As a new assessment, we conducted a standard setting to set cut scores for Alt ELPA. This process delayed the Alt ELPA reporting window this year. The Alt ELPA reporting window opened on October 23, 2023. The Alt ELPA reporting portal does not close. More information was sent to Alternate Assessment Test Coordinators. 

IEP teams determine eligibility for alternate assessments. In Arizona, if a student is eligible for one alternate assessment, the student is eligible for all alternate assessments. Therefore, eligibility determination is the same for Alt ELPA and MSAA. IEP teams should consider test administrations that will occur during the student's IEP year and include suitable instructional time before test administration windows if a student's eligibility has changed. For example, an IEP team that determines eligibility before the close of the Student Selector Application in the Fall shall carefully consider the instructional time prior to test administration before determining if the student will participate in an Alternate Assessment for that same year.

An IEP team making the determination in the Spring should be documenting the preparation for the assessment during the following school year. Students must be identified during the Student Selection window (October 2 - November 30, 2023) to participate in the administration of the MSAA. To add students to the alternate assessment systems after the Student Selector Application closes, the Alternate Assessment Test Coordinator must submit a letter signed by the Alternate Assessment Test Coordinator and the test coordinator's supervisor. The letter will include:

It is the responsibility of the test coordinator to write the letter. Please notify your teachers early so that they are prepared to give you their list of eligible students. 

To meet criteria for alternate assessments, the student must meet all participation criteria descriptors. IEP teams should discuss evidence that supports each criterion in this order:

NOTE: The Alternate Assessment Participation Guidelines and Eligibility Determination document was revised July 2023. Updates include clarification for Alt ELPA participation and a better format for documenting evidence that allows for electronic and printed versions. This updated form is required for IEP meetings when the alternate assessment eligibility is discussed. The eligibility criteria have not changed. IEP teams do not need to amend the IEP for students who were already determined eligible using the previous form.  

Students in all grades may be determined eligible for alternate assessments. Eligibility determination is needed if any students are not taking district or state-required assessments. It is especially important to continue to identify eligible students in Grade 9 and select them in the Student Selector Application. The Arizona Department of Education is working on a solution to the accountability implications of not testing students eligible on content area alternate assessments in Grade 9 and has made the Accountability team aware of the issue. 

The Student Selector Application in ADEConnect is available until November 30, 2023 for identifying students for alternate assessments this school year. The IEP team must determine eligibility for alternate assessment before the close of the Student Selector Application to allow for suitable instructional time before administration. Only the Alternate Assessment Test Coordinator (TCs) can identify the eligible students for alternate assessments in the application. There is only one list for both MSAA and Alt ELPA.

There are currently over 700 students registered in the Student Selector Application. Please continue to identify your students in the application no later than November 30.

Students who are eligible for alternate assessments will also be uploaded in PearsonAccess Next (PAN) for all Statewide Assessments, including AZELLA. Students eligible for any Alternate Assessments (MSAA or Alt ELPA) should remain untested in the PAN system. The Alternate Assessment Test Coordinator must communicate with the AZELLA and Achievement Test Coordinators to ensure students are administered the correct assessment. 

Alternate Assessment Test Coordinators will use the Alternate Assessment Application in ADEConnect to create test administrator lists. The Test Administrator List in ADEConnect is retained from last year. Test Coordinators can update these lists as needed through January 5, 2024. Please add all test administrators to each school using the "Test Administrator List" in the "Administration" drop down. Select the school and add the first name, last name, and email address. Test administrator accounts will be created in the Cambium portal for Alt ELPA and MSAA systems based on these lists. Alternate Assessment Test Coordinators will also be able to create accounts in each of the platforms when they open. 

Please ensure that the appropriate instructional and testing accommodations are included as part of IEP meetings (e.g., scribe, paper versions, etc.). A paper version/administration of the MSAA is an accommodation and must be documented in the student's IEP. Be sure to also document accommodations that will be needed for each domain for Alt ELPA. More information on accommodations for alternate assessments can be found in the MSAA Accommodations Manual and Alt ELPA Accommodations Manual posted on our website.

We are in our second year of administering our Alternate English Language Proficiency Assessment, Alt ELPA. For more information, go to the ADE Alt ELPA webpage: https://www.azed.gov/assessment/altELPA or attend the Assessment Friday Focus Webinar on Alt ELPA on November 7, 2023.

If an EL student is eligible to participate in Alt ELPA, they will not participate in the AZELLA Reassessment. This assessment will determine EL services or if a student is proficient in the English language acquisition based on Alternate English Language Proficiency Standards. The test administration window is January 30 - March 15, 2024. More information can be found on the Cambium portal, including manuals, user's guides, and practice tests.

The Alt ELPA must be administered by a familiar test administrator to ensure the student's mode(s) of communication are understood during testing. Typically, it will be administered by the student's teacher who also administers the MSAA. Please contact us with additional questions about who can administer this assessment.

The Alt ELPA training will be available in the LMS late November or early December. Accounts are retained every year. Please let us know if you need the instructions to set up new accounts. The password is: elpa21.

Note: ADE is not able to update the training portal. We are working with the vendor to change the names and contact information for the test coordinators that are listed. The contact information does not impact the ability to create an account or access the training.

The MSAA system is purged every year. New test coordinator and test administrator accounts will be created no later than February 25, 2024. The MSAA system will open for training on February 26, 2024. The test window opens on March 11, 2024.

Under federal regulation, the state is required to "provide appropriate oversight to each LEA that the State anticipates will assess more than 1.0% of its assessed students...using alternate assessments aligned with alternate academic achievement standards." An LEA may test students who qualify for Alternate Assessment, even if that participation means that the LEA will exceed 1%. This is then addressed through the monitoring process.

We are calculating the participation rates for alternate assessment. Notifications for LEAs that exceeded 1% participation in the Spring 2023 administration will be sent soon. We want to thank all our Alternate Assessment Test Coordinators and IEP teams for their efforts in following the eligibility criteria to make assessment decisions for your students. 

ADE must take additional steps to support and provide appropriate oversight to each LEA that assessed more than 1% of its assessed students in a given subject in a school year using an alternate assessment aligned with alternate academic achievement standards. This means that we will continue our monitoring through the 1% Threshold Application in ADEConnect and submission of Action Plans.

Two notifications will be sent to Alternate Assessment Test Coordinators if the LEA exceeded the 1% Threshold. The first notification will include the instructions for Alternate Assessment Test Coordinators to provide student information in the 1% Threshold Application. Upon review of the student information, each LEA will be placed into a tier level of support. A second notification will be sent with instructions on submitting an Action Plan based on the tier level and addressing addressing disproportionality if applicable. 

Please continue to use the MSAA States website to access resources for families, educators, and students. Resources range from writing rubrics, sample items, Core Content Connectors, the Learning Progression Frameworks, and more. This website contains information for all partners that participate in the consortium. Please do not use the website to contact the Alternate Assessment Unit as the communication is not directly sent to the Alternate Assessment Team.

The TIES Center has published several resources to support teachers of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities within any Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). The website includes general resources for parents and provides guidance for implementing inclusion practices. We encourage you to check out these resources and the other great support documents the TIES Center has available.

If you have any questions about Alternate Assessments, please contact us at AlternateAssessment@azed.gov.