Participation in the Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) for Students With
Disabilities
December 3, 2002
from the Maine Department of Education
State and Federal legislation requires that all Maine students be assessed by a
state assessment against the state standards, the Maine Learning Results.
Students can participate in the MEA through one of three avenues: standard
administration, administration with accommodations, or through an alternate
assessment. It is the school system’s responsibility, through the Pupil
Evaluation Team (PET) process, to make a recommendation regarding the
appropriate avenue of participation in the MEA. (Please refer to the Policies
and Procedures for Accommodations and Alternate Assessment to the MEA for
detailed guidance on decision-making and documentation requirements).
http://www.state.me.us/education/lsalt/Policies&Procedures02-03.htm
Procedure
If the PET decision is that the student will participate in the MEA through
standard administration or administration with accommodations:
- The school must document the appropriate avenue and reasons for this option in
the child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) and in the MEA student test booklet.
- The MEA is administered and submitted to Measured Progress along with the
student materials for all students.
- If a parent/guardian refuses to allow their child to participate in the MEA
administration then, as with any other aspect of the IEP that is in
disagreement, the PET minutes reflect that consensus was not reached and the
school must provide parents/guardian with prior written notice of the school’s
determination and of the parent’s procedural safeguards.
- Every effort should be made to resolve differences between parents/guardian
and school staff through voluntary mediation or some other informal step,
without resort to a due process hearing (Mediation or other informal procedure
may not be used to deny or delay a parent’s right to a due process hearing).
- If the difference cannot be resolved through mediation or other informal
procedures, the school continues to implement their determination pending a
mediation agreement; a complaint investigation report; or a hearing decision
that would override the PET’s determination of the method of assessment.
If the PET decision is that the student should participate in the MEA through an
alternate assessment, the Personalized Alternate Assessment Portfolio (PAAP):
- The school must document the appropriate avenue and reasons for this option in
the child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) and in the MEA student test booklet.
- The PET chooses the appropriate Learning Results content standards and
performance indicators for this student, integrates them into the IEP, then
plans and delivers instruction, collecting evidence throughout the year.
- If a parent/guardian refuses to allow their child to participate in the PAAP
then, as with any other aspect of the IEP that is in disagreement, the PET
minutes reflect that the consensus was not reached and the school must provide
parents with prior written notice of the school’s determination and the parent’s
procedural safeguards.
- Every effort should be made to resolve differences between parents/guardian
and school staff through voluntary mediation or some other informal step,
without resort to a due process hearing (Mediation or other informal procedure
may not be used to deny or delay a parent’s right to a due process hearing).
- If the difference cannot be resolved through mediation or other informal
procedures, the school continues to implement their determination pending a
mediation agreement; a complaint investigation report; or a hearing decision
that would override the PET’s determination of the method of assessment.
For More Information:
Accommodations? Modifications? and Other Challenging Questions About Local
Assessment Systems
As the stakes get higher and
the performance of more and more children are finally being included in
school/district/state accountability systems, new and interesting questions are
arising. School systems are wondering how can all students participate in the
local curriculum and assessment systems and what are the implications of this
work? Following are a few of the most frequently asked questions in Maine and
their answers.
Maximizing Accommodations
In order to maximize the number of students who
participate in this assessment it is necessary to recognize that there are a
variety of students in our schools whose learning, processing and/or response
strengths are not addressed through the traditional response structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it so important to include all students in state level
assessment?
- Students who are tested are those who get
taught. (more...)
Alternate Assessment Component of Maine’s Comprehensive Assessment System
This is the homepage for Maine's Personalized Alternate
Assessment Portfolio (PAAP). This page contains information about the PAAP, as
well as a variety of resources for parents and teachers.
This is an official publication of The University of
Maine
A member of the University of Maine System
Updated:
01/11/2007
