Students with significant cognitive disabilities present an assessment dilemma that centers on access and validity in large-scale testing programs. Typically, access is improved by eliminating construct-irrelevant barriers, while validity is improved, in part, through test standardization. In this article, one state's alternate assessment data…

Recent studies have raised concerns about the vagueness of alternate assessment eligibility guidelines, specifically, that students with mild disabilities (SWMD) have been inappropriately assigned to alternate assessment--alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS). In this study, special education teachers (N = 317) were surveyed about SWMD in…

Federal and state policies require all students with significant cognitive disabilities to participate in state assessments and be included in measures of adequate yearly progress. Although these alternate assessments of grade-level content based on alternate achievement standards have been in place for several years, little is known about the…

Students with significant disabilities must participate in large-scale assessments, often using an alternate assessment judged against alternate achievement standards. The development and administration of this type of assessment must necessarily balance meaningful participation with accurate measurement. In this study, generalizability theory is…

Instructional time use is an intervention without equal. The measure of such has clear and important implications for special education practice and research. Although exhortations to maximize instruction and thereby student engagement exist throughout the literature, few studies discuss how special education teachers use their time, and none…

The authors report on a mixed-methods review of 24 studies that explores the predictive validity of dynamic assessment (DA). For 15 of the studies, they conducted quantitative analyses using Pearson's correlation coefficients. They descriptively examined the remaining studies to determine if their results were consistent with findings from the…

Process assessment is offered as an alternative frame of reference for conducting psychoeducational assessment. The research base is presented, as well as a specific model that focuses assessment on the characteristics of the task, the child, and the setting, as well as the interactions among three factors. (Author/CL)

There have been several proposals to the effect that special service decisions could be based, at least in part, on the construct of response to intervention and not necessarily on traditional child measures. Single-case designs that focus on intervention response and intensity are reviewed as a potential evaluation framework for interdisciplinary…

Preliminary research suggests that the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) may be useful in identifying a variety of special needs in preschoolers, specific language disorders, and giftedness. Additional measures (such as measures of visual motor performance) may be appropriate in conjunction with the K-ABC. (CL)

The paper addresses teacher-judgement measures of pupil behaviors, aptitudes, and achievement levels. Analyses relating to reliability and validity of the measures are reviewed. Conclusions are drawn regarding psychometric properties of these judgment measures, suggestions regarding future research on the measures, and statements about their place…

This reply responds to a paper by Frisby and Braden (EC 604 792), which criticized dynamic assessment, especially Reuven Feuerstein's theory and methods. Six critical points are raised and supported with examples from recent research. Criticisms center on theoretical and philosophical misunderstandings as well as failure to consider supporting…

Discussed are the relative merits of two currently popular models of assessing children--the ability assessment and task analysis models. (CL)

To produce a greater degree of consistency and reliability in diagnosis of handicapped children, a system called multidimensional actuarial classification is presented for differential diagnosis of mental retardation, inadequate adaptive behavior, social maladjustment, academic under and overachievement, and learning disabilities. (Author/CL)

This paper argues that the popularity of Reuven Feuerstein's Learning Potential Assessment Device and the Instrumental Enrichment program is based more on philosophical considerations than on technical adequacy. The critique uses semantic, logical, and empirical grounds to conclude that dynamic assessment is not a serious competitor to…