Microsoft Word - Technical Assistance Paper 1-7-09.doc

A. Alternative Standardized Reading Assessments
B. Use of Student Portfolio for Good Cause Promotion

Technical Assistance Paper

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

DPS:

2009-019

Dr. Eric J. Smith

Commissioner of Education

Date:

January 20, 2009

Technical Assistance Paper

SBE 6A-1.094221: Alternative Standardized Reading

Assessment and Use of Student Portfolio for Good Cause

Promotion

Summary

This document provides guidance for revised SBE Rule 6A-1.094221: Alternative Standardized Reading

Assessment and Use of Student Portfolio for Good Cause Promotion including information on the

standardized reading assessments currently approved by the Department of Education, the process by which

districts may request to use a different standardized reading assessment, and guidelines for the use of the

student portfolio for good cause promotion.

Contacts

Sharon Koon (for questions related to passing scores)

Office of Assessment

850-245-0513

Sharon.Koon@fldoe.org

Melinda Webster (for questions related to district submissions)

Just Read, Florida! Office

850-245-0503

Melinda.Webster@fldoe.org

Issued by the

Florida Department of Education

Division of Public Schools

http://www.fldoe.org/schools/

DR. FRANCES HAITHCOCK

CHANCELLOR OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS

325 W. GAINES STREET • SUITE 514 • TALLAHASSEE, FL 32399-0400 • (850) 245-0509 • www.fldoe.org

Table of Contents

Introduction and Background

What is the purpose of this technical assistance paper (TAP)?.........................................3

Alternative Standardized Reading Assessments

A-1. What alternative standardized reading assessments are currently approved by the

Department of Education?................................................................................................3

A-2. How may a district request to use a different standardized reading assessment?............3

A-3. What process will the Department use to determine approval of district submitted

alternative standardized reading assessments for good cause promotion to fourth

grade?...............................................................................................................................4

A-4. What will be the required passing score on any new alternative assessment

submissions?....................................................................................................................4

A-5. When can the alternative assessment be administered to students?.................................4

Use of Student Portfolio for Good Cause Promotion

B.1. Will the third grade student portfolio still be available as a good cause exemption?.....5

Technical Assistance Paper

Guidelines for SBE Rule 6A-1.094221: Alternative Standardized Reading Assessment and

Use of Student Portfolio for Good Cause Promotion

Introduction and Background

What is the purpose of this technical assistance paper (TAP)?

Since the original development of SBE Rule 6A-1.094221, the Florida Comprehensive

Assessment Test (FCAT) Norm Referenced Test (NRT) has been eliminated from the

FCAT assessment program, therefore requiring the revision of the rule to reflect this

change. Revised SBE Rule 6A-1.094221 was approved by the State Board of Education on

December 2, 2008.

Pursuant to State Board of Education (SBE) Rule 6A-1.094221, relating to the statewide

public school student progression law eliminating social promotion, students who score at

Level 1 on the Grade 3 Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) Reading may be

promoted to grade four if the student scores at or above the 51

percentile on the Reading

SAT 9 or at or above the 45

percentile on the Reading SAT 10, or demonstrates an

acceptable level of performance on another alternative standardized reading assessment

approved by the Department of Education. Districts may submit requests for the approval

of an alternative standardized reading assessment to be used as a good cause exemption for

promotion to fourth grade.

This technical assistance document will provide information regarding the standardized

reading assessments which are currently approved by the Department of Education, the

process by which districts will be able to submit for approval, standardized reading

assessments to be used as a good cause exemption, as well as guidelines for utilizing the

student portfolio for good cause promotion.

Alternative Standardized Reading Assessments

A-1.

What alternative standardized reading assessments are currently approved by the

Department of Education?

Currently, SBE Rule 6A-1.094221(1)(a) authorizes the use of the following nationally

norm-referenced tests in the determination of a good cause exemption for promotion to

fourth grade:

1. Stanford Achievement Test, Ninth Edition (SAT 9)

2. Stanford Achievement Test, Tenth Edition (SAT 10)

A-2. How may a district request to use a different standardized reading assessment?

Requests for the use of another standardized assessment must be provided to the Just Read,

Florida! Office in writing by February 27, 2009. (This date is established for 2008-09 only.

For future submission, the due date for district requests will be September 18, 2009.)

The request must include a letter on school district letterhead stating the name of the

assessment and the reasons for making the request. In addition, appropriate documentation

must be submitted to demonstrate that the assessment meets the criteria listed below,

pursuant to 6A-1.094221(2)(a).

1. Internal consistency reliability coefficients of at least 0.85;

2. High validity evidenced by the alignment of the test with nationally recognized

content standards, as well as specific evidence of content, concurrent, or criterion

validity;

3. Norming studies within the last five (5) to ten (10) years, with norming within

five (5) years being preferable; and

4. Measure of grade 3 achievement in reading comprehension.

It is recommended that the submission include the assessment’s most recent technical

manual, in which all of the required documentation may be found. An electronic copy of

the complete technical manual may be submitted if available.

A-3. What process will the Department use to determine approval of district submitted

alternative standardized reading assessments for good cause promotion to fourth

grade?

The Just Read, Florida! Office and the Office of Assessment will review the submitted

documentation on the alternative reading assessments based on the evidence of measuring

reading comprehension content and the criteria specified in State Board Rule 6A-1.094221

(2)(a) and listed in question A-2 of this document. Notification of approval or non-

approval will be provided by the Department to the district submitting the request within

four (4) weeks of submission.

A-4. What will be the required passing score on any new alternative assessment

submissions?

SBE Rule 6A-1.094221(2)(c) authorizes the Department to approve the required percentile

passing score for each approved alternative standardized reading assessment based on an

analysis of Florida student achievement results. If an analysis is not feasible, students must

score at or above the 50

percentile on the approved alternative standardized reading

assessment.

Following the approval of a new alternative assessment, a school district may work with

the Department to determine an appropriate method for conducting an analysis of student

data. Districts should contact Sharon Koon in the Office of Assessment to discuss this

process. However, please note that a district is NOT required to conduct an analysis of

student data if it appears that setting the passing score at the 50

percentile is appropriate.

A-5. When can the alternative assessment be administered to students?

The earliest the alternative assessment may be administered for student promotion purposes

is following administration of the Grade 3 FCAT Reading. An approved standardized

reading assessment may be administered two (2) times if there are at least 30 days between

administrations and different test forms are administered pursuant to SBE Rule 6A-

1.094221(2)(d).

Use of Student Portfolio for Good Cause Promotion

B-1. Will the third grade student portfolio still be available as a good cause exemption?

Yes. To promote a student using a portfolio as a good cause exemption, there must be

evidence that demonstrates the student’s mastery of the Sunshine State Standards in

reading equal to at least a Level 2 performance on the Grade 3 FCAT Reading. Such

evidence must be an organized collection of the student’s mastery of the Sunshine State

Standard Benchmarks for Language Arts that are assessed by the Grade 3 FCAT Reading.

The student portfolio must meet the following criteria:

(a) Be selected by the student’s teacher,

(b) Be an accurate picture of the student’s ability and only include student work

that has been independently produced in the classroom,

have been met. Evidence is to include multiple choice items and passages that are

approximately sixty (60) percent literary text and forty (40) percent information

text, and that are between 100-700 words with an average of 350 words. Such

evidence could include chapter or unit tests from the district’s/school’s adopted

core reading curriculum that are aligned with the Sunshine State Standards or

teacher-prepared assessments.

(d) Be an organized collection of evidence of the student’s mastery of the

Sunshine State Standard Benchmarks for Language Arts that are assessed by the

Grade 3 FCAT Reading. For each benchmark, there must be at least five (5)

examples of mastery as demonstrated by a grade of “C” or above, and

(e) Be signed by the teacher and the principal as an accurate assessment of the

required reading skills.