RETURNING TEACHER REQUIRED TRAINING MODULE YE Slide 1. The Dynamic Learning Maps Alternate Assessments are designed to measure what students with significant cognitive disabilities know and can do in relation to academic standards. In order to ensure standardized delivery of the DLM Alternate Assessment, all returning test administrators are required to complete this review module. Slide 2. The purpose of this module is to review the components of the DLM Alternate Assessment system; clarify the security demands of the DLM system; review accessibility options and allowable practices; and review test administration practice. Upon completion of this module, you will be required to complete an assessment of your knowledge of DLM assessment administration. If you pass, you will then be able to administer the DLM assessments right away. If you do not pass, you will be directed to additional required training. Slide 3. Let s begin with a review of the components in DLM. The specific components that you ll encounter as you begin to administer the DLM alternate assessment again include the DLM Essential Elements, claims and conceptual areas, test blueprints, testlets, the linkage levels, and KITE system. Together, these components are part of an assessment that was specifically designed to address the needs of the full range of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. Slide 4. The DLM Essential Elements align with general education grade-level content standards but at a reduced depth, breadth, and complexity. They are at a level of rigor and challenge that is appropriate for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who often have multiple complex disabilities, and they provide a starting point for defining achievement standards for this population of students. Importantly, Essential Elements focus on academic skills, NOT functional or pre-k skills. DLM Essential Elements are carefully aligned with grade level content. Slide 5. Individual Essential Elements describe the specific skills and understandings that students are supposed to learn at each grade level. In a more general way, DLM Claims describe what students are expected to learn and be able to demonstrate through the DLM alternate assessments. Slide 6. Claims are divided into smaller groups of nodes and Essential Elements called Conceptual Areas. The nodes and Essential Elements in a conceptual area are more closely related than those in the larger claim because they all relate to a common cognitive process. States in the DLM Consortium used the DLM Claims and Conceptual Areas to identify what they expected students to know and demonstrate on the DLM alternate assessment at each grade level.
PAGE 2 Slide 7. This then led to the selection of Essential Elements in grade-level appropriate claims and conceptual areas that form the test blueprints. This blueprint lists the specific Essential Elements that will be assessed at each grade level of the DLM alternate assessments. You can use the blueprint to help you prioritize your instruction from yearto-year. The blueprints and policies regarding the number of Essential Elements you must administer during each assessment window are available on your state s website. Slide 8. Recall that DLM breaks down the assessments into testlets. Students complete multiple testlets in each subject area. Each testlet generally includes three to five items that assess one or more Essential Elements. Slide 9. For each of the Essential Elements tested in the DLM alternate assessments, testlets are developed at five linkage levels to address the needs of the full range of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. The Initial Precursor level is the easiest level. It assesses foundational cognitive and linguistic skills that align directly with and are required to achieve the target Essential Element. The other linkage levels that build up to the target are the Distal Precursor and Proximal Precursor. The Successor linkage level gives students the opportunity to progress toward content in the general education grade-level standard. Slide 10. DLM mini-maps show the nodes from the learning map models that are assessed at each linkage level. In this example, one node is assessed at each linkage level for this third grade Essential Element about determining the beginning, middle, and end of a familiar story. Slide 11. Test administrators and other staff who support DLM implementation are responsible for following five DLM test security standards. Each year test administrators must sign a security agreement indicating their willingness to follow these standards. Slide 12. As stated, security agreements must be renewed each year. All existing security agreements expire on August 1 st. When your agreement expires, a new agreement appears automatically when you log in to Educator Portal the first time after August 1st. If you do not agree to the terms in the security agreement, you will not have access to student logins, Testlet Information Pages, and other tools you need to administer the assessment successfully. Slide 13. The first security standard addresses the security of individual testlets. At no time may testlets be stored or saved on computers or personal storage devices. They cannot be shared via email or other file sharing systems, and they cannot be reproduced by any means unless you are making braille forms of the testlets. Testlets and student responses cannot be posted on any type of social media, and taking screenshots of the testlets is prohibited.
PAGE 3 Slide 14. Electronic materials used during the assessment administration may not be printed. The few exceptions to this are described in detail in the TEST ADMINISTRATION MANUAL. Slide 15. Individuals who violate the KITE test security standards may be subject to their state's regulations or state education agency policy governing test security. Slide 16. Test administrators or other educators are not allowed to preview operational testlets themselves or with their students prior to the test administration. Instead, educators are encouraged to use practice activities and released testlets to familiarize themselves and their students with the testing format and procedures. More information about practice activities and released testlets can be found in the TEST ADMINISTRATION MANUAL. Slide 17. Users may not give out, loan or share their password with anyone else. Allowing others to access your Educator Portal account may cause unauthorized access to private information. Access to educational records is governed by state and federal law. This standard is so important that you will see a reminder each time you log in to Educator Portal. Slide 18. The DLM alternate assessments are managed through the KITE system, which includes two components that you will interact with while preparing for and administering the DLM alternate assessment. Educator Portal helps you manage student data and the KITE Client maximizes your students success as they complete the assessment. Slide 19. Educators identify required accessibility supports through the information they enter regarding the student s personal needs and preferences in the Access Profile and the First Contact Survey. This information allows the system to customize the student s experience and determine which testlet to deliver even if the student completed the DLM assessment in previous years. The Access Profile defines features of the testlet display and also defines supports that must be provided outside the system such as braille, sign language interpretation, and human read aloud. The Access Profile must be completed before testing begins, but it can be updated as needed. The First Contact survey, which determines the best linkage level for the first time the student uses the system, must also completed or reviewed and updated and submitted prior to the assessment. Detailed instructions on how to fill out the personal needs and preferences or Access Profile and the First Contact survey are located in the TEST ADMINISTRATION MANUAL. A six-step process for customizing accessibility is described in the ACCESSIBILITY MANUAL.
PAGE 4 Slide 20. In your state, the DLM alternate assessments are administered in the spring during a spring assessment window that was selected by your state. Slide 21. During the spring assessment window, each student is assessed on five to seven testlets in each subject area of ELA and mathematics, depending on grade level. Each testlet includes items from one or more EEs in order to cover all Essential Elements from the blueprint. If DLM science is being administered in your state, the student will take nine science testlets during the spring assessment. The system chooses the testlet for the student based on information about the student and the DLM map. After the student completes one testlet in the spring assessment window, the linkage level of subsequent testlets is based on student performance. After each testlet is completed, the system determines whether the next testlet should be delivered at the same, a higher, or a lower linkage level. During the spring assessment, each testlet is packaged and delivered separately, and the test administrator determines when to schedule each testlet within the larger window. Each state has set its own spring testing window, so please consult your state-specific documentation or your assessment coordinator for more information about those dates. Slide 22. In order to prepare for your student to complete a testlet, you will need to know what materials are needed for test administration. This information is provided on the Testlet Information Page or TIP. Each testlet has a TIP that is downloaded or printed ahead of time. The TIP provides specific information about materials needed for each individual testlet. The sooner a test administrator accesses the TIP in Educator Portal, the easier it will be to gather the materials required to administer a testlet. The TIPS are intended to help you prepare. They may list specific materials, but they also describe the features or characteristics of those materials so that you may use alternatives as needed. Generally, the attribute of the material is more important than the particular material itself. In the very few cases where substitutions are not allowable, the exception is clearly indicated in the TIP. If you substitute items, you may also substitute the name of the item as you administer the testlet as well. TIPS also indicate when a text in an ELA testlet is going to be a familiar text. These familiar texts and resources that describe them are available on your state s Educator Resource page on the DLM web site. When a TIP indicates that a familiar text is being used, it is expected that you would have used the text in instruction and attended to the features of the text called out on the familiar text guides that are provided on the Educator Resource page.
PAGE 5 You are encouraged to download and/or print the Testlet Information Page before sitting down to administer the testlet; however, after administering a testlet, the TIP must be securely destroyed. You can not store TIPS in any format after a testlet is complete. More information about accessing and using the TIP is available on your state s Educator Resource Page. Slide 23. The actual administration of the testlet begins with KITE Client. Educators support students as necessary as they log in to KITE Client. Sometimes this means the adult logs in for the student. Once the student is logged in, the next step is to select Take a Test. Slide 24. At the end of a testlet, test administrators and students can check to see that all items have been completed. Empty red boxes indicate items that have not been completed. If the student has not answered all of the items, the student may choose an unanswered item icon to jump back to a specific item, or select the GO BACK button to find and answer all the incomplete items. The END button should only be selected when a student has completed the testlet and it is ready to be submitted. Slide 25. The KITE System has been specially designed for students with significant cognitive disabilities. However, students will need various levels of support to interact with the computer. In providing those supports, remember the allowable practices in DLM. Slide 26. Remember that the DLM alternate assessment is designed to offer flexibility in the ways materials are presented to students, as long as the student s interaction with the concept being measured is consistent. For example, you, the test administrator, may read aloud any part of the assessment including passages in English language arts. You can also modify the typical arrangement of the test administrator, student, and computer based on a student s needs and use of special equipment. Similarly, test administrators may present the answer options off the computer in a format that makes them more accessible to the student, but you CANNOT reduce the number of answer choices, add pictures to represent answer items that only have printed choices on the computer screen, or use approaches like errorless learning or physical prompting to support the student. Slide 27. Specific examples of the types of flexibility that are allowed include offering breaks between testlets to avoid fatigue, reduced attention, or behavioral problems. In fact, KITE Client allows a period of 90 minutes with no activity. If the student requires a break that lasts longer than 90 minutes, the system will log out automatically and the answers are not saved. Keep in mind that testlets are intended to be completed in a single sitting. This design feature supports students with the most significant cognitive disabilities because it allows them to take advantage of the engagement activity and focus on a set of related items all at once. As such, try to provide breaks between testlets and keep breaks during a testlet to a minimum.
PAGE 6 In addition to offering breaks as needed, test administrators may navigate across screens of the testlet after a student has responded to an item. Students may also use special equipment to access the test material, and the assessment can be administered on a broad range of devices including computers, ipads, and interactive white boards. Finally, if the student does not understand the meaning of a word used in the assessment, the test administrator may define the term generically and allow the student to apply that definition to the problem or question in which the term was used. Exceptions to this general rule are noted in the TIP for specific testlets where the item is assessing a student s knowledge of the particular word. Slide 28. While many supports and practices are allowable for test administration, recall that some practices should be avoided. Slide 29. Practices that should be avoided are those that interfere with students independent responses to the content of items. For example, if a test administrator needs to ask a student to clarify a response because the student has inconsistent responses or communicates in alternative ways, that is allowable because it is intended to clarify a student s response. In contrast, the test administrator cannot repeat a question after a student has selected a response if the purpose is to influence the student in changing the response. The use of any physical prompts, cues, or hand-over-hand guidance is prohibited during the assessment. Test administrators also cannot reduce the number of answer options presented in a question, give hints, or add pictures or communication symbols to response options that appear in print on the computer screen. Test administrators are also not allowed to preview a testlet with a student prior to administering it. Slide 30. We ve reviewed issues related to test security, accessibility, and structure. Now, let s review the steps you need to take to check student data before beginning the assessment. Slide 31. Remember that test administrators complete all data management in Educator Portal. You should already have an account in Educator Portal. For full instructions on how to access Educator Portal and other Educator Portal information, including information about changing your password, please see the TEST ADMINISTRATION MANUAL. Slide 32. District data stewards upload enrollment files with student data in Educator Portal before educators can access student data. After the upload is complete, test administrators are responsible to ensure all student information is correct, including the state ID, the first name, last name, and grade for each student. Test administrators must notify their assessment coordinator or data managers if any student information needs to be corrected or edited.
PAGE 7 Slide 33. Next, test administrators check the roster to make sure each student appears for each content area assessed. Test administrators should start by checking the Test Administration Manual and their assessment coordinator to ensure that students are rostered in the appropriate assessment. Again, test administrators are responsible for confirming that students who appear on the roster are listed as appropriate for each assessment and that no extra students appear on their roster. Slide 34. Test administrators must also check the First Contact Survey. The First Contact survey is required and needs to be submitted each year before any testlets can be delivered in the KITE system. The First Contact survey is used by the KITE system to determine the linkage level of the first testlet that students complete when they begin using the DLM Assessment. All questions that are marked as required must be completed in order for the KITE system to make accurate decisions about the first testlet. Step-bystep directions with screen shots for completing the First Contact Survey are available in the Test Administration Manual. Also, a video is available to assist test administrators with the First Contact survey. Slide 35. In addition to verifying student data, be sure to use the practice activities and released testlets in the practice section of KITE Client. You may already feel comfortable with the structure of the testlets, but you ll want to take the time to practice with your students each time you administer the assessment to help them feel comfortable. To access these practice activities and released testlets follow the directions provided in the GUIDE TO PRACTICE ACTIVITIES AND RELEASED TESTLETS on your state s page on the DLM website. Practice activities and released items have user names like demo.sue or demo.lisa. Both types of activities can be completed as many times as desired, but they cannot be accessed if you log in using your student s own username and password. Slide 36. Test administrators will need to make any technological preparations before the assessment. For example, assistive devices should be checked to make sure they are compatible with the KITE Client. Technology preparations could also include reserving computer labs for testing days. If students will be taking the braille version of the assessment, extra steps must be taken in addition to indicating braille on the Access Profile in Educator Portal. Braille Ready Files are available in Educator Portal and have to be downloaded and embossed locally. If you have a student who needs braille, please ensure your assessment coordinator helps you plan for downloading the files, embossing the testlets, entering the student s answers in KITE Client, and then securely destroying the braille testlets. Braille should not be selected for emerging braille readers. Braille should only be selected if the student is proficient enough in braille to demonstrate his or her knowledge, skills, and understanding of the Essential Elements in the DLM alternate assessments by independently reading braille. Additionally, braille is only available at the upper linkage levels. Both the Test Administration Manual and the Accessibility Manual have detailed information about braille testlets. Test administrators may also find it helpful to print the
PAGE 8 usernames and passwords for students to support logging in to KITE. Again, details and step-by-step guides for completing each of these processes are provided in the TEST ADMINISTRATION MANUAL. Slide 37. When scheduling a test session, you, the test administrator, must prepare. This requires accessing the Testlet Information Page to determine any objects or manipulatives that may be needed and making specific decisions based on your knowledge of your students. You should use the practice activities and released testlets to determine the approximate time it will take your students to complete one testlet. This way, you can better plan for the number of testlets to administer in one session without fatiguing the student. Considering schedules is vital when dealing with testing windows that require all testlets to be administered in a prescribed time frame. You will need to think about your own schedules, your students schedules, and often the schedules of support staff who will help with testing or monitoring other students in the classroom while one of your students is completing a testlet. The more information and experience you gain from using the practice and released testlets, the easier all of this planning will be. Slide 38. Designating a testing location is an essential part of planning. The testing location should be a quiet area that is clear of any possible distractions to the student. If a student must be tested in the classroom where other students are present, arrange the testing display, such as the computer monitor, so that it is only visible to the student being assessed. Educators may also need to set up an accessibility device or manipulatives needed before the test begins. Evaluating your student s current behavior is very important when thinking about testing. We understand that not every day is a good day to assess. Therefore, use your professional judgment and reschedule testing for another time if your student is not having a good day on the intended testing day. If the student gets tired or distracted during a testlet sooner than expected, either allow the student to complete the testlet or use the Exit Does NOT Save button and return later if your state allows that option. However, the student s work in the current testlet will be deleted when selecting Exit Does NOT Save. Slide 39. The DLM alternate assessment provides Individual Student Year-End Report after the spring assessment. Slide 40. The scoring system in the DLM alternate assessments works differently from scoring in traditional alternate assessments. The system analyzes student s responses
PAGE 9 from the testlets administered with information about the structure of the Dynamic Learning Map model. Students are not given raw scores, percentages, or scale scores. Instead, results are determined based on the probability that the student has mastered the knowledge and skills at each linkage level. An additional video about score reports will be available on your state s Educator Resource Page. You may be interested in watching that video after you have completed spring assessment but before you receive the year end score reports. Slide 41. That is the end of the review. Be sure to check out what s new in the DLM Alternate Assessment system by looking on the Educator Resource Page for your state on the DLM website. Slide 42. If you need more guidance on any of the aspects of the training you have completed, begin with the Educator Resource Page for your state on the DLM website. Slide 43. On that page, you ll find the Test Administration Manual. Always check to ensure you have the most recent version. Slide 44. You will also find the ACCESSIBILITY MANUAL. Slide 45. Additional training is available, including videos on writing testlets, how to complete First Contact survey and Access Profile and other helpful short videos. These are accessed from your state s page on the DLM web site and from your state s Educator resource page. Slide 46. Finally, there are 50 instructional professional development modules intended to teach you more about the DLM system and how it influences instruction for students with significant disabilities. These can be accessed through the Professional Development tab on the DLM homepage or by going directly to dlmpd.com. Slide 47. This concludes required training for returning DLM test administrators. You must successfully complete a quiz assessing your understanding of this module. If you do not achieve a score of 80% or higher on the quiz, in the first attempt, you will be directed to additional training.