Alternate Assessment Scores and Life Outcomes for Students with Significant Disabilities: Are They Related?

Abstract

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.

Ecobehavioral Characteristics of Self-Contained High School Classrooms for Students With Severe Cognitive Disability

“…In addition, lack of communication supports in these classrooms was worrisome, as communication has been linked to positive post-school outcomes (Kleinert et al, 2002). Specifically, students with CCN in the present analysis interacted with teachers less often and were more likely to be engaged in a passive task than other students with SCD.…”

“…Additionally, lack of communication supports in these classrooms was worrisome, as communication has been linked to positive post-school outcomes (Kleinert et al, 2002).…”

Implementing College and Career Readiness: Critical Dimensions for Youth with Severe Disabilities

“…Results such as these raise concerns regarding whether AAS leads to greater or lesser access to general education curriculum (Ryndak et al, 2014) and whether it sufficiently impacts quality of life outcomes (Kleinert et al, 2002). Our findings may indicate even greater concerns regarding the AAS for promoting CCR.…”

What We Know and Need to Know about Alternate Assessment

“…But, they found no correlation with the quality of IEP objectives. Kleinert, Garrett, et al (2002) found no relationship between alternate assessment scores and a measure of postschool outcomes for Kentucky students, but this was confounded by the fact that most students in their sample had poor outcomes. Tindal et al (2003) developed a series of standardized tasks that could be considered as related to the same construct defined in a largescale assessment program in an effort to evaluate technical adequacy (i.e., reliability and construct validity).…”

“…Kleinert et al (1997) proposed that "one of the keys to ensuring high expectations for every child is requiring that all students be included in measures of educational accountability" (p. 88). Kentucky was the first state to realize that "all means all" and to identify a way to include students with the most significant disabilities in its accountabil- Kleinert, Garrett, et al (2002) Relationship between AA scores and postschool outcomes…”