Validation of Large-Scale Alternate Assessment Systems and Their Influence on Instruction —What Are the Consequences?

Abstract

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.

Test‐Based Accountability Systems: The Importance of Paying Attention to Consequences

“…In examining the consequences of alternate assessments in the 2000s, Kleinert and Kearns (2001) reported that teachers from schools with high student performance on the alternate assessment indicated that the assessments had a positive impact on instruction and the inclusion of students with disabilities in classrooms with students without disabilities, whereas teachers from schools with low performance indicated that the alternate assessment had little impact. Towles‐Reeves et al (2006) evaluated the impact of the use of an alternate assessment on the development of instructional educational plans (IEPs). They found that the impact of the alternate assessment on IEP development was significantly less than its impact on instruction, which may have been due to the lack of an explicit connection between the alternate assessment and IEP development.…”

Side Effects of Large-Scale Assessments in Education

“…As evidence, TIMSS and PISA scores have been equated with the quality of education in different countries (OECD, 2016b;Tucker, 2011;Zhao, 2016c), resulting in strong media and policy reactions around the world (Baird et al, 2016;Dillion, 2010;Figazzolo, 2009;Gruber, 2006;Sellar & Lingard, 2014;Sjøberg, 2015 As evidence, in China, for instance, only subjects tested by the National College Entrance Exam are taken seriously (Yu & Suen, 2015;Zhao, 2014). And the U.S. has witnessed a trend of curriculum narrowing since the enactment of NCLB in the U.S. (Abu-Alhija, 2007;Albrecht & Joles, 2003;Berliner, 2011;Bowen & Rude, 2006;Klenowski, 2011;Klinger & Rogers, 2011;Popham, 2000;Tienken & Zhao, 2013;Towles-Reeves, Garrett, Burdette, & Burdge, 2006;Volante, 2005Volante, , 2006. In surveys of U.S. classrooms in which students were tested on two core subjects (reading and math), classrooms added between 75 and 150 min weekly to each of the two areas.…”

“…The effect of LSA on distorting instruction is clearly evidenced by the increase of instructional time devoted to preparing students for state accountability assessments in the U.S. since NCLB (Menken, 2006). There is also evidence that suggests a significant reduction of time spent in deep learning and other important skills such as creativity, problem-solving, organization of knowledge, self-monitoring skills, and the like (Abu-Alhija, 2007; Albrecht & Joles, 2003; Berliner, 2011; Chudowsky & Pellegrino, 2003; Klenowski, 2011; Klinger & Rogers, 2011; Popham, 2000; Towles-Reeves et al, 2006).…”

“…For instance, creativity, problem-solving, organization of knowledge, self-monitoring skills, entrepreneurship, and other skills and abilities are all considered of highest import for today’s learners to be successful in society (Chudowsky & Pellegrino, 2003; Duckworth & Yeager, 2015; Trilling & Fadel, 2009). Moreover, the narrowed curriculum has a lasting negative impact on students’ opportunities to explore and develop other talents and find their passions (Abu-Alhija, 2007; Albrecht & Joles, 2003; Berliner, 2011; Klenowski, 2011; Klinger & Rogers, 2011; Popham, 2000; Towles-Reeves et al, 2006). Volante (2005) notes the excluded and reduced pathways are “no less worthy in their own right, these excluded areas are an essential component of a student’s educational experience.…”

Academic or Functional Life Skills? Using Behaviors Associated with Happiness to Guide Instruction for Students with Profound/Multiple Disabilities

“…However, with the heightened emphasis on increasing access for students with PMD to the general education curriculum, the notion of teaching these students academic skills (e.g., preliteracy and prenumeracy) has received increased attention [16][17][18][19]. Reasons for this attention include improving adult competence, increasing educator's expectations, and providing comprehensive instruction [20][21][22].…”