Idaho Standards Achievement Tests Alternate (ISAT-Alt) Materials

The ISAT-Alt (Idaho Standards Achievement Tests Alternate) 2010-2011 manual and documents are now available here under the documents tab, as well as on the Idaho Training Clearinghouse Alternate Assessment Learning Community website at; http://itcnew.idahotc.com/dnn/alternate-assessment.aspx

Please discard all previous manuals and documents, other than the Assistive Technology manual as all have undergone revision. All previous ISAT-Alt manuals and materials are now compiled into one manual. There are relatively few changes to the ISAT-Alt for the 2010-2011 school year. An additional fourth level of complexity has been added to both Mathematics and Science, bringing the total number of complexity levels for each content area to four, to facilitate the participation of a wider range of students. The number of sight words was clarified and minor edits of the items and manual were done in response to educator feedback to clarify directions and processes. These edits were accomplished during the summer by groups of educators and administrators who participated in the rangefinding, scoring and standards setting workshops held throughout the state.

Idaho Portfolio Artifact Submission System (I-PASS)

I-PASS is online and available to teachers to upload student level data at; https://apps.sde.idaho.gov/IPass

Teachers should work closely with their IEP team and testing coordinator to identify students eligible for the ISAT-Alt and share that information with their district administrative information technology (IT) staff. The district IT staff provides the SDE IT division with periodic uploads of SIS data. That SIS data is used to populate the I-PASS student level folders. If teachers are not able to see their class and individual student level folders then Teachers should not contact the SDE directly, but provide the information on needed adjustments to their district testing coordinators. Testing coordinators have received directions on how to add, delete and assign students to teachers to adjust class lists.

Deadline for Submission of ISAT-Alt Evidence – March 1, 2010

The deadline for submission of student evidence into I-PASS is March 1, 2011 to allow time for scoring, rangefinding and standards setting processes. These processes will need to be redone for the Mathematics and Science content areas due to the revised complexity levels.

Baseline Data

The processes for administration of the ISAT-Alt are not significantly different with the exception of submitting classroom baseline data into I-PASS. This has been changed. Last year teachers used the online form to record dates and baseline data for each assessed objective. For those students who took the ISAT-Alt last year the 2009-2010 assessment results will be used as the submitted online baseline. Teachers will only submit baseline data for entering third grade students and for students new to the state.

ISAT-Alt and I-PASS Training

Training for the 2010-2011 school year will be delivered via two archived webinars available upon demand at the Idaho Training Clearinghouse website, one on the ISAT-Alt and the other on the I-PASS (Individual Artifact Submission System).

Individual Student Level ISAT-Alt Reports

Individual ISAT-Alt score reports for all four content areas including; Mathematics, Reading, Language Usage and Science for the 2009-2010 school year are available online for teachers at the ISAT-Alt Reports Site at; https://apps.sde.idaho.gov/IPassReporting/Home/Home

Please refer to the Educator Guide to ISAT-Alt reports for assistance in interpreting the results. These reports should be printed out and sent home to families or shared during IEP meetings and parent teacher conferences. These reports along with the ISAT-Alt Family Report Letter, now available in both English and Spanish, will assist families in understanding the content and interpretation of the ISAT-Alt individual student level reports.

Revised ISAT-Alt Manual

Please download and or print the revised ISAT-Alt manual found under the documents tab on the ITC website. This manual was created to consolidate and replace the collection and submission manuals written last year. It provides all information, forms and the directions to administer the ISAT-Alt during the 2010-2011 school year. The revised Idaho Alternate Assessment training webinar will be archived on the ITC website and will be made available after October 19th.

Revised Idaho Alternate Assessment Eligibility/Participation Guidelines

Please download and or print these guidelines. They have been revised to reflect the state-wide elimination of the Direct Writing and Direct Math assessments as well as the addition of the IRI Alternates. The procedure for establishing eligibility and participation on the ISAT-Alt or IRI - Alt is accomplished through the use of the guidelines as a protocol. This protocol is meant to assist IEP teams in the determination of eligibility based upon specific criteria. This form is to be used as the protocol but does not need to be signed by the IEP team members or submitted into I-PASS. The individual designation of alternate assessments for each student should be made on the IEP itself or by saving this form along with the IEP files at the school and district levels.

IRI-Alt

The IEP team determines the eligibility for the IRI-Alt through the use of the Eligibility/Participation Guidelines protocol. There are two forms of alternate assessment for the IRI. They are the SAM (Student-Centered Assessment Measure) for nonverbal students and the Core Phonics. Either of these two alternates may be selected by the IEP team as the alternate for the IRI. Neither focus on fluency but rather on basic letter recognition, literacy and phonics skills so are better suited to assess the population of students with significant cognitive disabilities.

IMPORTANT NOTE: There is no fall or winter administration of the IRI-Alt in either form required. The IRI-Alt will be given during the spring IRI window only. Announcements, materials and reminders will be sent to the field nearer to the scheduled window.

Revised Accommodations Excel

The procedure for establishing the need for various instructional and assessment accommodations is accomplished through the use of the Accommodations Excel. It is to be used as the protocol for designating accommodations on instruction as well as on all state and federal assessments. These guidelines can be used as an excel or printed. This form does not need to be signed or submitted into I-PASS. The designated accommodations can be written on the IEP itself or by saving this form along with the IEP files at the school and district levels.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please note that this excel lists all allowable accommodations that do not invalidate assessment results. Also note that these accommodations must be designated on a test by test basis as they are not consistent across all assessments. For instance extended time is allowable for the ISAT but not on NAEP. Make sure that these differences are communicated during IEP meetings to all parties and documented on the IEP itself or through attaching the accommodations excel. This will assure that all allowable accommodations are designated and used across all assessments.

ISAT-Alt Family Notification Letters

Both Spanish and English parent notification letters are available on this website under the documents tab as well as on the ITC website. Teachers should download, print and send home on an as needed basis to inform families that their child is taking the ISAT-Alt and what that will entail.

Please check back on the ITC IAA learning community for FAQ, announcements and updates to processes periodically throughout the year.

Thank you so much for all you do for the families we serve! I look forward to working with you this year!

With Warm Regards,
Toni C. Wheeler

Toni C. Wheeler
Alternate Assessment Coordinator
Division of Assessment
Idaho State Department of Education
tcwheeler@sde.idaho.gov