Characteristics of and Implications for Students Participating in Alternate Assessments Based on Alternate Academic Achievement Standards

• Published in: The Journal of special education Vol. 45; no. 1; pp. 3 - 14
• Main Authors: Kearns, Jacqueline Farmer, Towles-Reeves, Elizabeth, Kleinert, Harold L., Kleinert, Jane O'Regan, Thomas, Megan Kleine-Kracht
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.05.2011; SAGE Publications and Hammill Institute on Disabilities; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Academic Standards; Alternative Assessment; Assessment; Disabilities; Expressive Language; Mathematics Skills; No Child Left Behind Act 2001-US; Population characteristics; Program Effectiveness; Reading Skills; Receptive Language; Statistical Analysis; Student Attitudes; Student Characteristics; low incidence disabilities; learner characteristics; special education; alternate assessment
• ISSN: 0022-4669; 1538-4764
• DOI: 10.1177/0022466909344223

Little research has precisely defined the population of students participating in alternate assessments based on alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS). Therefore, the purpose of this article is twofold: (a) explicate the findings of a multistate study examining the characteristics of the population of students participating in AA-AAAS, and (b) discuss the implications of those findings for instruction and assessment that move us closer to understanding what these students know and can do. The article discusses the results of our study within and across these seven states, implications for practitioners, and future research directions that should be considered for both instruction and assessment.