Title 25
SECTION 30.108
30.108 How will the Secretary provide for alternate assessments for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities
§ 30.108 How will the Secretary provide for alternate assessments for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities?(a) Alternate assessments aligned with alternate academic achievement standards. The BIE will provide for alternate assessments aligned with the challenging academic content standards for the grade in which the student is enrolled and alternate academic achievement standards described in § 30.104(d) and (e) for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. The BIE must:
(1) Consistent with paragraph (b) of this section, ensure that, for each subject, the total number of students assessed in the subject using the alternate assessments does not exceed one (1) percent of the total number of all students in all BIE-funded schools who are assessed in the subject;
(2) With regard to the percentage of students assessed under this paragraph (a):
(i) Not prohibit a BIE-funded school from assessing more than one (1) percent of its assessed students in any subject for which assessments are administered with an alternate assessment aligned with alternate academic achievement standards;
(ii) Require that the BIE-funded school submit by October 1 information into the BIE's student information system regarding what assessment the student is to take and which must be consistent with the individualized education program (IEP);
(iii) Provide appropriate oversight of a BIE-funded school that is required to submit information to the BIE; and
(iv) Make the information submitted by a BIE-funded school under paragraph (a)(2)(ii) of this section publicly available, provided that such information does not reveal personally identifiable information about an individual student;
(3) With regard to IEP teams:
(i) Establish clear and appropriate guidelines, consistent with section 612(a)(16)(C) of the IDEA, and provide technical assistance as requested in writing, and monitor implementation of clear and appropriate guidelines for IEP teams to apply in determining, on a case-by-case basis, which students with the most significant cognitive disabilities will be assessed based on alternate academic achievement standards. Such guidelines must include a BIE definition of “students with the most significant cognitive disabilities” that addresses factors related to cognitive functioning and adaptive behavior, such that:
(A) The identification of a student as having a particular disability as defined in the IDEA or as an English learner does not determine whether a student is a student with the most significant cognitive disabilities;
(B) A student with the most significant cognitive disabilities is not identified solely on the basis of the student's previous low academic achievement, or the student's previous need for accommodations to participate in general BIE assessments; and
(C) A student is identified as having the most significant cognitive disabilities because the student requires extensive, direct individualized instruction and substantial supports to achieve measurable gains on the BIE's challenging academic content standards for the grade in which the student is enrolled; and
(ii) Provide to IEP teams a clear explanation of the differences between assessments based on grade-level academic achievement standards and those based on alternate academic achievement standards, including any effects of BIE and BIE-funded school policies on a student's education resulting from taking an alternate assessment aligned with alternate academic achievement standards, such as how participation in such assessments may delay or otherwise affect the student from completing the requirements for a regular high school diploma;
(4) Ensure that the parents of such students are clearly informed, as part of the process for developing the individualized education program (as defined in section 614(d)(1)(A) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(1)(A))):
(i) That their child's academic achievement will be measured based on the alternate academic achievement standards; and
(ii) How participation in the assessments may delay or otherwise affect the student from completing the requirements for a regular high school diploma;
(5) Promote, consistent with the IDEA (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.), the involvement and progress of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities in the general education curriculum;
(6) Describe the steps the Bureau has taken to incorporate universal design for learning, to the extent feasible, in alternate assessments;
(7) Describe that general and special education teachers, and other appropriate staff:
(i) Know how to administer the alternate assessments; and
(ii) Make appropriate use of accommodations for students with disabilities on all assessments required under this paragraph (a);
(8) Develop, disseminate information on, and promote the use of appropriate accommodations to increase the number of students with significant cognitive disabilities:
(i) Participating in academic instruction and assessments for the grade level in which the student is enrolled; and
(ii) Who are tested based on the BIE's challenging academic standards for the grade level in which the student is enrolled; and
(9) Not preclude a student with the most significant cognitive disabilities who takes an alternate assessment based on alternate academic achievement standards from attempting to complete the requirements for a regular high school diploma.
(b) Responsibility under IDEA. Subject to the authority and requirements for the IEP team for a child with a disability under section 614(d)(1)(A)(i)(VI)(bb) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(1)(A)(i)(VI)(bb)), such team, consistent with the guidelines established by the BIE and required under section 612(a)(16)(C) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(16)(C)) and paragraph (a)(1) of this section, will determine when a child with a significant cognitive disability may participate in an alternate assessment aligned with the alternate academic achievement standards.