To reduce the number of demographic coding errors associated with the Special Education Alternate Portfolio Assessment for grades 3-11, the Special Education Unit in collaboration with the Curriculum, Assessment and Research Unit, is adding a new reporting field to the Special Education School Age Module in Arkansas Public School Computer Network (APSCN). The new field will be used to identify students participating in the special education alternate portfolio assessment so the testing company can generate scannable labels. Besides reducing the number of demographic coding errors, the labels will relieve the teachers of having to code the student demographic information.
To identify students participating in the special education alternate portfolio assessment the new “Alternate Portfolio” field will be part of the December 1 child count Cycle 4 Statewide Information System (SIS) submission. Systems for non-pentamation districts will need to be updated to include the field in the Cycle 4 reporting to APSCN.
The field will be available in the special education school age module prior to Cycle 4 opening December 1 and a “Y” or “N” will be required. Additional information about the “Alternate Portfolio” field will be discussed during the Special Education Cycle 2-7 web-based training scheduled August 22-23, 2007.