Alternate Assessments Proving to Be a Challenge for States

States are grappling with the task of creating alternate assessments for students with significant cognitive disabilities that will pass muster with federal officials for use under the No Child Left Behind Act.

Such assessments show promise for spurring the academic performance of students who cannot take general tests even with special accommodations, such as extra time or use of calculators. But coming up with alternate tests for such students that are technically sound and measure the skills they are intended to gauge has been a challenge for many states, recent U.S. Department of Education reviews of state testing systems suggest.

Rating Scales or Checklist Assessment:
Teacher observation of a student’s skills over a period of time, measured against a state-created scoring guide.