Computer-Based Screening for the New Modified Alternate Assessment

Abstract

The final regulations of the No Child Left Behind Act (U.S. Department of Education, 2007a, 2007b) indicate that a small group of students with disabilities can be counted as proficient through an alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards. This new policy gives individualized education program teams the responsibility of identifying students eligible for this assessment. The Computer-Based Alternate Assessment Screening (C-BAAS) tests in reading and mathematics are designed to assist with this determination. A concurrent validity study with students ( n = 463) from Indiana indicates that the C-BAAS tests share large correlations with state general achievement tests and might be appropriate screening tools for predicting below proficient achievement. Predictive validity studies with students in Idaho ( n = 161) and Arizona ( n = 70), using a set of conditional probability indices, show that C-BAAS tests meet or exceed the performance of multiple published screening systems for academic problems. The implications of these findings for individualized education program teams, for the C-BAAS tests, and for computer-based screening in general are discussed.