This is a revision of Commissioner's Memo COM-10-040:
The federal laws of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as well as the state Arkansas Comprehensive Testing, Assessment and Accountability Program (ACTAAP) law and regulations require that all students must be tested for accountability purposes. This requirement includes students with disabilities. This Commissioner’s Memo is issued to offer clarification and to answer questions which have been raised recently concerning course coding and assessments for students with disabilities.
Commissioner’s Memo COM-09-142 dated March 3, 2009, outlined the course codes to be used for high school courses for students with disabilities. Nothing in that Memo has changed; however, additional information on assessments to be administered in accordance with course codes is necessary.
Students with disabilities enrolled in high school classes have a variety of options. Students with disabilities in Grades 9 or 10 enrolled in Algebra I or its equivalent and are receiving high school graduation credit for Algebra I shall be coded with the appropriate course code for Algebra I or its equivalent. The students shall be administered the Algebra I End-of-Course Examination, with or without accommodations. Students with disabilities enrolled in a resource mathematics class in Grade 9 and plan to graduate with the required 22 state graduation credits shall be enrolled with the course code of 973900 and shall be administered the Alternate Portfolio Assessment for Grade 9 Mathematics.
Students in Grade 9 who receive special education services for mathematics in a self-contained environment of 1:10 or 1:15 shall be enrolled with the course code of 971540. Students in Grade 9 who receive special education services for mathematics in a self-contained environment of 1:6 shall be enrolled with the course code of 971550. Students who receive self-contained services for mathematics in Grade 9 with either aforementioned course code shall be administered the Alternate Portfolio Assessment for Grade 9 Mathematics.
The same procedures shall be followed for students with disabilities enrolled in high school science classes. Students with disabilities enrolled in Biology and receiving high school graduation credit for Biology shall be coded with the appropriate course code for Biology. The students shall be administered the Biology End-of-Course Examination, with or without accommodations. Students with disabilities enrolled in a resource science class in Grade 10 and plan to graduate with the required 22 state graduation credits shall be enrolled with the course code of 973910 and shall be administered the Alternate Portfolio Assessment for Grade 10 Science.
Students in Grade 10 who receive special education services for science in a self-contained environment of 1:10 or 1:15 shall be enrolled with the course code of 971540. Students in Grade 10 who receive special education services for science in a self-contained environment of 1:6 shall be enrolled with the course code of 971550. Students who receive self-contained services for science in Grade 10 with either aforementioned course code shall be administered the Alternate Portfolio Assessment for Grade 10 Science.
Testing labels will be extracted from the student management system based on the specific course codes and grade levels.
Questions on this procedure or about course codes should be sent to Christopher Barnes at christopher.barnes@arkansas.gov.