2004 Conference Proceedings
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ASSESSING THE STANDARDS THROUGH ACCESS AND ENTRY POINT SKILLS
Presenter
Madalaine Pugliese
Simmons College
5 Bessom Street, #175
Marblehead, MA 01945
Phone: 781-639-1930
Fax: 781-631-9928
Email: madalaine@comcast.net
Amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA '97) mandate that all students with disabilities be included in each state's measures of accountability. There are three ways in which learners with special needs typically take part: 1) they participate in the general education assessment methods; 2) they use accommodations or modifications to the general education assessment methods; or 3) they participate in performance-based portfolio assessment.
These strategies represent a hierarchy of assessment options. However, in many states, protocols for creating performance-based portfolios to be used for alternate assessment have yet to be agreed upon. Further, the protocols that have been established vary from state to state, so there is no universal process for collecting portfolio elements, determining relevant content, or defining evaluation procedures. The purpose of this abstract is to discuss how Stages, alternate assessment software, takes advantage of assistive technology to facilitate authentic assessment.
Assessment is a critical component in today's education system. However, in order to make meaningful use of the results, it is important to make sure that the assessment truly measures actual learner performance within a relevant curriculum. Because learners with special needs sometimes follow a modified or more custom curriculum, a typical standardized test is unlikely to provide meaningful measure. While standardized inventories are designed to measure universally mandated content, they can also present barriers for learners with special needs: for example, they may not be able to see the test or be able to respond by holding and using a pencil.
Therefore, one of today's most challenging issues has arisen. If standardized inventories, even with accommodations, are not appropriate to measure some learners' actual performances, how then do we comply with IDEA and include all learners in meaningful and appropriate assessment programs? Assessment is most meaningful when it is ongoing and conducted on a regular basis. Learners gain new understandings all the time. Progress might happen in small increments and can be documented to show skill mastery and also to help guide the next teaching steps. From this perspective, assessment embedded into the teaching and learning process helps educators and therapists to individualize curriculum specific to a learner's unique needs.
Stages is a developmental framework that provides a comprehensive view of a learner's cognitive and language abilities. This sequence of seven stages is progressive in nature and is not age or grade specific. The appropriate stage for al earner is the one where he or she is challenged, but not overwhelmed or frustrated. Stages materials include a book, assessment software and curriculum software recommended across many publishers for practice between benchmark testing sessions.
Stages materials include universally accessible activities that facilitate an alternate assessment strategy. Because the software is deliberately designed to support use of adaptive computer access devices, is an important tool for collecting primary evidence from learners with the most intensive special needs. Stages content reflects the research of renowned educational experts and is correlated to national academic standards on an elementary level. Over ten years of effort went into the research for the design of the assessment activities and content being measured throughout all seven stages. Child development milestones were investigated from noted experts such as Piaget. Language development benchmarks were gathered from the writings of Chomsky, and Beukelman's augmentative communication
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