Assessment Staff
April Anteur – Office Technician
Phone: 951-782-6542
Videophone: 951-824-8015
M. Natasha Kordus, Ph.D. – Supervisor
Phone: 951-248-7700 x6858
Videophone: 951-824-8105
Hello and greetings from the Department of Assessment/Intervention Services. Our highly-trained staff members provide assessment and intervention services for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students enrolled at CSDR. Our staff members believe that the process of creating a comprehensive assessment involves synthesizing vast amounts of information about the student’s background. With this in mind, our department conducts a wide variety of assessments.
Our department also houses the Southern California Assessment Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing which provides assessments to Deaf and Hard of Hearing students from 18 months through age 21 years. These services are provided, per the Ed Code, free of charge. Southern California Local Education Agencies may refer students for these assessments. Please contact our department for further information and an application for services.
GENERAL ASSESSMENTS
Admissions Assessment
Students who apply for admission into CSDR are assessed for eligibility by the Admissions Team which includes the Assessment and Intervention Department. Students files and assessment histories are reviewed by the Assessment Team to determine assessment needs. During temporary placement at CSDR, if recommended, the student is pulled for needed assessments during the 60-day review period. Information from the Educational Team as well as assessment data and observations are shared with the Admissions Committee and IEP team for final decision of placement.
Triennial Assessment
As required by law for all students in Special Education, the Assessment Team reviews student files due for triennial review. The purpose of such reviews is to help determine ongoing eligibility for Special Education, and to review progress over the past three years. A report is prepared and shared at the student’s triennial IEP meeting.
Special Request Assessment
This service is provided to students currently enrolled at CSDR. Students who are not making expected academic gains or have behavioral or social/emotional concerns may be referred for a special assessment. Members of the IEP team, including parents, can request an assessment. Requests are reviewed by the Assessment Department and testing is choosen depending on the referral question. Findings from the evaluation are shared with the student’s IEP team at a post assessment meeting.
Behavior Assessment
This service is provided by the school’s Behavior Intervention Case Manager (BICM) for those students whose behavior is “serious” as defined by California Education Code (self-injurious, assaultive, serious property damage, other pervasive/maladaptive).
In addition to behavioral assessments, the BICM is also responsible for coordinating schoolwide behavior services which includes providing support, schoolwide and student specific positive intervention techniques and in-service training and consultation to staff and parents in the management of classroon and individual student problematic behaviors.
Occupational Therapy
Students enrolled at CSDR can be referred to Occupational Therapy for an array of services including classroom consultation, informal and direct services. OT services are often provided in situations where teachers are unsure how to accomodate the needs of students with an additional disability that impairs access to the curriculum.
Southern California Assessment Center for the Deaf
Students who are not enrolled at CSDR but are being served at another school in Southern California can be referred to the Southern California Assessment Center for the Deaf and hard of Hearing for special, in-depth evaluations which provide the district with needed information for program development. For information on how to refer a student in your district, please contact our office at 951-248-7700 x6542 Voice or (951) 824-8015 VP or complete the following application.
District Representative
Teacher
Parent
Parent – Spanish Version
STATE-MANDATED TESTS
Preschool Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP-R)
The Assessment Department helps coordinate the submission of data collected by teachers using the Preschool Desired Results Developmental Profile-Revised (PS DRDP-R). The Child Development Division (CDD) of the California Department of Education (CDE) is implementing statewide assessment of children in state-funded preschool programs. Preschool children with disabilities (IEPs) need to be included in the Desired Results assessments to meet the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004) and the federal requirements of the State Performance Plan.
There are two parts to the DRDP: 1) the Preschool Desired Results Developmental Profile – Revised (DRDP – R) for students developmentally between the ages of 3 to 5 years. 2) For students developmentally lower than 3 years of age to 5 years there is the Desired Results Developmental Profile access (DRDP access). Teachers are trained on each test on a regular basis. Here is a link to the DRDP program resources which includes frequently asked questions: http://www.draccess.org/families.html
Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR)
The Assessment Department is responsible for coordinating the administration of the California STAR, mandated by the California Department of Education for annual testing purposes. All students in grades 2 through 11 are expected to participate and will be administered the STAR every spring during the months of April and May to measure how well theyare achieving California content standards. Students will be administered the California Standards Tests (CST), the California Modified Assessment (CMA), or the California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA).
The tests in the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program are an important part of the state assessment system. These achievement tests target English-language arts and mathematics in all grades tested. In addition, tests in history-social science and science are given in selected grades. All students in grades two through eleven participate by taking one or more of the following three series of tests that are included in the STAR Program: The California Standards Tests (CST), achievement tests developed for California public schools to assess state content standards.This is a link to the STAR program resources which include study guides and released test questions: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sr/resources.asp
The California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA), tests developed for students with significant cognitive disabilities who are not able to take the CST and the CAT/6 Survey.This is a link to the CAPA program resources which includes the blueprints: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sr/capa.asp
The California Modified Assessment (CMA) is an alternate assessment of the California content standards based on modified achievement standards for children with disabilities who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). It is available for students in grades 3 – 8 who meet the criteria. This is a link to the CMA program resources which includes the blueprints: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sr/cmastar.asp
California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE)
The Assessment and Intervention Services Department is responsible for coordinating the administration of the CAHSEE mandated by the California Department of Education. As of July 2009, all Special Education students are exempt from passing the CAHSEE. These students can receive a high school diploma if they have an IEP and have completed all the state mandatory class work. Nevertheless, in keeping with the high academic goals we set for our students, we administer the CAHSEE several times a year to give students the opportunity to pass.
The exam is divided into two parts: (1) English-language arts (reading and writing) and (2) mathematics. The minimum (scaled) score that a student can receive on either portion (ELA or math) of CAHSEE is 275; the maximum is 450. Students must earn a score of 350 or higher on each part of the CAHSEE (English-language arts and mathematics) to pass the exam. Students do not need to pass both parts of the exam during the same administration in order to satisfy the CAHSEE requirement. Students have six opportunities to pass the CAHSEE. The students may take the test one time in March as a sophomore, twice (Nov. and Feb.) as a junior and three times (Oct., Feb., and May) as a senior.
The English-language arts part of the CAHSEE addresses state content standards through grade ten. In reading, this includes vocabulary, decoding, comprehension, and analysis of information and literary texts. In writing, this covers writing strategies, applications, and the conventions of English (e.g. grammar, spelling, and punctuation).
The mathematics part of the CAHSEE addresses state standards in grades six and seven and Algebra I. The exam includes statistics, data analysis and probability, number sense, measurement and geometry, mathematical reasoning, and algebra. Students are also asked to demonstrate a strong foundation in computation and arithmetic, including working with decimals, fractions, and percents.
This is a link to the CAHSEE program resources which include study guides and released test questions: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/hs/resources.asp
Physical Fitness Test (PFT)
The Assessment and Intervention Services Department also helps coordinate the submission of data collected using the Physical Fitness Test (PFT). By law (Education Code Section 60800), school districts in California are required to administer the PFT annually to all students in grades five, seven, and nine. The testing window for the PFT is February 1st – May 31st. The PFT provides information that can be used by students to assess and plan personal fitness programs, by teachers to design the curriculum for physical education, and by parents and guardians to understand their children’s fitness level.This is a link to the Physical Fitness Test resources: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/pf/overview.asp
Accommodations and Modifications
This is a link to the Matrix of Test Variations, Accommodations, and Modifications that can be used for administration of California statewide assessments: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/hs/accmod.asp
Testing Dates 2011-2012
STAR Writing
March 6th (4 & 7th graders only)
CST-California Standards Test
April 16 – April 27 - Middle School (grades 6-8)
April 23 – May 4 – High School (grades 9-11)
April 30 – May 10 – Elementary School (grades 2-5)
CMA-California Modified Assessment
April 16 – April 27 - Middle School (grades 6-8)
April 23 – May 4 – High School (grades 9-11)
April 30 – May 10 – Elementary School (grades 3-5)
Special Needs / CAPA
April 11 – May 11 (grades 2 – 11)
ACHIEVEMENT TESTS
Measures of Academic Progress
CSDR is thrilled to have adopted the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), a state-aligned computerized adaptive assessment program developed by the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA). It provides educators with the information they need to improve teaching and learning in Reading, Mathematics, and Language Usage. The difficulty of each question is based on how well a student answers all the previous questions. As the student answers correctly, questions become more difficult. If the student answers incorrectly, the questions become easier. Educators use the growth and achievement data from MAP to develop targeted instructional strategies and to plan school improvement. With the ability to test students up to two times a year (fall and spring), MAP test results help educators make student-focused, data-driven decisions. All students in grades 2 through 10 participate in the testing. This is a link for MAP resources: parent toolkit (link)
After each administration of the MAP, parents will receive a summary of their child’s scores. Scores are reported as RIT scores; a scale developed by NWEA to measure student achievement and growth. RIT stands for Rasch UnIT, which is a measurement scale developed to simplify the interpretation of test scores.
The RIT score relates directly to the curriculum scale in each subject area. It is an equal-interval scale, like feet and inches, so scores can be added together to calculate accurate class or school averages. Because the tests are adaptive and the test items displayed are based on student performance, not age or grade, a score means the same thing. For example, a third grader who received a score of 210 and a fourth grader who received a score of 210 are learning at the same level. This allows growth to be measured.
Results of the Reading sections of the MAP are also used to derive Lexile scores. If you are the parent of a school-aged child, you may have already heard of Lexile scores. Lexiles refer to a measurement of reading abilities based on the Lexile Framework for Reading, a nationally accepted scale designed to measure text and reading abilities. Lexile scores are used by educators not only to measure and track a child’s reading ability and progress, but also to help them choose appropriate reading material for their abilities, hence allowing them to gain practice reading without becoming frustrated by the material.
The scale for Lexile scores ranges from 200 for beginning readers to 1700 for advanced reading material. Once achild’s Lexilescores is determined, teachers and parents can reference a list of books that fall within the child’s reading abilities based on Lexile scores. Frequent reading outside of school has been proven to boost academic success, so the selection of appropriate reading material may help a child succeed in school by increasing independent reading.
Thousands of titles have been indexed on the Lexile scale and most school personnel and even public librarians are familiar with the Lexile Framework. A parent or child can go to the library and easily choose books that are within the child’s range of reading abilities, or parents can challenge children to try a book that is indexed slightly above their current Lexile scores. Parents can also ask their child’s teacher to provide a suggested reading list based on their child’s most recent Lexile scores.
Visit Lexile Framework for Reading at: http://www.lexile.com/
If parents have questions about the MAP or their child’s RIT scores, they can contact their school’s principal or the Assessment and Intervention Services Department.
INTERVENTION
Study Island
In addition to coordinating the CAHSEE, the Intervention Specialist provides support to teachers by providing them with teaching materials and software programs to be used with students in helping them pass the CAHSEE, Study Island, a software tutoring program, is used with students at school and can also be accessed from home computers.
Study Island is completely Web-based. Students can access Study Island and learn at their own pace. Not only are there several thousand questions in the Study Island program, but each question constantly changes. The answers to the multiple-choice questions rotate positions, and the numbers in the math questions are chosen randomly, resulting in a deeper understanding of the concepts, as opposed to memorization of the answers. Teachers can customize printable worksheets when a paper/pencil option is more appropriate for the learner. Students build confidence in their understanding of the California Content Standards. More details can be found within the Study Island brochure.
Measuring Up
Assessment and Intervention Services provides Measuring Up textbooks to ELA and Math teachers in the Middle School and High School programs. Measuring Up is a research-based supplemental instructional program designed to help students learn the their state standards so they may succeed on the state test. The Measuring Up student worktexts contain lessons with guided instruction, application activities and targeted standards practice, forming a comprehensive approach to standards instruction. Furthermore, the program includes a formative assessment component with tests taken online or in print. Using the assessments in conjunction with the worktexts, teachers can assign appropriate lessons so that each student has a a Personal Prescriptive Path to success. The website can be found at: http://www.peopleseducation.com/state/CA/
Standards-based Games
CSDR has also identified the Quia website as an intervention that parents and students can access from home. Choose a subject area that interests you, and then browse through thousands of learning activities. All of these games and quizzes were created by educators using Quia’s tools and templates. Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, we guarantee you’ll find something interesting and useful. The website can be found at: http://www.quia.com/shared/
MAP Vocabulary Lists
The Measures of Academic Progress provides a listing of essentialvocabulary for reading, language usage, mathematics, and general science. Within each subject area, vocabulary is included in 10-point RIT score ranges. The RIT Score Range here indicates when the corresponding group of words should be introduced into the curriculum for each subject area based on MAP testing scores.
Access to MAP Vocabulary Lists
Helpful Websites for Student/Parents
The following websites provide excellent resources for assistance in math, reading, language, and writing.
