Alignment of an Alternate Assessment with State Academic Standards

Abstract

In this article, the authors describe an alignment and content analysis of the Wisconsin Alternate Assessment (WAA) for students with disabilities. The WAA is an assessment of the academic performance of students with significant disabilities and is an alternative to the traditional on-demand achievement test. Alternate assessments like the WAA are required by federal law and are expected to be aligned with state content standards. The primary purpose of this investigation was to determine the extent to which the WAA adequately measured the concepts and skill areas represented in Wisconsin's Model Academic Standards. The ratings of an expert panel ( N = 10) that participated in the WAA Alignment Institute provided data regarding the alignment of WAA items to the standards. The expert panel's responses indicated that the WAA generally meets the multifaceted criteria developed by Webb (1997) and advocated by Title I reviewers for acceptable alignment between assessments and curriculum expectations as articulated in academic content standards.