Hawaii State Assessment-Alternate (HSA-Alt)

The purposes of the Hawaii State Assessment-Alternate (HSA-Alt) are to (1) meet or exceed the requirements of NCLB (2001), Chapter 302A of the Hawaii Revised Statutes, and Hawaii Board of Education Policy 2520-Statewide Assessment Program, (2) promote, improve access to, and measure the attainment of the Hawaii Content and Performance Standards (HCPS III) and the Common Core State Standards in reading and mathematics, and of the HCPS III in science by setting high expectations for students with significant cognitive disabilities, (3) provide information to stakeholders about the achievement of students, schools, complex areas and the state relative to challenging alternate academic achievement standards, and (4) support instructional program improvement efforts.

For more information about the new Hawaii State Alternate Assessment please visit AlohaHSAP.org.

HSA-Alt Testing Window

The HSA-Alt is administered by teachers in a one-on-one environment. The alternate assessment is administered during the specified testing window. During the 2012-13 school year, the HSA-Alt will be administered April 1 – May 3, 2013. A modified testing window, beginning on March 11, 2013 and ending on May 3, 2013 will be provided only for multi-track schools.

Student Participation in the HSA-Alt

Students with significant cognitive disabilities are individuals who display limited cognitive abilities that may be combined with physical limitations or behavioral limitations, or both; and who require highly specialized educational programs. Students with significant cognitive disabilities may have inconsistent or rudimentary basic skills in reading and math. They may be gaining word or number awareness while using symbols to fill in reports and other student assignments, or they may be able to understand a concept in a content text if the text is not only simplified and made accessible with technology or a human reader, but also supplemented with extensive picture or auditory cues. Students with significant cognitive disabilities may also use minimal sight word vocabulary to glean meaning from phrases, headlines, and other signs.

The IEP team must balance the needs of the student in learning both the skill and the content. When determining student participation in the HSA-Alt the IEP team must ensure that the student meets ALL four criteria for participation in the alternate assessment.

Important Dates:

Role Group Involved	Task	Date	Time
Test Coordinators	Distribute copies of the HSA-Alt participation guidelines to the Student Services Coordinator (SSC) and Special Education Department Chairperson so they can share this information with the special education teachers for use during IEP meetings.	September 2012	N/A
HSA-Alt Support Team	Webinar (login information to follow) to review HSA-Alt procedures	August 23, 2012	10:30 AM
Principals, Test Coordinators,Test Administrators	Webinar (login information to follow) to review HSA-Alt procedures	August 28, 2012 or August 30, 2012	10:30 AM (Aug. 28) 2:30 PM (Aug. 30)
Test Coordinators	Maintain and update Student Roster, as needed, in the HSA-Alt TIDE system	ongoing	N/A
Test Coordinators	Add or delete Test Administrators, as needed, in the HSA-Alt OSD	ongoing	N/A
Test Administrators, Second Raters and HSA-Alt Support Team	Training at various district sites	February 11- March 1, 2013	8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Test Administrators and Second Raters	Complete test certification process	TBD	TBD
HSA-Alt Support Team	Monthly conference calls	TBD	TBD
Test Administrators and Second Raters	Complete the Assessment Accommodations questions for each student in the HSA-Alt OSD	April 1 - May 3, 2013	school hours
HSA-Alt Standard Setting Committee	Standard Setting for the HSA-Alt proficiency levels.	TBD	TBD
Test Coordinators	2012-13 HSA-Alt Family Score Reports available	August 2013	N/A

Mandatory training sessions for the Hawaii State Assessments - Alternate (HSA-Alt). These training sessions are intended for:

• Special education teachers who will administer the HSA-Alt to students with significant cognitive disabilities;
• Persons designated as HSA-Alt Second Raters; and
• Complex area support team members who provide assistance to the special education teachers who administer the HSA-Alt.