On this page...
- Continuous Improvement of the Assessment Process
- Iowa Alternate Assessment Process
- Timeline for the IAA Process
- IAA Process Webcasts
- AEA Signficant Disabilities Coordinators
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Supporting Documents
- IAA Rating Scales
The Iowa Alternate Assessment (IAA) promotes fair measurement of student knowledge on the Iowa Core Content Standards and Benchmarks. The Iowa Alternate Assessment is for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities whose academic performance is appropriately judged against alternate achievement standards. The Iowa Alternate Assessment measures student performance in Reading, Mathematics, and for some students, Science. The Iowa Alternate Assessment process involves providing information about student characteristics, teaching students academic content throughout the school year, reporting student performance and having evidence of performance on academic skills, collaborating with building administrators about the alternate assessment process and students' performance on the assessment, reporting results to parents in ways that describe what students are doing and how students have improved over time, and providing information to the Iowa Department of Education on the efficiency and effectiveness of the alternate assessment process.
Legal Requirements
The Alternate Assessment is a part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act Legislation and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The Alternate Assessment must measure student performance in Reading and Math, and for some students, Science.
Continuous Improvement of the Assessment Process
The Iowa Department of Education evaluates the Alternate Assessment process annually. Since inception in 2001, several enhancements have been made, most recently in 2011. Since 2011, the Department added a multiple reporting period which allowed growth to be measured, standardized the number of items teachers are required to instruct, assess, and report out on for scoring, and instituted a fall and spring Evidence Audit.
In 2012, there are no changes in test administration and scoring, but the Department has enhanced the Iowa Alternate Assessment process to increase the involvement of district assessment personnel in the IAA process to ensure the integrity, reliability, and validity of the assessment and to support teachers in using the IAA data to improve instruction.
The Department continues to work with assessment experts and one of the two Race to the Top National Alternate Assessment Consortiums (Dynamic Learning Maps) in the development and determination of Iowa’s Next Generation Alternate Assessment. The Next Generation Alternate Assessment could be adopting the Dynamic Learning Maps when fully developed, or a blend of the Dynamic Learning Maps Assessment and the current IAA, or a new Iowa Alternate Assessment. The Department is committed to a process that is good for students, is efficient, and meaningful for teachers and parents.
Iowa Alternate Assessment Process
- Step 1: Department sends Security Access Codes for the Iowa Alternate Assessment Online System to District Assessment Coordinators
- District Assessment Coordinators and/or District IAA Contacts send Access Codes to teachers and building administrators to enter the IAA Online System
- Step 2: District Assessment Coordinators and/or District IAA Contacts verify IAA District Roster
- Review District/Building Alternate Assessment Roster & IMS
- Step 3:Teachers Enter in Student Profiles
- Ongoing Student Data Verification
- Teachers manually update student activities throughout the year (add & remove students from rosters/enter in student performance data)
- Step 4: Teachers Enter in Student Performance Data for each Reporting Period
- Step 5: IAA Online System Generates Student Reports
- Step 6: Teacher Instructional Practices Survey
- Step 7: Adequate Yearly Progress Determinations
Timeline for the IAA Process
IAA Process Begins - September 1, 2012
September 1, 2012 to March 30, 2013
Teach and gather evidence on 15 items per content area assessed in the Iowa Alternate Assessment
September 1 to September 10, 2012
Print off IAA Rating Scales for each content area assessed
Determine Mastered Items on the Rating Scales for each student on the Mastery Checklist
Select 15 items in each content area to report progress on
September 10 to September 30, 2012
Complete Student Profile
IAA Online System--http://iowaalternateassessment.org
Assessment Reporting Periods: (Report out each period 15 items selected in September)
October to November 30: 1st Report
December 1-January 30: 2nd Report
February 1-March 30: 3rd Report
Exclusions
The reporting process is three times a year. Expectation is that teachers report on all 15 items per content area rating scales assessed. Prompted or a performance score is reported on each item on each reporting period. Any item left blank or indicated not taught will result in exclusion for that student in performance and participation. Exclusions may be appealed through the Department.
Summative Scoring
Mastered option is replaced with student performance on 15 selected rating scale items per content area assessed. There will be no checkbox for Mastered on the rating scales.
There is a check boxed option for not taught and prompted performance. See exclusion above, not taught should be used sparingly. Prompted performance results in one point.
All other performance is rated in percent accurate and converted to a 3 point scale to generate a summative score which will determine levels of proficiency.
IAA Process Webcasts
The IAA Process Webcasts review the instructions for each of the parts of the Iowa Alternate Assessment process. These instructions provide guidance to teachers and administrators on how to administer the IAA Rating Scales to students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.
AEA Signficant Disabilities Coordinators
AEA Significant Disabilities Coordinators
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Supporting Documents
Administrator
Parent
IAA Parent Brochure in Spanish 2012-2013
IAA Parent Guide FAQ 2012-2013
IAA Parent Guide FAQ 2012-2013 Spanish
Sample Rating Scales for Parents
IEP
Participation Criteria for IEP Teams
IAA Rating Scale
Reading Rating Scales
Reading 3-5 Rating Scale 2012-2013
Reading 6-8 Rating Scale 2012-2013
Reading 11 Rating Scale 2012-2013
Math Rating Scales
Math 3-5 Rating Scale 2012-2013
Math 6-8 Rating Scale 2012-2013
Math 11 Rating Scale 2012-2013
Science Rating Scales
Science grade 5 Rating Scale 2012-2013
Science grade 8 Rating Scale 2012-2013
Science grade 11 Rating Scale 2012-2013
Cut Scores IAA Cut Scores by Content Area 2012 2013 - This file provides a summary of the cut scores by content area.
IAA Alternate Achievement Standards
Math Performance Level Descriptors & Cut Scores 2012-2013
Reading Performance Level Descriptors & Cut Scores 2012-2013
Science Performance Level Descriptors & Cut Scores 2012-2013
Technical Specifications
Iowa Alternate Assessment 1% Technical Manual - Summarizes guiding principles, test development, administration/scoring/reporting, reliability, and validity of the alternate assessment. Data are summarized from 2006-Fall 2009.
Iowa Alternate Assessment 1% Item Statistics - This document summarizes item responses used in the Iowa Alternate Assessment Bias Review.
Iowa Alternate Assessment 1% Technical Manual for Science - A technical manual was developed for Science Peer Review that summarizes technical data for the 1% Alternate Assessment in Science at Grades 5, 8, and 11.