Alternate Assessment
The amended Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act
(IDEA 04 - P.L. 105-17) and "No Child Left Behind Act" of 2001 requires
that all students, including those with disabilities, participate in state
and district wide assessment programs. There are several ways in which
students with disabilities can participate in assessments. These often
are divided into three categories: (1) assessments taken in the same
way as other students take them, (2) assessments taken with
accommodations, and (3) alternate assessments. A small percentage of
students with disabilities may need to participate in an alternate state
or district assessment because they are working in grade level extended
content.
Currently the alternate
assessments available to school and facilities are the Dakota STEP-A
(Alternate) assessing reading, math and science in grades 3-8 and 11
(science at 5, 8, and 11), the Writing Alternate at grades 5, 7, and 10,
and Technology Alternate at 8th grade embedded in the STEP-A.
Information about participation and accommodations must be documented in the
student's IEP that precedes the actual administration of the assessment.
Dakota STEP – A
The Dakota STEP-A is available for students who have a significant
cognitive disability and are working in the Extended Content and
Alternate Academic Achievement Descriptors and whose IEP’s indicate
alternate assessment for statewide testing. The testing window for the
Dakota-Step A will be February
1-March 12, 2010. This administration is prior to the
Dakota STEP testing window in order to alleviate the workload for
special education staff who administer both assessments. The test
contains a rating form, and Supporting Evidence that is used to support
the ratings given on the rating form. The rating forms are aligned to
the Extended Content and are grade specific, focusing on reading and
math. at grades 3-8 & 11, with the addition of Science at grades 5, 8, &
11, Writing at grades 5, 7 and 10, and Technology at grade 8.
Dakota STEP-A Support Materials
Dakota STEP-A Training Resources
-
STEP-A Training (If the
display is larger than your screen size, from the browser menu use
the zoom feature to reduce the size to 75% or to the size that fits
your screen)
- Rater Two Training Materials
2009 Dakota STEP-Alt Assessment Information
Writing Alternate
- For the
2009-2010 school year, the alternate assessment for writing will be
administered at grades 5, 7 and 10. This assessment is for students whose
IEP’s indicate alternate assessment for statewide testing. The Writing
Alternate will be based on the Language Arts Extended Content in Writing
approved Nov. 19, 2007.
- Writing Extended Content
The testing
window is February 1 - March 12, 2009. The Writing
Alternate will be shipped with the Dakota STEP-A and returned to Pearson
with the STEP-A assessment.
Writing Alternate Directions
Historical Perspective
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