Teacher Perspectives of School-Level Implementation of Alternate Assessments for Students With Significant Cognitive Disabilities

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Teachers' perspectives on school-level implementation of alternate assessments are analyzed in a national study released by the National Center for Special Education Research. This study included more than 400 teachers of students with significant cognitive disabilities from three states. The report provides information on the background and experiences of teachers of students with significant cognitive disabilities, the skills and characteristics of the students they teach, and their classroom environments. It also describes their perspectives on how well they understand the alternate assessment system, their expectations and beliefs, the availability and use of instructional resources, and their students' opportunity to learn academic content.

Key findings include:

* The percentage of teachers who reported that state alternate assessment requirements had a strong or moderate influence on their instruction was 88 percent for reading/English language arts and mathematics and 84 percent for science. The percentage of teachers who reported that results of the state alternate assessment had a strong or moderate influence on their instruction was 60 percent for reading/English language arts, 62 percent for mathematics, and 58 percent for science.

* The percentage of teachers reporting that students received instruction in the seven content areas 3 or more times per week ranged from 39 percent for arts to 93 percent for reading/English language arts. Eighty-seven percent of teachers reported that students received instruction in mathematics three or more times per week and 53 percent of teachers reported that students received instruction in science three or more times per week.