIVE
DISABILITY
Addressing GPS from Day 1 until last day of school
 Has been given to administrators as expectations for
curriculum access
 Will provide instruction that will meet GAA
 Not optional
 Can be adjusted

DOE TESTING INFO

http://www.gadoe.org/ci_testing.aspx?Page
Req=CI_TESTING_GAA
DOE ELECTRONIC RESOURCE BOARD

http://admin.doe.k12.ga.us/gadoe/sla/agps.n
sf
COBB SUPPORT BLOG

http://www.pickettsmill.typepad.com/pritchard
COBB SCHOOL DISTRICT
TESTING SITE

http://support.cobbk12.org/SSSpecialEduc
ation/gaa/gaa.htm
INFORMATION ON GPS

www.georgiastandards.org
COBB VIRTUAL LIBRARY

http://cvl.cobbk12.org/
BOARDMAKER SHARE

www.boardmakershare.com
password
requires
ACTIVITY EXCHANGE FOR CLASSROOM SUITE

www.intellitools.com
requires password
LOCAL SUPPORT
AT staff
 ID Trainers
 Local educators
 Peers in other schools
 Focus groups
 IF you need help – you have to ask

 document
QUESTIONS ABOUT GAA
LET’S GO