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2023-24 Participation Criteria and Forms: Alternate Districtwide Assessments

Alternate districtwide assessments are available for the 2023-24 school year for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities as an alternative to participating in the PARCC, DC Science and ACCESS assessments. All District of Columbia students participate in District-wide assessments in one of three ways:

  1. The general assessment
  2. The general assessment with accommodation
  3. The alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS)

Eligibility for participation in any alternate assessment for the 2023-24 school year begins with LEAs completing the appropriate documentation in SEDS. During the IEP development process, or through an IEP amendment, Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams are to carefully review the OSSE’s participation criteria to identify individual students for whom it may be most appropriate to participate in the alternate assessment program.

Timeline for the Alternate Assessment Eligibility Process for the 2023-24 School Year

Task

Deadline

 System

LEAs add or update documentation for alternate assessment applications in the Special Programs database. For OSSE to review eligibility, a student must have the following in the Special Programs database for the 2023-24 school year:

  1. An active IEP on file that indicates “Alternate Assessment” selected by the IEP team.
  2. A current “DC Alternate Assessment Participation Decision Documentation Form” on file.
  3. All sources of supporting evidence for the alternate assessment decision form have been uploaded.

Aug. 28, 2023 - Nov. 13, 2023

 Special Programs Database
LEAs can view the students who have alternate assessment applications in the Special Programs database through the Quickbase and Qlik applications.

Nov. 2, 2023
(Rolling updates)

Quickbase

Qlik

Final deadline for LEAs updating alternate assessment eligibility documentation in the Special Programs database for the 2023-24 school year.

Nov. 13, 2023

 Special Programs Database

OSSE reviews documentation in the Special Programs database for students requesting eligibility for alternate assessments in the 2023-24 school year.

Nov. 2-30, 2023

 Special Programs Database

OSSE sends eligibility determinations to LEAs in the Special Programs database.

Dec. 1, 2023

Special Programs Database

LEAs may appeal eligibility determinations in Quickbase and in most cases will need to submit additional evidence that supports the appeal to OSSE in the Special Programs database.

As a rare exception, LEAs may submit new eligibility applications after the application window, only for transfer students or students who have new disability determinations.

Dec. 1-19, 2023

Quickbase

Special Programs Database
LEAs receive final eligibility determinations from OSSE in the Special Programs database. Jan. 12, 2024 Special Programs Database

For more information and guidance for IEP teams on alternate assessment participation, please contact Lauren Thompson at [email protected]. For technical assistance with the Alternate Assessment MSAA Quickbase application or Qlik, contact your LEA Data Liaison.

The following documents will assist IEP Teams to determine eligibility for DC Alternate Assessments.

For questions about participation criteria or eligibility determinations, please contact Lauren Thompson at [email protected].

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