Transcript Slide 1

2009–2010 Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA)
Training for Teachers
Dr. Peggy Guebert, System Test Coordinator
Terri Baggarly, Special Education Test Consultant
Coweta Committed to Student Success
Introduction
• At the completion of today’s session, GAA Teachers, Test
Coordinators, and those responsible for conducting reviews
of the GAA will understand the 2009-2010 GAA collection
and submission process.
• A companion New Teacher GAA Introduction Presentation
Fall 2009 is available at
http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/ci_testing.aspx?PageReq=CI_TESTING_GAA
and is strongly recommended as an introduction to the
terminology, requirements, and procedures for compiling
student portfolios for all teachers new to the GAA.
Coweta Committed to Student Success
Introduction
• Each presentation serves as introductory components of
training. Reading and understanding the GAA
Examiner’s Manual, 2009-2010, is necessary to
implement the portfolio process successfully.
• Examiner’s Manual Verification forms are due from GAA
teachers to Peggy Guebert no later than September 18,
2009. School Test Coordinators are strongly encouraged to
read and understand the manual as well.
• Monthly DOE Elluminate session participation is required of
all GAA teachers. Sessions may be viewed live or as a
recording within one week of the live presentation.
• Membership in the GAA Resource Board will be set up
and/or renewed for all GAA teachers.
CCSS GAA Timeline 2009-10
• September 1, 2009: GAA testing window opens
• September 25, 2009: Detailed planning sheets due to
school test coordinators
• November 20, 2009: Deadline for Collection Period 1
implementation
• February 12, 2010: Deadline for Collection Period 2
implementation
• March 5, 2010: Deadline to complete school reviews of
completed portfolios
• March 8-12, 2010: Submit complete portfolios to Werz
• March 31, 2010: GAA Test window closes
Local Supports
• Three work days will be scheduled for each teacher
administering the GAA according to the following:
– Day 1 must be scheduled during Collection Pd 1
– Day 2 must be scheduled during Collection Pd 2
– The final day must be scheduled between February 15 and
March 5, 2010
• All teachers will be provided substitute coverage.
• Work with your school administration to schedule
these days.
Shipment of Materials
• Shipment 1 – Delivered to systems August 26-28, 2009,
will contain all Manuals, Administrative Forms, and
Binders.
• Shipment 2 – Delivered February 2-3, 2010, will contain
Pre-ID labels, Student Demographic Information Forms,
and Return Kits.
Transfer Students
In-County Transfers:
• School Test Coordinators (not GAA teachers) are
responsible for the secure transfer of GAA portfolios
from school to school within Coweta County.
• A Portfolio Transfer Form must be completed and
submitted to Lisa Putnam at Werz within 3 days.
Transfer Students
In-State, Out-of-County Transfers:
• When a student is withdrawing to another school system within
the state of Georgia, it is the responsibility of the school test
coordinator to coordinate the secure transfer of the GAA
portfolio and all its required contents to the system testing
office for shipment.
• Transfer of GAA portfolios should be arranged through Lisa
Putnam or Peggy Guebert. The up-to-date portfolio must be
hand delivered to the testing office at Werz.
• GAA teachers may have up to 3 days to complete any in
progress materials and have the portfolio up to date and ready
for transfer.
Transfer Students
continued
In-State, Out-of-County Transfers:
• The school/system from which a student has withdrawn is
responsible for sending the portfolio, including all evidence to
date, to the student’s new school/system. Please notify Peggy
Guebert if you receive a GAA transfer from outside our system
so that we may request any alternate assessment materials.
• A complete portfolio must be submitted for any student on
alternative assessment in the state of Georgia in March,
regardless of when the student entered the school/system.
• A Portfolio Transfer Form must be completed and submitted to
Lisa Putnam at Werz within 3 days.
Transfer Students
Out-of-State Transfers:
• The system from which a student has withdrawn is responsible
for sending any alternate assessment materials to the student’s
new school/system. Please notify Peggy Guebert if you receive
a GAA transfer from out of state so that we may request
materials.
• When a student is entering from outside the state of Georgia, it
is the responsibility of the system test coordinator to coordinate
the secure transfer of any alternate assessment materials.
• Pickup of any alternate assessment materials should be
arranged through Lisa Putnam or Peggy Guebert. The portfolio
must be picked up by the school test coordinator from the
system testing office at Werz.
Transfer Students
continued
Out-of-State Transfers:
• If enrolled after January 1, 2010, must have at least the first
Collection Period completed.
• Contact Terri Baggarly for guidance on all out-of-state transfers
entering late in the year. (You need approval to bubble the “Not
Complete” space on the SDIF for the content area that is
submitted in the portfolio.)
• A Portfolio Transfer Form must be completed and submitted to
Lisa Putnam at Werz within 3 days.
Portfolio Transfer Form
Remember, a Portfolio Transfer Form must be completed
and submitted to Lisa Putnam at Werz within 3 days.
Transfer forms may be found on the intranet as well as
the special education website.
The Building Administrator and teacher from the sending
system as well as the receiving system must sign the
Portfolio Transfer Form when a student transfers instate.
Test Security
• Student work used as evidence and completed entry
forms are considered secure test documents.
• Student work and materials used for the GAA must be
kept in locked storage, except during use. (Locked in
desk, file drawer, closet, school vault, etc.)
• Access is restricted to authorized personnel only.
• Teachers administering the GAA must have access to
all materials, including binders, forms, and manuals as
soon as possible following delivery.
The Role of the Parent
Occasionally, parents request to play an active role in the
development of the GAA.
The following guidance is provided by the state department:
Parents may meet with school staff to review the blueprint,
discuss standards and elements, and participate in the initial
discussion, offering input on strengths and weaknesses, etc.
However; the teacher will make the final determination as to
which standards and elements are selected to be assessed on
the GAA and which tasks will be evidence. Parents cannot be
made aware of the specific standards and elements ultimately
selected for assessment.
Viewing of Contents by Parents
• The portfolio merges instructional and assessment activities.
• While parents may not review the assembled portfolio, they may
review coursework, including that which may eventually be used
in the portfolio. You may make copies of coursework for this
purpose.
• Once evidence is collected and the portfolio is assembled, the
completed portfolio becomes a secure document and can be
viewed only by authorized personnel. Contact Peggy Guebert
or Terri Baggarly regarding all parent requests to review
completed portfolios and we will contact the GaDOE as
appropriate.
Overview of the GAA
• The GAA is a portfolio of student work provided as
evidence that a student is making progress toward
grade-level academic standards, often at a prerequisite or entry level.
• Evidence provided must show student work that is
aligned to specific grade-level standards, adapted to
meet the student’s cognitive, communication, physical
and/or sensory impairments.
• The GAA meets NCLB and IDEA mandates.
Overview of the GAA
• The portfolio system is designed to be flexible
to allow for the diversity of the students
participating in the GAA.
• Students are assessed in the same content
areas as their peers on the same curriculum.
– The GA has followed GPS implementation schedule.
– The GPS is now being assessed for all grades and
content areas with the exception of grade 11 math.
(QCC until the 2010-2011 administration)
Portfolio Components
• Grades K-2
ELA:
Math:
2 entries
2 entries
• Grades 3-8 and 11
ELA:
Math:
Science:
Social Studies:
2 entries
2 entries
1 entry
1 entry
Primary Evidence
Collection Period 1
Initial/Baseline
Secondary Evidence
Entry
(e.g., Reading
Comprehension
Standard)
Primary Evidence
Collection Period 2
Progress
Secondary Evidence
There must be at least 3 weeks (21 days) between the Primary Evidence in
Collection Period 1 and the Primary Evidence in Collection Period 2.
GAA Portfolios Submitted Statewide
Number of
Portfolios
Submitted
Number of
Portfolio
Entries
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
10,647
10,822
10,993
59,020
59,944
60,778
What Do We Look for When
Scoring the GAA Portfolios?
 Evidence has been compiled, Entry Sheets have been
completed, and the entries have been organized.
 Portfolios have undergone peer review and have been
determined to be ready for submission.
 Binders have been packed in boxes and sent from the
School to the System Test Coordinator and on to Questar.
 It’s time for scoring.
Scoring
Training Procedures
Readers are trained to score portfolios using entries that
have been scored during rangefinding sessions in Georgia
with Georgia educators.
 Rangefinding is a process wherein teachers score actual
student entries to set the score point ranges in each
dimension (e.g., determining what it takes to get a “3” in
Achievement/Progress).
 Entries with consensus scores are used to create training
and qualifying sets for readers.
 Representatives from the GaDOE are involved throughout
rangefinding and are on-site and/or in constant contact
throughout training and scoring.
Scoring
Training Procedures
Readers undergo 4–5 days of extensive training and
must pass a series of qualifying tests to demonstrate
that they know how to apply the scoring rubric before
they can begin scoring.
Readers are monitored throughout the scoring process
to ensure they are scoring accurately and consistently.
Team leaders, who serve as nonscorable experts, have
previous experience in scoring the GAA and go
through additional extensive training before being
charged with assigning scores and nonscorable codes.
Scoring
GAA Portfolios are scored for 4 discrete dimensions
Fidelity to Standard
Context
Achievement/ Progress
Generalization
Scoring is holistic – all pieces of evidence are
considered and the totality of the information we have
about the student’s achievement is used to make
scoring decisions.
Scoring
Fidelity to Standard assesses the degree to which
the student’s work addresses the grade-level
standard to which it is aligned.
 Does the instructional activity demonstrate a clear
connection to the standard and element?
 Is the student work focused on academic content at a very
introductory level considering the student’s grade level?
 Is the student work focused on academic content at or
approaching the student’s grade level?
 Does the student work address all aspects of the element?
Scoring
Context assesses the degree to which the student
work exhibits the use of grade-appropriate materials
in a purposeful and natural/real-world application.
 Are all the materials grade appropriate?
 Is the instructional activity a purposeful means through which
the student can learn and demonstrate what they know and
can do?
 Is the student working in a simulated (practice) situation?
(Almost all classroom instruction is considered “simulated.”)
 Is the student working in a real-world (following a list to
purchase groceries) or natural situation (working in the
general education classroom on the same activity as general
education peers)?
Scoring
Achievement/Progress assesses the increase in
the student’s proficiency of skill across the two
collection periods.
 Are the skills assessed across the collection periods similar
enough to reliably assess progress?
 Is there an increase in accuracy from one collection period
to another?
 Is there an increase in independence from one collection
period to another?
 Is there an increase in the complexity of the tasks from one
collection period to another?
Scoring
Generalization assesses the student’s opportunity
to apply the learned skill in other settings and/or
with various individuals in addition to the teacher
or paraprofessional.
In what meaningful settings is the student
performing the activities? (The setting should be
purposeful for the instructional task.)
With whom and it what way is the student
interacting during the standards-based instructional
activity?
Stages of Progress
Extending Progress – Advanced/Exceeds
Established Progress – Proficient/Meets
Emerging Progress – Basic/Does Not Meet
Nonscorable Codes
ME = Missing Entry
• The Entry Sheet or the entry is missing; a required standard has been
omitted, a required standard was addressed in previous entry.
ES = Entry Sheet Error
• The Entry Sheet is incomplete or incorrect.
NA = Not Aligned
• The tasks and/or evidence does not reflect a connection to the
standard/element indicated on the Entry Sheet.
IE = Insufficient Evidence
• The entry does not contain evidence required for each collection period, or
the student’s performance cannot be verified by the information provided.
Nonscorable Codes
IT = Insufficient Time
• Date on Primary Evidence for collection period 2 is earlier than date on
Primary Evidence for collection period 1, there is less than the minimum
required time (3 weeks, 21 days) between the Primary Evidence for each
collection period, or the date on evidence was prior to the administration
window.
OG= Off Grade
• The standard selected is not at the student’s grade level.
IS = Ineligible Standard
• The standard selected is not eligible for assessment as required by the GAA
Blueprint (Appendix D).
Frequency of Nonscorables
2009-10
NS Code
Coweta #
(State #)
(State %)
State
Comparison to
07-08
ME (missing entry)
0 (252)
0% (.41%)
▼
ES (entry sheet error)
0 (193)
0% (.32%)
▲
NA (not aligned)
46 (3,152)
.05% (5.19%)
▲
IE (insufficient evidence)
9 (1,872)
.0098% (3.08%)
▼
IT (insufficient time)
1 (143)
.001% (.24%)
▼
OG (off grade level)
0 (37)
0% (.06%)
▼
IS (ineligible standard)
0 (3)
Total
56 (5,652)
56 of 916 (5,652 of 60,778)
≈ 0.0%)
0% (
▼
100%
5.13% (9.30%)
≈
How does the GAA connect to daily practice?
•Instruction should be
adjusted during the
school year based on
student performance on
the GAA and other
formative assessments.
•Don’t wait until reports
arrive in June to
reevaluate the most
appropriate mode of
instruction and/or
assessment for the
individual student.
Standards and Elements
•Instruction and assessment should promote individual student
growth through alignment to the academic content via alternate
achievement standards.
– Alternate achievement standards are decreased in
depth, breadth, and complexity, but still demonstrate a
clear connection to the academic content standards.
Alignment
 Consider alignment first and foremost when designing
instructional tasks.
 The instructional task must be true to the
standard.
 The task must address the distinct
characteristics of the element.
 The task must be appropriately challenging for
the individual student.
What do we mean by Alignment?
Alignment is the match between the written,
taught, and tested curriculum.¹
Curriculum Standard
Instruction
Assessed Task
In order for an instructional task to be considered
aligned, it must demonstrate a clear connection to the
Academic Content Standard and element being
tested.
1. Diane Browder, 2006
Alignment to the Standard and Element
Be True to the Standard
 The curriculum standards are the goals for instruction,
learning and assessment.
 Achievement of the concepts and skills inherent in the
elements leads to the achievement of the overall
standard.
 Although tasks for assessment must align to the
distinct aspects of the element, they must do so under
the umbrella of the standard.
Alignment to the Standard and Element
Address the distinct characteristics of the element.
 What are the specific components that make-up
the element ?
• focus on the language/terminology as written
 What are some prerequisite skills to give the
student access to the element?
 Look to the GA Frameworks* for guidance to
understanding the enduring concepts and
essential components targeted by the standards
and elements.
*https://www.georgiastandards.org/Frameworks.
39
Alignment
Example:
Standard: ELA11LSV1– The student participates in student-toteacher, student-to student, and group verbal interactions.
Element: c– responds to question with appropriate information
 The essence of this standard is reciprocal interaction between
the student and another person.
 The essence of the element is the response to questions.
 The skill assessed must demonstrate the student’s ability to
respond to questions via reciprocal interaction between the
student and teacher/ another student/ group.
 All 4 pieces of evidence must align to the standard and element.
Consider the following examples:
ELA11 LSV1
The student is responding to
questions via his voice output
device.
Does this task align to the standard
and element?
YES
Does this task align to the
standard and element?
NO. The task was completed
independently with no reciprocal interaction.
Alignment
As teaching academic curriculum through the
academic content standards and elements
becomes more a part of daily instruction, lesson
plans are being designed that provide access to
the curriculum while still embedding the student’s
IEP goals.
But Alignment MUST come first!
Alignment
Creating instructional units and activities that can
be used for multiple students is encouraged.
However, the activities must be tailored to the
needs and the abilities of the individual student.
As such, be certain that the task is still the best
choice for the individual student and that the
evidence submitted clearly aligns to the academic
content standard and element.
Completing the Entry Sheet
The Entry Sheet serves as the Table of Contents
which organizes the entry.
The Entry Sheet must be filled out completely and
accurately in order for the entry to be scorable.
An electronic version of the Entry Sheet with dropdown boxes will be available online.
 Instructions for completing the electronic Entry Sheet will
be provided online along with the Entry Sheet.
2009-2010
GAA
Entry Sheet
pg. 1
pg. 2
Completing the Entry Sheet
It is of utmost importance that the Entry Sheet be filled out
completely with all required information.
 Dates recorded for the tasks on the Entry Sheet must match those
found on the evidence.
 Task descriptions written on the Entry Sheet must be the same as
those submitted as evidence.
 A Characteristic of Science must be recorded on the Science Entry
Sheet and be clearly documented in the evidence.
Should any of the necessary fields not be completed
correctly, the entry could be nonscorable.
The Entry Sheet is NOT the place to include annotations
about student performance, prompting, settings, or
interactions.
Choosing the Appropriate
Type of Evidence
 The type of evidence submitted should be the best means through
which to demonstrate the student’s knowledge and skills.
 Primary Evidence must SHOW the student’s responses during and
at the completion of the instructional activity.
 It is therefore vital that the type of evidence used is the appropriate
choice to clearly demonstrate the student’s response.
 It is important that the criteria for the type of evidence has been met and that
all necessary information has been documented.
 It is not recommended that worksheets or captioned photos be used to
document “verbal” responses–this makes them more like an observation than
a primary type of evidence and puts excessive burden on the teacher in their
documentation.
Annotating Evidence
Complete and thorough documentation of evidence is
critical!
 Incomplete or ineffective documentation can result in lower
scores or in the entry being nonscorable.
 The student’s response must be clearly and specifically
evaluated or graded.
 If the correctness of the student response cannot be verified,
the entry will receive the Nonscorable Code of IE (Insufficient
Evidence).
Information regarding the nature of the task, the setting
in which it was completed, any interactions that
occurred during the task, and the type and frequency
of prompting must be included.
Annotating Evidence
Each piece of evidence must be clearly labeled with
the following information:
 the student's name (Who) and date (When)
 description of task (What)
 the setting in which the task was completed (Where)
 specific evaluation of student response (How Well)
 interactions that occurred during the task (With Whom)
 Independence–type and frequency of prompting (Prompts)
Annotating Evidence
Who: the student’s name
 must be on each piece of evidence
 always refer to the student by name, not “the student” or
“students”
What: specific description of the task
 what was the student asked to do?
 do not be vague or overly general in the description
Where: setting in which the task was completed
must be purposeful for the particular task
Annotating Evidence
When: date each piece of evidence
 record the date on which the task was completed, even if the
task took multiple days to complete
 for Data Sheets, a minimum of 3 distinct dates are required
for scoring
How Well: evaluate the student’s performance
 document the questions or actions asked of the student and
his/her actual responses
 grade, score, evaluate, or provide an answer key so that the
student’s performance can be clearly determined
Annotating Evidence
With Whom: describe the interaction
with whom did the student interact during the task and
what was the nature of the interaction
reciprocal communication should be specifically
documented
Prompts: Level of Independence
 prompting should be documented only if it guides the student to
the correct answer (e.g., directions and encouragement are not
considered prompting)
 annotate both the type (e.g., physical, gestural, model, verbal)
and frequency (e.g., continuous, frequent, limited, independent)
of prompting provided
Annotating Evidence
Level of Independence
 Increased independence, whether during academic or
functional tasks, is a primary goal for our students and an
effective way through which to demonstrate
Achievement/Progress.
 Tasks should be designed to demonstrate the highest level of
independent response of which the student is capable.
 If the student can demonstrate a differentiated response via eye
gaze, gesture, vocalization, or assistive technology, the
student’s performance should be a reflection of that
independent response before full physical prompting is
employed.
Annotating Evidence
Prompting– The amount of support the student requires and
is given to accurately complete a task
 For the purpose of the assessment, prompting refers only to
that which leads the student to the correct answer.
 Do not include task instructions, encouragement, or
behavioral interventions when documenting prompting.
 Document the Type of Prompt provided (verbal, gestural,
model, physical, etc.)
 Document the frequency of prompting (continuous, frequent,
limited, none/independent, etc.)
 Documentation of Prompting should include a description of
reciprocal interaction when appropriate.
Who Said What to Whom?
Interaction:
 The reciprocal exchange/communication between the
student being assessed and others which occurs during
the instructional activity. This can include:
• peers (both with and without disabilities)
• instructional personnel (including the special education
teacher, para-pro, general education teachers, OT, PT, Speech
Therapist, or anyone else who provides regular support and
instruction to the student)
• school staff (principal, nurse, cafeteria worker, etc.)
• community members (job supervisor, neighbor, bus driver,
wait staff, cashier, etc.)
Who Said What to Whom?
Interaction
 In order to demonstrate Generalization, annotation of
interaction must describe the nature of the interaction.
• the interaction must occur during the instructional task
• who said what to whom in reference to the task
• do not provide a list of all the people with whom the student
has interacted without describing how that interaction
occurred during the instructional task
• differentiate between prompting and interaction whenever
possible
Who Said What to Whom?
The interaction must occur during the instructional task.
Scenario 1:
M4G1, element c, Examine and classify quadrilaterals.
Billy is in the school hallway looking for and recording the
quadrilaterals he observes in the school environment (door:
rectangle; library book: square) when Scott, a non-disabled general
education peer, passes by and says hello. Billy returns the greeting
and they speak for a few moments about the Brave’s win against
the Cubs before Billy resumes his task.
Does this reciprocal communication qualify as interaction that
occurred during the instructional task?
NO.
Who Said What to Whom?
The interaction must occur during the instructional
task.
Scenario 2:
M4G1, element c, Examine and classify quadrilaterals.
Billy is in the school hallway looking for and recording the
quadrilaterals he observes in the school environment (door:
rectangle; library book: square). Scott, a non-disabled general
education peer, is working with Billy on this task and asks him
questions (Is that book a quadrilateral? What shape is the
book?) as they walk through the school.
Does this reciprocal communication qualify as interaction that
occurred during the instructional task?
YES.
Who Said What to Whom?
The interaction must occur during the instructional task.
Scenario 3:
ELA4LSV1, element c, Responds to questions with appropriate
information.
For his second ELA entry, Billy will be assessed on his ability to respond
appropriately to questions during a conversation. He is in the school hallway
looking for and recording the quadrilaterals he observes in the school
environment when Scott, a non-disabled general education peer, passes by and
says hello. He asks Billy if he watched the Braves game last night, and Billy
responds that he did. Scott then asks if Billy caught the final score, and Billy
responds, “yes, it was 4-3, Braves.” Billy then goes on to complete his geometry
task.
Does this reciprocal communication qualify as interaction
that occurred during the instructional task?
YES.
Who Said What to Whom?
What is the difference between interaction and
prompting?
 Although there is certainly interaction between student and
teacher via prompting, beginning in grade 3, L/S/V standards
require that the interaction documents “student-to-teacher,
student-to-student, and group verbal interaction.”
 “Verbal” interaction refers to whatever mode of reciprocal
communication the student is capable of.
 Interaction must be specific to the element assessed.
• If the student is to “respond to questions,” it should be
during “student-to-teacher, student-to-student, and
group verbal interaction.”
Portfolio Review
The importance of peer review during and after
completion of a portfolio cannot be overstated!
 Missing forms/pieces of evidence
 Incomplete Entry Sheet
 Lacking documentation
 Missing dates
 Inappropriate materials
 Alignment issues
It is critical that the peer review process go beyond
counting pieces of evidence and consider all of the
portfolio requirements.
Portfolio Review
Portfolio review by the teacher should be an
ongoing process.
 Have I selected the best standard and
element for this student?
• Does he seem engaged?
• Is he making progress?
 Are the tasks and materials appropriate?
• Is he able to demonstrate what he knows?
• Can he communicate with a reliable response?
Portfolio Reviews
 Who should conduct the portfolio review?





Trained GAA Administrators
Core Access Teachers
School Test Coordinators
Special Education Coordinators
Building Administrators
 When should the review be conducted?


1st Review: mid-administration, after Collection Period 1
evidence has been compiled
Final Review: before submission, after all evidence has
been compiled and organized in the portfolio binder
Structuring a Peer Review
Steps to complete a peer review of the portfolio:
1. Carefully review the Entry Sheet
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Student name
Teacher name
Required standard
Eligible standard
Strand, standard, element match up
Characteristic of Science
Task Descriptions
Structuring a Peer Review
2. Consider all aspects of the evidence
requirements
•
•
•
•
•
All four pieces of evidence align to standard and element
Primary and Secondary for each collection period
21 calendar days from Primary to Primary
Type of evidence is the best choice to clearly demonstrate
the student response
Grade-appropriate materials
Structuring a Peer Review
3. Review documentation to ensure that all necessary annotation
has been provided
• Collection period labels
• Name (Who)
• Dates (When)
• Task (What)
• Setting (Where)
• Student performance (How well)
• Interactions (With Whom and Describe)
• Independence (Prompts)
4. Date and sign Checklist for Teachers and Portfolio Reviewers
5. Validation Form must be signed by Building Administrator
and Person Responsible for submitting the Portfolio.
A Checklist for Teachers and
Portfolio Reviewers will be
provided in the portfolio binder to
ensure that all procedures and
requirements have been satisfied
before the portfolio is submitted.
•The checklist can be part of the
portfolio validation process as the
reviewer signs and dates the form
after each content area entry is
checked.
•It is recommended that the
portfolio be reviewed twice– once
after the first collection period has
been completed, and again before
the portfolio is submitted.
•The GAA Evidence Checklist,
specific to each type of evidence
submitted, can be found in the
GAA Examiner’s Manual.
The GAA Validation Form will
be provided in the portfolio
binder to verify that all
requirements and
procedures have been
followed and that the
contents are the work of the
student being assessed.
•This is an important stepthe signatures validate the
contents of the portfolio
•Be certain that signatures
have been obtained from
both the person submitting
the portfolio and the building
administrator.
•For transfer students,
Validation Forms must be
submitted by both the
sending and the receiving
school/system.
New in 2009-2010
 The state’s new graduation rule went into effect for
entering 9th graders in 2008-2009.
 Students with significant cognitive disabilities are eligible
for a high school diploma two criteria are met:
1. Enrollment in and successful completion of a series of access
courses.
2. A score of established or extending on all sections of the high
school GAA.
The grade 11 GAA serves as an alternate for the GHSGT.
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New in 2009-10
Several access courses correspond to End of Course Tests (EOCT):
 Ninth Grade Literature and Composition
 American Literature and Composition
 Mathematics I
 Mathematics II
 Physical Science
 Biology
 U.S. History
 Economics
Development of a new EOCT for GAA will occur in 2009-2010, with
operational administration in the 2010-2011 school year.
Coming in 2010-2011
GHSGT math will transition from QCC to GPS
GAA math for grade 11 will transition to GPS
EOCTs are mandated for all students who are enrolled in
an EOCT course.
Retest opportunities will be available for the high school
GAA.
The 2010-2011 Entry Sheets will be web-based in order
to collect standards and elements.
• There will be no paper Entry Sheets in binders you receive–
save some trees! You can still download from the website.
Additional GAA Resources for
Educators
•
The following resources, which include information on the GAA and the statemandated curriculum, are available for local systems and educators.
 The www.georgiastandards.org website hosts the state-mandated
curriculum.
 Access to the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) for Students with
Significant Cognitive Disabilities can found at
www.georgiastandards.org/impairment.aspx
 The GPS Resource Board (formerly the message board) is a forum for
teachers to discuss the curriculum and access and post ideas. To enroll
for the GPS Resource Board, contact the Division for Exceptional
Students.
 The http://www.gadoe.org/ci_testing.aspx?PageReq=CI_TESTING_GAA
website contains a variety of general GAA administration information
including electronic versions of manuals and forms.
Contact Information
Dr. Peggy Guebert, System Test Coordinator
Werz Central Office
(770) 254-2810 ext. 2006
[email protected]
Terri Baggarly, Special Education Test Consultant
Werz Central Office
(770) 254-2810 ext. 2011
[email protected]
Contact Information
For information about access to the GPS for
students with significant cognitive disabilities
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 Contact:
Toni Bowen, Ph.D.
Educational Program Specialist
 Call:
 E-Mail:
404-463-0616
[email protected]