The National Center and State Collaborative (NCSC) is applying the lessons learned from the past decade of research on alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards (AA‐AAS) to develop a multi‐state comprehensive assessment system for students with significant cognitive disabilities. The project draws on a strong research base to develop an AA‐AAS to complement the work of the Race to the Top Common State Assessment Program (RTTA) consortia.
NCSC's long‐term goal is to ensure that students with significant cognitive disabilities achieve increasingly higher academic outcomes and leave high school ready for post‐secondary options. The Center is developing a full system intended to support educators, which includes formative assessment tools and strategies, professional development on appropriate interim uses of data for progress monitoring, short documentary films highlighting the importance of communication for students with significant disabilities, and management systems to ease the burdens of administration and documentation. All partners share a commitment to the research‐to‐practice focus of the project and the development of a comprehensive model of curriculum, instruction, assessment, and supportive professional development. These supports will improve the alignment of the entire system and strengthen the validity of inferences of the system of assessments.
The UNH Institute on Disability is partnering with NCSC to assist with the professional development component, including short films highlighting the importance of communication for students with significant disabilities.
For more information, visit the NCSC website.
The NCSC is funded by a grant from the Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education, to the National Center on Educational Outcomes. NCEO has partnered with the Center for Assessment, the University of North Carolina - Charlotte, the University of Kentucky, and edCount, LLC to conduct its activities. The Institute on Disability is participating in NCSC activities via two subcontracts from the University of Kentucky (NCSC General Supervision Enhancement Grant-KY for $170,000; NCSC Video Project for $75,600).
