MSAA

The Multi-State Alternate Assessment (MSAA) is a comprehensive assessment system designed to promote increasing higher academic outcomes for students with significant cognitive disabilities in preparation for a broader array of post-secondary outcomes. The MSAA is designed to assess students with significant cognitive disability and measures academic content that is aligned to and derived from your state’s content standards. This test contains many built-in supports that allow students to take the test using materials they are most familiar with and communicate what they know and can do as independently as possible. The MSAA will be administered in ELA and Mathematics in Grades 3-8 and 11, and Science in Grades 5, 8, and 11.

In 2010 assessment was developed through the research and development done by the National Center and State Collaborative (NCSC) and will be carried forward by the MSAA State Partners. MSAA is currently administered by American Samoa, Arizona, District of Columbia, Maine, The Marianas (Guam and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands), Montana, South Dakota, Tennessee, U.S. Virgin Islands, and BIE.

For more information, please visit the MSAA States website.

MSAA Testing Window 

MSAA Spring 2023 Testing Window March 13 – April 27, 2023

  • MSAA ELA & Mathematics - Grades 3-8 and 11

  • MSAA Science - Grades 5, 8, and 11

Test Coordinator Handbook 2022-23

UPDATES

If you would like information on:

Alternate Assessment based on Alternate Achievement Standards (AA-AAS)-this is a term that is used to describe an Alternate Assessment. Alternate Achievement Standards are not the same as Alternate Academic Standards.

Alternate Achievement Standards-descriptors of how well a student may demonstrate proficiency via the alternate assessment.

Alternate Academic Standards-standards developed for students with significant cognitive disabilities and were aligned to Arizona’s Academic Content Standards. We will only be administering field tests (MSAA Science Alternate Assessment) in grades 5, 8, and 11 in the spring of 2021. This decision will enable LEAs to focus on teaching the new 2018 Science Standards.

The following documents were developed within the NCSC project and offer Arizona Educators ideas, supports, and resources to provide instruction based on the Standards to students with significant cognitive disabilities.

MSAA Practice Site/SAMPLE ITEMS

WRITING Scoring Rubrics

 

NCSC Instructional Resources & Supports (Binders)

ELA

Teacher binder for ELA – Click on the ELA link NCSC Instructional Resources for English Language Arts and copy the following pages: 130-144 (graduated Understanding/Instructional Families); 150-182 (Element Cards); and 545-572 (Instructional Resource Guide)

Mathematics

Teacher binder for Mathematics – Click on the Math link NCSC Instructional Resources for Mathematics, and copy the following pages: 19-43 (Instructional Resources Guide); 98-111 (Graduated Understandings/Instructional Families); and 116-147 (Element Cards)

For both ELA and Mathematics, print the Graduated Understandings/Instructional Families and Element Cards in color since color bands are used.

MSAA Reports

The MSAA reporting portal for ELA and Mathematics will be open from July 18 - September 9, 2022 and for Science from October 17 - 28, 2022. Because the MSAA Science test is a new assessment, we will be conducting a standard setting to set cut scores and the Arizona State Board of Education must approve the cut scores before we can generate the reports. This is causing the delay with the Science reporting window this year.  More information on downloading reports and receiving hard copies of the student reports and receiving hard copies of the student reports will be sent to the test coordinator prior to July 18, 2022.

 

Performance Level Descriptors - MSAA (ELA, Mathematics AND Science)

Eligibility / Observations  Forms MSAA

MSAA–ELA and Mathematics and MSAA Science

2021 Assessment Administration Guidance

The Assessment Unit has developed these 2021 guidance documents to help you prepare for in-person testing.

PRESENTATIONS

Webinars for Test Coordinators: Please visit the Test Coordinators (TCs) page under the "Alternate Assessment"tab:

Please contact us by emailing the Alternate Assessment inbox [email protected] or at (602) 542-8239.

 

Bethany Spangenberg

Director of Alternate Assessment

[email protected] (602) 542-4061

EL and Special Education Taskforce