Office of Educational Services & Support

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 alternate content standards.

Currently the alternate assessments available to school and facilities are the Dakota STEP-A (Alternate) and the Writing Alternate. 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 Alternate Content Standards and whose IEP’s indicate alternate assessment for statewide testing. The testing window for the Dakota-Step A will be February 4-March 14, 2008. 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 Alternate Content Standards and are grade specific, focusing on reading and math. at grades 3-8 & 11, with the addition of Science at grades 5, 8, & 11.

Dakota STEP-A administration training 2008:

• January 14, Rapid City
• January 15, Chamberlain
• January 16, Aberdeen
• January 17, Sioux Falls

Dakota STEP-A Resources

• 2008 Dakota STEP-Alt Cut Scores
• 2008 STEP-A Training Videos
  • STEP-A Overview
  • Documenting Supporting Evidence
  • Completing the Rating Form
  • Practice Scoring and Improving Evidence Submissions (This video is located on the secure anchor sets page.)
  • Utilizing Rater 2, Packing and Shipping, and Wrap-up

Practice Scoring and Improving Evidence Submissions

• New in 2008:  Items excluded for supporting evidence submission.  These items on the rating forms can not be selected to be used to submit supporting evidence for the 2008 STEP-A assessment.  The items still must be rated on the rating form. 
• Test Security Agreement and Test Security Affidavit
• Test Coordinator Handbook
• Dakota STEP-Alt Directions for Administration (DFA)
• Dakota STEP-Alt Data Collection Form
• Dakota STEP -Alt Tool for Data Collection Form
• Dakota STEP-Alt Scorer Resolution Form
• Dakota STEP-Alt Presentation
• Secure log in for Anchor Sets (if you need log in and password, please contact Linda.turner@state.sd.us )

Rater Two Training Materials

• Dakota STEP-Alt Training Powerpoint-Rater Two
• Dakota STEP-Alt Training Video-Rater Two

Writing Alternate

• For the 2007-2008 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 Alternate Standards in Writing approved Nov. 19, 2007.

• Writing Alternate Standards

The testing window is February 4 - March 14, 2008.   The Writing Alternate will be shipped with the Dakota STEP-A and returned to Harcourt with the STEP-A assessment.

Writing Alternate Directions

Historical Perspective