Special Education Listserv

Subject: End of Course Exams: Documentation of the IEP

Source: Margaret Strecker, Director, Compliance

Intended Audience: Administrators of Special Education

Date: April 21, 2008

We have received a number of questions about how to document a student's IEP to reflect the change for high school students from MAP assessments to End of Course (EOC) examinations.

Students taking EOC exams this spring as part of the pilot:

End of Course examinations under the pilot are not considered to be statewide assessments.  Students will take the MAP also.  The pilot process is designed to build validity and reliability into the testing process so that beginning next year these examinations will be used for accountability for state-wide assessments.

Therefore, the IEP does not need to reflect participation in EOC examinations that are given as part of the pilot this spring.  We would expect students taking these examinations to use the same accommodations and modifications for these tests as they use for MAP testing, but it is not necessary to specify accommodations for EOC exams given this spring.

High School Students who will not take MAP assessments but may participate in EOC examinations in 2008-09:

A number of issues are in discussion within DESE related to EOC examinations, and it is our intent to build in as much flexibility as possible for students with disabilities who will participate in these examinations.  The Division of Special Education will not be making any immediate changes in the IEP model form, because it is important that we have more information upon which to base those changes.

As IEP teams meet to review/revise IEPs for students that will be in high school next school year and are not eligible for MAP-A, the IEPs should reflect that high school students will not participate in MAP testing but will participate in End of Course examinations.  The IEP should state that accommodations listed are for the End of Course examinations.

It may be necessary to add more detailed information to the IEP when additional information is available about End of Course examination procedures.  At that time, if appropriate, changes in the IEP may be made through the addendum process.