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.

The report is organized to provide information on the school-level implementation of alternate assessments for students with significant cognitive disabilities. Following the Introduction in Chapter 1, Chapter 2 describes the study design and methods, including the development of the teacher survey and data collection procedures and analyses. Chapter 3 describes background information for teacher respondents, the students they teach, and the classrooms in which they work. Chapter 4 describes teachers' potential instructional influences, their understanding of the alternate assessment system, and their expectations and beliefs related to students with significant cognitive disabilities. Chapter 5 describes the teachers' professional capacity and the availability and use of resources. Chapter 6 describes students' opportunity to learn academic content. Chapter 7 highlights key study findings. National Study on Alternate Assessments Teacher Survey is appended. (Contains 1 table, 60 figures, and 10 footnotes.).

Since the reauthorization of IDEA (1997), educators have faced the challenges of creating access to the general curriculum and participation in statewide assessment systems for all students, including those with significant cognitive disabilities unable to participate in typical statewide assessments. The results of reviewed literature indicate that in order to improve the practices of alternate assessments, it is important to understand teachers' perspectives about alternate assessments because teachers' beliefs directly influence their implementation of alternate assessments in their classrooms. The purposes of this study were to examine (a) perspectives, self-reported classroom practices, and concerns of special education teachers who implement the alternate portfolio assessment (APA) system; (b) special education teachers perceived benefits of the APA system; and (c) special education teachers' specific suggestions for improving the APA system. In addition, (d) an analysis between Kentucky and Mississippi was performed using independent t-tests to see if any statistical difference existed between the states on four specific survey items. A survey instrument was used to gather these data from a sample of special educators who had experience with this alternate assessment system. Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviations) were used to analyze the survey data. In addition, answers to specific open-ended questions were presented to further enrich the quantitative data provided by teachers. Lastly, independent t-tests were performed to investigate if any statistically significant differences existed between Mississippi and the state of Kentucky on four specific survey items (see Table 11). Overall results revealed that teachers hold a negative perspective of the APA system, Findings suggested that the APA is not fully meeting the complex needs of their students, and highlighted the curricular tensions between academics and functional life skills. The teachers tended to agree that students should be included in the state accountability system, but were not fully convinced of the educational benefits to their students. Results from the independent t-test revealed a statistically significant difference between means of two survey items (t = 5.0356, p

Findings suggest the current alternate assessment in Texas has impacted the classroom by forcing teachers to focus heavily on academic subjects and eliminate some functional curriculum. Teachers spend large amounts of time preparing for and administering the assessment. Despite the demands of the assessment, little guidance is given by districts on how to administer the test and no guidance is offered on how to mesh together the functional needs of the students with academics.

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.

Presents a five-step model for measuring teacher competence that helps teacher educators and school administrators prepare accurate and reliable evaluations and accountability reports. This title provides guidance for the complete assessment process. It is intended for preservice and inservice faculty, administrators, and supervisors.

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.