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Why is my child taking a state assessment ?

How do we choose which assessment my child takes ?

What are the Participation Requirements for STAAR Modified and STAAR Alternate?

ARD Committee Decision Making

If your child is in grades 3-8, your child will take the STAAR test for his/her respective grade level.

If your child is entering grade 9 during the 2011-2012 school year, he/she will take STAAR End of Course exams for the specific courses they are taking.

At each ARD meeting, the ARD committee (which includes parents) discusses how the student accesses grade level curriculum for each subject tested and then the statewide assessment options for the student. To help the ARD committee make decisions about an assessment, Region 13 ESC has created an Alignment Worksheet that may be helpful for you to use in helping make a decision.  It is expected that the ARD committee always considers the STAAR as the first option when making assessment decisions. If the ARD committee determines that an Alternate Assessment is required, they must use the state-required Participation Requirement forms to document their decisions.

To learn more about the STAAR tests, parents should review the STAAR Specific Resources. By reviewing the STAAR Specific Resources, parents may find it easier to determine which test is appropriate for their child, as well as help them develop possible IEP goals and objectives. These resources show:

what students are required to know at each grade level (the TEKS), why the TEKS objective is tested, the number of items tested under each TEKS objective, and examples (released test items) of how those expectations are met/tested.

During the ARD assessment discussion, allowable accommodations will also be discussed.  For students receiving special education services, all testing accommodations MUST be listed in the student’s IEP and used on a regular basis.  Certain procedures and/or materials that were considered accommodations in the past are no longer considered accommodations, and are now referred to as Optional Test Administration Procedures and Materials. Optional Test Administration Procedures and Materials may be provided to any student based on their needs as long as the student has experience with it and it is effective in meeting their needs. Documentation is not required for the IEP, however it may be a good idea to always document accommodations in case you move districts, etc..

For more details on allowable accommodations for all assessments and documentation requirements, see the various Accommodation resources .

Participation Requirements for STAAR Modified and STAAR Alternate

To participate in either the STAAR Modified or the STAAR Alternate, the ARD committee must complete the required participation forms for either assessment. You can find pdf versions of those forms on the respective assessment websites. Students who take at least one STAAR Modified assessment or STAAR Alternate assessment will automatically graduate under the Minimum High School Program.

On the back of each of the required participation forms, the ARD committee (which includes the parent) must initial one of the following:

For a student in elementary or middle school, the ARD committee understands that instructional and assessment decisions made now may impact a student's graduation option when he or she is in high school For a student taking end of course assessments, the student is enrolled in a course being considered for STAAR Modified (or STAAR Alternate) that has a PEIMS course number that indicates that coursework is being modified (or accessed through pre-requisite skills).  Modified coursework (or coursework accessed through prerequisite skills) results in the student graduating on the minimum program (MHSP).  Students who graduate on the MHSP are not eligible for automatic admission into a Texas four-year university.

It is important to note – for students graduating on the minimum plan and taking the Modified Assessment in a core subject area – this does not mean your child cannot go to a college. It just means that they will not be able to get into a four-year Texas university based on their high school records. While many universities in Texas require the recommended graduation plan course work for admission, colleges outside the state may not require as many credits or similar courses. It is important to investigate all options. The Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities has created a Resource Guide on Higher Education and they also have links to a variety of colleges & universities. It is very important to recognize that if you think your child can go to college – the decisions you make in elementary school regarding the modification of curriculum, and ultimately the assessment chosen, have an impact on post-secondary choices.

STAAR Modified

ARD committees will use the STAAR Modified Participation Requirements to decide if STAAR Modified is the appropriate assessment for students enrolled in grades 3-8 or entering 9th grade and access TEKS* for enrolled grade/course through modifications. Before the ARD committee reviews the eligibility requirements for STAAR™ Modified, they must first understand all assessment options, the characteristics of all assessment options, and the implications of all assessment options.

For each subject or course that STAAR Modified is being considered, the ARD committee must answer “Yes” to all three of the following questions:

Do the student’s present level of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) statements in the IEP lead the ARD committee to conclude that the student is multiple years behind grade-level or course expectations and will not progress at the same rate and level of rigor as their non-disabled peers? Does the student’s IEP contain standards-based (TEKS-based) goals indicating the modified content the student requires in order to access the grade-level or course curriculum? Does the student require direct and intensive instruction in order to acquire, maintain, and transfer skills to other contexts?

If the answer to any of these questions is “No”, then the student is not eligible to participate in STAAR Modified for that subject or course and must participate in one of the other assessments.

All “Yes” answers require justification that link to the page number or section of the student’s IEP that contains evidence that the student meets these requirements.

*Each subject area tested in STAAR and STAAR Modified should be considered separately by the ARD committee when making assessment decisions. Some students may take STAAR for some subjects and STAAR Modified for other subjects.

STAAR™ Alternate

ARD committees will use the STAAR Alternate participation requirements to decide if STAAR™ Alternate is the appropriate assessment for students enrolled in grades 3-11 who access TEKS* for enrolled grade/course through prerequisite skills. Before the ARD committee reviews the eligibility requirements for STAAR™ Alternate, they must first understand all assessment options, the characteristics of all assessment options, and the implications of all assessment options.

If the ARD committee is considering STAAR™ Alternate they must answer “Yes” to all five of the following questions:

Does the student have a significant cognitive disability that has been determined by a qualified evaluation team? Does the student require specialized supports to access the grade-level curriculum and environment? Does the student require intensive, individualized instruction in a variety of instructional settings? Does the student access and participate in the grade-level TEKS through prerequisite skills? Does the student primarily demonstrate knowledge and skills through performance tasks?

If the answer to any of these questions is “No”, then the student is not eligible to participate in STAAR Alternate.

All “Yes” answers require justification that that contains evidence that the student meets the requirements.

**If the ARD committee decides a student meets the requirements to participate in the STAAR Alternate assessment, the student must take the STAAR Alternate for ALL subjects required for the student’s enrolled grade or high school course.

What Parents Need To Know

Do you feel totally confused about which assessment your child should take? If you do not understand the implications of your choices, know that you are like any other parent of a child receiving special education services.  Even though parents are all in the same predicament, we still have to make educated decisions, so ask questions of the school personnel that will help you understand the options. Consider spending some time on the Student Assessment Division website at TEA prior to attending your ARD meeting to find out what the latest changes are before you sit down to make decisions that will affect your child. Remember, these assessment decisions will affect your child’s future graduation program; therefore it is important to review the assurances on the STAAR Modified and STAAR Alternate required forms. See also the STAAR Graduation Flowcharts.

RESOURCES

Texas Project FIRST:

Statewide Assessments Accommodations for Assessments

Texas Education Agency Resources:

STAAR Resources Accommodation Resources STAAR Modified Resources (includes assessed curriculum, calculator & dictionary policies, modification guidelines and more) STAAR Alternate Resources (includes assessment tasks, cueing & prompting guidance, presentation supports & materials info, and more) Assessment Guidance ARD Committee Resources for the Texas Assessment Program Frequently Asked Questions about the Assessment Program Testing Calendar Released Test Questions – STAAR and STAAR Modified STAAR Graduation Flowcharts Assessment Policy under the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children

Region 13 STAAR Resources

Alignment Worksheets STAAR Videos Resources Blog

Legal Framework for Child Centered Special Educations Process - See Intensive Program of Instruction to know what to do if your child doesn't perform satisfactorily on the statewide assessment

Texas Assessment – website developed by Pearson Education, Inc. with information for administrators, educators and families on the Texas Assessment system

Texas Assessment of Knowledge & Skills (TAKS) – If your child entered 9th grade BEFORE 2011-2012 school year, they will still take either TAKS or TAKS-Modified, or STAAR™-Alt.