NCEO Tool 3

State-District Data Display Templates: Addressing the Percentage of Students Participating in the Alternate Assessment

Tony Ruggiero, Cesar D’Agord, Kathy Strunk, and Martha Thurlow

A publication of:
NATIONAL CENTER ON EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES

In collaboration with
NCEO’s 2019 1.0% Peer Learning Group (PLG)

The Center is supported through a Cooperative Agreement (#H326G160001) with the Research to Practice Division, Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education. The Center is affiliated with the Institute on Community Integration at the College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota. The contents of this report were developed under the Cooperative Agreement from the U.S. Department of Education, but does not necessarily represent the policy or opinions of the U.S. Department of Education or Offices within it. Readers should not assume endorsement by the federal government.

Project Officer: David Egnor

All rights reserved. Any or all portions of this document may be reproduced and distributed without prior permission, provided the source is cited as:

Ruggiero, T., D’Agord, C., Strunk, K., & Thurlow, M. L. (2019). State-District Data Display Templates: Addressing the Percentage of Students Participating in the Alternate Assessment. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, National Center on Educational Outcomes. Available at www.nceo.info.

Acknowledgments

This State-District AA-AAAS Data Display Templates tool was developed through the work of the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) 1.0% 2019 Peer Learning Group (PLG) 1, Digging into Your Data: Building a 1% Data Analysis and Use Plan, which took place from February – May, 2019.

In addition to the authors of this document, it took a team to ensure that PLG 1 was successful. Members of this team included, in addition to the authors (in alphabetical order): Anthea Brady, Duane Brown, Maureen Hawes, Susan Hayes, Sheryl Lazarus, Judy Lee, Kate Nagle, Travis Peterson, Tanner Petry, Chris Rogers, Stephen Ruffini, and Mari Shikuzawa.

Staff from 32 states participated in the PLG 1 webinar calls. The participating states are listed here. This Templates tool would not exist had it not been for their active participation in PLG 1.

State-District Data Display Templates

Addressing the Percentage of Students Participating in the Alternate Assessment

The 2015 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, known as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), includes a 1.0% cap on state-level participation rates in the alternate assessment aligned to alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS). No limit was placed on district or school rates, but districts must provide justifications if they expect their rate to be above the 1.0% threshold. In addition, states are to provide oversight to districts.

These requirements mean that states and districts need to examine their data on AA-AAAS participation as a basis for having discussions about the data and whether state guidelines are being followed and appropriate decisions are being made for individual students.

Purpose of these State-District Data Display Templates

This State-District Data Display Templates tool is designed to provide states and districts with templates to use to display their data, with the end goal being to support an examination of the data displayed to determine whether there are any unusual results that require further examination and discussion.

This guide is one of three developed by states and technical assistance centers working together in NCEO’s 2019 1.0% Peer Learning Group 1. The two other documents that were developed can support the data examinations recommended here. They include:

• Data Analysis and Use Planning Tool for Examining AA-AAAS Participation. This tool provides a four-step data analysis framework. It might be used as the first step toward the use of the Dialogue Guide.
• District Dialogue Guide. This guide includes procedures, topics, and questions to guide discussions within districts. Use of this guide might be a final step in the process of digging into data

Federal Law

Alternate assessments were first developed in response to the 1997 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which required that all states and districts develop, by the year 2000, alternate assessments for those students with disabilities unable to participate in regular assessments even with accommodations. IDEA did not define who the students were who could participate in an alternate assessment, nor did it use the term “significant cognitive disability.” In 2003, regulations added to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allowed states to count as proficient those students with significant cognitive disabilities who participated in the alternate assessment and met rigorous alternate achievement standards set by the state.

In 2015, Congress reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). ESSA reaffirmed that an AA-AAAS is the appropriate assessment for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities to demonstrate their knowledge and skills. ESSA placed a 1.0% threshold on the state participation rate for each subject, based on the total number of all students in the state assessed in the subject (34 CFR 200.6(c)(2)). ESSA specified that states cannot place a cap on the participation rates of local education agencies (LEAs) in any subject (34 CFR 200.6(c)(3)(i)). This means that LEAs can exceed the 1.0% participation threshold on an AA-AAAS in a given subject, but the state as a whole cannot exceed the 1.0% in any subject. ESSA required LEAs that exceed the 1.0% participation cap to submit information justifying the need to exceed the threshold; in addition, the state must provide oversight and monitoring of those LEAs (34 CFR 200.6(c)(3)(ii-iii)).

Overview of the State-District AA-AAAS Data Display Templates

The Data Display Templates tool provides states and districts with templates to use to display their data, with the end goal being to support an examination of the data displayed to determine whether there are any unusual results that require further examination and discussion. Seven templates are included here, with a brief explanation of how they might be used. Each of the templates can be adopted in whole or adjusted to meet a state’s or district’s unique context or needs.

A brief description of each template and how it might be useful to a state or district is provided here:

Template 1. Number and Percent of Students in the State’s School Districts and the State Overall

This template is for the state to use to examine participation numbers and rates in its school districts. When filled, the template shows general education assessment participation (in terms of numbers and percentages – for three years) and AA-AAAS participation (in terms of numbers and percentages – for three years), for each district in the state, as well as the overall state numbers and percentages. Use of this template enables a state to identify districts that might be outliers – either considerably over 1.0% or considerably under 1.0%. It also provides the data needed to determine whether a district should submit a justification for a participation rate above 1.0%.

Template 2. Primary Disability Category Data Display for Reading/Language Arts State Assessments

This template is for a district to use to examine the disability categories of students with disabilities who participate in the general assessment and the alternate assessment (both in terms of numbers and percentages). This template enables a district to determine whether there are students participating in the alternate assessment in reading/language arts who have unexpected disability categories for AA-AAAS participation (e.g., specific learning disabilities, speech-language impairments).

Template 3. Student Characteristics Data Display for Reading/Language Arts State Assessments

This template is for a district to use to examine the characteristics of students with disabilities who participate in the reading/language arts general assessment and the reading/language arts alternate assessment (both in terms of numbers and percentages). This template enables a district to determine whether there are students participating in the alternate assessment in reading/language arts who have characteristics for AA-AAAS participation that are very different from those for the general assessment (e.g., ethnicity, gender, English learners status, placement).

Template 4. Primary Disability Category Data Display for Mathematics State Assessments

This template is for a district to use to examine the disability categories of students with disabilities who participate in the general assessment and the alternate assessment (both in terms of numbers and percentages). This template enables a district to determine whether there are students participating in the alternate assessment in mathematics who have unexpected disability categories for AA-AAAS participation (e.g., specific learning disabilities, speech-language impairments).

Template 5. Student Characteristics Data Display for Mathematics State Assessments

This template is for a district to use to examine the characteristics of students with disabilities who participate in the mathematics general assessment and the mathematics alternate assessment (both in terms of numbers and percentages). This template enables a district to determine whether there are students participating in the alternate assessment in mathematics who have characteristics for AA-AAAS participation that are very different from those for the general assessment (e.g., ethnicity, gender, English learners status, placement).

Template 6. Primary Disability Category Data Display for Science State Assessments

This template is for a district to use to examine the disability categories of students with disabilities who participate in the science general assessment and the science alternate assessment (both in terms of numbers and percentages). This template enables a district to determine whether there are students participating in the alternate assessment in science who have unexpected disability categories for AA-AAAS participation (e.g., specific learning disabilities, speech-language impairments).

Template 7. Student Characteristics Data Display for Science State Assessments

This template is for a district to use to examine the characteristics of students with disabilities who participate in the science general assessment and the science alternate assessment (both in terms of numbers and percentages). This template enables a district to determine whether there are students participating in the alternate assessment in science who have characteristics for AA-AAAS participation that are very different from those for the general assessment (e.g., ethnicity, gender, English learners status, placement).

Similar templates could be developed for other subject areas tests, as appropriate.

Template 1

Number and Percent of Students in the State’s School Districts and the State Overall

Initial analysis that could be conducted using Template 1:

• Rank order districts based on AA-AAAS Percent.
• Develop tiered system of districts based on AA-AAAS Percent (above and below 1.0%, quartiles or thirds above 1.0% AA-AAAS, etc.).
• Verify emerging patterns (e.g., compare districts such as rural, urban, or SES levels on AA-AAAS Percent).
• Verify trends based on yearly data (state and districts increasing or decreasing AA-AAAS Percent, approaching or going above 1.0% AA-AAAS, etc.).
• Add data columns for other district data as appropriate based on your district dialogue guide and analysis questions.
• What districts meet the 95% overall participation rate (General Assessment and AA-AAAS)? What districts did not meet the 95% rate? What was a district’s AA-AAAS participation rate when above and below the required 95% overall assessment participation rate?

Template 2

Primary Disability Category Data Display for Reading/Language Arts State Assessments

[Enter District Name] Number and Percent of Students with Disabilities in R/LA Assessments by Primary Disability Category

Initial analysis that could be conducted using Template 2:

• Compare district AA-AAAS Percent in each disability category to General Assessment Percent in each disability category.
• Compare percent of All Students with Disabilities in General Assessment and in AA-AAAS to state-level percent.
• Did the district meet the 95% participation rate when General Assessment and AA-AAAS are added together?

Template 3

Student Characteristics Data Display for Reading/Language Arts State Assessments

[Enter District Name] Number and Percent of Students with Disabilities in the R/LA State Assessments by Student Characteristics

Initial analysis that could be conducted using Template 3:

Compare district AA-AAAS Percent for each characteristic included (e.g., race/ethnicity, gender, EL status, free/reduced price lunch status, placement, etc.) to General Assessment Percent in each for each characteristic.

Template 4

Primary Disability Category Data Display for Mathematics State Assessments

[Enter District Name] Number and Percent of Students with Disabilities in Mathematics Assessments by Primary Disability Category

Initial analysis that could be conducted using Template 4:

• Compare district AA-AAAS Percent in each disability category to General Assessment Percent in each disability category.
• Compare percent of All Students with Disabilities in General Assessment and in AA-AAAS to state-level percent.
• Did the district meet the 95% participation rate when General Assessment and AA-AAAS are added together?

Template 5

Student Characteristics Data Display for Mathematics State Assessments

[Enter District Name] Number and Percent of Students with Disabilities in the Mathematics State Assessments by Student Characteristics

Initial analysis that could be conducted using Template 5:

Compare district AA-AAAS Percent for each characteristic included (e.g., race/ethnicity, gender, EL status, free/reduced price lunch status, placement, etc.) to General Assessment Percent in each for each characteristic.

Template 6

Primary Disability Category Data Display for Science State Assessments

[Enter District Name] Number and Percent of Students with Disabilities in Science Assessments by Primary Disability Category

Initial analysis that could be conducted using Template 6:

• Compare district AA-AAAS Percent in each disability category to General Assessment Percent in each disability category.
• Compare percent of All Students with Disabilities in General Assessment and in AA-AAAS to state-level percent.
• Did the district meet the 95% participation rate when General Assessment and AA-AAAS are added together?

Template 7

Student Characteristics Data Display for Science State Assessments

[Enter District Name] Number and Percent of Students with Disabilities in the Science State Assessments by Student Characteristics

Initial analysis that could be conducted using Template 7:

Compare district AA-AAAS Percent for each characteristic included (e.g., race/ethnicity, gender, EL status, free/reduced price lunch status, placement, etc.) to General Assessment Percent in each for each characteristic.

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