Students with significant disabilities must participate in large-scale assessments, often using an alternate assessment judged against alternate achievement standards. The development and administration of this type of assessment must necessarily balance meaningful participation with accurate measurement. In this study, generalizability theory is…

Research into the technical adequacy of statewide alternate assessments is limited. In this study, the authors analyzed 2 years of data from one state's alternate assessment in written language in an attempt to validate current test score interpretations. More than 1,000 students were included in each year. Findings support the test's technical…

The purpose of this study was to improve the comprehension and problem-solving skills of students with disabilities in social studies using a conceptually framed, computer-adapted history text. Participants were 11th and 12th grade students identified with learning disabilities in reading and writing from two intact, self-contained social studies…

Students (n=1,343) were administered either a standard format mathematics test or one in which questions were read aloud. Performance of students with learning disabilities (LD) was compared to others on specific "difficult reading" items. Elementary school students with LD (but not middle school students with LD or general education students)…

An 11-item math concept curriculum-based measure (CBM) was administered to 171 eighth grade students. Scores were correlated with scores from a computer adaptive test designed in conjunction with the state to approximate the official statewide mathematics achievement tests. Correlations for general education students and students with learning…

This study examined whether a teacher-paced video (TPV) accommodation or a student-paced computer (SPC) accommodation provided differential access for student with disabilities versus their general education peers on a large-scale math test. It found that although both pacing accommodations significantly influenced mean scores, the SPC…

A survey of 166 regular and special-education teachers concerning allowable accommodations on statewide assessment tests found only 21% reported that they used allowed accommodations. Teachers' knowledge of allowable accommodations was low and suggests some students are unnecessarily exempted from participation. Results support preservice and…

This paper examines instructional processes in two seventh-grade science classes and describes three components of general education middle school content classrooms (curriculum, verbal presentations during instruction, and assessed performance outcomes). It concludes that these three components need to be aligned for the successful inclusion of…

Eight direct scoring indices of written expression were intercorrelated, factor analyzed, and used to predict holistic judgments of writing samples of 172 middle-school students in compensatory/specialized education programs. Strongest predictors of holistic ratings were percentage of words correctly sequenced and percentage of correctly spelled…

This report describes a secondary mainstreaming program in Pine County, Minnesota, which successfully used a team approach and consultation between regular and special education teachers to adapt regular content-area classes to accommodate mildly handicapped students. (Author/JDD)

Concurrent use of two direct observation instruments (momentary time sample of task engagement and event recording of discrete student responses) were evaluated in six middle school resource rooms using either of two reading programs. Findings tended to be program specific with differences lost or diluted when data were combined across programs.…

A two-dimensional framework consisting of knowledge forms and intellectual operations was used to analyze curriculum materials, teacher-mediated instruction, and student use of information on essay and traditional criterion-referenced measures in two sixth-grade general science classes. Results suggest low-achieving students may need more exposure…

Two different measurement-evaluation systems (Precision Teaching and Data Based Program Modification) are contrasted in the following educational decisions: determination of the type of data to collect, use in assessment and determination of eligibility, monitoring student progress and modifying instructional programs, and determining overall…