This study investigated the extent to which alternate assessment scores for 12th-grade students in Kentucky's Alternate Portfolio Program for students with significant disabilities correlated with a measure of post-school outcomes for these students approximately one year after completing school. Forty-one former students participated in the study and in a comprehensive interview with their families. Life outcomes were measured through an author-developed tool, the Life Dimensions Scoring Rubric. No significant relationship was found between these two measures, indicating that for this sample alternate assessment scores were not related to post-school outcomes. Factors that may have contributed to these results are discussed, as well as some of the recurrent themes that emerged from the interviews. Suggestions for future research are also presented.

The purpose of this article is to report the results from a study examining the relationship between educational experiences for students with deaf-blindness and large-scale alternate assessment outcomes. Individualized education plans (IEPs) and instructional practices for 24 students were observed for indicators of best practices for students with deaf-blindness and severe cognitive disabilities. Results indicate that students who had greater opportunities for developing communication and social skills also had better outcomes on a statewide large-scale assessment, yet there was no relationship between assessment outcomes and the quality of a student's IEP or overall instructional programming.

Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a dental care coordinator intervention on increasing dental utilization by Medicaid-eligible children compared with a control group. Methods One hundred and thirty-six children enrolled in Medicaid aged 4 to 15 years at baseline in 2004 who had not had Medicaid claims for 2 years, were randomly assigned to intervention or control groups for 12 months. Children and caregivers in the intervention group received education, assistance in finding a dentist if the child did not have one, and assistance and support in scheduling and keeping dental appointments. All children continued to receive routine member services from the dental plan administrator, including newsletters and benefit updates during the study. Results Dental utilization during the study period was significantly higher in the intervention group (43 percent) than in the control group (26 percent). The effect was even more significant among children living in households well below the Federal Poverty Level. The intervention was effective regardless of whether the coordinator was able to provide services in person or via telephone and mail. Conclusion The dental care coordinator intervention significantly increased dental utilization compared with similar children who received routine Medicaid member services. Public health programs and communities endeavoring to reduce oral health disparities may want to consider incorporating a dental care coordinator along with other initiatives to increase dental utilization by disadvantaged children.

In conjunction with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (IDEA; PL 105-17), the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 (NCLB; PL 107-110) calls for enhancements to existing assessment and accountability systems within specific timelines. The NCLB Act also stresses the importance of using reliable and valid data for decision making. This study examined the consequential validity of a large-scale alternate assessment system for students with severe cognitive disabilities in one midwestern state. Three hundred and four teachers completed a survey designed to measure their perceptions of the alternate assessment's influence on instruction and the development of individualized education programs (IEPs). Findings indicated the assessment had a strong influence on instruction and a strong, but lesser influence on the development of IEPs.