2011 Texas Assessment Conference
Cari Wieland, Kim Brannan, Jana Owen
TEA Student Assessment Division
Kelly Callaway
TEA Curriculum Division

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 These slides have been prepared and approved by the Student Assessment
Division of the Texas Education Agency.
 If any slide is amended or revised for use in local or regional trainings, please remove the TEA footer at the bottom of the slide.
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I.
II.
III.
General Information
STAAR Modified Modification
Guidelines
STAAR Modified Participation
Requirements
IV.
Graduation Flowchart
V.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is STAAR Modified and who is it for?
 An alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards
 Different passing standard than STAAR
 Different test questions…based on STAAR
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 For students receiving special education services who meet participation requirements
 For the 2011-2012 school year, applies to students in grades 3-8 and entering grade 9
 Students repeating grade 9 and in grades 10-12 are still held to the requirements of the TAKS program
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 STAAR Modified World History will be administered in 2013
 STAAR Modified English III and U.S. History will be administered in 2014
 Algebra II, chemistry, and physics will NEVER be assessed with STAAR Modified.
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 Begin with STAAR and simplify reading selections, test questions, and answer choices by:
 Reducing the number of questions tested and deleting one answer choice
 Simplifying sentence structure, vocabulary, digits, and grid for griddable questions (mathematics only)
 Revising or adding context for clarification
 Examples: pre-reading text in reading and writing, definitions, formulas and/or conversions
 Deleting extraneous information

 Examples: reduce number of variables/steps/operations, delete one part of compound answer choices
Organizing information differently
 Examples: chunk (separate into parts) reading and editing selections, bulleting information, additional spacing

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 Or… delete certain things from STAAR so that they are not tested on STAAR Modified
 Delete “not” or “except” questions
 Delete griddable questions (science tests only)
 Separate paired STAAR reading selections (test as single selections that are not thematically linked) and delete all thematically-linked crossover questions (reading tests only)
 Student expectations in Reporting Category 1 associated with making connections across texts are not tested on STAAR Modified
 Only vocabulary will be tested in Reporting Category 1 for
STAAR Modified
 Students will be assessed with only one type of writing prompt in each tested grade (writing tests only)
 Student compositions are scored on a three-point rubric
(writing tests only)
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Will test administrators be allowed to read any word in the selection that they already read in the pre-reading text like in TAKS-M?
 No. This is a difference between TAKS-M and STAAR
Modified reading tests.
 Test administrators (TA) may read the pre-reading text to students but MAY NOT READ ANYTHING IN THE
READING SELECTION .
 The TA must read aloud the pre-reading text and may read the test questions and answer choices if the student is eligible for an oral administration.
 Test administration directions will explain that the TA can read the pre-reading text as many times as necessary, as long as it is prior to the students reading the selections.
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 Poetry selections will NOT be separated into parts.
 Drama selections WILL be separated into parts, usually according to the number of scenes.
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 The decoding level of STAAR Modified reading selections is simplified (e.g., sentence structure, vocabulary).
 This does not apply to published selections.
 Readability programs have not been used to “level” reading selections because they are often inconsistent.
 TEA bases appropriateness of the selections readability on the expertise of
 TEA staff (Student Assessment Division, Curriculum
Division) who are former teachers
 Teachers across the state through item review meetings
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How does an ARD committee determine whether
STAAR Modified is the appropriate assessment?
1)
2)
3)
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4)
Review the student’s present level of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP).
Review the student’s instructional plan, which includes the goals, objectives, accommodations and/or modifications the student will need in order to access the gradelevel/course Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).
Determine the appropriate assessment for the student based on the instruction the student is receiving and whether the student meets the participation requirements.
Document the assessment decision, including any accommodations.
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 TEA requires the form to be completed and retained by the district.
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 A member of the ARD committee who participated in the meeting where the statewide assessment decision was determined
 Example: special education teacher, ARD facilitator, administrator
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 Can be filed at the campus level
 Local determination
 Best practice = retain documentation as long as helpful for decision-making purposes from year to year
 Can be filed in the IEP (although it is not a required part of the IEP)
 Best practice = complete form during the ARD committee meeting when assessment decisions are made
 If form is filed in the IEP, the normal IEP retention policies apply.
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Can TEA give copyright permission to vendors so that the STAAR Modified Participation
Requirements can be transferred to the electronic versions of the district’s IEP?
 No. TEA’s copyright permission is granted to
Texas public schools for educational purposes.
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 TEA cannot endorse or support any specific vendors.
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 Three eligibility questions must be answered for each subject/course for which
STAAR Modified is being considered.
 If the answer to any of the questions is No, then the student is not eligible to participate in
STAAR Modified in that subject or course and must participate in one of the other statewide assessments.
 Page numbers from the IEP can be included as
“Justification” for a Yes answer.
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 This evidence may be found in many places in the IEP. For example,
 PLAAFP
 Goals, objectives
 Instructional modification or accommodation page
 Deliberations
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Does the ARD committee need to complete all three steps in the participation requirements and retain the document if the answer to one or more of the eligibility questions is No?
 No. If the student is not eligible for STAAR
Modified, then the State-required
Documentation Form does not have to be retained.
 However, schools may want to retain this information as evidence for future instructional and assessment decisions.
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Is it a testing irregularity to give STAAR Modified to a student who doesn’t meet the participation requirements ?
 Yes. If the student was administered the wrong assessment, the district testing coordinator must contact TEA to receive instructions on how to
 Fix the error
 Give the correct test
 Document the irregularity
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 There are no further ramifications once the error is reported and has been corrected.
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Does an ARD committee need to complete the participation requirements and retain the document if a student is receiving modified instruction in a course in which STAAR Modified is not available?
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 Yes. Applies to English III, World History, U.S.
History, Chemistry, Physics, Algebra II
 If the student meets participation requirements, then he/she does not test since an assessment is not available.
 If the participation requirements are not reviewed or the answer to any of the three questions is No, the student takes STAAR.
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 Confirm that the IEP includes documentation of
 why STAAR is not appropriate
 why STAAR Modified is appropriate
 what accommodations the student will use or the ARD committee is recommending for use (e.g., extra day, photocopy)
 Confirm that the assessment decision is
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 based on multiple sources of measurable, objective evidence, not just previous statewide assessment results
 made by the entire ARD committee, not administratively based on AYP limitations
 based on educational need and instruction, not location of service delivery, etc.
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 For elementary and middle school students, discuss the fact that instructional and assessment decisions made now may impact a student’s graduation options in high school.
 For a student taking EOC assessments, confirm that the student is enrolled in a course with a
PEIMS number that indicates coursework is modified and the student is graduating on the
Minimum High School Program (MHSP)
 Modified coursework = MHSP = no automatic admission into a Texas 4-year university
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• Use the new codes for all students receiving special education services and completing a modified or alternate version of the corresponding course, including those students who are in grades 10, 11, and 12 who are graduating under the TAKS requirements.
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 PEIMS Data Standards 2011-2012 Addendum http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=2147497193
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 Please begin using the new codes for all students as soon as possible.
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Should the Academic Achievement Record identify courses as “Modified” when the modified PEIMS codes are used?
 No. FERPA regulations do not allow any information on the student’s transcript that would identify him/her as a student with a disability.
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 The student’s transcript will show the stateadopted course name only (e.g., Algebra I).
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• Schools are required to use the stateadopted name as referenced in PEIMS but can use local names in addition to the state-adopted name.
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 Districts may use either the standard course code or a locally assigned “9” code for a course that does not have M or Alt codes.
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If a student is receiving modified instruction in the general classroom, who should be the teacher of record?
 Answer per Federal and State Education Policy
 The ARD committee will determine whether the course should be taught by a general education teacher with special education supports, or in a “selfcontained” class taught by a certified special education teacher.


The special education supports may be a co-teaching role
(two teachers of record, or 1 teacher of record and one assistant) or a support teacher role.
If the course is taught by a general education teacher, there should be clear documentation showing the special education supports that are provided to students to ensure a free and appropriate public education (FAPE).
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 See PEIMS data standards related to the 305 Record for more information.
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For Students Receiving Special Education Services
Who Entered Grade 9 in 2011-2012 (and thereafter) http://www.texasassessment.com/graduation_flowchart/index.htm
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Does student who takes all STAAR assessments with or without accommodations meet cumulative score requirements for all STAAR assessments?
The ARD committee determines how the student will access the required course curriculum
(TEKS)
With or without accommodations, student meets curriculum and credit requirements to graduate under the
Distinguished Achievement Program,
Recommended High School Program, or Minimum High School Program
YES
Meets or exceeds
Level III (Advanced)
Academic
Performance for
STAAR English III and
Algebra II assessments (Post
Secondary Readiness)
Meets or exceeds
Level II (Satisfactory)
Academic
Performance for
STAAR English III and
Algebra II assessments
Student graduates under the Distinguished
Achievement Program
Student graduates under the Recommended High
School Program
Meets cumulative score requirements for
STAAR assessments specifically required on the Minimum High
School Program
Student graduates under the Minimum High School
Program
NO
Student retests until the cumulative score requirement for STAAR assessments is met
The ARD committee determines that the cumulative score is not required for graduation

Does student who takes all STAAR assessments with or without accommodations meet cumulative score requirements for all STAAR assessments? YES
The ARD committee determines how the student will access the required course curriculum
(TEKS)
With or without accommodations, student meets curriculum and credit requirements to graduate under the
Distinguished Achievement Program,
Recommended High School Program, or Minimum High School Program
YES
Meets or exceeds
Level III (Advanced)
Academic
Performance for
STAAR English III and
Algebra II assessments (Post
Secondary Readiness)
Meets or exceeds
Level II (Satisfactory)
Academic
Performance for
STAAR English III and
Algebra II assessments
Student graduates under the Distinguished
Achievement Program
Student graduates under the Recommended High
School Program
Meets cumulative score requirements for
STAAR assessments specifically required on the Minimum High
School Program
Student graduates under the Minimum High School
Program

Does student who takes all STAAR assessments with or without accommodations meet cumulative score requirements for all STAAR assessments? YES
The ARD committee determines how the student will access the required course curriculum
(TEKS)
With or without accommodations, student meets curriculum and credit requirements to graduate under the
Distinguished Achievement Program,
Recommended High School Program, or Minimum High School Program
YES
Meets or exceeds
Level III (Advanced)
Academic
Performance for
STAAR English III and
Algebra II assessments (Post
Secondary Readiness)
Meets or exceeds
Level II (Satisfactory)
Academic
Performance for
STAAR English III and
Algebra II assessments
Student graduates under the Distinguished
Achievement Program
Student graduates under the Recommended High
School Program
Meets cumulative score requirements for
STAAR assessments specifically required on the Minimum High
School Program
Student graduates under the Minimum High School
Program
NO
Student retests until the cumulative score requirement for STAAR assessments is met
The ARD committee determines that the cumulative score is not required for graduation and whether retesting is appropriate

Overview: Modified TEKS-based instruction
The ARD committee determines how the student will access the required course curriculum
(TEKS)
Through modified TEKS-based instruction, student meets curriculum and credit requirements to graduate under the
Minimum High School Program
Does the student take only
STAAR Modified* assessments ?
YES
No minimum score and no cumulative score are required for
STAAR
Modified assessments
*Students who take at least one STAAR
Modified assessment will graduate under the
Minimum High School Program according to
TAC
§ 89.1070(c).
For STAAR
Modified assessments
No minimum score and no cumulative score are required for
STAAR
Modified assessments
Student graduates under the Minimum High School
Program
NO
Student takes some general
STAAR and some STAAR
Modified assessments
For STAAR assessments
The ARD committee determines that the student retests until the minimum score requirement for the
STAAR assessments taken is met
The ARD committee determines that the cumulative score is not required for graduation

Student graduates under the Minimum High School
Program
Does student take all STAAR Modified assessments? YES
The ARD committee determines how the student will access the required course curriculum
(TEKS)
Through modified TEKS-based instruction, student meets curriculum and credit requirements to graduate under the
Minimum High School Program
YES
Does the student take only
STAAR Modified* assessments ?
*Students who take at least one STAAR
Modified assessment will graduate under the Minimum High School Program according to TAC
§ 89.1070(c).
No minimum score and no cumulative score are required for
STAAR
Modified assessments

Does student take all STAAR Modified assessments? NO
The ARD committee determines how the student will access the required course curriculum
(TEKS)
Through modified TEKS-based instruction, student meets curriculum and credit requirements to graduate under the
Minimum High School Program
*Students who take at least one STAAR Modified assessment will graduate under the Minimum High
School Program according to TAC § 89.1070(c).
Does the student take only
STAAR Modified* assessments ?
For STAAR
Modified assessments
No minimum score and no cumulative score are required for
STAAR
Modified assessments
Student graduates under the Minimum High School
Program
Student takes some general
STAAR and some STAAR
Modified assessments
NO
The ARD committee determines that the student retests until the minimum score requirement for the
STAAR assessments taken is met
For STAAR assessments
The ARD committee determines that the cumulative score is not required for graduation

Student meets Minimum High School Program curriculum and credit requirements
The ARD committee determines how the student will access the required course curriculum
(TEKS)
Through prerequisite skills, student meets curriculum and credit requirements to graduate under the Minimum High School Program
Student will take only STAAR
Alternate assessments
Student graduates under the Minimum High School
Program

Once a student begins taking modified coursework and
STAAR Modified, is that student able to opt back into the
Recommended High School Program (RHSP)?
 Students who take courses under the MHSP as provided by Subsection (b) may, upon request, resume taking courses under the RHSP (House Bill 3, §28.025(b-8) )
 This applies to students receiving special education services as well.
 The ARD committee would need to determine how the student can achieve the necessary credits, as courses with modified content cannot be counted toward this program.
 The student would then have to meet all of the requirements of the general assessment, STAAR.
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If a student takes STAAR Modified in high school but is dismissed from special education before graduation, will the student now have to take STAAR?
 Yes. The student is now held to the same requirements as all other general education students.
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Does the 15% rule apply to students served by special education services?
 Yes. For a student receiving special education services, the score he or she receives on a general STAAR EOC assessment must count as 15% of the final course grade.
Nevertheless, the student's admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee determines whether the student has met the course requirements.
 The 15% requirement does not apply to students taking
STAAR Modified or STAAR Alternate.
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 Students taking STAAR Modified will have four hours to test just like students taking
STAAR
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 The accommodations of extra time until the end of the day and extra day have not been posted yet…
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With regards to the STAAR Modified resources that have yet to be posted, what does “coming soon” really mean?
 We REALLY are working on this stuff… I promise!
 English I-II and Grades 3-8 released test questions
 English I-II definitely posted in December 2011
 Grades 3-8 will be posted beginning in December 2011 as they are finalized
 Scoring rubrics for writing tests
 WANT to post in January but HAVE to post by the time scoring begins in April
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English III, World History, and U.S. History test blueprints and English III test design schematic
 Not posted until administration year
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