SOL or VAAP Participation Guidelines

All students in Virginia are required to participate in the ...

• Virginia Alternate Assessment

• Virginia Standards of Learning Assessment

• Virginia Assessment System

• Virginia Substitute Evaluation System

Answer explanation

The Virginia Assessment System incorporates all State assessments provided to students in the Commonwealth. This includes the Standards of Learning assessments and the Virginia Alternate Assessment.

The majority of students instructed in the Standards of Learning will participate in...

• Standards of Learning Assessments with accommodations.

• Standards of Learning Assessments with or without accommodations.

• The Virginia Alternate Assessment Program.

• The Braille, Large Print, or regular Standards of Learning Assessments.

Answer explanation

Most students receiving instruction in Standards of Learning content will take the Standards of Learning Assessments with or without accommodations.

For a student with a disability, who decides which assessment is appropriate?

• The student's IEP team.

• The student's parents.

• The student's IEP team or 504 Committee.

• The student.

Answer explanation

For a student with a disability, the student's IEP team or 504 committee determines the appropriate assessment the student will participate in!

If the student's IEP team determines he or she should participate in the VAAP, the IEP must document all of the following except:

• Why the student cannot participate in the regular SOL assessment.

• How the student meets the criteria for the VAAP.

• How participating in the VAAP can impact graduation and diploma status.

• The disability status of the student.

Answer explanation

While disability status impacts a student's IEP and certainly participation in specific State assessments, the VAAP criteria are the only considered factors in placing a student into the VAAP. Disability status does not matter.

Non-participation in State assessments can only be made by the...

• Parent or Guardian as a refusal to participate.

• IEP team or 504 committee as a refusal to participate.

• Teacher

• Principal

Answer explanation

Only a parent or guardian can refuse to allow their student to participate in State mandated testing. When a parent or guardian refuses, the IEP team or 504 committee, or administrators must explain the consequences of non-participation to the parent or guardian and document this discussion.

Participation in the Virginia Assessment Program: A Resource for Educators and Parents of Students with Disabilities booklet provides the IEP team and parents with information on all of the following, except:

• How students with disabilities are provided access.

• Descriptions of each assessment program.

• The age of majority regarding State mandated assessments.

• The role of the IEP team and 504 committee regarding assessment.

Answer explanation

Age of majority is an important topic for students with disabilities but does not affect participation in grade-level assessment programs.

An example of an appropriate accommodation might be:

• Pointing or smiling when the correct answer choice is read.

• An augmentative communication device.

• A map showing the United States.

• Highlighted words in a test booklet.

Answer explanation

Accommodations do not provide any cues or clues to answers or information related to Standards or Learning Assessments. Augmentative communication systems simply allow students to communicate more effectively and should not be programmed with specific answer choices or verbiage to enhance test performance.

VAAP test items are based on the ...

• VESOL

• SOL

• VAAP

• VSOL

Answer explanation

VESOL stands for the Virginia Essentialized Standards of Learning and form the content that is the basis for the Virginia Alternate Assessment Program tests.

If you have an accommodation not listed in the current SOL assessment manuals, you should fill in a...

• Accommodation Request Form

• Standards of Learning Request Form

• Special Considerations Request Form

• Special Test Accommodation Request Form

Answer explanation

The Special Test Accommodations form is used to request an accommodation not currently listed or supported in Standards of Learning manuals or accommodations lists.

An allowed accommodation is..

• Reducing the number of multiple choice answer options.

• A prefilled graphic organizer.

• A pencil grip.

• Paraphrasing a question in a read aloud.

Answer explanation

Anything that alters, explains, eliminates, modifies, simplifies, or paraphrases a specific question is not allowed. A pencil grip that facilitates better control of a pencil during paper and pencil testing is an allowable accommodation.