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 

The MSAA Spring 2022 Testing Window March 14 – April 29, 2022

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

  • MSAA Science - Grades 5, 8, and 11

2021 Assessment Administration Guidance

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

Test Coordinator Handbook SY2021-2022

UPDATES

REMINDER- MSAA Test Window Closing May 14 (May 14) REMINDERS - MSAA Test Administration 2021 (Apr 21) Alt Assessment 2021 Spring Administration (Feb 21) Important Updates Alt Assessments (Sept-20) AIMS A Sc Reporting Portal and Updates (Sept-20) MSAA Testing Window Opens March 16  (3-10-2020)  ALERT Update-Student Selector Application  1% Cap (Threshold) Action Plan Template 2019(1-11-2019)  1% Cap Action Plan Notification Delay (1-11-2019) Alternate Assessment Updates-Director's Institute 2019

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.

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Academic Instruction Students with Cognitive Disabilities Presentation - 2019 Teachers Institute--Participants learn how to teach functional skills and academic content concurrently; and Develop an academic lesson that incorporates functional skills.

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MSAA Practice Site/SAMPLE ITEMS

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WRITING Scoring Rubrics

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NCSC Instructional Resources & Supports (Binders)

How to teach State Standards to Students Who Take the Alt. Assessment 03-06-17 Updated Links

ELA -NCSC Instructional Resources for English Language Arts

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 -NCSC Instructional Resources for 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.

NCSC Instructional Resource Guide

MSAA Reports

  • MSAA 2021 Student Results Reports will be sent to districts by August 13, 2021
  • The MSAA Reporting Portal will open August 2 - September 24, 2021

 

Performance Level Descriptors - MSAA (ELA and Mathematics)

2020-2021 Test Security Agreements

Eligibility / Observations  Forms MSAA

MSAA–ELA and Mathematics and MSAA Science

2021 Assessment Administration Guidance

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

PRESENTATIONS

Presentations - 2019 Webinars

Please contact us at (602) 542-8239 or at [email protected] if you have any questions.

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