The Kentucky Alternate Assessment was developed in 1990 as a result of the Reform Act of 1990 to provide schools and programs with a valid and reliable means of assessing the instruction provided to students with moderate and significant disabilities (i.e., for the less than 1% of the total student population for whom traditional assessments would be an inappropriate measure of progress). As the decision to include a student for participation in Alternate Assessment must be made by knowledgeable individuals through an Admissions and Release Committee (ARC ) process, training of those individuals is critical. For a quick glance of trainings required for specific individuals involved in the process from determining participation to assessing students on Alternate Assessment, click HERE.
For questions and support with Alternate Assessment in your district, contact the low incidence consultant for your Special Education Cooperative listed below.
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Coop | Consultant | Coop | Consultant |
|---|---|---|---|
CKEC | Sally Miracle | KVEC | Vacant |
GLEC | Katie Cooper | NKCES | Amanda Bell |
GRREC | Deb Myers | SESC | Cheryl Mathis |
GRREC | Lauren Budziak | OVEC | Mallory Vice |
GRREC | Therese Vali | WKEC | Kevin Stephens |
KEDC | Mandy Carter | WKEC | Laura Miller |
The decision for a student to participate in the Kentucky Alternate Assessment is made through the Admissions and Release Committee process. ARCs must consider a student’s individual characteristics when determining whether the student should participate in the general assessment with or without accommodations, or in the alternate assessment. The document, Guidance for Admissions and Release Committees (ARCs) on Participation Decisions for the Kentucky Alternate Assessment, outlines the steps that an ARC should take when making determination decisions. Individuals involved in ARC meetings making participation decisions should be knowledgeable about the process. The Kentucky Department of Education has developed training modules to provide content for increasing staff knowledge in this area. Click HERE to see the description of each training module and who is required to complete each module. A required certificate of completion is provided after completing the module post-quiz.
To deepen understanding regarding the decision making process for Alternate Assessment, the Special Education Cooperative Low Incidence staff have created a self-paced training module noted below.
*2 hours PD credit In this training you will... walk through the steps an ARC must follow to determine eligibility for Alternate Assessment!
For students participating in alternate assessment, teachers are responsible for instructing ALL Kentucky Academic Standards for the grade(s) of the students on their caseload. For students on alternate assessment the focus is on grade level content that is appropriately modified and scaffolded to provide access to the content. For state assessment purposes, targets for specific grades have been identified.
Consultants from Kentucky's Special Education Cooperatives with input from KDE Consultants created a google site to provide instructional resources and supports for teachers and administrators who support students participating in the state alternate assessment. To access the site click on the image below.
The Alternate K-PREP is the assessment provided to Kentucky students with the most severe cognitive disabilities. Alternate K-PREP is based upon two components: Attainment Tasks (AT) and the Transition Attainment Record (TAR). For a quick glance of trainings required for administration of Alternate Assessment components, click HERE.
Attainment tasks are performance events that require students to complete a task, working step by step as directed by the teacher. Attainment Tasks are administered to students in grades 3-12.
The Attainment Tasks (AT) training is a requirement for the certified teacher administering the two Attainment Task testing windows to any student participating in Kentucky's Alternate Assessment. This training includes specific information regarding content areas tested, accommodations permitted, simplification of materials, proper handling of secure materials and what to do after an assessment window ends.
The Transition Attainment Record (TAR) assessment is designed to provide students with severe cognitive disabilities access to modified standards aligned to Kentucky's Academic Standards. The TAR meets the testing requirements for ACT (grade 11).
The TAR is a checklist based assessment which evaluates the student's readiness in reading/writing, mathematics and science.
The TAR represents the college readiness benchmark at grade 11 for Alternate Assessment students.
