MSAA
The Multi-State Alternate Assessment (MSAA) is a comprehensive assessment system designed to promote increasing higher academic outcomes for students with significant cognitive disabilities in preparation for a broader array of post-secondary outcomes. The MSAA is designed to assess students with significant cognitive disability and measures academic content that is aligned to and derived from your state’s content standards. This test contains many built-in supports that allow students to take the test using materials they are most familiar with and communicate what they know and can do as independently as possible. The MSAA will be administered in ELA and Mathematics in Grades 3-8 and 11, and Science in Grades 5, 8, and 11.
In 2010 assessment was developed through the research and development done by the National Center and State Collaborative (NCSC) and will be carried forward by the MSAA State Partners. MSAA is currently administered by American Samoa, Arizona, District of Columbia, Maine, Vermont, The Marianas (Guam and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands), Montana, South Dakota, U.S. Virgin Islands, and BIE.
For more information, please visit the MSAA States website.
MSAA Testing Window
MSAA Spring 2023 Testing Window March 11 – April 26, 2024
- MSAA ELA & Mathematics - Grades 3-8 and 11
- MSAA Science - Grades 5, 8, and 11
Test Coordinator Handbook 2023-2024
UPDATES
ALERT: MSAA Science Score Reports (10/2023)
ALERT: Preparing for Alternate Assessment Administration (01/2023)
ALERT: Student Selector App Opens Oct 1 (09/2022)
Alt Assessment 2022 Spring Admin (02/2022)
The National Center and State Collaborative, please see this site: NCSC Partners Webpage
The following documents were developed within the NCSC project and offer Arizona Educators ideas, supports, and resources to provide instruction based on the Standards to students with significant cognitive disabilities.
IDEA Conference 2022 Everything Alternate Assessment for District Test Coordinator
Instructional Supports and Resources-PowerPoint --Click for Recorded Webinar
Scripted PowerPoint schools can use to introduce NCSC and the resources that have been developed
NCSC Wiki This site hosts the National Center and State Collaborative Resources (NCSC) that educators will need to accomplish these goals and deliver instruction aligned to the Arizona College and Career Ready Standards.
LASSI / MASSI WEBINARS Click on this link to access several LASSI and MASSI webinars. You will need to enter your name, email address, and answer a simple math problem. A new page will open, scroll to the bottom of the page where you will find the links to the LASSI and MASSI webinars.
Academic Instruction Students with Cognitive Disabilities Presentation - 2019 Teachers Institute--Participants learn how to teach functional skills and academic content concurrently; and Develop an academic lesson that incorporates functional skills.
MSAA Practice Site/SAMPLE ITEMS
WRITING Scoring Rubrics
NCSC Instructional Resources & Supports (Binders)
ELA
Teacher binder for ELA – Click on the ELA link NCSC Instructional Resources for English Language Arts and copy the following pages: 130-144 (graduated Understanding/Instructional Families); 150-182 (Element Cards); and 545-572 (Instructional Resource Guide)
Mathematics
Teacher binder for Mathematics – Click on the Math link NCSC Instructional Resources for Mathematics, and copy the following pages: 19-43 (Instructional Resources Guide); 98-111 (Graduated Understandings/Instructional Families); and 116-147 (Element Cards)
For both ELA and Mathematics, print the Graduated Understandings/Instructional Families and Element Cards in color since color bands are used.
MSAA Reports
The MSAA reporting portal for ELA and Mathematics will be open from July 17 - September 8, 2023 and for Science from October 16 - 27, 2023. Because the MSAA Science test is a new assessment, we will be conducting a standard setting to set cut scores and the Arizona State Board of Education must approve the cut scores before we can generate the reports. This is causing the delay with the Science reporting window this year. More information on downloading reports and receiving hard copies of the student reports and receiving hard copies of the student reports will be sent to the test coordinator after July 24, 2023.
- MSAA 2023 Reports Letter to DTCs
The MSAA 2022 Parent Overview Guides (English and Spanish versions) are located on the tab labeled “Parents and Students”
Performance Level Descriptors - MSAA (ELA, Mathematics AND Science)
Observations Forms MSAA
Google form to document MSAA Observation Responses (electronic copy) - AZ Spring 2023
MSAA–ELA and Mathematics and MSAA Science
MSAA training modules for both TCs and TAs (available Feb 27, 2023)
TAM (Test Administration Manual) coming Spring 2024
2021 Assessment Administration Guidance
The Assessment Unit has developed these 2021 guidance documents to help you prepare for in-person testing.
Webinars for Test Coordinators: Please visit the Test Coordinators (TCs) page under the "Alternate Assessment"tab:
Please contact us by emailing the Alternate Assessment inbox A[email protected] or at (602) 542-8239.
Bethany Spangenberg
Director of Alternate Assessment
