Team+Meeting+06+03-07-2012

**STAAR Accommodations/ARFs**
Debbie Lewis (District Testing Coordinator) Stephanie Cheatham (Assessment Office) Ext. 5039

ARFs (Accommodation Request Form): Information for ARFs should be submitted online. For OTHER ARFs, you have to contact Debbie Lewis to get approval to submit an ARF.

Keep information in ARF general, do not use specific names

Be descriptive

Look over Criteria for ARF type accommodations

Rationale must address why a student cannot use any of the other test accommodations (Type 1, Type 2 or Optional Testing Administration and Procedures)

Q Drive: Assessments: ARF (To get power point) - **VERY IMPORTANT.....PLEASE VIEW POWERPOINT** http://geographic-cohorts.wikispaces.com/ARFs - Debbie recommends you type your ARF request information in a Word document and copy and paste it into the correct box in the online program. This is recommended so you can use spell check and due to the online system having frequent crashes. If you are in the middle of typing in your information and it crashes, you will have to start over. -Spell out in layman's terms what the disability is and provide as much detail as possible because it is highly likely the person at TEA reviewing the request is not familiar with specific disabilities. For example, don't just say, "the student has dysgraphia".....spell out what dysgraphia is and how it effects the students academic abilities. -When you submit the online form, it will go directly to Debbie. Debbie will review it and either send it back to you for more information or clarification or she will send it on to TEA for approval. - If the ARF is approved, read the guidelines carefully and follow them. - If the ARF is denied, the campus is responsible for contacting the Accommodation Task Force at TEA for clarification. Some times when you provide more information or address specific concerns they had, they will end up approving ARF's they originally denied.

Extra Day - Submission of Extra Day Accommodation should be very rare

Basic Transcribing - If you are transcribing a students answers from the test booklet to the answer sheet, the student should not be given the answer sheet. If the student is given the answer sheet and begins bubbling in his/her own answers, you are not allowed to change those answers bubbled in by the student. Best option is to not provide the answer sheet to the student in order to avoid this issue.

NEW INFORMATION AS OF TODAY! If the student qualifies for the accommodation, even if he/she does not actually USE the accommodation on the test, the accommodation must still be bubbled in on the answer sheet.

**FAC changes 2012-2013**
Documents Shared: http://geographic-cohorts.wikispaces.com/FAC+Changes

**Assessment Update**
Continue to make data driven decisions for testing decisions. Use Angela Solis to support questions regarding supporting this process.

**Reminders/Updates**
IEP Online Modules –Everyone that was registered last year should already be done. If you are not done, it is __**strongly**__ recommended that you complete the modules over Spring Break. If you were registered this year, you have until the end of May to complete the modules.

Don’t forget to get your ESY Data to Melinda Bracamontez no later than April 13th. This means the ARD must be held, all paperwork completed and delivered to her hands via campus mail by April 13th.

PLAAFP to IEP random samplings will continue for month of March - Angela will be reviewing random PLAAFP's and IEP's in Encore to see if they are following district expectations.

Technology --- Make sure it is district approved before purchasing, consult your campus IT or Angela Solis when purchasing “new” technology or software that has never been purchased before. This includes any purchases you make using a grant and includes things such as software, e-readers, and any programs or downloads accessed via the internet.

SEPAC - Make sure you are sending home the SEPAC newsletters with the students on your case load

All Special Education Teachers should join the wiki page: http://geographic-cohorts.wikispaces.com/

Please utilize our online Special Education Feedback Form https://geographic-cohorts.wikispaces.com/Special+Ed.+Feedback+Form

=**HAVE A GREAT SPRING BREAK!**= = = = =