Understanding the Academic Profiles of Students Participating in the Alternate Assessment Based on Alternate Achievement Standards (AA-AAS): A Cluster Analysis

• In Event: Determining Academic Profiles and Characteristics of At-Risk Learners

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to reveal the varied academic profiles of students participating in the Alternate Assessment based on Alternate Achievement Standards. The method employed, a two-step cluster analysis using educator ratings of students’ academic skills, clarifies that students’ skills are distinct from their sensory, mobility, or behavioral characteristics.Primary educators serving across fourteen states participated in the data collection effort. Ultimately, the results from the large-scale survey will provide stakeholders with insight into the diverse skills and abilities of the student population. Moreover, it will provide the next generation alternate assessment developers with a concise transparent summary of the population to facilitate assessment planning.

Authors

• Amanda Elizabeth Ferster, University of Georgia - Athens

• Fei Zhao, Arizona Department of Education

• Amy Clark, The University of Kansas