Connecticut State Department of Education

BACK TO SCHOOL MEETING Special Education Administrators

September 14, 2005

Susan Kennedy, CSDEJerry Spears, Consultant

Section 602(3) of IDEA requires states to

develop alternate assessments that are:

Aligned with the states academic content standards;

Promote access to the general curriculum; and

Reflect professional judgment of the highest achievement standards possible

CMT/CAPT Skills ChecklistThird Edition, 2005

Originally developed for initial administration in 2000 in response to 1997 reauthorization of IDEA

“Aligned” with general education curriculum

New guidance from the USDE issued in December 2003.

IDEA and NCLB

Both acts reflect the vision that is being promoted:

High expectations

Uniform standards

Public accountability for schools

Historical viewpoint

Early 70’s Adapting infant/early childhood curriculum for students with significant

disabilities of all ages

1980’s Rejected “developmental model” Functional life skills curriculum emerged

1990’s Also: social inclusion focus Also: self determination focus

2000 General curriculum access (academic content) Plus earlier priorities (functional, social, self-determination)

Purpose of the Skills Checklist

The purpose of the CMT/CAPT Skills Checklist is to provide an accountability measure to determine the extent to which students with significant cognitive impairments have been given the opportunity to participate in and benefit from the general education curriculum.

CMT/CAPT SKILLS CHECKLIST THIRD EDITION

CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

CMT Skills Checklist

Third Edition

GRADE 3

STRUCTURE OF THE REVISED TEST

Features:7 tests: one for each grade 3 to 8 and 10

Each test has three sections:– Section I: Access skills – Same at every grade – Section II: Grade Level Academic Skills -

Language Arts– Section III: Grade Level Academic Skills -

Mathematics

CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

CMT Skills Checklist

Third Edition

SECTION I: Access Skills

Section I: Access Skills

Total of 50 items from the previous Checklist were retained

Assess Skills:– Receptive

Communication (14);– Expressive

Communication (11);– Social Interactive

Communication (11);– Basic Literacy (8);

and– Spatial

Relationships (6)

Section I: Access Skills

Those communication, quantitative and pre-academic skills that students with our disabilities typically develop prior to school entry, such as:

Attends to or behaviorally demonstrates awareness of sounds and/or visual events produced within student’s auditory/visual range (For blind students, “responds to tactile stimuli

Responds appropriately to differences in tone of voice (for example, inhibits behavior or becomes upset in response to angry or sharp tone; maintains or increases behavior in response to happy or playful tone of voice, etc.)

Recognizes and responds to own name, when this is spoken in an authentic context (for example, alerts, orients to speaker, raises hand, etc.)

Sections II & III Grade Level Academics

CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

CMT Skills Checklist

Third Edition

SECTION II: Grade Level Academic Skills

Language Arts

CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

CMT Skills Checklist

Third Edition

SECTION III: Grade Level Academic Skills

Mathematics

TEST FORMAT

extension in Item # 3.

Probability and Statistics

A. Real world problems may be analyzed using statistical techniques.

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1. Use data from samples to make inferences about a population and determine whether claims are reasonable or spurious. PS 10-2 Essence: Make inferences about data.

Make a correct inference by looking at data Given 3 choices, select the correct inference by looking at data Correctly answer yes or no to a question based on an inference drawn from data

2. Determine and use measures of central tendency and dispersion to describe and compare sets of data. PS 10-3 Essence: Determine measures of central tendency.

Determine the range of a given ordered set of numerical data Determine the median of a given ordered set of numerical data Determine the mode of a given set of data

3. Design, conduct, interpret, and justify the results of a probability experiment, sample, or statistical simulation. PS 10-4 Essence: Predict the outcome of a probability experiment.

Predict an outcome and verify the prediction by performing a simple probability experiment

Predict most likely outcome when selecting one object from a hidden set consisting of objects with different characteristics

Determine the probability of an outcome given a situation with only two possible outcomes, (e.g., a coin flip)

B. Principles of probability may be applied in a variety of situations.

4. Solve realistic problems involving complementary and mutually exclusive events. PS 10-5 Essence: Determine events or activities that cannot occur at the

Generate two events or activities that cannot occur at the same time (e.g., sleeping and watching television, running and walking, etc.)

Given six pairs of activities, four of which are mutually exclusive, select the four pairs of activities that cannot occur at the same time (e.g., swimming/sleeping, walking/running, cooking/riding a bicycle, etc.

Given 3 choices, select the event or activity that cannot occur at the same time as a given event or activity

Sections II & III: Grade Level Academic Skills Cont’

Each indicator in Sections II & III: Grade Level Academic Skills corresponds to a specific Content standard (objective) that is found in the Connecticut curriculum frameworks.

However, each indicator is a “downward extension” of the grade level skill

Algebraic Reasoning Grade 3 Downward Extensions

A. Patterns that are made with different objects and symbols and that follow the same rule may be classified together.

1. Use a variety of materials to construct, reproduce, describe and extend number and spatial patterns.

Essence: Demonstrate an understanding of patterns AR 3-1

  - Continue a pattern with elements missing (A,B,A,B,A,___) 

- Reproduce an AB pattern with numbers, symbols or objects 

- Identify an AB pattern with numbers, symbols or objects

Reading and Responding Grade 3Downward Extensions

A. Students use appropriate strategies before, during and after reading in order to construct meaning. 

1. Activate prior knowledge, establish purposes for reading and adjust the purposes while reading.

Essence: Indicate what is already known about the text, determine reason for reading it and be able to adjust accordingly. 

- Determine if initial prediction about grade level text is correct and, if not, make a new prediction

- Predict what might happen in the grade level text based on pre- reading activities (e.g., review of captions, table of contents, book jacket, etc.) 

- Indicate what is known about the grade level text based on text features (e.g., captions, table of contents, book jacket, etc.)

RATING STUDENT PERFORMANCE

Students are rated using a three point scale: Does not demonstrate skill Developing / Supported Mastered / Independent

When selecting a particular rating for the student’s performance, the rating is based on:

Consistency of performance over time Whether or not prompts are required to complete the task

Rating Scale

Does not demonstrate skill: Use this response for skills that the student does not demonstrate in any setting.

Developing / Supported: Use this response for skills the student displays only with some level of prompt support, i.e., a verbal cue, partial physical guidance, repetition of instructions, etc. You should also use this response for skills that are displayed inconsistently. If a student can demonstrate a skill occasionally, but not consistently and at different times then the skills should be rated Developing / Supported.

Mastered / Independent: Use this response for skills that the student clearly has mastered and performs independently. To be rated as Mastered / Independent the student must demonstrate the skill consistently over time. The student does not have to demonstrate the skill every time, but over the course of the year would have to show that s/he has mastered it, (e.g., the student successfully performed a skill 80% or more of the time without prompt support such as verbal cues, partial physical guidance, etc.). Again, if the student continues to require prompt support to exhibit this skill do not rate the skill as Mastered / Independent.

Who Administers the Checklist

Should be completed by the student’s primary special education teacher in collaboration with other team members, including:

General education teacher(s)

Other professionals, i.e.,

- OT

- PT

- SLP, etc.

When is the Checklist completed?

The CMT/CAPT Skills Checklist is NOT a secure document. It is a working document that was designed to be used by teachers throughout the school year to:

Plan instruction Monitor student progress and growth, and Document achievement

When is the Checklist completed? con’t.

The checklist is part of the statewide testing program and scannable, scorable documents must be ordered from and returned to the test contractor.

Information from the “working” document needs to be transcribed onto a scannable document during the test window in March of each school year.

How are Scores Reported

An individual Student Report will include raw scores for the Access Skills and the Grade Level Academic Skills items

Content Strand level raw scores will be reported (for example, geometry and measurement, numerical & proportional reasoning, etc). No performance level information ( basic, proficient, advanced) will be reported at the strand level.

Reporting, Con’t

Total Raw scores and performance levels (i.e., basic, proficient and advanced) will be reported for each of the academic domains: reading, writing and mathematics (and Science beginning in March 2008).

Only scores from the grade level academic skills will be used in the calculation of AYP, because to satisfy NCLB the assessment must be based on “grade level” content.

Checklist Training

One day of training will be provided at each RESC beginning October 14, 2005

Two teams from each district: high school team and elementary/middle school team

One team from each approved special education facility and RESC

Trainer of trainers model Directors will be asked to attest to the fact that

training was conducted, i.e., dates, times, and participants.

Training, con’t

Video recordings of students completing tasks on the Checklist will be used for this statewide training. Copies of the videos will be available for district training.

Follow-up training: Certified Raters Training will be offered annually.

Alternate Assessment Advisory Committee Members

Name Title Agency/Role

Joe Amenta Curriculum Coordinator Area Cooperative Education Services

Jane Bolles Parent Representative Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center

Pamela O. Brucker Chair, Dept. of Special Education & Reading Southern Connecticut State University

Norine C. Burns Special Needs Teacher West Hartford Public Schools

Joyce DeFrancesco Assistant Principal Avon Public Schools

Heather Levitt Doucette Education Services Specialist, Bureau of Research, Evaluation and Student Assessment Ct. State Dept. of Education

Susan J. Kennedy, Chair Education Consultant, Bureau of Research, Evaluation and Student Assessment Ct. State Dept. of Education

Edward L. Lazaroff Parent Representative, Principal Columbia Public Schools

Elizabeth MacKenzie Unit Director/Developmental Disabilities Cooperative Education Services

Nancy C. Philipp Parent Representative, Special Education Teacher Hartford Public Schools

Eric W. Schroeder Elementary School Principal American School for the Deaf

Jerome J. Spears Private Consultant Ct. State Dept. of Education

Kathleen Spence Director of Special Services Cromwell Public Schools

Janet Stuck Special Education Teacher Gengras Center

Dena Tompkins Chair, Special Ed. Department Newington High School

Ana Wittig Education Program Specialist Oak Hill School

Mark Zoback Director of Student Services Columbia Public Schools

CMT/CAPT Skills Checklist Development Participants

Name District/Agency Faith Aronson Fairfield Public Schools Janice Bruetsch New Britain Public Schools Jonathon Budd Easton/Redding (RSD 9) Karen Burnham Mansfield Public Schools Marianne Cavanaugh East Hartford Public Schools Lynn Channey New Britain Public Schools Laurie Coulom Tolland Public Schools Joyce DeFrancesco Avon Public School Tina DellaBernarda Bristol Public Schools Natalie Donais Suffield Public Schools Molly Farrell Fairfield Public Schools Luanne Gagliardi New Britain Public Schools Tracey Goolsby Simsbury Public Schools Jennifer Kasey East Hartford Public Schools Rhonda Kempton Milford Public Schools Susan Kennedy Bureau of Student Assessment Anne Leffert Fairfield Public Schools Marlene Megos Bureau of Curriculum and Instruction-SDE Perri Murdica Bureau of Special Education Amy Norton Assistive Technology Coordinator (SERC) Regina Oliver Training Coordinator (SERC) Mary-Jane Pazda Wethersfield Public Schools Gary Peterson West Hartford Public Schools Jeanette Picard RSD 11- Chaplin, Hampton, Scotland Tina Pizzoferrato Enfield Public Schools Danielle Polchinski East Hartford Public Schools Laura Rader Bureau of Student Assessment Deborah Reith Enfield Public Schools Janet Roman Farmington Public Schools Susan Rombala Farmington Public Schools Kate Schrass West Hartford Public Schools Linda Seifts RSD 11- Chaplin, Hampton, Scotland Jerome Spears Consultant-SDE Robyn Sullivan Newington Public Schools Carrie Therriault Fairfield Public Schools Bill Walker Southington Public Schools Joanne White Bureau of Curriculum and Instruction-SDE Christine Veilleux Newington Public Schools Elizabeth Ziba Enfield Public Schools