CAA Optionsand Out of State Transfer Waivers

Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction School Counselor Summer Institute

June 27, 2013Laurel Nanke

Assessment Graduation requirements for the classes of 2014 & 2015 to earn a CAA

What the CAA Options are and how a student becomes eligible to use them, including Direct Access

The Out of State Transfer Waiver, and how a student becomes eligible to use it

A CAA is a Certificate of Academic Achievement.

To graduate with a CAA a student must earn it by either ◦ Passing all WA high school assessments

required for the student’s graduation year, OR◦ Meeting standard on one of the CAA Options (if eligibility requirements are met)

The CAA Options are alternate ways to meet the state assessment graduation requirements, other than by passing the state tests.

These options have been mandated by the Washington state legislature, their provisions are state law, and they are administered by OSPI.

Graduation requirements are specific to a student’s graduation year and class

The 2013-2014 school year will be especially challenging to track graduation requirements because the class of 2014 (seniors) have one set of assessment requirements and the class of 2015 (juniors) have another

The assessment graduation requirements for the class of 2014 are the same as they were for the class of 2013

Students must meet standard on the state assessments or an approved alternative for:◦ Reading HSPE, Writing HSPE; and◦ EITHER Math EOC 1, OR Math EOC 2

◦ This is a total of 3 assessments

The assessment graduation requirements for the class of 2015 are different, and more extensive than those for the class of 2014

Students must meet standard on the state assessments or an approved alternative for:◦ Reading HSPE, Writing HSPE; and◦ BOTH Math EOC 1, AND Math EOC 2; AND◦ Biology EOC◦ This is a total of 5 assessments

College Admission and AP Tests◦ ACT, SAT, and certain Advanced Placement

tests

GPA Comparison

Collection of Evidence (COE)

(The Out of State Transfer Student Waiver and the Special, Unavoidable Circumstances Appeal process are also available, although not CAA Options. They will be covered later.)

Two gateways to eligibility

Students must be ELIGIBLE for the CAA Options in order to use them

To be eligible to earn a CAA by using one of the CAA Options, a student must either

◦ Have taken the state assessment in that content area and generated a scale score, OR

◦ Transfer into a Washington public school in the 11th or 12th grade from out of state or from an in-state home or private school, or have the assessment waived by NNEP status

Non-Native English Proficiency (NNEP) students are waived from the requirement to take state NCLB assessments in Reading and Writing during the first year after they transfer into a WA school

However, this does not relieve them of the requirement that they meet standard on those tests, or an alternative, in order to graduate from high school

A student must generate a scale score on the HSPE or EOC in a content area in order to be eligible for the CAA Options in that content area

This non-passing scale score makes the student eligible to use the CAA Options, and it automatically registers in the state databases

What is Direct Access to CAA Options?

It is eligibility to use the CAA Options without having to take the state assessment in that content area (HSPE or EOC) first.

Students who transfer into a Washington public school in the 11th or 12th grade from◦ Out of state or country, or◦ In-state home or private school, and

Non-Native English Proficiency (NNEP) students in the 11th & 12th grades who were exempt from the 10th grade HSPE because the testing fell within their first year after transfer into the Washington public school system

Direct Access eligibility to use the CAA Options is NOT an automatic process.

The school must submit a Direct Access application online in the CAA Options database in EDS, and it must be approved by OSPI, before the student is actually eligible to use the CAA Options.

This applies to COE submissions as well as the other Options.

Students who transfer into a Washington public school in the 9th or 10th grade (even after the HSPE or EOCs has been administered) are NOT eligible and must take the HSPE and EOCs

Students who were in a Washington public school district in the 10th grade, and transfer to another public school district in the 11th grade are NOT eligible

8th, 9th, and 10th grade transfers into WA public schools are NOT ELIGIBILE to use the CAA Options, nor the Out of State Waivers.

With our state giving Math and Biology EOCs in the 8th and 9th grades, many schools are attempting to submit out of state EOC scores for students transferring in the 9th and 10th grades.

This is not allowed. State law specifically states that only 11th and 12 grade transfers are eligible.

The Direct Access online application form must be completed and submitted in the CAA Options application in the online EDS system. This must be done to register the student’s eligibility for Direct Access to the CAA Options.

If an Out of State Waiver application is submitted online for a student to obtain a waiver based on other state test results, that student automatically is also registered for Direct Access to the CAA Options.

At the beginning of the school year the CEDARS system does not load information for newly enrolled transfer students until October 15th

Therefore, the student will not be in CEDARS or the CAA Options database until that date, and so the submission of Direct Access or Out of State Waiver applications cannot be made until then

Link for the CAA Options page on the OSPI website

http://www.k12.wa.us/assessment/CAAoptions/default.aspx

The 3 CAA Options

◦ College Admission and AP Tests ACT, SAT, and certain Advanced Placement

tests

◦ GPA Comparison

◦ Collection of Evidence (COE)

For the class of 2015 and beyond there will be CAA Options as alternative assessments for the content areas that are now graduation requirements

These content areas are

◦ BOTH Math EOC 1 and Math EOC 1 (instead of just one or the other), and

◦ Biology EOC

College Admission & Advanced Placement Tests

Allows a student’s ACT, SAT, or AP test scores to meet the reading, writing, and math high school graduation standards

Test scores may be earned before or after taking the HSPE or EOC

Scores can be sent to OSPI and banked until a HSPE or EOC score is generated

Scores that meet standard for CAA Options

SAT ACT Reading 350 13 Writing 380 15 Math EOC 1 390 16 Math EOC 2 400 17 Biology None None

Students must take the “ACT Plus Writing” test to generate a Writing score

The score is shown on the score report as “English/Writing”

The regular “ACT” test does not generate a Writing score equivalent to the HSPE Writing test

The class of 2015 and beyond must meet at least the minimum scores below for the Math EOCs:◦ EOC 1: ACT – 16 SAT – 390◦ EOC 2: ACT – 17 SAT - 400

If a student scores at or above 17 or 400, BOTH EOC requirements have been met

If a student scores at 16 or 390, ONLY the EOC 1 requirement will have been met

There are no ACT or SAT tests as a CAA Option to the Biology EOC test

There are AP test Options, the GPA Comparison, and the Collection of Evidence as CAA Options to the Biology EOC test

Students receive a CAA if they score at least a 3 on the grading scale of 1 to 5 on the following Advanced Placement tests:

For Mathematics, the Calculus or Statistics AP tests (either test meets both the EOC 1 and EOC 2 requirements)

For the Biology EOC test, the biology, chemistry, physics or

environmental science AP tests

Students receive a CAA if they score at least a 3 on the grading scale of 1 to 5 on the following Advanced Placement tests:

For writing, the English Language and Composition examination

For reading, the English Literature and Composition, World History, United States History, United States Government and Politics, Comparative Government and Politics, Psychology, Macroeconomics, or Microeconomics

The school must submit a College Admission & AP Test application online in the CAA Options database in EDS, and it must be approved by OSPI

The score report from the SAT, ACT or AP Tests must be scanned and uploaded to the online form before it is submitted in the CAA Options

If a student is not eligible to use the CAA Options, the score will be put in “Banked” status

The Score Verification form needs to be filled out entirely and legibly

The score verification form is on the web at http://www.k12.wa.us/assessment/CAAoptions/pubdocs/1632.pdf

More information regarding the College Tests: http://www.k12.wa.us/assessment/CAAoptions/Equivalency.aspx

GPA Comparison

(Formerly WASL/Grades Comparison)

May be used for meeting the high school reading, writing and/or mathematics standard

Compares the applicant’s grades in applicable courses with the grades of students who took the same courses and met or exceeded the standard

Applicant’s grade point average is equal to or greater than the mean grade point average of the comparison cohort

Student must be in the 12th grade◦ District student information system needs to show student

as being a senior prior to running the tool

Student must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or higher

Student must have taken the WASL or HSPE once, generated a score and not met standard

Student must have met any attendance and remediation requirements

A district representative or designee shall determine the comparison cohort and complete the calculation

Credits generated by the courses must equal two annual high school credits and must include the most recent courses taken

The application with the results of the calculation are then sent to OSPI for approval

If a cohort group cannot be established using the most recent classes, implement the following:

◦ Progressively select earlier classes for a student until a cohort is established. Remember: same class, same year. This is the only way to build a cohort.

◦ Begin by reviewing the junior and senior classes. If a cohort is not established, move on to include sophomore classes. If a cohort is not established, move on to the freshman classes.

Math GPA Comparison can be done separately for EOC 1, EOC 2, and Biology, using only one credit for that one course.

Reading and Writing GPA Comparisons will be done as they always have been.

Collection of Evidence

(COE)

The Collection of Evidence (COE) is a classroom-centered collection of student work that features examples of assignments that align with the state standards.

Contacts for the COE:

Lesley Klenk: lesley.klenk@k12.wa.us Amanda Mount: amanda.mount@k12.wa.us Kim Andersen: kim.andersen@k12.wa.us

For information about COE updates, documents, calendar and forms use the following link: http://www.k12.wa.us/assessment/CAAoptions/CollectionofEvidence.aspx

OR www.coe.k12.wa.us

Out of State Transfer Waivers

Submitting the Transfer Student Options form can serve two purposes for a student:

It provides direct access to the CAA Options without having to generate a HSPE/EOC score (because it provides proof of transfer from out-of-state or an in-state non-public school setting).

It waives the HSPE/EOC requirement in a content area when accompanied by documentation that the student met standard on one of the 50 other U.S. state tests (including District of Columbia).

IMPORTANT: The Out of State Waiver does NOT grant a CAA to a student. It only waives the HSPE/EOC requirement for graduation.

However, if the student submits the waiver form, and later meets the cut score on the COE or one of the other CAA Options, and submits that documentation, a CAA will be granted.

Students who transfer into a Washington public school in the 11th or 12th grade are eligible to use their other state test scores to waive any or all three content areas of the HSPE/EOC, or to obtain direct access to CAA Options.

Students seeking a waiver must have met standard on the out-of-state test given in that state to meet graduation requirements or NCLB standards.

Out of State Transfer Waivers are submitted online in the CAA Options database in the EDS system.

Only students who transfer into the Washington State public school system in the 11th or 12th grade are eligible to use the qualifying test scores from another state.

Even if a 9th or 10th grade transfer has passed an Algebra, Geometry, or Biology EOC exam in another state, he or she cannot use that score and must take the WA state assessments.

It is state law that only 11th and 12th grade transfers can use other state test scores, or be granted Direct Access to the CAA Options.

The best documentation of meeting standard on another state’s test is either the student’s score report for the test or the out of state transcript that includes the student’s score or the statement “Passed” or “Met Standard.”

When in doubt as to whether a student’s score meets standard for that state, just submit the documentation and OSPI staff will review it, and if more information is needed, will contact you.

The Guidelines and application form can be found at: http://www.k12.wa.us/assessment/WaiverAppeals/TransferWaiver.aspx

Contact: Laurel Nanke at (360) 725-6223 or laurel.nanke@k12.wa.us

Special, Unavoidable

Circumstance Appeals

Students, who have been unable to demonstrate their skills and knowledge on the high school WASL/HSPE or another assessment due to a special, unavoidable circumstance, may, during their 12th grade year, appeal to an OSPI- appointed review panel.

When submitting a special circumstances appeal it is best to provide documentation:◦ (1) detailing the student’s situation (i.e., medical

information, absentee records, accommodation or IEP annotations, etc.)

◦ (2) that highlights the student’s academic record (i.e., transcripts, other standardized test results, etc.)

◦ With the academic evidence, submit only records from high school.

Reasons a student may not have been able to sit for the WASL or other state-approved alternative, and may request an appeal:

Death of a parent Unexpected and/or severe medical condition Irregularity in the administration of an assessment Loss of assessment material Failure to receive a documented accommodation Transfers from out-of-state after March 1 of senior year

Deadlines for filing these appeals are May 1 and October 1 of each calendar year

The guidelines and application form can be found at http://www.k12.wa.us/assessment/WaiverAppeals/SpecialCircumstances.aspx

Contact: Michael Middleton at 360.725.6434 or michael.middleton@k12.wa.us

Laurel Nanke at (360) 725-6223 or laurel.nanke@k12.wa.us

Assessment at (360) 725-6348 or assessment@k12.wa.us