STAAR™ Alternate
Students assessed on State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness Alternate (STAAR™ Alternate) perform
standardized assessment tasks that are observed and evaluated by teachers. The tasks have been developed by the
state as standardized test items and cannot be revised.
The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) statements and student expectations for each reporting category
tested in the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR™) are summarized into essence statements
used for STAAR Alternate. The essence statements link the grade-level or high school course expectations to the
prerequisite skills used for STAAR Alternate.
For each essence statement, three tasks have been provided at varying levels of complexity. Level 3 assessment
tasks are the most complex task and require students to apply knowledge. Level 2 tasks are moderately complex
and require students to recall information recently presented. Level 1 tasks are the least complex and require
students to respond at the beginning awareness level. Teachers or the admission, review and dismissal (ARD)
committees determine which level of complexity is most appropriate for each student. Teachers then make the tasks
accessible by providing presentation supports, choosing appropriate materials, and selecting response modes that
allow the student to demonstrate what has been learned.
Each assessment task includes three state-developed predetermined criteria that the student must perform to be
given credit for successfully completing the task. One assessment task for each of four essence statements per
subject should be evaluated.
To see all available STAAR Alternate resources, visit the STAAR Alternate Resources webpage.
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/special-ed/staaralt/
Assessment tasks are written very broadly in order to allow access for a wide range of student abilities. Thus it is
critical that teachers make the STAAR Alternate tasks accessible for each student by providing presentation supports,
choosing appropriate materials, and selecting response modes that allow the student to demonstrate what has been
learned. The teacher should plan the task in a manner that allows the student to perform the predetermined criteria
without additional assistance. Supports ensure that a student’s disability is not a factor in his or her performance. As
long as a support does not change the complexity level of the task or give the student the answer, the student can
have any routinely used accommodations/supports necessary to access the task.
Although the same supports can be used during assessment that were effectively used during instruction, the
materials must be different. Student performance can only be considered valid if the assessment task has not been
previously practiced. The materials used during the assessment observation must vary enough from those used
during instruction so that the student is not just rotely repeating an answer or response from a previous instructional
session without truly demonstrating the skill. Therefore, the changes in materials should be related to the content
being measured.
The "Task Specific Change in Materials/Approach from Instruction to Assessment" documents below provide
guidance on the instruction that should be provided before the assessment task is planned and observed. The
change in materials must maintain the complexity level of the task and result in a new experience or a different
answer than is requested in the assessment observation.

The materials used during instruction must be documented in the
Description of Materials/Approach Provided During Instruction
section on page 3 of the "STAAR Alternate Documentation Form of
Student Performance" before the observation begins.
o
Reading
o
English
o
Writing
o
Mathematics
o
Science
o
Social Studies
STAAR™ Alternate Documentation Forms of Student
Performance
Each assessment task has a corresponding state-required documentation form that teachers must use to
document State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness Alternate (STAAR™ Alternate) observations.
Each form is prepopulated with reporting category information, essence statement, task, and predetermined
criteria. Samples of completed documentation forms can be viewed at:
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/special-ed/staaralt/docforms/
STAAR™ Alternate Participation Requirements
Admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committees are required to use the participation requirements to determine if
the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness Alternate (STAAR™ Alternate) is the appropriate assessment
for a student.
Beginning with the 2013-2014 STAAR Alternate administration, the ARD committee, rather than the test
administrator, will be required to make the decision for the complexity level and/or the combinations of levels that
will be used for each STAAR Alternate assessment. These decisions will be recorded on the "STAAR Alternate
Participation Requirements" state-required document. The test administrator must abide by the complexity-level
decisions when implementing the assessment.
For one more year during the 2012-2013 STAAR Alternate administration, the test administrator can still select the
complexity level and the assessment task, proceed with planning and observing the task, and evaluate the student
performance after the complexity-level selection is made. However, it is recommended that the ARD committee make
the decisions for the complexity level or the combination of levels that will be used. Districts are not required to
convene an ARD to make this decision this year; however, if an ARD is being convened this fall for other purposes,
the ARD committee can make these decisions for the current STAAR Alternate administration. If complexity levels are
determined by the ARD committee, the decisions will need to be recorded on the participation requirements form and
honored by the test administrator. For information please go to links posted on this website:
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/special-ed/staaralt/partreqs/
STAAR™ Alternate Test Administration
The following resources provide checklists and guidance directly related
to administering the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness Alternate
(STAAR™ Alternate).
To see all available STAAR Alternate resources, visit the STAAR Alternate Resources
webpage.
Login to the Texas Assessment Management System at
http://www.TexasAssessment.com/ to evaluate student performance.
To see the links below, Go to
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/special-ed/staaralt/administering/

List of Resources for the STAAR Alternate Test Administration Process
(PDF updated 09/28/12)

STAAR Alternate Test Administrator Checklist (PDF updated 08/10/12)

STAAR Alternate Testing Coordinator Checklist (PDF updated 09/17/12)

Self-Monitoring Questions for the STAAR Alternate Assessment (PDF
updated 08/10/12)

Teacher Tracking Tool (PDF updated 05/09/12)
STAAR™ Alternate Training Modules
The STAAR Alternate Training Modules discuss instructional and assessment decisions for students with the
most significant cognitive disabilities. Teachers must view all four modules and pass all four qualification
activities for Modules 1–4 before administering the assessment.
Training Module Descriptions -- Modules should be viewed in order starting
with Module 1 and ending with Module 4

Module 1: Selecting the Assessment Task
Provides an overview of the STAAR Alternate assessment, including the role of the admission, review and
dismissal (ARD) committee, the participation requirements; and the strategies for selecting assessment
tasks which is Step 1 of the test administration process.

Module 2: Implementing the Assessment Task
Explains how to make assessment tasks accessible at each complexity level by using appropriate
presentation supports/materials and response modes and how to use the resource documents for planning
and implementing the assessment observation for Step 2 of the test administration process.

Module 3: Observing/Documenting Student Performance
Clarifies the difference between instruction and assessment, between cues and prompts, between primary
and generalization observations, and explains how to prepare for and document the observation to complete
Step 3 of the test administration process.

Module 4: Evaluating Student Performance
Provides information about the scoring rubric, the evaluation process for both the primary and
generalization observations, and appropriate maintenance of the documentation forms. Provides practice
using the online system and includes a flowchart to assist in completing Step 4 of the test administration
process.
TrainingCenter User’s Guides

TrainingCenter User’s Guide for District and Campus Coordinators (PDF posted 09/28/12)
The Texas TrainingCenter is the gateway to all STAAR Alternate online training modules and qualification
activities. Participation in all online training activities must be monitored by the testing coordinator(s) to
ensure that all participants are adequately trained. This manual provides information on how testing
coordinators can access reports to monitor the progress and performance of training module participants on
training modules and qualification activities. Information regarding training requirements for STAAR
Alternate test administrators may be found in the STAAR Alternate Manual for District and Campus
Coordinators.

TrainingCenter User’s Guide for Test Administrators (Teachers) (PDF posted 09/28/12)
The Texas TrainingCenter is the gateway to all STAAR Alternate online training modules and qualification
activities. This user’s guide provides details about the trainee registration process, accessing the online
training modules, completing online qualification activities and printing qualification certificates.

Supplemental Training Support Flowchart (PDF posted 09/07/11)

Supervision Guidelines for the Content in the Modules (PDF posted 09/28/12)
STAAR™ Alternate TETN and Conference Presentations
Student Assessment Home | Assessment A–Z Directory | Contact Student Assessment |
Printing PDFs
The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness Alternate (STAAR™ Alternate)
team utilizes the Texas Education Telecommunication Network (TETN) to present on
timely topics throughout the year, including program updates and additional training.
Districts can access the TETNs through their Educational Service Centers (ESC).
TEA website with this information is http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/special-ed/staaralt/tetns/
TETNs

TETN Schedule
TETN Presentations

October 2012 TETN #14708 (PPT posted 10/30/12)

October 2012 TETN #14708 (508 compliant PDF posted 10/29/12)

September 2012 TETN #14707 (PPT posted 10/01/12)

September 2012 TETN #14707 (508 compliant PDF posted 10/01/12)
Texas Assessment Conference

Texas Assessment Conference 2012 (PPT posted 01/03/13)

Texas Assessment Conference 2012 (508 compliant PDF posted 01/03/13)