2023 Justification to Exceed One Percent Participation in the Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP) |
Introduction
The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) was signed into law in December 2015. The ESSA amended the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) and replaced the previous No Child Left Behind amendment. Section 1111(b)(2)(D)(i)(I) and Section 1111(b)(2)(D)(ii)(II) of ESSA clarify that states must ensure that the total number of students assessed in a subject using the alternate assessment aligns with alternate achievement standards, and the state may not exceed one percent of the total number of all students who are assessed in a subject. However, states are precluded from setting a division-level cap on the percentage of students who may be assessed with an alternate assessment. The law also specifies that any division that exceeds the one percent cap must submit information to the state justifying the need to exceed it.
To meet this requirement and to be in alignment with the Virginia Department of Education's (VDOE's) Corrective Action Plan for exceeding the one percent cap for alternate assessment participation, school divisions are asked to examine their VAAP participation to determine the division's need to exceed the one percent cap and must provide justification for exceeding the one percent cap to the VDOE. Please complete the following survey questions by November 2, 2023.