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Author: William D. Schafer
Publisher: Paul H Brookes Publishing
Published: 2009
Total Pages: 0
ISBN-13: 9781598570373
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Discover what really works in alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards. This book gathers cutting-edge knowledge and best practices in seven states to help readers work toward accurate assessment of students with severe disabilities.
Author: Rachel Quenemoen
Publisher:
Published: 2008
Total Pages: 38
ISBN-13:
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →This synthesis report provides a historical look back over the past 15 years of alternate assessment, from the early 1990s through the mid 2000s, as reported by state directors of special education on the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) state surveys, and augmented by other research and policy reports published by NCEO and related organizations during that time frame. It is meant to be a resource to state and federal policymakers and staff, researchers, test companies, and the public to help us understand why and where we have come from and where we may be going in the challenging of work of alternate assessment for students with significant cognitive disabilities. The work of the National Alternate Assessment Center and related projects and centers has focused on a validity framework as a heuristic for state practice, and that work is described here. The report ends with four recommendations to guide state practices at this point. Because of the number of uncertainties still in play, we need: (Transparency) We need to know what varying practices and targets yield for student outcomes, and the only way to build that knowledge base is to ensure that assessment development, implementation, and results are transparent and open to scrutiny; (Integrity) Building on the need for transparency is the need for integrity. The amount of flexibility needed to ensure that all students can demonstrate what they know and can do is higher in alternate assessments for this group of students than in more typical student populations. Flexibility can mask issues of teaching and learning unless it is carefully structured and controlled. Similarly, standardization as a solution risks reducing the integrity of the assessment results when the methods do not match the population being assessed and how that population demonstrates competence in the academic domains; (Validity Studies) Building on the issues of transparency and integrity, we have an obligation to monitor carefully the effects of alternate assessments over time, as well as to ensure the claims we are making for the use of the results are defensible; and (Planned Improvement over Time) In building a validity argument, we study whether the interpretations and uses of the test are defensible, and whether consequences that are hoped for and those that are to be avoided are in fact falling into their respective places. An important part of validity studies is the ongoing day-to-day oversight of the assessment development, implementation, and use of testing results, and high quality data collection and continuous improvement based on the data are absolutely necessary for these assessments. (Contains 4 tables and 2 figures.) [This report is an adaptation from a paper first presented at the Maryland Assessment Research Center for Education Success (MARCES) conference (College Park, Maryland, October 2007).].
Author: Renee Cameto
Publisher:
Published: 2009
Total Pages: 297
ISBN-13:
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →This study is examining student eligibility for and participation in alternate assessments, the technical quality of the alternate assessment instruments and implementation procedures, the alignment of assessments with content and achievement standards, and the use and effectiveness of alternate assessments in measuring student outcomes. The report describes individual state approaches to designing and administering alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards, key features of individual state alternate assessments, and student participation and performance data for each state for the 2006-2007 school year. The NSAA is a comprehensive, integrated study that is organized around three central objectives related to alternate assessments that are based on alternative achievement standards for students with significant cognitive disabilities: (1) Develop state and national profiles of the 50 states' and the District of Columbia's alternate assessment policies and practices; (2) Conduct in-depth case studies and report on selected states' approaches to alternate assessment; and (3) Conduct quantitative analyses of data related to alternate assessment. Two appendices are included: (1) Methodology; and (2) Data Tables. (Contains 62 figures and 2 footnotes.) (State Profiles on Alternate Assessments Based on Alternate Achievement Standards: A Report from the National Study on Alternate Assessments. NCSER 2009-3013, see ED506078).
Author: Jennifer R. Hodgson
Publisher:
Published: 2010
Total Pages: 46
ISBN-13:
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →All students, including students with disabilities, participate in state accountability systems. Many students participate in the regular assessment, with or without accommodations, but some students may require participation in an alternate assessment to demonstrate their knowledge and skills. Students with more significant cognitive disabilities may be eligible for the alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS). In 2007, federal regulations introduced another assessment option--the alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards (AA-MAS). Eligible students may be from any disability category, but they must have Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals based on grade-level content standards. The National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) has been tracking the characteristics of state's AA-MAS since 2007. According to the 2008 NCEO update on test characteristics, nine states had developed what they considered to be an AA-MAS, and only one state (Texas) had received federal approval. The current report found 13 states that by the 2009-10 school year had developed, or were developing, what they considered to be an AA-MAS, and two additional states (Kansas and Louisiana) had received federal approval. In comparison to Albus et al. (2009), the current report found that more states were using constructed response items and fewer states were using performance task items. The current report also tracked test design changes between the AA-MAS and regular assessment. Over half of the states incorporated the following test design changes: distractor removed, fewer items, fewer items per page, key text underlined or bolded, larger font size, shorter passages, and simplified language. In the current analysis three test design changes tracked previously (manipulatives, read-aloud questions and answers, and scribe) were not found for any states. Five test design changes (e.g., additional graphics, graphic organizers, simplified graphics, different typeface, one column format), which were not tracked in previous reports, were included in the current study. This study also tracked whether states' AA-MAS were computer-based and whether the states' documents included considerations for English language learners (ELLs) with disabilities. Four of the thirteen states had a computer-based test. Documents from six states suggested that the needs of ELL students participating in the AA-MAS were considered. Appendices include: (1) State Documents Used in Analysis; and (2) AA-MAS Characteristics by State. (Contains 4 figures and 8 tables.).
Author: Harold L. Kleinert
Publisher: Brookes Publishing Company
Published: 2010
Total Pages: 0
ISBN-13: 9781598570762
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Develop effective alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS). With this practical guidebook, K-12 educators will modify assessments and ensure high-quality instruction that leads to better outcomes.
Author: Elizabeth Towles-Reeves
Publisher:
Published: 2007
Total Pages: 158
ISBN-13:
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Author: Lynn M. Price
Publisher:
Published: 2011
Total Pages: 78
ISBN-13:
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →All students, including students with disabilities, participate in state accountability systems. Most students with disabilities participate in the regular assessment, with or without accommodations. Students with more significant cognitive disabilities participate in the alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS). A few states also have an alternate assessment based on grade-level achievement standards (AA-GLAS) for students with disabilities who need testing formats or procedures that are not included in the regular assessment and are not addressed with the use of accommodations. In 2007, federal regulations introduced another assessment option--the alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards (AA-MAS). Eligible students may be from any disability category, and they must be considered unlikely to achieve grade-level proficiency within the time period covered by their Individualized Education Program (IEP) and must have IEP goals based on grade-level content standards. The AA-MAS is an optional assessment. The National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) has been tracking the characteristics of states' AA-MAS since 2007. According to the 2009 NCEO update on test characteristics, 13 states had developed what they considered to be an AA-MAS, and three states (Texas, Kansas, and Louisiana) had received federal approval. The current report found 17 states that by the 2010-11 academic school year had developed, or were developing, what they considered to be an AA-MAS, and one additional state (North Carolina) had received federal approval. All states' AA-MAS contained multiple-choice items with fewer states using constructed response items and performance task items. The current report also tracked test design changes between the AA-MAS and regular assessment. At least half of the states incorporated the following test design changes: "additional graphics", "additional white space", "distractor removed", "fewer items", "fewer items/page", "key text underlined/bolded/bulleted", "larger font size", "one column format", "segmenting of passages", "shorter passages", "simplified graphics", and "simplified language". This study also tracked whether states' AA-MAS were computer-based, whether states with computer-based tests (CBTs) included tutorial and practice test opportunities, and whether states' documents included considerations for English Language Learners (ELLs) with disabilities. Six of the seventeen states had a computer-based test--four also provided tutorials and five provided practice tests. Documents from nine states suggested that the needs of ELL students participating in the AA-MAS were considered. Appended are: (1) State Documents Used in Analysis; and (2) AA-MAS Characteristics by State. (Contains 5 figures and 9 tables.).
Author: Marianne Perie
Publisher: Paul H Brookes Publishing
Published: 2010
Total Pages: 0
ISBN-13: 9781598571172
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Make the best decisions about the design and development of AA-MAS, so students can reach their full potential and schools can meet adequate yearly progress requirements. A comprehensive, research-based guide for policymakers and administrators.
Author: Dan Wiener
Publisher:
Published: 2006
Total Pages: 18
ISBN-13:
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →Alternate assessment acts as a mechanism for inclusion in large-scale educational assessments for those students with disabilities who cannot participate in regular state and district assessments, even with accommodations and modifications. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), the Individuals with Disabilities Educational Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA), and subsequent regulations reinforce the requirement that states develop alternate assessments for students who need them in order to be appropriately included in assessment and accountability systems. To ensure full participation in assessment and accountability systems, whether for NCLB accountability purposes or for graduation or promotion, students with disabilities unable to take statewide paper-and-pencil tests may require alternate assessments. Some of these students have significant cognitive disabilities and are working substantially below the performance expectations of other students in their grade. Sometimes, though, the nature of the student's primary disability is not cognitive, though still complex and significant enough to require an alternate assessment, for example a student with cerebral palsy or an intensive emotional disability. This latter group of students may be working at or close to a performance level comparable with typical peers, but cannot take the on-demand paper-and-pencil test, even with accommodations, due to their disability. The alternate assessments taken by these students must be able to measure their performance against grade-level achievement standards, rather than the alternate achievement standards normally associated with students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. The focus of this discussion is on those students who require alternate assessments based on grade-level achievement standards, and how such alternate assessments can reliably measure their achievement in a manner that is equivalent to students who are taking the regular state assessment for that grade. The Massachusetts Department of Education (the "Department") has developed an alternate assessment based on grade-level achievement standards consisting of a structured portfolio of student work collected over a period of time, and reviewed by experts in the content area. This option can be used for two purposes: (1) to ensure appropriate participation for all students in system accountability for NCLB purposes; and (2) to ensure appropriate assessments for all students for the purpose of competency determination for a diploma. In this paper, the "competency portfolio" is discussed, including how the model was developed and validated, and how a small but growing number of students are using this format as an alternative pathway to participate in the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) and, ultimately, satisfy the state's graduation requirement. Appended is: MCAS-Alt Grade 10 "Competency Portfolio" Requirements in ELA [English language arts] and Math. (Contains 2 figures.).
Author: Renee Cameto
Publisher:
Published: 2009
Total Pages: 371
ISBN-13:
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →The National Study on Alternate Assessments (NSAA) was mandated by the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA). Specifically, the law called for a "Study on Ensuring Accountability for Students Who Are Held to Alternative Achievement Standards" to examine: (1) the criteria that states use to determine eligibility for alternate assessments; and the number and type of children who take those assessments and are held accountable to alternative achievement standards; (2) the validity and reliability of alternate assessment instruments and procedures; (3) the alignment of alternate assessments and alternative achievement standards to state academic content standards in reading, mathematics, and science; and (4) the use and effectiveness of alternate assessments in appropriately measuring student progress and outcomes specific to individualized instructional need. This report presents data summaries in the form of individual state profiles for the 2006-07 school year for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The NSAA State Profiles describe individual state approaches to designing and administering alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards, key features of individual state alternate assessments, and student participation and performance data for each state. Two appendices are included: (1) Methodology; and (2) Explanation of Item Codes. (Contains 3 figures, 1 table, 5 footnotes. Individual profiles are footnoted separately.) [For "National Profile on Alternate Assessments Based on Alternate Achievement Standards: A Report from the National Study on Alternate Assessments. NCSER 2009-3014", see ED506073.].
