The Impact of Teacher Training on State Alternate Assessment Scores

With the passage of No Child Left Behind and the start of the high-stakes accountability movement, it has become increasingly important that teachers are able to appropriately assess all students, including those who qualify for alternate assessments. If suitable assessment is occurring, teachers can use these data to help improve student performance to meet both individualized education program (IEP) goals and state standards. In this study, which was conducted with teachers in an urban system within a high-stakes accountability state, students' alternate assessment scores improved when teachers received training on instructional practices. In addition, students who did well on alternate assessments also showed growth in direct observation of performance of their IEP objectives.

[1]  Martha Thurlow,et al.  Measuring Academic Achievement of Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities: Building Understanding of Alternate Assessment Scoring Criteria. Synthesis Report. , 2003 .

[2]  Self-management by teachers: Improving instructional decision making. , 1986 .

[3]  P. Alberto,et al.  Obtaining Assistance When Lost in the Community Using Cell Phones , 2003 .

[4]  Diane M. Browder,et al.  Curriculum and Assessment for Students with Moderate and Severe Disabilities , 2001 .

[5]  P. Lachenbruch.  Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences (2nd ed.) , 1989 .

[6]  Sarah Kennedy,et al.  Accountability for All Students: Kentucky's Alternate Portfolio Assessment for Students with Moderate and Severe Cognitive Disabilities , 1997 .

[7]  H. Kleinert.  An Introduction to Alternate Assessment , 2001 .

[8]  D. Browder,et al.  An in Vivo Evaluation of the Use of Data-Based Rules to Guide Instructional Decisions , 1989 .

[9]  D. Browder,et al.  Consideration of What May Influence Student Outcomes on Alternate Assessment , 2003 .

[10]  D. Browder,et al.  Evidence-Based Practices for Students with Severe Disabilities and the Requirement for Accountability in “No Child Left Behind” , 2003 .

[11]  Jacob Cohen.  Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences , 1969, The SAGE Encyclopedia of Research Design.

[12]  Harold L. Kleinert,et al.  Alternate Assessment: Measuring Outcomes and Supports for Students With Disabilities , 2001 .

[13]  H. Kleinert,et al.  Teachers Perceptions of One State's Alternate Assessment: Implications for Practice and Preparation , 2001 .

[14]  Michael L. Wehmeyer,et al.  Access to the General Curriculum for Students with Significant Disabilities: What it Means to Teachers , 2002 .

[15]  L. Farlow,et al.  Teacher Use of Student Performance Data to Make Instructional Decisions: Practices in Programs for Students with Moderate to Profound Disabilities , 1989 .

[16]  F. Spooner,et al.  What We Know and Need to Know about Alternate Assessment , 2003 .

[17]  Nirmala Erevelles,et al.  Easy for you to Say: Teacher Perspectives on Implementing Most Promising Practices , 1994 .