National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)

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Overview of Existing Alternate Assessments Based
on Modified Academic Achievement Standards
(AA-MAS)
Sheryl Lazarus National Center on Educational
Outcomes (NCEO) Kick-Off for GSEG
Projects January 16, 2008
National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)
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• Purpose of this Study
• To provide a snapshot of the characteristics of
  the AA-MAS at a time shortly after the April 2007
  regulations were finalized.

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• Questions
• In July 2007 which states either had an
  assessment
• that they considered to be AA-MAS or had
• information about an AA-MAS in development on
• their website?
• What were the eligibility criteria for students
  to
• qualify to participate in this assessment option?
  
• What were the characteristics of these
• assessments?

National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)
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• Caveats
• States believed these assessments to be
• an AA-MAS, but they had not yet gone
• through peer review.
• Since the assessments analyzed in this
• study were developed prior to the final
• regulations some of the characteristics of
• these early AA-MAS may not fully comply
• with the regulations.

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• In July 2007 Five States Had an Assessment
• that They Believed Was an AA-MAS
• Kansas
• Louisiana
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Oklahoma

In addition to these states, Maryland had
information on its website about an AA-MAS that
the state was developing.
National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)
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Number of States With Selected Eligibility
Criteria
Criteria No. of States
Student has IEP 6
Multiple years behind grade level expectations 4
Not based on categorical label 4
Does not have significant cognitive disabilities 4
Not due to excessive absences or to social, cultural, environmental, or economic factors 4
Learning grade level content 3
Not based on placement setting 2
Previously scored at unsatisfactory level 2
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Type of Assessment/Types of Questions
State Portfolio Multiple Choice Constructed Response Writing Prompt
KS X
LA X X X
MD X
NC X
ND X
OK X X
Total 1 5 1 2

National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)
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Number of States That Made Selected Content
Changes
Change No. of States
Distractor Removed 4
Fewer Items 4
Simplified Language 4
Shorter Passages 3
Segmentation of Passages 1
National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)
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Accommodations Incorporated into AA-MAS Design
Accommodation No. of States
Fewer items/page 3
Larger font size 3
Calculator 2
Breaks as needed 2
Key text underlined/bolded 1
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Considerations
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• Consideration 1
• The identification of students
• who may qualify to participate
• in this option.

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Eligibility Criteria The State must
Establish and monitor implementation of clear
and appropriate guidelines for IEP teams to apply
in developing and implementing IEPs for students
who are assessed based on modified academic
achievement standards. Sec. 200.1(f)(2)(ii)
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• Consideration 2
• How these students access grade
• level content.

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Access to Grade-Level Content Ensure that
students who are assessed based on modified
academic achievement standards have access to the
curriculum, including instruction, for the grade
in which the students are enrolled. Sec.
200.1(f)(2)(B)(iii)
National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)
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• Consideration 3
• How these students show what
• they know.

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Instruction, Assessment, and High
Expectations In validating an assessment, the
State must also consider the consequences of its
interpretation and use. Standards and
Assessments Peer Review Guidance (12/21/07
Revision, p. 39)
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NCEO Resources
www.nceo.info Sheryl Lazarus Phone
612.625.6032 Email laza0019_at_umn.edu
National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)