Virginia alternate Assessment Program (VAAP)
The Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP) is designed to evaluate the performance of students with significant cognitive disabilities in grades 3-8 and high school.
Teacher Resources for New VAAP Assessment 2021-2022
Beginning in the 2021-2022 school year, the portfolio-based VAAP will be replaced with a new multiple-choice assessment in the content areas of reading, mathematics, and science that will be administered to students in an online or paper format. The new VAAP will be based on academic content standards derived from the Standards of Learning (SOL) in reading, mathematics, and science that have been reduced in depth, breadth, and complexity. These content standards are referred to as the Virginia Essentialized Standards of Learning (VESOL). Resources for the new VAAP in reading, mathematics, and science are provided below:
The New VAAP Teacher Introductory Webinar- VAAP Module 1 Training - VESOL Instructional and Curricular Resources
- VAAP Module 2 Training – Student Participation in the New VAAP
- VAAP Module 3 Training - Preparing for New VAAP Test Administration
- Teacher Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)-This is a Word document.
- VAAP Participation Criteria Form-This is a Word document.
- VAAP Participation Criteria and the Determination of Significant Cognitive Disabilities-This is a Word document.
- Virginia Essentialized Standards of Learning (VESOL)-This is a PDF document.
Parent Resources for New VAAP Assessment 2021-2022
- The New VAAP: Introduction for Parents
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about VAAP for Parents-This is a PDF document.
Test Administration Materials
- Spring 2022 Test Implementation Manual-This is a PDF document. - The Test Implementation Manual describes procedures that the Division Director of Testing (DDOT) and School Test Coordinator (STC) should follow before, during, and after test administration. This manual will include a section about the VAAP test administration in addition to sections about Standards of Learning test administrations.
- VAAP 2021-2022 Examiner’s Manual-This is a PDF document. - The Examiner’s Manual contains the information, guidance, procedures, and responsibilities that the Test Examiners and Proctors are required to follow to administer the VAAP tests.
- VAAP Test Plan Template-This is a Word document.
VAAP Sample and Practice Items for Reading, Mathematics, and Science
VAAP Sample Items: Examiner’s Copy and Paper Presentation
A set of ten sample items from the reading, mathematics, and science content areas across various grade levels has been compiled to be used by teachers, other school staff, and parents to familiarize them with item formats, the supports embedded in those items, the tools available in TestNav to accompany an online presentation, and the format of the paper presentation of test items. Sample items are not intended for student use.
VAAP Practice Items: Examiner’s Copy and Paper Presentation
A set of practice items for VAAP is available in reading, mathematics, and science at each of the assessed grade levels. The practice items are provided for use with students to familiarize them and practice with item formats, the supports embedded in the items, the format of the online presentation of VAAP test items, and the format of the paper presentation of VAAP test items.
Reading Practice Items
(Examiner’s Copy for Online & Paper with Paper Student Materials)
Mathematics Practice Items
(Examiner’s Copy for Online & Paper with Paper Student Materials)
Science Practice Items
(Examiner’s Copy for Online & Paper with Paper Student Materials)
VAAP Sample Items and Practice Items: Online Presentation
VAAP Test Blueprints
Much like the blueprint for a building, a test blueprint serves as a guide for test construction. The blueprint indicates the content areas that will be addressed by the test and the number of items that will be included by content area and for the test as a whole.
Resources for Assessing History and Writing 2021-2022
Beginning in the 2021-2022 school year and for eligible elementary and middle school students participating in VAAP, school divisions will collect student work to compile collections of evidence, score the collections of evidence using the existing VAAP scoring rubric and addendum, and report student performance to parents in elementary and middle school history/social science and grade 8 writing. The collections of evidence are to be based on the Aligned Standards of Learning (ASOL) for these content areas and levels. The ASOL are the content standards in history/social science and writing that have been reduced in depth, breadth, and complexity. Resources for assessing history/social science and writing are provided below:
- Superintendent’s Memo #242-21: History/Social Science and Writing Assessments for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities-This is a PDF document.
- VAAP Aligned Standards of Learning (ASOL) for History/Social Science and Writing-This is a PDF document.
- VAAP Scoring Rubric and Addendum-This is a PDF document.
- VAAP Local Scorer’s Guide for History/Social Science and Writing-This is a PDF document.
Local Alternative Assessment for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities
Superintendent’s Memo #216-14, dated August 15, 2014, details the requirements that local school divisions administer local alternative assessments to students in content previously assessed by Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments. In the case of students with significant cognitive disabilities, these content areas were assessed by the VAAP. When the state assessments (SOL tests and VAAP assessments) were eliminated, school divisions became responsible for administering local alternative assessments in these content areas.
School divisions may choose to base the local alternative assessments for students with significant cognitive disabilities on the existing Aligned Standards of Learning (ASOL). These ASOL are provided below for use by school divisions if desired:
VAAP One Percent Waiver
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires states to ensure that the total number of students assessed in each subject using the alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAAS) does not exceed one percent of the total number of all students in the state who were assessed. States that anticipate exceeding one percent in alternate assessment participation may submit a waiver request to the United States Department of Education (USED) 90 days before the beginning of the alternate assessment testing window. In addition, ESSA requires each school division to submit a justification when it anticipates testing more than one percent of students using the AA-AAAS. In Virginia, the AA-AAS is known as the Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP).
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the USED waived the requirement that school divisions submit justifications for the 2020-2021 school year. However, they did not waive the requirement that divisions provide assurances. Virginia’s 2020-2021 documents are listed below.