FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
S
TATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
F. PHILIP HANDY,
Chairman
T. WILLARD FAIR,
Vice Chairman
Members
LINDA J. EADS, ED.D.
CHARLES PATRICK GARCÍA
JULIA L. JOHNSON
WILLIAM L. PROCTOR, PH.D.
LINDA K. TAYLOR
JIM HORNE
Commissioner of Education
April 7, 2004
To:
District Assessment Coordinators
From:
Christy Hovanetz, Director of Evaluation and Reporting
Michele Polland, Acting Chief, Bureau of Instructional Support and
Community Services
Subject:
Implementing the 1% Cap for Alternate Assessment for Students with
Significant Cognitive Disabilities
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide you with information on how Florida
will implement the 1% cap requirement for students with disabilities and the district
waiver process for exceeding the 1% cap.
All students with disabilities must be assessed either using the FCAT or an alternate
assessment. It is expected that the majority of students with disabilities participate in the
FCAT. Individual Educational Plan (IEP) teams must continue to make the appropriate
determination of whether a student with disabilities should participate in the FCAT or an
alternate assessment based on the requirements defined in Rule 6A-1.0943, FAC. It is
inappropriate for schools or IEP teams to make decisions regarding a student’s
participation in the FCAT for any reason related to the school’s grade or determination of
AYP.
District Waiver Process
In some districts, the percent of students with disabilities who are proficient on alternate
standards may exceed 1% of the total assessed population due to the large numbers of
students with significant cognitive disabilities served by the district. In such cases, the
district may apply to the state for a waiver.
March 31, 2004
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Waiver consideration for a district will be given to districts that:
•
House multi-district programs for students with significant cognitive
disabilities.
•
Are very small, such that a slight change in the number of students produces a
significantly large change in the percent of students with significant cognitive
disabilities.
•
House high quality, research-based programs for students with significant
cognitive disabilities that attract families from around the state and country.
USDE has provided guidance to states regarding a state’s application for a waiver and has
recommended that states use similar, rigorous criteria with districts that wish to apply for
a waiver. In general, the guidance indicates that “the LEA should provide evidence that
explains why more than 1% of all students in the LEA’s tested grades have the most
significant cognitive disabilities.”
The LEA waiver request must include the following components:
•
Explanation of circumstances that result in more than 1% of all students
district wide having the most significant cognitive disabilities and achieving at
the proficient or advanced level on alternate standards.
•
Data showing the number of students participating in an alternate assessment
by disability.
•
A complete description of the high quality, research-based program for
students with significant cognitive disabilities.
•
Confirmatory data that demonstrates movement of students with the most
significant cognitive disabilities from other districts and states into programs
in the LEA.
•
Data confirming that the district houses a multi-district program for students
with the most significant cognitive disabilities, including the number of
students from other districts by disability.
Please send waiver requests to Michelle Polland in the Bureau of Instructional Support
and Community Services via e-mail at michelle.polland@fldoe.org. If you have
questions regarding the waiver process, please contact Karen Denbroeder or Lezlie Cline
at (850)245-0475 or via e-mail at karen.denbroeder@fldoe.org or lezlie.cline@fldoe.org.
Calculation for 1% Cap at the District Level
Federal regulation 34 CFR 200.12(c)(1)(ii) states:
“(c)(1) In calculating adequate yearly progress for schools, LEAs, and the State, a State-
(ii) May include the proficient and advanced scores of students with the most significant
cognitive disabilities based on alternate achievement standards…[alternate assessment]
provided that the number of those students who score at the proficient or advanced level
on those alternate achievement standards at the LEA and State levels, separately, does not
exceed 1.0 percent of all students in the grades assessed in reading/language arts and in
mathematics.”
March 31, 2004
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The following summarizes the steps the Department will take to calculate 1% of students
with disabilities taking the alternate assessment that will be included in AYP proficiency
calculations:
Step 1: Match Survey 2/3 membership file with all assessment records; determine
what 1% is of all the matched records.
Step 2: Find all students with disabilities taking a Reading alternate assessment;
determine the number of students that represent proficient and advanced.
Step 3: Compare the number from Step 1 to the number in Step 2.
•
If the number of students that are proficient or advanced on the
alternate assessment (Step 2) is less than 1% of matched records
(Step 1), then stop. The district has met the 1% requirement.
•
If the number of students proficient or advanced on the alternate
assessment (Step 2) is more than 1% of matched records (Step 1),
then all students identified as specific learning disabled (SLD) who
were reported as proficient or advanced on alternate assessments
will, for the purpose of AYP, be reported as not proficient to meet
the 1% requirement.
Step 4: Repeat with Mathematics alternate assessments.
Step 5: Recalculate AYP results at the school level.
The SLD students who are considered not proficient at the district level because the
district exceeded the 1% cap will also be considered not proficient at the school level.
Please refer to DPS Memo #04-085 sent to Superintendents on February 18, 2004, by
Chancellor Jim Warford for information on determining whether a student should
participate in the FCAT or an alternate assessment. Additional information on the federal
and state regulations is attached. For questions regarding the calculation of the 1% cap,
please contact Cassie Conn via e-mail at cassie.conn@fldoe.org or Christy Hovanetz via
e-mail at Christy.hovanetz@fldoe.org in the Evaluation and Reporting Office or by phone
at 850-245-0411.
We appreciate your support and continued efforts in providing services to students with
disabilities.
cc:
John Winn
District School Superintendents
Exceptional Student Education Directors
ESE Alternate Assessment Coordinators
March 31, 2004
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District Accountability Contacts
