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Author: Dan Wiener Publisher: ISBN: Category : Languages : en Pages : 18
Book Description
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: Dan Wiener Publisher: ISBN: Category : Languages : en Pages : 18
Book Description
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: William D. Schafer Publisher: Paul H Brookes Publishing ISBN: 9781598570373 Category : Education Languages : en Pages : 0
Book Description
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: Sheryl S. Lazarus Publisher: ISBN: Category : Languages : en Pages : 204
Book Description
Federal legislation requires that all students 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 April 2007, federal regulations offered states the flexibility to develop an Alternate Assessment based on Modified Academic Achievement Standards (AA-MAS). States are not required to provide this assessment option. Since 2007, the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) has annually compiled, analyzed, and summarized states' participation guidelines for the AA-MAS. The purpose of this report is to update the information gathered from previous reports. As of November 2010, 17 states--California, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia--had publicly available participation guidelines for an assessment the state considered to be an AA-MAS. As of February 2011, four states--Kansas, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Texas--had successfully completed the U.S. Department of Education's peer review process that determines whether the assessment fulfills the necessary requirements for the state to receive federal funds. The current study suggests that states are continuing to develop or update participation guidelines for the AA-MAS. All states included text-based description of guidelines; some states included flow charts or decision trees, as well as checklists. Other documents were also found, including glossaries and student case scenarios. Over half of the states in the current study required parent notification and implications for high school graduation be included as part of the decision-making process. All states required that the student have a current Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and that the student not be progressing at the rate expected for grade-level proficiency within the school year covered by the IEP. Over two-thirds of states included the following criteria: learning grade-level content, previous performance on multiple measures, IEP includes goals based on grade-level content standards, receives specialized/individualized instruction, and previous performance on state assessment. The following are appended: (1) Participation Guidelines Characteristics by State; (2) State Documents Used in Analysis; and (3) Compilation of States' Participation Guidelines.
Author: Marianne Perie Publisher: Paul H Brookes Publishing ISBN: 9781598571172 Category : Education Languages : en Pages : 0
Book Description
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: Sheryl S. Lazarus Publisher: ISBN: Category : Languages : en Pages : 146
Book Description
All students, including students with disabilities, must be included in state accountability systems as required by law. In April 2007, federal regulations provided states the flexibility to offer another assessment option--an Alternate Assessment based on Modified Achievement Standards (AA-MAS) for some students with disabilities. The AA-MAS is an optional assessment. The National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) has annually compiled, analyzed, and summarized states' participation guidelines for the AA-MAS since 2007. The purpose of this report is to update information in previous reports. As of October 2009, 14 states (Arizona, California, Connecticut, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas) had publicly available participation guidelines for an assessment they considered to be an AA-MAS. As of November 2009 only one state--Texas--had successfully completed the U.S. Department of Education's peer review process that determines whether the assessment fulfills the necessary requirements for the state to receive federal funds. Results from this study suggest that states are continuing to develop or update their participation guidelines. A majority of states included flowcharts, decision trees, or checklists in addition to text-based description of guidelines. Over half of the states in the current study required that parent notification and implications for graduation be considered as part of the decision-making process. The participation guidelines differed across states, but all states required that the student must have a current IEP. Additionally over two-thirds of states included the following criteria: consideration of previous performance on multiple measures, learning grade-level content, and not progressing at rate expected to reach grade level proficiency within school year covered by IEP. Appendices include: (1) Participation Guidelines Characteristics by State; (2) State Documents Used in Analysis; and (3) 2009 Participation Guidelines. (Contains 4 figures.).
Author: Michael Russell Publisher: IAP ISBN: 1617353167 Category : Education Languages : en Pages : 493
Book Description
The importance of student assessment, particularly for summative purposes, has increased greatly over the past thirty years. At the same time, emphasis on including all students in assessment programs has also increased. Assessment programs, whether they are large-scale, district-based, or teacher developed, have traditionally attempted to assess students using a single instrument administered to students under the same conditions. Educators and test developers, however, are increasingly acknowledging that this practice does not result in valid information, inferences, and decisions for all students. This problem is particularly true for students in the margins, whose characteristics and needs differ from what the public thinks of as the general population of students. Increasingly, educators, educational leaders, and test developers are seeking strategies, techniques, policies, and guidelines for assessing students for whom standard assessment instruments do not function well. Whether used for high-stakes decisions or classroom-based formative decisions, the most critical element of any educational assessment is validity. Developing and administering assessment instruments that provide valid measures and allow for valid inferences and decisions for all groups of students presents a major challenge for today’s assessment programs. Over the past few decades, several national policies have sparked research and development efforts that aim to increase test validity for students in the margins. This book explores recent developments and efforts in three important areas. The first section focuses on strategies for improving test validity through the provision of test accommodations. The second section focuses on alternate and modified assessments. Federal policies now allow testing programs to develop and administer alternate assessments for students who have not been exposed to grade-level content, and thus are not expected to demonstrate proficiency on grade-level assessments. A separate policy allows testing programs to develop modified assessments that will provided more useful information about achievement for a small percentage of students who are exposed to grade-level content but for whom the standard form of the grade-level test does not provide a valid measure of achievement. These policies are complex and can be confusing for educators who are not familiar with their details. The chapters in the second section unpack these policies and explore the implications these policies have for test design. The third and final section of the book examines how principles of Universal Design can be applied to improve test validity for all students. Collectively, this volume presents a comprehensive examination of the several issues that present challenges for assessing the achievement of all students. While our understanding of how to overcome these challenges continues to evolve, the lessons, strategies, and avenues for future research explored in this book empower educators, test developers, and testing programs with a deeper understanding of how we can improve assessments for students in the margins.
Author: National Research Council Publisher: National Academies Press ISBN: 0309172861 Category : Education Languages : en Pages : 136
Book Description
State education departments and school districts face an important challenge in implementing a new law that requires disadvantaged students to be held to the same standards as other students. The new requirements come from provisions of the 1994 reauthorization of Title I, the largest federal effort in precollegiate education, which provides aid to "level the field" for disadvantaged students. Testing, Teaching, and Learning is written to help states and school districts comply with the new law, offering guidance for designing and implementing assessment and accountability systems. This book examines standards-based education reform and reviews the research on student assessment, focusing on the needs of disadvantaged students covered by Title I. With examples of states and districts that have track records in new systems, the committee develops a practical "decision framework" for education officials. The book explores how best to design assessment and accountability systems that support high levels of student learning and to work toward continuous improvement. Testing, Teaching, and Learning will be an important tool for all involved in educating disadvantaged studentsâ€"state and local administrators and classroom teachers.
Author: Dan Wiener
Author: Dan Wiener
Author: William D. Schafer
Author: Sheryl S. Lazarus
Author: Marianne Perie
Author: Sheryl S. Lazarus
Author: 
Author: Diane M. Browder
Author: Erin D. Caffrey
Author: Michael Russell
Author: National Research Council