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Alternate Assessment
Proficiency
Download the Alternate Assessment chart in PDF (14 KB)
What you
are looking at:
You are looking at the results of the state’s first
administration of the Alternative Assessments in Spring
2001, designed to evaluate the progress and programs of
the most severely challenged special education children.
Only districts with more than 20 such children are
identified.
What you are looking for:
You are hoping to see that all eligible children were
assessed and that they are showing academic progress by
meeting the proficiency goals set forth for them.
Standards-based portfolio assessments tailored to each
child
Most children receiving special education services take
the regular state tests with varying degrees of
accommodations, depending on the child’s Individual
Education Plan (IEP). However, RI’s Office of Special
Needs estimates that in general about 1% to 2% of the
total tested population – the most severely/profoundly
handicapped students – are not capable of participating
in the standard testing process. Students eligible for
alternate assessments must have a current IEP and
documentable cognitive abilities and adaptive skills
that prevent full involvement in the state-approved
tests even with program modifications and adaptations.
Still, all students need to be able to demonstrate their
strengths, knowledge and skills.
Starting Spring 2001, RI’s most challenged population –
specifically, 539 students – began taking alternate
assessments, which are this year reported for the first
time both on the chart to your left and as a percentage
of the total proficiency in the triangle under the
assessment bars at both the school and district level.
As with the regular tests, eligible children who did not
take the tests are counted as a ‘no score.’
The alternate assessment itself is a series of portfolio
entries whose specifics are prescribed by the state’s
content standards for regular education students, as
well as by goals agreed-on by each student’s IEP team
and caregivers. Depending on the child’s mode of
communication, portfolio entries might include items
such as samples of student work, peer work, captioned
pictures, scripted videotape or teacher data with
charting. The student develops these portfolio pieces
over the course of time and not “on demand,” as is
typical of regular testing.
Like the regular assessments, the portfolio is evaluated
by two trained scorers, using 27 standards derived and
adapted from the regular state tests and 3 more
standards addressing “life skills” appropriate to the
seriously challenged child.
Alternative assessments will aid the state, district and
school in assessing certain special education students
and their programs. Over time, parents and caregivers
will have more standardized, clear measures of student
progress.
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