2014 Fall Assessment Conference
Assessment Program Update 2014-2015
September 9, 2014 (Part 2), 1:00-3:00 PM
2014 Fall Assessment Conference Sessions
August 1, 2014
Test Administration/General Session
August 5, 2014
Test Administration/General Session (Live repeat of Aug. 1)
August 25, 2014
Assessment Program Updates 2014-2015 – Georgia Milestones (Pt. 1)
Recording:
https://sas.elluminate.com/mr.jnlp?suid=M.DC2C4EA888A377BD873895F475CED3&sid=2
012003
Recording:
https://sas.elluminate.com/mr.jnlp?suid=M.007B8E44C6500D7C4FB0A124F3F415&sid=2
012003
Recording: https://sas.elluminate.com/mr.jnlp?suid=M.0022562966FC107A2B357D4658
DE06&sid=2012003
September 9, 2014 Assessment Program Updates 2014-2015 – Georgia Milestones
(Pt. 2)
1:00 pm - 3:00
pm
Live
Session: https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?sid=2012003&password=M.7E90A7502592A
F8BEDBA1D67C66843
Recording: https://sas.elluminate.com/mr.jnlp?suid=M.4472ECC921A30BB376F44AD2E2
715D&sid=2012003
September 18, 2014 Student Assessment Handbook (SAH) Overview
Live
Session: https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?sid=2012003&password=M.DE678C71061B6
F2DFFAA261A665B6A
Recording: https://sas.elluminate.com/mr.jnlp?suid=M.4665CAC9999C53E977E9CA9822
217C&sid=2012003
9:00 am 12:00 pm
2
Agenda
• General Updates
• Calculator Usage Policy
• Accommodation Policy
• Questions and Answers
3
General Updates
• Testing/Assessment homepage has been
reconfigured
– Current Assessments
– Legacy Assessments
– Former/Retired Assessments
• Georgia Milestones webpage launched
– Content Weights
4
Georgia Milestones
• Grades 3 – 8
– End of Grade (EOG) in language arts, mathematics,
science, social studies
• High School
– End of Course (EOC) in 9th Grade Literature &
Composition, American Literature & Composition,
Coordinate Algebra, Analytic Geometry, Physical
Science, Biology, US History, and Economics
The calculator and accommodation policies
arise out of the constructs inherent in the
grade level/course content standards and the
purposes of the assessment system.
Georgia Milestones
Calculator Policy
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Georgia Milestones
Calculator Policy
Content Area
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies
Grade Level/Course
Type of Calculator
Grades 3 – 5 EOG
Not Allowed
Grade 6 EOG
Basic1
Grades 7 – 8 EOG
Scientific or Basic1
Coordinate Algebra EOC
Graphing2 or Scientific
Analytic Geometry EOC
Graphing2 or Scientific
Physical Science EOC
Scientific or Basic1
Economics EOC
Scientific or Basic1
1Basic
four-function calculator with square root and percentage functions.
2Graphing calculator with functionalities consistent with TI-84 or similar models.
Calculators are not permitted on certain
designated sections of each mathematics
test.
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Georgia Milestones
Calculator Policy
Students and staff must adhere to the guidelines listed below and those that appear
on subsequent slides. Given that technology changes rapidly, these guidelines may
change at any time. A list of state approved calculators will not be issued.
 It is incumbent upon the System Test Coordinators, School Test Coordinators, and
Test Examiners to ensure all calculator policies are implemented and followed.
Calculators may not be shared by students.
The following devices/features are NOT allowed:
• For Basic and Scientific calculators, devices that store text and/or have QWERTY keyboards or
typewriter-like keyboards.
• Calculators that have programs stored in the memory other than those that are factory
installed
• No cell phones, personal laptops, minicomputers, pocket organizers, iPods, and personal
tablets
• Calculators with beaming capabilities
• Calculators with wireless communication technologies and/or Internet access
• Calculators with built in Computer Algebra System – CAS
• Calculators that make noise, have paper tape, or that have voice
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Georgia Milestones
Calculator Policy
Graphing Calculators and End of Course (EOC) Mathematics
•
•
•
•
Graphing calculators will be allowed for student use on the Coordinate Algebra and Analytic
Geometry EOCs ONLY. (Note: For Physical Science and Economics only a scientific calculator is
allowed.)
Given that many models of graphing calculators possess the ability to store text, and may
prevent that feature from being disabled, it is required that System and School Test
Coordinators, and Test Examiners, confirm prior to testing and immediately after testing (before
dismissing students) that all graphing calculators are cleared of any stored text.
– A failure to confirm that text is cleared may raise school-wide (and possibly system-wide)
security concerns.
– A failure to take these steps constitutes an irregularity that must be reported to GaDOE.
Should it be confirmed that a student either brought information into a test setting through
stored text, or left the test setting with secure test information stored on a device, the
student’s test will be invalidated. Such an event must be reported to GaDOE.
Georgia Milestones will provide an online graphing calculator, where appropriate, for student
use. Concerns regarding the logistics and stipulations surrounding the use of hand-held
graphing calculators can be eliminated by testing students online.
– GaDOE encourages online test administration
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Additional Georgia Milestones Calculator
Considerations and Information
•
•
•
•
•
Review calculator guidelines for elementary, middle, and high school very
carefully as they vary.
Mathematics test forms will have sections where calculator use is permitted
and a section where calculator use is NOT permitted. Test manuals will be
very clear on this point and will include script to address the logistics involved.
Adherence, by examiners and students, will be critically important.
Again, online testing will ease the logistics around the transition from
calculator to non-calculator sections.
All students testing online must use the online calculator provided and may
not use a hand-held device.
All questions regarding calculator usage should be directed to the System Test
Coordinator who can then contact the GaDOE Assessment Administration
Division if necessary. Do not refer school-level staff directly to GaDOE – this is
important to ensure consistent information is shared across your district.
Calculator questions that come to GaDOE from school-level staff will be
forwarded to the System Test Coordinator for review.
Please note that Linux OS cannot support the online
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scientific or graphing calculator at this time.
REMINDER: Calculator Policies for Legacy High
School Assessments (EOCT & GHSGT)
Remember, the calculator guidelines for Georgia Milestones and our legacy high school testing
programs differ . . .
Students and staff must adhere to the guidelines listed below. It is incumbent upon the School
Test Coordinator and Test Examiner to ensure all calculator policies are implemented and
followed. Calculators may not be shared by students.
The following features are NOT allowed:
• Graphing calculators
• Calculators that store text and/or have QWERTY keyboards or typewriter-like keyboards
• Calculators that have programs stored in the memory other than those that are factory
• installed
• Non-calculators such as cell phones, PDAs, laptops, minicomputers, pocket organizers, iPods,
• etc.
• Calculators with beaming capabilities
• Calculators with wireless communication technologies and/or Internet access
• Calculators with built in Computer Algebra Systems – CAS
• Calculators that make noise, have paper tape, or that have voice
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Test Administration
Accommodations
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Online Tools Available for All Students
• Blocking Tool
These tools are available to all students who
test online and are therefore NOT considered
• Eraser
accommodations.
• Highlighter
• Magnifying Glass
• Mark for Review
• Online Calculator – if allowable
• Option Eliminator
• Scratch Pad
• Test Pause
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Accommodations
• Accommodations allow access…
– they are practices and procedures in the areas of
presentation, response, setting, and scheduling that
provide equitable instructional and assessment access for
students with disabilities and English learners.
• Accommodations reduce or eliminate the effects of a
student’s disability or limited English proficiency
• Accommodations do not provide an unfair advantage
• Accommodations do not reduce or change learning
expectations
Modifications
• Modifications, on the other hand, involve:
– Changing, lowering, or reducing learning or
assessment expectations
– May result in implications that could adversely
affect a student throughout that individual’s
educational career
– Examples include
• Requiring a student to learn less material
• Revising assignments or tests to make them easier
Modifications are not allowed on Georgia
assessments.
Accommodations
In Georgia accommodations MAY NOT
• alter, explain, simplify, paraphrase, or eliminate
any test item, reading passage, writing prompt, or
choice option
• provide verbal or other clues or suggestions that
hint at or give away the correct response to the
student
These types of practices would constitute modifications.
Only state-approve accommodations
may be used on state-mandated
assessment, following the guidance
issued.
Eligible Students
• Students eligible for accommodations include:
– Students with Disabilities
• students with individualized educational plans
• students served under Section 5041
– English Language Learners
• Students qualifying for language assistance services
• ELL students who are also SWD
• Students who have exited language assistance services
in the last two years (ELL-Monitored) 2
1Only
in the rarest of circumstances would a 504 student
qualify for a conditional accommodation.
2ELL-M students are not eligible for conditional
accommodations.
Important Points to Remember
• Allowable accommodations always grow out of the
content and skills measured by the assessment and
the purpose of the assessment
• Teams and committees should consider the purpose
and content of the assessment as well as the
individual student’s need and circumstance when
selecting accommodations
• Inappropriate use of accommodations can (and
does) negatively impact student achievement
Test Administration Accommodations
• Accommodations provide access for demonstration of
achievement
– Allow participation
– Do not guarantee proficiency
• and therefore should not be selected solely as mean to help
ensure proficiency
• Must be required by the student in order to participate in the
assessment
• Must be provided during routine instruction and assessment
in the classroom (both before and after the state tests are
administered)
Test Administration Accommodations
• Selection of accommodations for students may not
be based on the following:
– the amount of time the student has received special
education or English language services;
– excessive or extended absences;
– language, cultural, or economic differences; or
– administrative decisions made outside the team’s
discussion of the student’s needs.
Test Administration Accommodations
• Some accommodations appropriate for
instruction are not appropriate for
assessments
• It may be appropriate to use some instructional
accommodations to provide access to grade level
content, but these should be faded over time
• The ultimate goal is always meaningful
measurement of what the student has
learned as a result of instruction
Key Considerations
• For students with disabilities we should
consider –
– the characteristics of the disability or the combination
of disabilities for the individual student
– how the disability affects/impacts the learning of
specific content
– how the disability affects/impacts the demonstration
of learning
Key Considerations
• For English language learners we should
consider –
–
–
–
–
the student’s level of English proficiency
the student’s level of literacy in English
the student’s level of native language proficiency
the student’s level of literacy in native language
Key Considerations
• For English language learners who also have a
disability we should consider –
– whether the need is based on
• the disability or
• language acquisition needs or
• some combination of both
• The IEP team should include an language
service teacher to help make appropriate
decisions – services should be coordinated
Key Considerations
• For all students we should consider –
– the student’s need for the accommodation
– the student’s experience with the accommodation
– whether the accommodation is of benefit to the
student
– the student’s feelings and beliefs about the
accommodation
Standard Accommodations
• accommodations which provide access to
students in order to demonstrate their
achievement of target skills
– standard accommodations do not alter or
encroach on the construct measured
– as with any accommodation, it is important that
the student require the accommodation and use it
regularly during routine instruction and
assessment
Conditional Accommodations
• More expansive accommodations that provide
access for students with more severe
disabilities or more limited English proficiency
who would not be able to access the
assessment to demonstrate their
achievement without such support
– must be used sparingly, per State Board Rule
– must be considered when interpreting scores
State Board Rule 160-3-1-.07 limits the use of
conditional accommodations to 3%.
Conditional Accommodations
• Guidance on the appropriate use of
conditional accommodations is provided in
the Student Assessment Handbook
• Only students meeting the guidance criteria
are eligible for conditional accommodations
• The educational plans for students qualifying
for conditional accommodations must include
specific goals that address the deficits which
necessitate the accommodation
Conditional Accommodations
• There are three accommodations that are
considered conditional:
– Signing reading passages (SWD only)
– Reading of reading passages (SWD or EL)
– Use of a basic function calculator (SWD only)
Reminder: It is exceptionally rare for a
student with a 504 plan to qualify for a
conditional accommodation.
Why must we attend to the guidance
for conditional accommodations?
1. These accommodations were never intended to be
available for all students.
2. The guidance is designed to protect the
accommodations for students who truly require
them.
Why must we attend to the guidance
for conditional accommodations?
3. Anytime an accommodation is considered it is
important to reflect what the test is designed to
measure.
–
The goal is meaningful (i.e., valid) measurement of
student achievement
4. It is important to consider the long term effects of
inappropriate accommodation use.
–
Accommodations should foster independence, not
dependence
Eligibility Criteria
Reading of Reading Passages: SWD
The use of this conditional accommodation for the English Language Arts
Georgia Milestones, regardless of grade level, must be restricted to only
those students with IEPs who meet ALL eligibility criteria outlined below:
1. The student has a specific documented disability that severely limits or prevents
his or her ability to decode text at any level of difficulty, even after varied and
repeated attempts to teach the student to do so (i.e., the student is a non-reader,
not simply reading below grade level); and
2. The student has access to printed materials only through a reader or other
electronic format during routine instruction; and
3. There are clear and specific goals within the student’s IEP addressing the deficits
which necessitate the need for this conditional accommodation.
NOTE: Students who are assigned this conditional accommodation must be
administered Georgia Milestones online using the screen reader functionality of the
online platform with a headset.
Note that these criteria now apply to all
grades, including the high school ELA
courses.
Eligibility Criteria
Reading of Reading Passages: EL
The use of this conditional accommodation for the English Language Arts
Georgia Milestones, regardless of grade level, must be restricted to only
those EL students who meet ALL eligibility criteria outlined below:
•
The student’s English proficiency scores and performance in the classroom indicate
that the student cannot access, retain, or comprehend text without the assistance
of a reader (i.e., the student is unable to access English text due to their language
proficiency, not simply reading below grade level); and
• The student is not poised to exit language services within the current school year;
and
• There are clear and specific goals within the student’s educational plan addressing
the deficits which necessitate the need for this conditional accommodation.
NOTE: Students who are assigned this conditional accommodation must be
administered Georgia Milestones online using the screen reader functionality of the
online platform with a headset.
Students poised to exit: Tier C or any student
Note that these criteria now apply to all
approaching a performance level of 4.
grades, including the high school ELA
Consider ACCESS reading score – if approaching
courses.
a 3, this accommodation is not appropriate.
Reading of Test Questions
• Most students who need accommodations are
struggling readers (e.g., read below grade level).
– Reading of the questions reducing the reading load and
allows the student to focus on the passages
• Given that we are not attempting to measure reading
comprehension on other content area tests (ELA,
Mathematics, Science, Social Studies), it is
permissible to read any prompts that accompany the
items.
– This should only be done when appropriate
NOTE: Students who are assigned this
accommodation must be administered Georgia
Milestones online using the screen reader functionality
of the online platform with a headset.
Eligibility Criteria
Calculator: SWD Grades 3 - 5
The use of this conditional accommodation for the Mathematics Georgia
Milestones for students in grades 3 - 5 must be restricted too only those
students with IEPs who meet ALL eligibility criteria outlined below:
1. The student has a specific disability that prohibits his or her from performing basic
calculations (i.e., addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division), even after
varied and repeated attempts to teach the student to do so; and
2. The student is unable to perform calculation only without the use of a calculating
device during routine instruction; and
3. There are clear and specific goals within the student’s IEP addressing the deficits
which necessitate the need for this conditional accommodation.
NOTE: Only a basic function or basic adapted calculator may be used; scientific and
other advanced calculators are strictly prohibited. The test administrator may not
provide any assistance or direction to the student regarding the use of the calculator.
What is a basic function
calculator?
• A basic function calculator has the four
computational functions (addition, subtraction,
multiplication, & division).
– many basic function calculators also have square root and
percentage functions
• A basic function calculator is not a scientific
calculator.
– these calculators have additional functions that encroach
on the concepts and skills inherent in the content
standards for grades 3 - 5
New Accommodations
Chart
• IEP, IAP, and EL-TPC
teams should review
table to determine what
accommodations are
available online versus
paper.
• Conditional
accommodations are
indicated by “C” in
accommodations table.
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New Accommodations
Chart
• IEP, IAP, and EL-TPC teams
must note the differences
between legacy programs
and the Georgia
Milestones Assessment
System.
• The logistics of providing
accommodations during
assessments must be
planned well in advance of
the opening of a district’s
local testing window.
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Accommodations:
Summary of Changes
• Reading of reading passages is now a conditional
accommodation for the high school ELA courses
• Students assigned read-aloud accommodations must
participate in the online administration using the
screen-reader to standardize the accommodation
• Mode of administration (online/paper-pencil) should
be considered – some accommodations are not
applicable for a particular mode
– for example, marking answers in the test book for online
administration
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Points to Remember
• Only state-approved accommodations may be
considered
• Federal regulations specify that students
participating with unapproved
accommodations may not be considered
participants for accountability purposes
• Use of accommodations must be accurately
coded
Questions & Answers
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