State Assessment Type

State Assessment Type: WISEdata

Identification of whether or not a student is expected to take the general or alternate assessment. State Assessment Type-Alternate (SATA) is the identification that the student is expected to take the alternate assessments. This characteristic is submitted only when True/Yes and can only be submitted/modified by the enrollment-holding district or Choice school.

In an effort to more accurately identify students anticipated to take the DLM alternate assessment under the new ESSA participation cap, we are asking districts to submit the Student Characteristic SATA in WISEdata. The department will include additional validations around this indicator beginning October 12, 2017. All students taking the alternate assessment (DLM) must qualify as a student with the most significant cognitive disabilities as defined below.

In Wisconsin, a student with the most significant cognitive disability is defined as:

• typically characterized as functioning at least two and a half to three standard deviations below the mean in both adaptive behavior and cognitive functioning; and
• performs substantially below grade level expectations on the academic content standards for the grade in which he or she is enrolled, even with the use of adaptations and accommodations; and
• a student who requires extensive, direct individualized instruction and substantial supports to achieve measurable gains, across all content areas and settings.

Only a student who meets this definition and participates in the alternate academic achievement standards may take the alternate assessment.