NSCAS Alternate Summative Assessment

Alternate Practice Manuals

• Grades 3-5
• Grades 6-8
• Grade 11

2018 Reports Interpretation Guide (PDF)

NSCAS Alternate Score Reports & Date Files – Powerpoint posted 6.17.19

School Age Instruction for Students with Disabilities

(Includes Alternate Standards Documents)

School Age Statewide Assessment Tests for Students with Disabilities

(Includes Alternate Assessment Information)

1% Exception Background Info – Posted 8.2020

1% Threshold Guidance – Posted 8.2020

Timeline of Federal Legislation on the Alternate Assessment – Posted 8.2019

1% Threshold Justification Document  – Posted 8.3.20

Completing Justification Document for 1%  – Posted 8.3.20

Justification Support Worksheet – Posted 5.13.21

Completing Justification Support Worksheet – Posted 5.13.21

All documents are in draft form 

Alternate Assessment Criteria/Checklist – Required (Updated 8.2019)
Companion to Alternate Assessment Criteria – Posted 8.2019

IEP Team Decision Making Flow Chart

(Please use flow chart to determine if Alternate Assessment is necessary)

IEP Team Decision Making Guidelines for Nebraska Statewide Assessments

Most Significant Cognitive Disability Definition

NSCAS Summative & Alternate Accessibility Manual – Updated 1.10.22
–  Accessibility Tools 1-3 short form

*Accommodations list included

Guidance for Text-to-speech

Nebraska’s College and Career Ready Extended Indicators for Science 

Nebraska’s College and Career Ready Extended Indicators for Science are extensions for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities at grades 5, 8, and 11. Each extended indicator is further extended to three access points, A, B, and C. The access points are intended to provide students with multiple entry points in order to access the grade-level content.

The access points are within a continuum of complexity that progresses toward the extended indicator. The less complex access points are represented on the right side of the progression. The access points increase in complexity of knowledge and skills. As the student is being asked to demonstrate more complex understanding of content, the student moves toward the left side of the progression, closer to the extended indicator.

The Nebraska College and Career Ready Extended Indicators and access points should not be used to determine who qualifies to participate on the NSCAS Alternate Assessment.

NE CCR Extended Indicators for Science – Grade 5

NE CCR Extended Indicators for Science – Grade 5

NE CCR Extended Indicators for Science – Grade 5

NE CCR Extended Indicators for Science – Grade 8

NE CCR Extended Indicators for Science – Grade 8

NE CCR Extended Indicators for Science – Grade 8

NE CCR Extended Indicators for Science – Grade 11

NE CCR Extended Indicators for Science – Grade 11

NE CCR Extended Indicators for Science – Grade 11

NeSA AA ELA Standards Crosswalk

*Standards included in the crosswalks reflect the indicators that will most likely be tested on the NeSA ELA assessments beginning in 2017

Standard Setting Results for the Nebraska State Accountability Alternate Assessment of Science (Prepared by Alpine Testing Solutions)

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires states to ensure that the total number of students assessed in each subject using the Alternate Assessment for Students with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities (NSCAS-AA), does not exceed 1 percent of the total number of all students who take Nebraska’s State Assessments. States that anticipate they will exceed the 1 percent threshold in alternate assessment participation must submit a waiver request to the U.S. Department of Education 90 days prior to the beginning of the alternate assessment testing window.

2021-2022

1% Cap Waiver Renewal Approval Letter 2021-2022

1% Cap on Alternate Assessment Waiver Public Notice Request for Comment 2021-22

1% Cap Waiver Request for 2021-22

2020-2021

1% Cap Waiver Renewal Approval Letter 2020-2021

1% Cap Waiver Request for 2020-2021

1% Cap on Alternate Assessment Waiver Public Notice Request for Comment 2020-2021

2019-2020

Due to COVID-19, testing was cancelled so no waiver was needed

2018-2019 Waiver

1% Cap Waiver Renewal Approval Letter 2018-2019

1% Cap Waiver Renewal Request 2018-2019

1% Cap on Alternate Assessment Waiver Public Notice Request for Comment 2018-2019

2017-2018 Waiver

1% Cap Waiver Approval 2017-2018

1% Cap Waiver Request 2017-2018

1% Cap on Alternate Assessment Waiver Public Notice Request for Comment 2017-2018

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) annually requires each district to submit a justification when it anticipates testing more than 1 percent of students on the NSCAS-Alternate Assessment for Students with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities.

Districts are required to complete the 1% Threshold document and submit to NDE.

• 1% Threshold Justification Document – Posted 8.3.20
• Completing Justification Document for 1% – Posted 8.3.20

ESSA requires states to make the district justification information available to the public annually.

The following Nebraska’s NCSAS Alternate Assessment justifications for exceeding the 1% Threshold are available upon request.

• 2022 District Justifications
• 2021 District Justifications
• 2020 District Justifications
• 2019 District Justifications
• 2018 District Justifications