Home / A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Document for the Criteria Checklist for Assessing Students with Disabilities on State Assessments

A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Document for the Criteria Checklist for Assessing Students with Disabilities on State Assessments


Contents by Section: 
 

  1. Testing Requirements and Options for Students with Disabilities
  2. General Assessments
  3. Alternate Assessments Based on Modified Achievement of the Standards
  4. Alternate Assessments Based on Alternate Achievement of the Standards

 

Section I: 
Testing Requirements and Options
for Students with Disabilities 

  1. Are special education students required to take state assessments?

Yes. All students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) are required to participate in state testing, according to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the No Child Left Behind  Act (NCLB).

  1. Who makes state assessment decisions? 

The decision about how a student with an IEP participates in state testing is made by his or her IEP team.  An IEP team includes: the special education teacher, at least one regular education teacher, an administrative representative from the local educational agency (LEA), the student’s parents or guardians, and the student.  The student must be invited to the first IEP meeting during the 9th grade year or upon turning 16, whichever occurs first.  

  1. How often must IEP teams make assessment decisions?

The decision about which state assessment a student with an IEP will take must be made annually at the IEP team meeting.  In Oklahoma, the IEP team must record its assessment decision on the student’s IEP.  Assessment decisions must be made for all students (Pre-K through 12) even on nontesting years.  The assessment decision will determine the annual goals and whether or not they will need short-term benchmarks and/or objectives on the IEP.   

  1. What is the Oklahoma School Testing Program (OSTP)?

The Oklahoma School Testing Program (OSTP) is for assessing student achievement; targeting student, classroom, and program improvement; and informing parents of student progress.  The OSTP fulfills NCLB and state mandates for testing, and the test results are used for federal and state accountability requirements. 

  1. What assessment options are available for students with IEPs in Oklahoma?  

Although all students with IEPs must be tested within the OSTP, Oklahoma offers options to assess individual students most appropriately.  It is very important that all IEP team members understand the differences between the assessment options available in Oklahoma because alternate assessments are appropriate for only a small number of students with IEPs.  Assessment decisions should be made individually by the IEP team and based on the student’s need, not administrative decisions.  In Oklahoma,  students with IEPs must be assessed by using one of the following options:
  • The State’s general assessments, the Oklahoma Core Curriculum Tests (OCCT) and the End-of-Instruction (EOI) tests, with or without state-approved accommodations. 
  • The alternate assessment based on modified achievement standards, the Oklahoma Modified Alternate Assessment Program (OMAAP) with or without state-approved accommodations. 
  • A combination of the OCCT/EOI and  the OMAAP, with or without state approved accommodations, for different content areas. 
  • The alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards, the Oklahoma Alternate Assessment Program (OAAP) Portfolio.  Students assessed by the portfolio assessment will be assessed by a portfolio in all subject areas.   


 

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Section II: 
General Assessments 

  1. What are the OCCT and the EOI? 

The OCCTs are part of the OSTP and are administered to students in Grades 3-8.  The EOI is also part of the OSTP and is administered after completion of specific high school courses. These assessments are based on grade-level achievement standards and are aligned to the state’s grade-level content standards, known as Oklahoma’s Priority Academic Student Skills (PASS).  Reading and mathematics assessments are administered in Grades 3-8 and in high school; science, social studies, and writing are given in Grades 5 and 8; geography is administered in Grade 7.  Algebra I, Biology I, English II, and U.S. History are given as EOI tests in high school. The OCCTs and EOIs for reading, mathematics, and science are accountability tests required by NCLB.  NCLB requires that all public school students be assessed with either the statewide general assessment or an alternate assessment.  

  1. How should IEP teams decide whether the OCCT or the EOI, with or without accommodations, are appropriate assessments for a student with a disability? 

IEP teams are required to use the Oklahoma Criteria Checklist for Assessing Students with Disabilities to determine the assessment that is most appropriate for an individual student. IEP teams must make assessment decisions annually and for each tested subject separately. The OCCT/EOI, with or without accommodations, is appropriate if the IEP team answers No to any of the following questions:
  • Does the student’s disability result in substantial academic difficulties?
  • Is the student’s difficulty with regular curriculum demands primarily due to his/her disability and not due to excessive absences unrelated to the disability, or social, cultural, environmental, or economic factors?
  • Does the student’s IEP reflect curriculum and daily instruction that focus on modified achievement of the standards or alternate achievement of the standards?
  • If the IEP team answers No to any of these questions, it must conclude that the student does not qualify for an alternate assessment  (OMAAP or OAAP Portfolio). The general assessment (OCCT or EOI), with or without accommodations, is the most appropriate assessment for the student.  

  1. What kind of evidence should IEP teams consider in selecting the appropriate assessment? 

IEP teams should consider evidence from multiple measures that are valid and reliable for the content areas assessed.  Evidence may include the following:
  • Previous performance on state assessments. 
  • Performance on district assessments.
  • Formative and summative unit assessments.
  • Classroom assessments (system or teacher developed).
  • The student’s IEP goals and present levels of performance.
  • Progress monitoring tools to illustrate growth trajectories, such as curriculum-based assessments.
  • Examples of student work.
  • Family information.
  • Behavior.
  • Social/cultural information.
  • Secondary transition.
  • Postsecondary goals.
  • Parental input.
  • Data collected classroom observations.   

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Section III: 
Alternate Assessments Based on Modified Achievement of the Standards

  1. How is the OMAAP connected to the PASS in Reading, Mathematics, and Science?    

The OMAAP is an assessment that is based on modified academic achievement of the PASS standards. The PASS standards were created by Oklahoma teachers, parents, and community leaders who met to agree upon the skills that students are expected to master by the end of each grade.  The PASS standards serve as the foundation for Oklahoma’s core curriculum.    

  1. ​What is the Oklahoma Modified Alternate Assessment Program (OMAAP)?

NCLB and IDEA provide states with the option of developing an alternate assessment based on modified achievement standards.  The OMAAP is an assessment in Oklahoma and is intended for students with IEPs for whom the OAAP Portfolio assessment and the general assessments, the OCCT and EOI, are inappropriate. 
 
The OMAAP is an alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards. The OMAAP is comparable to the general assessment but is more accessible for this population of students.  This assessment provides the opportunity for eligible students to be assessed on the same grade-level content as other students but consists of assessment items that are more accessible.  Student performance on the OMAAP is classified into four Performance Level Descriptors (PLDs): Advanced, Proficient, Limited Knowledge, and Unsatisfactory. OMAAP PLDs describe the specific knowledge and skills that a student must be able to demonstrate at each performance level.  Like the OCCT, the OMAAP uses the Oklahoma Performance Index (OPI) to report scores.  The OPI is an index of scale scores with values ranging from 100 to 350. 

  1. ​What are the Purposes of the OMAAP?

The assessment results will provide information on how eligible students are performing relative to grade-level standards and will help teachers provide appropriate instruction.  The OMAAP is intended for students for whom both the OAAP Portfolio and the OCCT/EOI assessments are inappropriate.  The primary purpose of the OMAAP is to produce information on these students for educators to use in making instructional decisions.  District reports yield diagnostic information for the purpose of guiding instruction based on student performance levels in relation to the PASS.  Yearly improvement will also be assessed with common item equating using Item Response Theory (IRT).  In addition, the OMAAP fulfills the following objectives:
  • Identifying the areas where students need improvement.
  • Informing various stakeholders (teachers, school administrators, district administrators, Oklahoma State Department of Education staff, parents, students, and the public) of students’ progress toward meeting academic achievement standards of the state.
  • Meeting the requirements set forth by NCLB.
  • Gauging the overall quality of education in the State of Oklahoma. 

  1. Which special education students may participate in the OMAAP? 

The OMAAP is designed for a small group of students with IEPs.  Students with disabilities should participate in the OMAAP only if the IEP team, utilizing the Criteria Checklist for Assessing Students with Disabilities on State Assessments, determines the OCCT/EOI and OAAP Portfolio are not appropriate.  

  1. What is a modified academic achievement of the standard? 

The United States Department of Education (USDE) defined a modified academic achievement standard as  “an expectation of performance that is challenging for eligible students, but is less difficult than  a grade-level academic achievement standard” (2007).  Modified academic achievement standards must be aligned with a state’s academic content standards for the grade in which a student is enrolled.  This means that the same content is covered in the test but with less difficult questions overall. The modified academic achievement standards are less difficult than grade-level academic achievement standards but more demanding than alternate academic achievement standards.   

  1. What is the impact on the student’s education if he/she participates in the OMAAP?

NCLB requires that students with IEPs who take alternate  assessments based on modified achievement standards not be precluded from attempting to complete the requirements for a high school diploma.  Beginning with the Freshman Class  of the 2008-09 school year, Oklahoma students will be required to pass four of seven EOI tests in order to graduate.  Two of the four tests required will be the Algebra I and English II tests.  The OMAAP Algebra I and English II EOI tests will count toward Oklahoma’s graduation requirements.   

  1. If a student meets the criteria for taking the OMAAP in one tested content area, must he/she take the OMAAP for all other tested content areas?

No. Individual IEP teams must decide for each  tested content area separately whether the OMAAP is the appropriate assessment. It is possible that a student with an IEP may participate in the OMAAP in only one content area while participating in the general assessment in another content area. The OMAAP is an assessment that is based on modified academic achievement of the standards and should be used only if the child requires modified academic achievement of the standards in the content area being assessed.  The IEP team reviews its decision annually at the IEP team meeting for each subject, to make sure that the assessment decision remains appropriate. 

  1. Are accommodations allowed on the OMAAP?

Students with IEPs who participate in  the OMAAP can use state approved test accommodations just as they can on the OCCT. However, as with the OCCT, the accommodation must produce a valid score or the student will be considered a nonparticipant under NCLB and IDEA.  NCLB requires states to develop guidelines for the appropriate use of accommodations.  The guidelines must identify the accommodations for each assessment that do not invalidate the test score and  instruct IEP teams to select only those accommodations. 

  1. How should IEP teams decide whether the OMAAP, with or without accommodations, is the most appropriate assessment for a student with a disability?

IEP teams are required to use the Checklist for Assessing Students with Disabilities on State Assessments to determine the assessment that is most appropriate for an individual student. The OMAAP, with or without accommodations, is appropriate if the IEP team has answered Yes to all the following questions: 
  • Does the student’s IEP reflect curriculum and daily instruction that focus on modified goals and objectives (modified achievement of the standards) that are on grade level?
  • Did the student receive evidence-based response to intervention and continues to progress below grade level achievement based on classroom assessments or other valid measures?
  • Did the student score at the Unsatisfactory level on the previous year’s Oklahoma Core Curriculum Test in Reading/Language Arts, Mathematics, or Science? If these scores are not available, the IEP team  may substitute scores equivalent to Unsatisfactory from local assessments to identify students. 
If the answer is no to any of the items above, the IEP team must conclude that the student does not qualify for an alternate assessment (OMAAP or OAAP Portfolio), and the OCCT, with or without accommodations, is the most appropriate assessment for the student. 

  1. What evidence should the IEP team consider to be reasonably certain that the student will not achieve grade-level proficiency within the year covered by the IEP? 

The OMAAP is an appropriate grade-level assessment for a student only if his/her IEP team is reasonably certain that the student, even if he/she makes significant progress, will not achieve grade-level proficiency within the year covered by the IEP.  In making this determination, the IEP team must consider the following: 
  • Whether the student received appropriate instruction, including special education and related services to address his/her individual needs.
  • Whether there is evidence that research-based interventions have been used during that school year. 
Examples of evidence that the student received grade-level instruction that may be considered are:
  • The student’s current IEP.
  • Documentation associated with response to intervention.
  • Teacher lesson plans including content taught.
  • Instructional methods used (whole-group/small-group instruction, cooperative learning, one-on-one instruction).
  • The specific researched-based interventions implemented and duration of implementation.
  • Additional supports and accommodations used by the student.  

  1. What are examples of objective and valid  performance data that the IEP team may consider?

In determining whether the OMAAP is appropriate, the IEP team must use objective and valid data, including multiple measures that are valid for the subjects assessed.  These measures should enable the IEP team to observe student performance over time in order to be reasonably certain that the student will not achieve grade-level proficiency within the year covered by the IEP.  In Oklahoma, the IEP team is required to look at performance on previous state assessments in reading, mathematics, and science to confirm that the individual student scored at the Unsatisfactory level on the OCCT. However, the IEP team may also consider the following:
  • Previous performance on state assessments. 
  • Performance on district assessments.
  • Formative and summative unit assessments.
  • Classroom assessments (system or teacher developed).
  • The student’s IEP goals and present levels of performance.
  • Progress monitoring tools to illustrate growth trajectories, such as curriculum-based assessments.
  • Examples of student work.
  • Family information.
  • Behavior.
  • Social/cultural information.
  • Secondary transition.
  • Post secondary goals. 
  • Parental input. 
  • Data collected classroom observations. 

  1. What kinds of evidence should the IEP team NOT take into consideration?

IEP teams should consider only objective and valid data to identify students eligible to take the OMAAP.  The decision should not be based on the following evidence: 
  • The student’s disability category. 
  • The amount of time the student receives services in special education. 
  • The location of service delivery. 
  • The student’s rate of absenteeism. 
  • Demographic characteristics such as race/ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. 
  • The fact that the academic achievement of the student is significantly below his/her same-age peers

  1. Is participation in the OMAAP restricted to certain disability categories?

No. Special education students eligible for the OMAAP may be from any of the disability categories listed in IDEA.  

  1. Are there any changes in how the IEPs of special education students assessed with the OMAAP are developed and implemented?

Yes. NCLB requires students who will be assessed with the OMAAP to have IEP goals that are grade-level and standards based.  For example, if an IEP team  decides that a special education student in Grade 5 should take  the OMAAP in reading,  his/her IEP goals in reading must be aligned with the fifth-grade content standards in reading.  If the IEP team determines that a special education student in Grade 7 is eligible to take the mathematics OMAAP, he/she must have math goals based on seventh-grade content standards in mathematics. 

  1. Why is it important for a student with a disability who is assessed with the OMAAP to have access to the general curriculum for the grade in which he/she is enrolled?   

It is anticipated that students taking the OMAAP will make progress toward achieving at grade level and may move from the OMAAP to the  OCCT. Therefore, each student must have access to the grade-level curriculum for each content area assessed with the OMAAP.  The IEP team must monitor a student’s progress in achieving the student’s standards-based goals and ensure that the student has access to the curriculum, including instruction, for the grade in which the student is enrolled.

 

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Section IV. 
Alternate Assessments Based on Alternate Achievement of the Standards

  1. What is the Oklahoma Alternate Assessment Program (OAAP) Portfolio? 

The OAAP is a portfolio assessment that assesses progress according to alternate grade-level standards, as provided in the Curriculum Access Resource Guide–Alternate (CARG-A). It is a year-long collection of data and pieces of evidence that are then selected to be the best representation of the student’s knowledge. The portfolio also includes information about the child—his or her strengths and needs, special education services provided, and supports required.  The portfolio becomes  a reflection of the student and  is a critical part of the assessment process. Student performance on the OAAP Portfolio is classified into four performance levels: Advanced, Proficient, Limited Knowledge, and Unsatisfactory.  The OAAP Portfolio PLDs describe the specific knowledge and skills that a student must be able to demonstrate at each performance level. 

  1. What are the purposes of the OAAP Portfolio? 

The OAAP Portfolio assessment is part of the OSTP and part of the accountability system for schools and school districts.  The OAAP Portfolio provides the school and the parent(s) with a product that can be used to reflect on and inform others of the accomplishments and abilities of the student.  As provided by NCLB and IDEA, the OAAP Portfolio ensures participation of students with IEPs who cannot otherwise participate in the OCCT or OMAAP, even with appropriate accommodations. The OAAP Portfolio data should be collected in the least restrictive environment for students with significant cognitive disabilities, including participation with nondisabled children, to the maximum extent appropriate. The OAAP Portfolio also provides an avenue for  communication between schools and parents. Through  the OAAP Portfolio, students with significant cognitive disabilities are provided access to grade-level standards utilizing the CARG-A, and are held to high expectations that include rigorous long-range outcomes, standards, and indicators.

  1. Which students may participate in the OAAP Portfolio? 

The OAAP Portfolio is designed for a very small group of students with IEPs. These students represent roughly one percent of the tested student population, or approximately ten percent of students with IEPs.  Students with significant cognitive disabilities may qualify for the OAAP Portfolio only if they meet the state criteria.  

  1. Is participation in the OAAP Portfolio restricted to certain disability categories?

No, students with IEPs who may be eligible for the OAAP Portfolio may be from any of the disability categories recognized by IDEA.   

  1. How is the OAAP Portfolio connected to the  PASS in Reading, Mathematics, and Science?

The Curriculum Access Resource Guides (CARGs) were developed to provide access points to the PASS through scaffolding of skills.  CARG-A identifies an alternate achievement level of the standard and focuses on more functional applications of the academic standard.  The CARG-A provides teachers with examples of how to adapt instruction to allow access to the content standards.

  1. What is alternate academic achievement standard?

The performance of students who participate in the OAAP Portfolio is measured against alternate achievement standards.  An alternate achievement standard was defined by the United States Department of Education (USDE) in 2005 as: “an expectation of performance that differs in complexity from a grade-level achievement standard, usually based on a very limited sample of content that is linked to but does not fully represent grade-level content.”

  1. What is the impact of district or state policy decisions on the student’s education if he or she participates in the OAAP Portfolio?

NCLB requires that parent(s) of students with IEPs who will be assessed based on alternate academic achievement standards must be informed of the assessment decisions.  In Oklahoma, the assessment decision must be documented on the student’s IEP, and the Criteria Checklist for Assessing Students with Disabilities on State Assessments may be attached to the student’s current IEP.  In addition, the IEP of a student with a significant cognitive disability must include the alternate achievement standards on which the student will be assessed.  Finally, parent(s) must be informed that participating in the OAAP portfolio does not preclude their child from achieving a high school diploma, as long as all other mandatory graduation requirements are completed.  

  1. How should IEP teams decide whether the  OAAP Portfolio is the most appropriate assessment for a student with a disability? 

IEP teams are required to use the Criteria Checklist for Assessing Students with Disabilities on State Assessments to determine the assessment that is most appropriate for an individual student.  IEP teams should make assessment  decisions annually.  The OAAP Portfolio is appropriate if the IEP team answers Yes to all of the following questions: 
  • Does the student have a significant cognitive disability? 
  • Does the student’s demonstrated cognitive ability and adaptive behavior require substantial adjustments (CARG-A) to the grade-level general  education curriculum? 
  • Do the student’s learning objectives and expected outcomes focus on functional application of skills as illustrated in the student’s IEP goals and short-term objectives and/or benchmarks? 
  • Does the student require direct and extensive instruction to acquire, maintain, generalize, and transfer new knowledge and skills?    
If the IEP team answers Yes to all of these questions,  the student qualifies for the portfolio assessment in all subjects tested.  If the IEP team answers No to any of these questions, students must be assessed in either the OCCT or OMAAP.

  1. What kind of evidence should the IEP team consider in deciding whether the OAAP Portfolio is the most appropriate assessment? 

IEP teams should consider evidence from multiple measures that are valid and reliable for the content areas assessed.  Evidence may include the following:
  • Previous performance on state assessments. 
  • Performance on district assessments.
  • Formative and summative unit assessments.
  • Classroom assessments (system or teacher developed).
  • The student’s IEP goals and present levels of performance.
  • Progress monitoring tools to illustrate growth trajectories  such as curriculum-based assessments.
  • Examples of student work.
  • Family information.
  • Behavior.
  • Social/cultural information.
  • Secondary transition.
  • Postsecondary goals.
  • Parental input.
  • Data collected classroom observations.  
     
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