1. Alternate Standards, Alternate Assessment, Alternate Diploma
AA-AAAS

2. Learning Objectives Participants will become aware of:
The impact that ESSA has on Alternate Academic Achievement Standards, the WVDE process for writing the new standards, and the timeline for Policy standards to go into effect.
The criteria that must be met for a State- defined alternate diploma to meet federal requirements (ESSA) for the inclusion in the Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR).
We have 3 learning objectives for todays webinar (read 1, 2, and 3)
The webinar today will revolve around ESSA’s requirements for a State-defined alternate diploma, so the presentation is actually a backwards design which begins with alternate diploma requirements according to ESSA.

3. Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
Removed references to No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
Removed highly qualified personnel references
Added State-Defined Alternate Diploma
For those of you that participated in Pat and Susan’s Policy 2419 webinar, you will remember this slide. These 3 points represent changes to policy 2419 as a result of ESSA guidelines.
Read points 1 and 2: ESSA has done these things as well as Adding State-defined alternate diploma.
Adding the State-Defined Alternate Diploma option is a big thing for WV. This option allows for the inclusion in graduation accountability of a diploma option for students with significant cognitive disabilities who participate in alternate assessments to be included in the Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR).
But there are State-defined requirements, and specific criteria must be met.

4. See attachment for this document that provides information about the State Defined Alternate Diploma that we will be talking about today.
This brochure gives detailed information about what ESSA has to say about the State Defined Alternate Diploma and the requirements/criteria for an Alternate Diploma.

5. Section 2. FAPE CONSIDERATIONS- District Obligations
Replaced modified diploma with State-Defined Alternate Diploma which requires:
Instruction in alternate academic achievement standards linked to general standards;
Alignment with state requirements for the regular high school diploma; and
Be obtained during FAPE period.
Students receiving an alternate diploma will be included in the graduation cohort for the year in which they graduate. Incoming ninth grade students should be considered for the alternate diploma. (pp. 9, 117)
This slide was also in the 2419 webinar. It says that we are changing the wording from modified diploma to alternate diploma.
This slide also gives our state’s criteria for a state defined alternate diploma
(read bullets)
It’s important to note that this year’s 9th grade cohort (incoming 9th graders) may be considered for the alternate diploma if the criteria is met.
On another slide we will be addressing the Alternate Standards and Alternate Diploma Timeline so you will see when everything will go into effect.

6. Requirement #1 Be Standards Based

7. Be Standards Based
Students should have the opportunity to learn academic content based on grade-level content standards.
Students should have the opportunity to learn the same curriculum as their peers without disabilities, one that is “based on the State’s academic content standards” for the grade in which a student is enrolled.
Access to grade-level content is provided with reduced complexity and breadth, and mastered in different ways as measured by standards-based alternate assessment.
As we began working on the new standards and preparing to bring teachers in to write the standards we have done a lot of reading and research about grade-level content standards as they pertain to students with significant cognitive disabilities.
Much time and attention has been given to the writing of alternate standards that are both rigorous and appropriate.
Notice the wording of these bullet points “students should have the opportunity”… So, in order for a student to receive an alternate diploma they must have instruction that is based on grade-level content standards for the grade in which they are enrolled (that’s what the first two bullet points say).
It’s important to think about the overall curriculum of SWSCD (in addition to content courses, standards based IEPs address functional, social, communication, mobility etc…. skills as well)
Being standards based also takes into consideration the range of skills for this population of students. The third bullet speaks to the reduced complexity and breadth of the content, and the various ways to measure these skills on the alternate assessment.

8. POLICY 2520.16 West Virginia Alternate Academic Achievement Standards
So here is the new policy. Policy
This is a screen shot of the first page of the policy which is currently going through the proper channels of editing by the legal department in preparation for board approval in August.
In the proposal section (which I know you can not read), it says that the previous three separate policies Next Generation ELA, math and science alternate standards will all be combined into one policy which again is policy WV Alternate Academic Achievement Standards.

9. The Standards WVDE Content Teams Formed (ELA, math, and science)
Draft written of standards to provide a starting point for teachers
Gathered 26 (GEE and special ed) teachers from across the state on June 19-20
Teachers worked in programmatic levels, and then in content teams to write alternate academic achievement standards that are linked to the WV College and Career Readiness Standards (WVCCR) standards
Standards go to WVBOE for 30 day comment period
Back to BOE for full approval
Alternate Academic Achievement Standards will go into effect July 1 of school year
Here’s how we did it
Read bullet points

10. Alternate Standards, Assessment and Diploma Timeline
Year
Diploma Type
Modified Diploma
Alternate Diploma
Alternate Standards
(Current Standards)
Alternate Standards (ELA, math, science)
9th grade cohort
(New Standards)
Alternate Academic Achievement Standards
9th and 10th graders
9th 10th and 11th graders
9th 10th 11th and 12th
Alternate Assessment
Current Alternate Summative Assessment
New Alternate Summative Assessment

11. WV Alternate Academic Achievement Standards POLICY 2520.16
The WV alternate academic achievement standards for ELA, math and science are written for students with significant cognitive disabilities with the understanding that the student’s IEP will determine appropriate accommodations and modifications. In addition to the accommodations and modifications listed on the students IEP, teacher selected scaffolding, guidance and support are appropriate to best meet the individual student needs with increasing challenge as the learning progresses.
This is a statement that is used throughout each content area (ELA, math and science) in the new standards policy. It is written at every grade level just before the actual standards begin to ensure that teachers see it and are reminded that even though the standards are rigorously written, that IEP accommodations, modifications, scaffolding, guidance and support are to be used to meet individual student needs.

12. Assessment Data
Notes: WESTEST 2 (WT2) – paper based; grades WT2 online – computer based; grades WV General Summative Assessment (GSA) – computer adaptive assessment; grades Alternate Performance Task Assessment (APTA) – paper based; grades 3-8 and 11. WV Alternate Summative Assessment (ASA) – computer adaptive assessment; grades 3-11.
Data sources: WVEIS report card files - 207A for 2012, 307A for subsequent years.

13. Assessment Data
Notes: WESTEST 2 (WT2) – paper based; grades WT2 online – computer based; grades WV General Summative Assessment (GSA) – computer adaptive assessment; grades Alternate Performance Task Assessment (APTA) – paper based; grades 3-8 and 11. WV Alternate Summative Assessment (ASA) – computer adaptive assessment; grades 3-11.
Data sources: WVEIS report card files - 207A for 2012, 307A for subsequent years.

14. Assessment Data
Notes: WESTEST 2 (WT2) – paper based; grades WT2 online – computer based; grades WV General Summative Assessment (GSA) – computer adaptive assessment; grades Alternate Performance Task Assessment (APTA) – paper based; grades 3-8 and 11. WV Alternate Summative Assessment (ASA) – computer adaptive assessment; grades 3-11.
Data sources: WVEIS report card files - 207A for 2012, 307A for subsequent years.

15. Assessment Data
Notes: WESTEST 2 (WT2) – paper based; grades WT2 online – computer based; grades WV General Summative Assessment (GSA) – computer adaptive assessment; grades Alternate Performance Task Assessment (APTA) – paper based; grades 3-8 and 11. WV Alternate Summative Assessment (ASA) – computer adaptive assessment; grades 3-11.
Data sources: WVEIS report card files - 207A for 2012, 307A for subsequent years.

16. WV Alternate Summative Assessment Participation for Math, SY 2016, Grades 3-11 by District
Hancock
WV% = 1.40
(Target % = 1.0)
Brooke
Ohio
Marshall
Wetzel
Monongalia
Pleas-
Morgan
Marion
ants
Tyler
Preston
Berkeley
Mineral
Taylor
Jeff-
Dodd-
Harrison
Hampshire
erson
Wood
ridge
Ritchie
Barbour
Grant
Tucker
Wirt
Lewis
Hardy
Cal-
Gilmer
Jackson
houn
Upshur
Randolph
Mason
Roane
Braxton
Pendleton
Putnam
Webster
Cabell
Clay
Kanawha
 Above WV % (>1.40%)
Nicholas
Pocahontas
Wayne
Lincoln
Boone
 At or below WV % (≤1.40%) but above 1.0%
Fayette
Greenbrier
Mingo
Logan
 At or below target (≤1.0%)
Raleigh
Wyoming
Sum-
mers
Monroe
Note: Results exclude WVSDB and Institutional Programs
Data source: WVEIS RPTCARD16_PWVN307A
McDowell
Mercer

17. WV Alternate Summative Assessment Participation for ELA, SY 2016, Grades 3-11 by District
Hancock
WV% = 1.40
(Target % = 1.0)
Brooke
Ohio
Marshall
Wetzel
Monongalia
Pleas-
Morgan
Marion
ants
Tyler
Preston
Berkeley
Mineral
Taylor
Jeff-
Dodd-
Harrison
Hampshire
erson
Wood
ridge
Ritchie
Barbour
Grant
Tucker
Wirt
Lewis
Hardy
Cal-
Gilmer
Jackson
houn
Upshur
Randolph
Mason
Roane
Braxton
Pendleton
Putnam
Webster
Cabell
Clay
Kanawha
 Above WV % (>1.40%)
Nicholas
Pocahontas
Wayne
Lincoln
Boone
 At or below WV % (≤1.40%) but above 1.0%
Fayette
Greenbrier
Mingo
Logan
 At or below target (≤1.0%)
Raleigh
Wyoming
Sum-
mers
Monroe
Note: Results exclude WVSDB and Institutional Programs
Data source: WVEIS RPTCARD16_PWVN307A
McDowell
Mercer

18. To reach 1.0% participation rate in WV . . .
WV 2016 Alternate Summative Assessment (ASA) Participation
Math
Current Math participation percent (%)
Current Math participation number (#)
Math participation number (#) needed to reach 1.0%*
Math change in participation number (+/-) to reach 1.0%*
1.40
2460
1763
-697
Reading
Current ELA participation percent (%)
Current ELA participation number (#)
ELA participation number (#) needed to reach 1.0%*
ELA change in participation number (+/-) to reach 1.0%*
2462
-699
*Results for the participation number needed to reach 1.0% and the change in participation number to reach 1.0% are calculated with the assumption that the total number of students tested remain constant.
Data source: WVEIS RPTCRD16 _PWVN307A

19. Expectations
Historically, expectations have been low for students on the alternate assessment.
Functional content or limited academic skills are often taught exclusively with little or no instruction on grade level content standards.
The achievement standards for alternate assessments based on alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS) must be linked to grade-level content, but may cover a different depth, breadth, and complexity from the general assessment achievement standards.
So now we need to think about our expectations for students that are going to be instructed on alternate standards and assessed on the alternate assessment which is based on the alternate standards

20. Participation
Discovering large numbers of students who are reading with critical understanding and computing to solve real-world problems might suggest the need to explore whether students were appropriately assigned to the alternate assessment rather than the general assessment.
Let’s think about what the data tells us
The proficiency rates of SWD on both assessments (general and alternate).
How many SWD are taking the alternate assessment.
On August 10 we will do a webinar on the 1% cap on alternate assessment participation as well as strategies for meeting the 1% State-level cap on participation in the Alternate Assessment.
We will also talk about your ADA improvement plans and some good ideas that you wrote into your plan to address indicator 3B2.

21. Requirement #2 Be Aligned with State Requirements for Regular Diploma
The same kinds of requirements that exist for a regular diploma must exist for the State-defined alternate diploma.
The number of required courses/credits in required content areas should be aligned across diploma options. However, the criteria for passing the course could be different.

22. Student Schedule Example
Student schedules should reflect the appropriate grade level courses for students to obtain grade level alternate credits.
Student IEP goals should also reflect courses with priority emphasis on critical skills appropriate to meet individual student strengths/interests and needs.
English 9
Math 1
Earth Science
World Studies
PE/Health
Art
Locally Developed Community Ready Concentration
Electives
You want to make sure that students who are taking the alternate assessment that are expected to graduate with an alternate diploma have class schedules and transcripts that mirror the same course titles as general education students.
In addition to schedules and transcripts, IEPs should also address grade level academic standards such as English 9, Math 1 and so on.
These updates should be made to in coming 9th graders schedules and IEP right away.
New course codes will be developed after the standards are approved.

23. What about the other courses?
Select grade level content standards that are appropriate for this population

24. Locally Developed Community Ready Concentration
Per Policy Students with disabilities may earn 4 credits in Community Readiness Training recommended through an IEP Team as a personalized concentration.
4 Community Readiness courses were developed by Carol Williams (Lewis County)- see attachment. Counties may consider these courses as Community Readiness options.
Drop down box on IEP community ready courses as an example to use

25. Requirement #3 Be Obtained During FAPE Period
The alternate diploma must be obtained within the time period for which the state ensures the availability of FAPE
And of course for WV this is age 21.

26. Dawn Embrey-King
Coordinator WVDE OSE
(53222)