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Aligning Alternate Assessments

January 30, 2006

In many cases, students with disabilities who participate in alternate assessments receive curriculum and instruction that differ significantly from those received by other students. The mainstream tests don't accurately measure the academic achievement of students with disabilities. It's important to know how well alternate assessments align with the curriculum and instruction provided to students with disabilities. Special education leaders and policymakers have a tool for gathering evidence of the validity of their states' assessments. A nationally recognized alignment procedure developed by WCER Senior Scientist Norman Webb and colleagues has been applied to Wisconsin's alternate assessment. Specifically, Webb's study asked: Does the WAA adequately measure the concepts and skill areas represented in Wisconsin's Model Academic Standards? The study found content-related evidence for the WAA's validity. More information about Webb's alignment work is available in this Microsoft Word document available for download.