Teacher Perceptions of Alternate Assessments Based on Alternate Achievement Standards: Results From a Three-State Survey

The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers’ perceptions of the impact of alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS). We used a survey of 401 teachers from three states to probe teacher perspectives across a wide range of topics. Our study found teacher perceptions were more universal than state spe-cific. The mathematics and language arts assessments were viewed by teachers more favorably than the science as-sessments, and alternate academic achievement standards were viewed more favorably than the assessments. We also found that many teachers are incorporating academic con-tent into their instruction; however, only half of the teach-ers are in favor of including students with significant intellectual disabilities in assessment and accountability programs, with teachers who administer the least complex assessment to students with the most significant intellec-tual disability less favorable toward their students ’ inclu-sion. The study found that most teachers did not perceive a change in student performance, teacher expectations, or parental involvement; however, where changes were re-ported, the changes were positive. Results suggest that 30% of teachers have no curriculum and none in development; however, when teachers did have a curriculum, they rated it highly. Results of the study are presented, and their implications are discussed. DESCRIPTORS: alternate assessments, teacher per-ceptions, consequential validity, school accountability Alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS) are a form of large-scale assess-ment intended to measure the achievement of students with cognitive disabilities who cannot participate in reg-ular assessments even with accommodations (Individual