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Without exception, all students enrolled in Vermont schools must be accounted for in the statewide assessment accountability system. Most students participate in the general statewide assessments with no accommodations while a small percentage of students take the general assessment using approved accommodations when necessary. An even smaller percentage of students participate in the assessment accountability system using the Vermont alternate assessment.
In Vermont, use of assessment accommodations and alternate assessments is not limited to special education students. Among those who may qualify for accommodations or an alternate assessment are students who have been referred to a school's educational support team or students who have 504 plans. Parental input and a team decision are major requirements for determining if a student has special assessment needs and is eligible for assessment accommodations or alternate assessments.
Vermont Alternate Assessment (formerly Portfolio Assessment of Alternate Grade Expectations (PAAGE))
The Vermont Alternate Assessment is currently undergoing significant and fundamental changes in order to bring it into full conformity with the provisions of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Documents and forms that reflect these changes in focus and procedures will be available at the department training in September. View additional information below.
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Fundamental Changes in the Vermont Alternate Assessment
This memorandum addresses significant fundamental changes to the Vermont Alternate Assessment (formerly known as the Portfolio Assessment of Alternate Grade Expectations (PAAGE)). A revised schedule of rollout training to support special educators/case managers who develop programs for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities is included with the memo or may be downloaded separately using the link below. NOTE: All workshops noted in this mem have been completed.
- Additional Vermont Alternate Assessment Rollout Training Session Scheduled for October 9, 2008, Vermont Department of Education Annex (1311 Route 302, Berlin), 8:30 a.m. to Noon (Added 9/30/08)
An additional training for the new alternate assessments has been scheduled to accommodate those special education case managers, administrators, and department personnel who have an immediate need for this information and have not attended one of the other recent trainings. This will be the final training for the assessment this year. Register as soon as possible with Nancy Hill at (802) 828-3124 or nancy.hill@state.vt.us. Space is limited!
- PowerPoint Presentation Handout (2.5MB)
This resource is provided for partcipants of the fall rollout trainings for the new Vermont alternate assessment. Due to its extensve length, it is not part of the handout packet provided to attendees at the trainings. NOTE: Because additional materials to support the training have not yet been created, this document should not be regarded as sufficient as a stand alone resouce for this essential information. Interested parties are strongly encouraged to attend one of the remaining department trainings.
IEPs and GLEs: A Process for Estimating a Student’s Present Levels of Performance (PLOP) in Relation to Vermont’s Grade Level Expectations
The PLOP statement is the foundation used by IEP teams to create a program of supports and services that capitalizes on a student’s unique strengths and addresses the student’s specific academic needs. It provides a starting point for crafting appropriate goals and objectives and serves as a baseline for measuring future progress.
NECAP Accommodations Guide (August 2007)
This booklet includes the Table of Approved NECAP Accommodations with explanations and suggestions for use, guidelines and procedures for requesting approval of unique accommodations, an accommodations planning process, and other information on how to administer the NECAP tests to students with special assessment needs.
- NECAP Table of Standard Test Accommodations
This list of allowable accommodations comes directly from the Accommodations, Guidelines and Procedures: Administrator Training Guide. This guide is useful for understanding the requirements and applications for each accommodation. IEP teams should carefully review these accommodations before determining that a student requires an alternate assessment.
Student Performance Result on State Alternate Assessments Reported by Subgroups
The No Child Left Behind Act requires Vermont to report alternate assessment student performance annually by subcategories, including gender; major racial/ethnic categories; students with disabilities; economically disadvantaged students; students with limited English proficiency; and migrant students. Reported results are for alternate assessment, valid tests and are only publicly reported when there are more than 10 students in the group. Alternate assessments are Lifeskills, Stanford Diagnostic, and Out-of-level New Standards Reference Exams (NSREs).
Qualities of Best Practice Assessment
This document is a list of the essential qualities of best practice assessment. Regardless of the assessment option chosen by teams for a particular student, the team should be confident that the assessment approaches these criteria to the greatest possible extent. |