- What is the Alt-MSA?
- Who developed the Alt-MSA?
- How are students selected for the Alt-MSA?
- What is the assessment format?
- Who scores my child's Alt-MSA Portfolio?
- What is done with the score?
- What can you do to support your child and his/her teacher?
- How will my son/daughter participate in the Alt-MSA?
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What is the Alt-MSA?
The Alternate-Maryland School Assessment (ALT-MSA), designed for students
with significant cognitive disabilities, assesses a student's attainment of
reading and mathematics Mastery Objectives. The Mastery Objectives are
written on the student's instructional level and are aligned with grade
level MAryland Content Standards. Level of performance for students
participating in Alt-MSA are based on alternate achievement standards that
reflect the learning characteristics of this group of students.
The Alt-MSA allows students with disabilities who can't participate in the
MSA even with accommodations to participate in Marylnad's State assessment
program and school accountability system are required by the federal No
Child Left Behind Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
(IDEA).
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Who developed the Alt-MSA?
Maryland's alternate assessment, Alt-MSA, was developed in close
collaboration with experts in reading and mathematics content,
psychometrics, and portfolio assessment for students receiving special
education; stakeholder advisory committee members, consultants with a
national perspective, special education teachers and aministrators, and
parents and teachers of students who will particpate in the Alt-MSA.
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How are students selected for the Alt-MSA?
The student's IEP team determines how the student will particpate in
MAryland's assessment program. The IEP team review a comprehensive set of
criteria to determine whether a student should particpate in the ALt-MASA ot
the Maryland School Assessment (MSA).As a member of the IEP team, you play a
key role in the assessment decision.
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What is the assessment format?
Your child's assessment team will write reading and mathematics MAstery
Objectives that are challenging and that the student can be expected to
attain with at least 80% accuracy. The Mastery Objectives written by the
Test Examiner Team may include reading and mathematics objectives in teh
student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) that have not yet been
achieved that are eligible with Maryland Content Standards.
Your child's test examiner team constructs a portfolio of evidence that
demonstrates the attainment of the target MAstery Objectives that were
selected by his/her test examiner team. Scorers review the portfolios to
determine if the submitted evidence substantiates that the MAstery
Objectives have been attained by your child.
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Who scores my child's Alt-MSA Portfolio?
The portfolios are scored by professional scoring staff selected by the MSDE
vendor. Maryland teachers are actively involved in the selection of scorer
training materilas. MSDE staff is present at all times during the entire
scoring project and is the final judge when a scoring question arises.
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What is done with the score?
You child's score is combined with the scores of all the students in your
child's shool to determine how well the school is doing in educating its
students. It is important for teachers, administrators, and parents to know
that the school is making progress in teaching all students.
Levels of proficiency were determined for "Basc," "Proficient"
and "Advanced" at a standard setting session by Maryland special education
teachers. Alternate achievement standards are used to define level of
performance for students participating in Alt-MSA. For reading and
mathematics, students will be assigned to "Basic" if the percent of Mastery
Objectives achieved is 50% or fewer, "Proficient" if percent of Mastery
Objectives is 60% but less than 90 %, and "Advanced" if percent of Mastery
Objectives achieved is 90% or greater. Students' proficiency level are
included in districts'Adeqaute Yearly Progress reports and sent to you as
the parent/guardian in a Home Report.
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What can you do to support your child and his/her teacher?
The assessment team encourages you as the parent/gurdian to review your
child's Test Documents. Active parent/guardian involvement will support your
child in learning the selected reading and mathematics objectives. Students'
opportunities to learn are broadened when the parent/guardian is a full
particpant in his or her child's education. Families provided additional
opportunities to practice at home and in community settings what is learned
in school.
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How will my son/daughter participate in the Alt-MSA?
Your child's teachers will provide instruction in the reading and
mathematics Mastery Objectives. When they determine that your child has
mastered an objective, they will place an artifact, such as your child's
work, a dta collection chart, video tape or audio tape that shows your child
has masteredthe objective, in the Alt-MSA Protfolio.
Participation in the Alt-MSA means that your son's or daughter's education
is important in determining whether your child's school is successful. With
a strong partnership between the school, the students, and the family, we
can take full advantage o this opportunity to create a truly worl-class
educational syste for all fof our children.
