The Impact of Alternate Assessment on Teaching and Learning for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities PDF Download

Author: Melinda R. Roden
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Federal legislation mandates all students, including those with significant cognitive disabilities, participate in standards based education and in state assessments linked to those standards. To address this issue, this study used a multiple case study design in order to determine the impact alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards have on teaching and learning for students with significant cognitive disabilities who participate in these assessments. Specifically, this study examined: (a) the link between the IEP and the state standards, (b) teacher and parent perceptions of standards based instruction and alternate assessment, and (c) how teachers deliver academic content to students who participate in alternate assessment. Data were collected using observations, in-depth interviews, surveys, and a document review. Exemplar cases were selected from schools representing urban, suburban and rural school districts in Georgia. Five middle school special education teachers and five parents of middle school students with moderate and significant levels of intellectual disabilities were participants - creating a teacher/parent/student triad. Each case was involved in standards-based instruction for students with significant cognitive disabilities who participated in the Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA) during the 2008-09 school-year. Results from this study indicate that parents and teachers have favorable views of academic instruction for students with moderate intellectual disabilities, but some were less sure of the benefit for students with the most significant disabilities. Additionally, parents know little about the alternate assessment itself. Teachers were providing academic instruction that was linked to the state grade level standards and to the GAA, yet many of the teachers continued to maintain separate academic or GAA time and IEP goal/objective time. The document review revealed that little to no linkage was demonstrated between the IEP and the state standards, with most of IEPs containing more functional than academic goals and objectives. The findings of this study have several implications for policy, research and practice, including (a) the need for on-going professional development to assist teachers in developing the necessary skills to adapt grade level standards for inclusion into the IEP and (b) professional development that helps teachers integrate academic activities with IEP activities into more lessons.

Author: Icylin Leslie Harding
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
ISBN: 1524525979
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 126

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Book Description
There are increasing demands of accountability for improved student achievement, hence the challenges for governments, school systems, and educators to promote the development of teacher preparation and educational practices that assimilate precise strategies and alternate assessment tools for effective use in the classroom. This research study looks at the level and type of preparation given to teachers prior to the administering of the alternate assessment offered to students with significant cognitive disabilities to indicate students contribution to the schools academic progress or failure. Results of this study provide informative guidelines to all stakeholders in the business of training and preparing teachers to become more knowledgeable and efficient and hence demonstrate positive attitude toward this form of assessment.

Author: Harold L. Kleinert
Publisher: Brookes Publishing Company
ISBN: 9781598570762
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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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: Katherine Hawley
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
This study examined special education teachers' perspectives of the instructional impact of the Florida Alternate Assessment (FAA) for students with significant cognitive disabilities. Through purposeful sampling, six special education teachers who serve students with significant cognitive disabilities and had experience administering the FAA were identified. Interviews posed questions about how they used the FAA to impact their instructional decision-making, how the FAA has influenced how the development of Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals, and how the FAA impacted how they defined access to the general education curriculum. The interviews, along with IEP artifacts, and a research journal formed the research design. Results revealed 8 major themes and 18 sub-themes. Teachers reported that the FAA ignores the complex needs of their students, and highlighted the curricular tensions between academics and life skills. A third of the teachers indicated they have created and adopted curriculum to mirror the FAA, and five out of the six teachers integrated more daily assessments similar to the FAA. In addition, the study revealed varied results for utilizing FAA results on IEP development and writing goals. Finally, teachers had varied beliefs on the value of curriculum content standards called access points for students with significant cognitive disabilities. Most of the teachers stated that higher standards lead to higher expectations. The results also revealed teachers' perspectives of the instructional impact of the FAA were influenced by their teaching context: center setting versus general education setting. Implications for future research and practice are included.

Author: Judy L. Elliott
Publisher: Corwin Press
ISBN: 141291728X
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 233

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Book Description
"Students with disabilities must overcome unique obstacles in order to learn, and the pressure of testing often exacerbates existing challenges. With increased focus on accountability for all, how can educators properly prepare students for tests without sacrificing meaningful learning? In Improving Test Performance of Students With Disabilities ... On District and State Assessments, Second Edition, authors Elliott and Thurlow offer numerous strategies for improving instruction, student accommodations, and test preparation, all with the goal of improving the test performance of students with disabilities. Emphasizing practical application, this comprehensive resource delineates the key elements district, school, and state professionals must consider in order to maximize the academic performance of students with disabilities. The second edition of this insightful text addresses the impact of the No Child Left Behind Act on instruction and assessment practices for students with disabilities, including those who are also English Language Learners. Featuring inserts and easy-to-follow worksheets, tables, and appendices, this indispensable resource will enable all educators to help students with disabilities learn more effectively and show what they know on the day of the test."--Publisher's website.

Author: Lisa Anne Mistretta
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Alternative education
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Virginia's Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP) is a relatively new, but important program for use with students with significant disabilities. An understanding of teachers' perspectives relating to the VAAP as well as its Aligned Standards of Learning (ASOLS) is crucial in understanding teachers' attitudes concerning perceived effectiveness and improved outcomes for students with the most significant disabilities. This mixed methods study addressed the perspectives, practices and attitudes of teachers using the VAAP in one school district in Virginia. The purpose of the study was to examine the implementation of the VAAP from the perspectives of school personnel on instruction of students with severe disabilities in one school district. The specific components of the study included review of: (a) the implementation of "evidenced based best practices," (b) student scores on the VAAP, (c) current curricula and specific teaching practices, and (d) the perceived influence of the degree of severity of the students taking the VAAP. Finally, the study considered teachers' and staff's perceptions of the VAAP with ASOLs and its relationship with instructional practices. The overall findings from the participants in this study include the following: (a) a need for more expertise and improved staff development in the area of instruction for students with severe disabilities; (b) there were no significant differences before or after VAAP with ASOLs implementations on teachers' use of evidenced based best practices; (c) it is unclear whether results of the VAAP inform instructional practices; (d) a clearly established curriculum for students with severe disabilities does not appear to be consistently implemented; (e) the VAAP with ASOLs does not appear to have impacted the majority of teachers' practices for students with severe disabilities; (f) there is disagreement among staff regarding perceptions of the appropriateness of mastery of academic content with the degree of the severity of the student's disability, and (g) both positive and negative perceptions of the VAAP with ASOLs exist among staff in this small school district. Although the VAAP with ASOLs has increased academic expectations for student performance, especially for student with more mild to moderate cognitive disabilities the utility for the most severely cognitively impaired and medically fragile students remains less clear. This study provides a description of how one district is working with the alternative assessment procedures with students with cognitive disabilities. Future research can provide evidence on the effectiveness of the VAAP with ASOLs with students with significant disabilities.

Author: William D. Schafer
Publisher: Paul H Brookes Publishing
ISBN: 9781598570373
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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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: Marianne Perie
Publisher: Paul H Brookes Publishing
ISBN: 9781598571172
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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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: Veronica V. Harris
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Electronic dissertations
Languages : en
Pages : 121

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Book Description
Author's abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the experience of Georgia Teachers with administering the Georgia Alternate Assessment (GAA) to elementary students with significant cognitive disabilities and determine how those experiences informed their perception of the Georgia Alternate Assessment. The GAA was designed to assess students with significant cognitive disabilities on grade level standards. The goal of including students with significant cognitive disabilities in standardized testing and statewide accountability systems is to positively impact the curriculum and instruction, and the teaching and learning process for these students. Georgia's special education teachers experience the GAA from within and are in an insightful position to share their perspectives of whether the GAA is meeting this goal. Experiences and perceptions for this study were provided by Georgia teachers who had experienced administering the GAA to elementary students with significant cognitive disabilities. A grounded theory analysis revealed common experiences and perceptions among the participants. Findings from the participants revealed the participants experienced the administration of the GAA as a balancing act in which they had to balance often conflicting aspects of meeting state and federal guidelines and meeting the daily instructional needs of their students with significant cognitive disabilities. Continued analysis revealed that these participants perceived the GAA to be a meaningless tool for teaching and a meaningless measure of assessment for elementary students with significant cognitive disabilities. Finally, continued grounded theory analysis resulted in the emergence of a theory. The participants of this study found the GAA to be an ineffective tool for measuring the teaching and learning of elementary students with significant cognitive disabilities. While not completely abandoning grade level standards, these participants advocated that teaching and high stakes assessment of elementary students with significant cognitive disabilities be based on a curriculum that has a more pivotal impact on their quality of life outcomes. They advocated teaching and assessment of daily living and functional life skills.

Author: Leila E. Williams
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 230

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Book Description
ABSTRACTThe literature reports controversy among teachers about the value of an alternate assessment for students with significant cognitive disabilities (SCD) (Kampfer, Horvath, Kleinert, & Kearns, 2001). The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of special education teachers about the value and implementation of the Arizona Alternate Assessment (AIMS-A) for instructional planning. Twelve elementary special education teachers from three school districts in Southern Arizona were placed in one of two focus groups. They were asked questions about the value of the alternate assessment, the impact on instructional planning, the allocation of time to complete the assessment, and the usefulness of the data collected for the alternate assessment. Later, in-depth interviews were held with three of the 12 teachers representing each of the districts. The teachers' responses to the questions asked in the focus group and interview sessions were tape-recorded, transcribed, and organized into themes. Results revealed four major themes and 11 sub-themes. Most teachers valued the AIMS-A information in guiding their teaching. Some teachers, however, believed the instrument did not accurately assess students with the most severe disabilities. Teachers reported the assessment helped guide their instructional planning. The limited time allocated during the school day to complete the assessment resulted in an additional burden on teachers' personal time. Teachers found documenting and collection data throughout the school year was necessary to be able to accurately assess students during the spring testing period. Most of the teachers found the progress data useful. Six recommendations for State (SEAs) and Local Education Agencies (LEAs) resulted from the implications. The first recommendation is to acquire positive teacher perceptions and support for the AIMS-A by providing teachers with a thorough understanding of the benefits of the assessment. A second recommendation is for LEA administrators to assist teachers in finding time to administer the AIMS-A. The third recommendation is that the LEA's must provide in-service training. The fourth recommendation requires modification of existing policies when needed. The fifth recommendation is to create a state-wide data base that articulates student progress on the AIMS-A. The final recommendation is to modify existing policies where needed.