TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY
Division of Special Education
Locally Determined Alternate Assessment (LDAA) Data Collection
2001-2002 and 2002-2003 School Year
Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
1.What is different between this collection and last year’s collection?
- A new form has been created, SPE-112A, specifically for reporting “No Students.”
- Forms SPE-112A (MS Word) and SPE-112B (MS Excel) are available on the Web at:
. - First points of contact for technical assistance on the LDAA data collection areat the education service centers. A list of contacts is at .
- Fiscal Agents are requested to gather completed reports from their shared services arrangement.
2. What data are the TEA requesting on forms SPE-112A and SPE-112B?
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) requests districts and charter schools to report the performance results for students exempt from the state tests Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS), Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) or the State-Developed Alternative Assessment (SDAA) for the 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 school year. Some of the data elements include the student's grade level, the areas in which they were exempt, the areas the student was assessed using locally determined alternate assessment (LDAA), and if the student met the performance criteria established in the individualized education program (IEP) for the LDAA. This information should be filed in the student's eligibility folder where it is accessible for this data collection report and to the admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee.
3. What is the difference between forms SPE-112A and SPE-112B?
- Form SPE-112A is for reporting “No Students” for any campus where eligible students did not take an LDAA. Complete the County-District Number, District Name, and all Campus Number(s), and Campus Name(s) in the district in which “No Students” are reported.
A Microsoft Word version of this form can be downloaded at:
- Form SPE-112B is for reporting student data. The reported data elements are the same as the 2000-2001 LDAA Data Collection: 9-digit PEIMS ID number, last and first name of the student as reported in PEIMS, date of birth, enrolled grade, area(s) of exemption, area(s) assessed with a locally assigned accountability procedure, and performance results. A Microsoft Excel version of this form can be downloaded at:
Both forms can be completed offline and submitted via U.S. Mail.
4. Why is the TEA requesting this data?
Federal regulations require states to collect and report on the participation and results in accountability assessment for all students with disabilities on an annual basis. Texas already has this information for more than 90% of students with disabilities who participated in the TAAS, TAKS, and SDAA. The data will be sent to the U.S. Department of Education to meet compliance requirements and reports will be posted on the TEA Web page at:
5.Do CharterSchoolsor Districts with no students to report need to complete this form?
Yes. CharterSchools and districts must return a completed form SPE-112A by the deadline. Charter schools not in operation in 2001-2002 must complete the form SPE-112A and indicate in writing “Not in operation” on the form.
6. When are the reports due?
Friday, August 1, 2003. Please make every effort to meet the deadline. E-mail or fax is not acceptable submission methods due to the amount of confidential information contained in the form. Form SPE-112A indicating “No Students” must be submitted by mail to obtain a record of original signature.
7.For technical assistance on completing the form, who should I call?
Education Service Centers (ESCs) are the first point of contact for technical assistance for completing LDAA data collection forms and related LDAA questions. Districts and charter schools are encouraged to contact their regional ESC LDAA contact. A listing of contacts is available on the TEA Web at: http://.
Do not contact the Division of Student Assessment regarding this data collection. The Division of Student Assessmentanswers questions related to TAAS/TAKS and SDAA.
General Data Reporting Questions
1.If a district or charter school has no students to report, which form should be used?
Use from SPE-112A for submitting “No Students” as your district or charter schools response.
2.If submitting the form on diskette, does a print copy of the report need to be included?
No. The Excel spreadsheet for the data reporting is not formatted for printing. The Agency requests a printed copy of the "coversheet" included with the Excel spreadsheet. Sign the coversheet and send it along with the diskette. The coversheet should list who completed the form and how to contact them if there are any questions about the completion of the form.
Specific Data Reporting Questions
Section 6. Areas of Exemption. (areas where student did not take TAAS/TAKS or SDAA due to exemption)
For the student’s enrolled grade, enter “1” (Exempt) or “0” (Not exempt) for the areas in which the student did not take TAAS or SDAA due to an exemption. Enter “8” if the area does not have a test for that grade level.
For example, for a student in Grade 3 in 2001-2002:
Grades: 3-8,10 / Grades 3-8,10 / Grades 3-8,10 / Grades 4, 8,10 / Grade 8 / Grade 8
03 / 1 / 1 / 8 / 8 / 8
Section 7. Areas Assessed using LDAA.
For the student’s enrolled grade, enter “1” (Assessed) or “0” (Not assessed) for the areas in which the student was administered an LDAA. Enter “8” if the area does not have a test for that grade level.
For example, for a student in Grade 3 in 2001-2002:
a. Reading / b. Math / c. Writing / d. Social Studies / e. Science / f. Functional Skills1 / 1 / 8 / 8 / 8 / 8
If that third grade student was given a functional skills assessment:
a. Reading / b. Math / c. Writing / d. Social Studies / e. Science / f. Functional Skills8 / 8 / 8 / 8 / 8 / 1
1.What if a student was absent the day of testing for LDAA?
Since LDAA is not required to be given on the same day as the state tests (TAAS, TAKS, SDAA), a student eligible to take the LDAA should have been tested during the school year. The LDAA is required to be given and the results filed in the student's eligibility folder.
For reporting purposes for 2001-2002, enter “0” for each area assessed for the enrolled grade in Section 7, indicating that the student was not assessed in that area. In the corresponding areas in Section 8, enter “8” (not applicable or no data to report).
For reporting purposes for 2002-2003, enter “0” for each area assessed for the enrolled grade in Section 7, indicating that the student was not assessed in that area. In the corresponding areas in Section 8, enter “2” (insufficient data to determine performance).
2.What is the purpose and use of "functional skills?”
The purpose for including "functional skills" in Section 7 is to determine the number of students who were exempted from state tests and for whom the appropriate alternate test was a functional skills test rather than a reading, writing or math content related specific skills test.
For example, if the student's IEP did not include TEKS instruction in Reading and the ARD exempted the student from Reading on the state tests and the appropriate alternate assessment assigned by the ARD was based on functional skills instead, the content column "Reading" would be coded 8 (NA) (based on the IEP, LDAA in reading was not appropriate) and the functional skills column would be coded 1(Assessed) (Functional skills were tested in the LDAA).
Section 8. Student met performance criteria on the LDAA established by the ARD Committee in the Student's IEP
For the student’s enrolled grade and the areas in which the student was administered an LDAA, enter one of the following responses:
For 2001-2002:
- 0 = No, Did not meet performance criteria
- 1 = Yes, Met performance criteria
- 8 = NA (Not applicable or No data to report)
For 2002-2003:
- 0 = No, Did not meet performance criteria
- 1 = Yes, Met performance criteria
- 2 = Insufficient data to determine performance
- 8 = NA (Not applicable to grade level)
1.If the ARD committee did not set performance criteria in the student's IEP related to the LDAA or there is a question whether the student met the performance criteria, what is appropriate to enter in Section 8?
For 2001-2002, use code "8" for "No data to report.”For 2002-2003, use code “2” for “Insufficient data to determine performance.” ARD committees should set performance criteria for LDAA in order to report performance to the state in accordance with state rule (19 TAC §101.5(c)).
SELF CHECKING DATA REPORTS PRIOR TO SUBMITTAL
Prior to submitting your completed reports, please review your data. You may wish to perform the following “self-check”:
(1)Form header information is complete. Double-check your six-digit county-district number, three-digit campus number, district name and campus name are complete.
(2)Information about the student is correct. PEIMS ID# contains nine digits (consult your PEIMS Coordinator if not), Last name and first name match what is submitted to PEIMS, Date of Birth is within acceptable data range, Enrolled Grade is between 3 and 8, or Grades 9, 10, and 11.
(3)Section 6. Areas of Exemption are matched to the appropriate grade level. For example, students enrolled in grade 4 should have a “1” or “0” in Reading, Math, and Writing, an “8” in Social Studies and Science.
(4)Section 7. Areas Assessed using LDAA are matched to the responses in Section 6. For example, student enrolled in grade 4 with exemptions noted in Section 6 at Reading, Math, and Writing, should have the appropriate areas assessed using an LDAA in Section 7. If that 4th grade student received a “functional skills” assessment, then Reading, Math, and Writing would have an “8” code.
(5)Section 8. Student met performance criteria…are matched to the responses in Section 7. If a student is assessed in an area in Section 7, there should be a corresponding response in Section 8. Note the options for responses:
For 2001-2002:
- 0 = No, Did not meet performance criteria
- 1 = Yes, Met performance criteria
- 8 = NA (Not applicable or No data to report)
For 2002-2003:
- 0 = No, Did not meet performance criteria
- 1 = Yes, Met performance criteria
- 2 = Insufficient data to determine performance
- 8 = NA (Not applicable to grade level)
(6)Check to see if the name is printed legibly, the contact phone number is included, and the form is signed.
MAILING DIRECTIONS
Due to the amount of confidential information on the completed forms, do not submit completed forms via fax or e-mail. Please follow these submittal guidelines for your program:
Shared Services Member Districts
Complete and sign form(s) and mail them to your fiscal agent. Your fiscal agent will submit all completed forms for the shared services arrangement.
Fiscal Agent Districts
In addition to completing the form(s) for your district, the fiscal agent is responsible for gathering the forms from the shared services arrangement and mailing completed forms to the address below.
Single Member Districts
Large school districts are requested to submit information from campuses at one time. Complete and sign form(s) and mail by Friday, August 1, 2003, to:
Mr. Gene Lenz, Senior Director
Texas Education Agency
Division of Special Education
1701 North Congress Avenue
Austin, TX78701-1494
Technical Assistance
Education Service Centers (ESCs) are the first point of contact for technical assistance for completing LDAA data collection forms and related LDAA questions. Districts and charter schools are encouraged to contact their regional ESC LDAA contact. A listing of contacts is available on the TEA Web at:
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