1

FAA

Florida

Alternate

Assessment

Karen SchaferOffice of Testing and Accountability

Brevard Public Schools

2

6A-1.09981

(5) School performance grades shall be based on a combination of the following three components:

(b) Annual learning gains, aggregated for each school which indicate the percent of eligible students who have:

1. Improved their FCAT Achievement Level or Florida Alternate Assessment Performance Level, as applicable, from one year to the next, or

2. Maintained their proficient Achievement Level on FCAT or the Florida Alternate Assessment.

WHY DO WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FAA?

3

WHY DO WE HAVE AN ALTERNATE ASSESSMENT?

Because Florida Statutes, IDEA & NCLB hold

schools, districts, and states

accountable for the

ACADEMIC achievement of

ALL students in

reading, math, language arts, and science,

Every student takes either FCAT or FAA

4

• Students with significant cognitive disabilities and students with autism who are functioning at that level for whom FCAT is not appropriate.

• Students whose IEP Team has decided that all five statements on the FAA Participation Checklist accurately characterize a student’s current educational situation

WHO TAKES THE FAA?

5

6

FAA Participation Checklist

7

• The FAA is based on the Sunshine State Standards (SSS) in reading, math, writing and science

• The SSS provide academic Access Points for students with significant cognitive disabilities and students with autism who are functioning at that level

• Access Points reflect the key academic concepts of the SSS with reduced levels of complexity

WHAT ARE STUDENTS TESTED ON ?

8

ACCESS POINTS

More Complex Less Complex

9

WHAT ARE LEVELS OF COMPLEXITY ?

10

• Access Points provide students with significant cognitive disabilities and students with autism who are functioning at that level access

• To the general education curriculum

• To academic skills and concepts

• Access Points should drive academic instruction for students who qualify to take the FAA

WHAT ARE ACCESS POINTS ?

11

Standards Driven System

12

HOW IS THE TEST CONSTRUCTED ?

• 16 items in each content area (RMWS)

• Each item has 3 questions• One each written at the Participatory,

Supported and Independent level

• There are 3 answer choices per question

• Students start with the Participatory question and are presented with more complex questions as they provide correct responses

13

HOW IS EACH ITEM SCORED ?

Q1P Q2S Q3I

Remove incorrect choice #1: Repeat prompt with 2 cards

Remove incorrect choice #2: Repeat prompt with one card

0

Q1 at the Participatory level presented first.

For each question answered correctly, student moves to next question of higher complexity.

If Q1 is answered incorrectly, “scaffolding” occurs

Students earn 1, 2, 3, 6 or 9 points per item

Item 1

3 response choices for each question

14

• Scoring each item

• Students earn 1,2,3,6, or 9 pts per item

• Refusal to participate scores 0

• Total Score

• Sum of points earned on each of the 16 items

• Maximum score possible in each content area is 144 points (16 items x 9 pts.)

HOW IS THE TEST SCORED?

15

16

HOW IS PROFICIENCY DETERMINED?

2007-08

17

HOW IS PROFICIENCY DETERMINED?

18

HOW DID BREVARD’S STUDENTS DO ON FAA?

# Assessed

Emergent1 2 3

Achieved4 5 6

Commended7 8 9

Proficient 4 - 9

Reading 412 29% 31% 40% 71%

Math 412 30% 48% 22% 70%

Science 166 28% 43% 28% 71%

Writing 147 35% 33% 32% 65%

19

Reading Math Science Writing

Brevard 71% 70% 71% 65%

Okaloosa 81% 83% 86% 84%

Santa Rosa 80% 80% 90% 79%

Seminole 67% 68% 65% 68%

St. Johns 67% 65% 69% 60%

Volusia 68% 62% 73% 60%         

State 68% 66% 70% 62%

Percent at Proficiency

HOW DID BREVARD’S STUDENTS DO ON FAA?