Monitoring Accommodations in South Carolina Courtney Foster Office of Assessment

Statewide Testing Palmetto Challenge Achievement Test (PACT) at grades 3-8 High School Assessment Program (HSAP) at grade 10 End-of-Course Examination Program (EOCEP) 4 courses South Carolina Alternate (SC-ALT) grades 3-8 and grade 10

Key Factors What do we have now? –Look at existing resources in your office –Look at existing resources in other offices What do we want? –Plan for a system that streamlines resources (multiple data points)

The Precode Project SASI system –Demographics (e.g. student name, student id, grade level, EIA/EFA codes) Process –Data entered/corrected at the school level –Verification and transmission to district office –Validation and transmission to the state office Initial submission in January with an update in March –In 2006, added a customized material field

Working with LEAs and Vendors Vendor online system for ordering test materials –Verify and report out by district –Verify and report out by school LEA keeps file with student and/or teacher name of the specific test materials ordered –Assists test coordinator in ordering materials –Another check of the ordering system

Office of Exceptional Children Focused monitoring –District and school specific issues Regional coordinators In 2006, went to an online IEP system Team effort for providing professional development Assessment Exceptional Children

Policy and Procedures “…not providing accommodations or providing more accommodations as specified in the IEP…these actions are viewed as test security violations…” –Convene an IEP team meeting (including parents) to determine the validity of the test administration

Professional Development Workshops for the district test coordinator and the school test coordinator Workshops for the district test coordinator and the district special education coordinator Testing presentations at special education conferences and special education presentations at assessment workshops

Changes in the Monitoring System From unannounced visits to announced technical assistance visits (both school and district staff invited) From random selection of schools/students with ‘first sight reviews’ to a planned, streamlined multiple step process to focus technical assistance (includes both a desk audit and an on site visits) From a one office show to a team approach (assessment and exceptional children)

SC Monitoring System Desk audits –Gather data from multiple sources On-site visits –IEP review –Observe test administration –School test coordinator, teacher, and student interviews –Collect evidence of good practice to share with other districts

Desk Audit Chart Online Ordering Online IEP’s LEA Student/ Teacher File Selection of Schools Precode

Onsite Visit Recording Primary DisabilityGrade Instructional Setting PLOPPLOP Accommodation in Instruction Accommodation in Testing

Monitoring Follow-up Internal report for assessment and exceptional children Letter to school principal (copied to district superintendent and test coordinator) May be a need to suggest technical assistance from exceptional children

Contact Information Courtney Foster Office of Assessment 1429 Senate Street, Room 607 Rutledge Building Columbia, SC (803)