Characteristics of Students Who Take an Alternate Assessment Based on Modified Achievement Standards

Shaftel, Julia; Rutt, Benjamin T.

doi:10.1177/1044207311424909

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…They also found special education students identified as "low performing" in Year 1 of the data set were more likely to become persistently low performing on state reading and mathematics assessments than their lowperforming non-special education peers. These findings were further confirmed in a study by Shaftel and Rutt (2011) that examined data from another state. Shaftel and Rutt found that students who participated in the AA-MAS were "more likely to be of minority ethnicity, to be English language learners, and to experience poverty" (p. 1) than students who participated in the regular assessment.…”

Section: The Characteristics Of the Studentssupporting

confidence: 80%

“…Many low-performing students, both with and without disabilities, are from subgroups that historically have been denied access to high-quality instruction (ethnic/racial minorities, low socioeconomic status; Perie, Fincher, Payne, & Swaffield, 2012;Shaftel & Rutt, 2011). Quenemoen (2010) asked, "What evidence exists to suggest that students with disabilities who are low-performing differ from minority students or poor students who are low-performing?"…”

Section: Discussion and Policy Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Participation in the AA-MAS was limited to students with disabilities, in spite of the fact that very large numbers of students without disabilities were persistent low performers and not expected to achieve grade-level content standards within a year. Many low-performing students, both with and without disabilities, are from subgroups that historically have been denied access to high-quality instruction (ethnic/racial minorities, low socioeconomic status; Perie, Fincher, Payne, & Swaffield, 2012;Shaftel & Rutt, 2011). Quenemoen (2010) asked, "What evidence exists to suggest that students with disabilities who are low-performing differ from minority students or poor students who are low-performing?"…”

Section: Discussion and Policy Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An Analysis of the Rise and Fall of the AA-MAS Policy

et al. 2013

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In 2005, to address concerns about students who might fall in the "gap" between the regular assessment and the alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS), the U.S. Department of Education announced that states could develop alternate assessments based on modified achievement standards (AA-MAS). This article reports empirical evidence on characteristics of students participating in the AA-MAS, how students were assigned to test types, research on changes in assessment designs over a 4-year period, and changes in rates of participation and proficiency. The results suggest states and districts have struggled with how to appropriately assign students to this test option, and that there is a need to ensure this group of students has access to rigorous standards-based content. It concludes with a discussion of what can be learned from this policy attempt to resolve a very real problem as the United States moves toward the next generation of assessments.

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Section: The Characteristics Of the Studentssupporting

confidence: 80%

Section: Discussion and Policy Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Discussion and Policy Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An Analysis of the Rise and Fall of the AA-MAS Policy

et al. 2013

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“…Finally, the majority of students taking the MAS were male, which was below their overall proportion of 60% in special education statewide. Interestingly, the characteristics of students in Connecticut that participated in the MAS were similar to students in one Midwestern state documented by Shaftel and Rutt (2012) in their study of modified assessment demographics.…”

Section: "Addition Through Subtraction": Removing Children With Disab...mentioning

confidence: 59%

Moving Children, Distorting Data: Changes in Testing of Students with Disabilities in Connecticut from 2000–2013

Cotto¹

2016

Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education

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Connecticut experienced two major changes in testing policy for children with disabilities that played a major role in conclusions about educational progress in the state. First, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 required that all students with disabilities participate in grade-level, standardized tests. This movement of students deepened a crisis of stagnant and disparate achievement indicators. Policy reversed in 2007, when the federal Department of Education opened the door for modified assessments based on grade-level content and standards. When testing policy reversed, the exclusion of students with disabilities temporarily resolved this crisis by artificially inflating test results in math and reading. This article provides an overview of testing data from the Connecticut State Department of Education within its historical context. These fluctuations in standard test participation often linked closely with overall results and produced misinterpretations of educational and racial progress over time. Responses to these changes in testing policy make Connecticut an illuminating case regarding the problem of high-stakes testing and changes in policies for students with disabilities in a particular state characterized by deep racial and economic inequity. Rather than raising questions, moving children helped reinforce the legitimacy of high-stakes testing and nationally touted educational reforms.

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A Dangerous Conflation

Barron

2024

YU-WRITE

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Modifying the curriculum is a common practice used to support students with Individual Education Plans (IEPs). Up to 15% of students in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) have curriculum modifications by the time they reach Grade 8. Yet, despite their frequent use, the efficacy of this long-standing practice has rarely been studied. Research from Author (2022) suggests that racialized students are disproportionately overrepresented in this practice. Furthermore, their research suggests that there are negative long-term impacts associated with this practice. This literature review queries what is known about curriculum modifications. Findings reveal two significant issues with the terminology used in the existing literature. Additionally, the limited research available centres on only one exceptionality group (students with significant intellectual disabilities). These findings lay a foundation for future research on curriculum modifications—an area that warrants urgent attention from the anti-oppression movement within special education.

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Characteristics of Students Who Take an Alternate Assessment Based on Modified Achievement Standards

Cited by 3 publications

References 13 publications

An Analysis of the Rise and Fall of the AA-MAS Policy

An Analysis of the Rise and Fall of the AA-MAS Policy

Moving Children, Distorting Data: Changes in Testing of Students with Disabilities in Connecticut from 2000–2013

A Dangerous Conflation

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