Alternate assessments are designed for students with significant cognitive disabilities (about one percent of the student population). The structures of alternate assessments are designed around the students’ physical and cognitive disabilities in a way that allows them to answer test questions and participate in the test as independently as possible. For example, a variety of accommodations are built into the test design in order to accommodate each student’s personal mode of communication (e.g., sign language, eye gaze, augmentative communication devices, etc.).
To participate in an Alternate assessment, a student must meet three criteria:
1. The student has a significant cognitive disability. Only students with the most significant cognitive disability should be considered for the alternate assessment.
2. The student is learning content linked to (derived from) state content standards.
3. The student requires extensive direct individualized instruction and substantial supports to achieve measurable gains in the grade- and age-appropriate curriculum.
The IEP team must rule out that the inability to achieve the state grade-level achievement expectations is not the result of excessive or extended absences or social, cultural, or economic differences. Students who meet the eligibility criteria for alternate assessment may be classified in any of the disability categories listed in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), provided they meet all three criteria.
Eligibility and participation in state assessments should be addressed at each annual IEP. The decision for participation in the alternate assessments should be based on a holistic analysis. Sources of data the IEP team may consider reviewing include:
psychological evaluation reports,
results of individual cognitive ability tests,
adaptive behavior skills data,
results of individual or group-administered achievement assessments,
district-wide alternate assessments,
individual reading assessments,
findings of communication or language proficiency assessments,
teacher-collected data from classroom observations,
progress monitoring data, and
IEPs.
The following online resources are intended to support IEP teams in making appropriate test participation decisions for students.
Within the Eligibility Process tab in TN Pulse, the School Psychologist will need to click on the Eligibility for Alternate Assessments button. He or she would then need to enter the required information and establish the student's eligibility to participate in the alternate assessment. If "yes" is selected, then the Tennessee Alternate Assessment button will be made available in the IEP Process section of TN Pulse.