With particular concern for students with significant cognitive disabilities, Ford, Davern, and Schnorr (2001) offer five principles to consider when developing and applying standards for the purpose of alternate assessment: Every student should receive priority attention to the development of foundational skills. Individualization is at the core of a good education. Educational priorities should be pursued through schedules and locations that are respectful of a student’s membership in a learning community. Students should have an opportunity to experience a sense of mastery or accomplishment over tasks they undertake. attentive to the quality of a student’s immediate experience is as important as concern for their future. These five principles emphasize the importance of retaining ethical, person-centered gains made on behalf of students with severe disabilities, while moving forward in the current climate of standards-based reform. Massachusetts Alternate Assessment Massachusetts uses a portfolio approach to alternate assessment. Massachusetts’ development and subsequent refinement of the portfolio approach has drawn considerable national attention (Wiener, 2002), it is described here in some detail as an exemplary practice. Massachusetts’ alternate assessment is designed to assess proficiency in the same grade-level learning standards as does the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) for non-disabled students. An examination of the testing schedule for the MCAS alternate assessment (MCAS-Alt) below reveals its comparability with MCAS. Note that content domains assessed in Massachusetts exceed what is currently required by NCLB.
Generalized Performance N/A Student demonstrates knowledge and skills in one context, or uses one instructional approach and/or method of response and participation in all strands. Student demonstrates knowledge and skills in two or more contexts, or uses two or more instructional approaches and/or methods of response and participation in only one of strands. Student demonstrates knowledge and skills in two or more contexts, or uses two or more instructional approaches and/or methods of response and participation in two of three strands. Student demonstrates knowledge and skills in two or more contexts, or uses two or more instructional approaches and/or methods of response and participation in all three strands.
210–218 Failing/Warning–High (Emerging/Progressing) 25 220–228 Needs Improvement 50 230–238 Improvement 75 240–280 Proficient/Advanced 100 MCAS-ALT Index For students taking MCAS-Alt (with significant cognitive disabilities; up to 1% of all assessed students) MCAS-Alt SCORE POINTS AWARDED (for each student) Portfolio not submitted 0 Incomplete 25 Awareness 50 Emerging 75 Progressing 100
III. Instructional guidance provided by teachers, materials, or tasks Varied according to learner needs or experiences Based on task (not more than learner needs) Provided in the form of tasks, content, and materials Removed gradually according to learner proficiency IV. Integrating knowledge as a means of promoting cognition Combines cognitive components of information Results in a new and more complex knowledge structure Aligns naturally with information (i.e, is not “forced”) Involves meaningful relationships concepts Links essential ideas across lessons within a curriculum V. Structured opportunities to recall or apply previously taught information Sufficient Distributed over time Cumulative Varied Judicious, not haphazard VI. Preexisting information that affects new learning Aligns with learner knowledge and expertise Considers strategic and proximal pre-skills Readies learner for successful performance Appendix D: Expanded Core Curriculum for Blind/Low Vision Students Compensatory or Functional Academic Skills, Including Communication