2013-2014 APR Snapshot #12:
Martha Thurlow and Yi-Chen Wu June 2016 All rights reserved. Any or all portions of this document may be reproduced and distributed without prior permission, provided the source is cited as: Thurlow, M. & Wu, Y.-C. (2016). 2013-2014 APR snapshot #12: AA-AAS participation and performance. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, National Center on Educational Outcomes. Table of ContentsBackgroundAn Alternate Assessment based on Alternate Achievement Standards (AA-AAS) has been developed by each state to measure the academic achievement of students with significant cognitive disabilities. This brief summarizes AA-AAS data used for Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) accountability. Using federally submitted data from the 2013-2014 school year, we present information on the number of students participating in the AA-AAS and the performance of those students. Many states were field-testing their assessments in 2013-14. States provided both field test data and non-field test data. Participation rates in this brief were calculated using data from both field-test and non-field-test assessments. Because one state did not report assessment data for 2013-14, 49 states’ assessment data are reported in this brief. Proficiency rates in this brief were calculated using only non-field test data because performance results were not available for field tests. Figures displaying statewide AA-AAS assessment data for other grades are provided in this report following each figure. Data tables for all grades are available at https://nceo.info/Resources/publications/APRsnapshot/data. Throughout this report, we use the term "students with disabilities" to refer to students receiving special education services. Thus, students on 504 accommodation plans are not included in these analyses. Top of page | Table of Contents FindingsParticipationOverall statewide participation in the grade 8 reading AA-AAS, based on the number of students with IEPs, in 49 regular states is presented in Figure 1. For the majority of states (n=32), less than 10% of all students with disabilities took the AA-AAS in 2013-2014. Similar participation rates existed for grade 8 mathematics AA-AAS (n=30). Figure 1. Participation Rates for Grade 8 Reading AA-AAS (Based on Students with Disabilities) in Regular States
Participation rates in unique states that reported data for Grade 8 reading AA-AAS (n = 9) are presented in Figure 2. The participation rates varied from 0% to 9.8% of students with disabilities; 1 unique state did not report participation data. Data for the unique states are available at https://nceo.info/Resources/publications/APRsnapshot/data. Figure 2. Participation Rates for Grade 8 Reading AA-AAS (Based on Students with Disabilities) in Unique States
Regular States Grades 3 - 7 and High School Reading. Click the images to enlarge.
Regular States Grades 3 - High School Mathematics. Click images to enlarge.
Unique States: Grades 3 - 7 and High School Reading. Click the images to enlarge.
Unique States: Grades 3 - High School Mathematics. Click images to enlarge.
States varied in their rates of students receiving special education services, from 8.3% to 16.7% of the total student population, so it is important to look at participation rates based on the total student population as well. (The percentage of students in special education was calculated by dividing the number of students with disabilities ages 6-21 [from IDEA Part B Child Count and Educational Environments table, http://www2.ed.gov/programs/osepidea/618-data/state-level-data-files/part-b-data/child-count-and-educational-environments/bchildcountandedenvironments2014.csv] by the number of students in K-12 enrollment from ELSi [https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/elsi/tableGenerator.aspx].) Information on the total number of students used to represent the total population of tested students at each grade level in 2013-2014 (the denominator used here for calculation) is from ELSi table generator (https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/elsi/tableGenerator.aspx). For high school, the average number of students across grades 9-12 from ELSi was used to represent the number of students tested at high school. The rates of all enrolled students participating in the AA-AAS for the grade 8 reading AA-AAS in 49 regular states are presented in Figure 3. States typically assessed less than 2 percent of their total student population (including both students with disabilities and students without disabilities) using the reading AA-AAS. Similar participation rates existed for grade 8 mathematics AA-AAS when viewed in terms of the total student population. Figure 3. Participation Rates for Grade 8 Reading AA-AAS (Based on All Grade 8 Students) in Regular States
Participation rates in unique states for the grade 8 reading AA-AAS are presented in Figure 4. The majority of unique states (n = 5) reported participation rates (based on total population of students), ranging from as low as 0.6% to as high as 1.5%; five unique state did not report participation data. Data for the unique states are included in data tables available at https://nceo.info/Resources/publications/APRsnapshot/data. Figure 4. Participation Rates for Grade 8 Reading AA-AAS (Based on All Grade 8 Students) in Unique States
Grades 3 - 7 and High School Reading. Click the images to enlarge.
Grades 3 - High School Mathematics. Click images to enlarge.
Unique States: Grades 3 - 7 and High School Reading. Click the images to enlarge.
Unique States: Grades 3 - High School Mathematics. Click images to enlarge.
Figure 5 shows reading AA-AAS participation rates (based on the total population of all students) for grade 4 and grade 8 in regular states. Across these states, an average of one percent of the total population of students participated in the AA-AAS in each grade. Differences between the two grades did not show any consistent trends. The majority of states (n = 28) reported higher rates in grade 4 than in grade 8. Less than half of the states (n = 21) reported higher rates in grade 8 than in grade 4. Figure 5. Participation Rates for Reading AA-AAS (Based on All Students) in Grades 4 and 8 in Regular States
Participation rates (based on the total population of all students) in unique states for grade 4 and grade 8 reading AA-AAS are presented in Figure 6. Five unique states reported reading AA-AAS data. The majority of unique states (n = 3) showed a slightly higher participation rate in grade 4 than in grade 8. Figure 6. Participation Rates for Reading AA-AAS (Based on All Students) in Grades 4 and 8 in Unique States
Grades 4 & 8 vs. High School Reading. Click the images to enlarge.
Grades 4 vs. 8 4 &8 vs. High School Math. Click images to enlarge.
Unique States: Grades 4 & 8 vs. High School Reading. Click the images to enlarge.
Unique States: Grades 4 vs. 8 4 & 8 vs. High School Math. Click images to enlarge.
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Grades 3 - High School Math. Click images to enlarge.
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Unique States Grades 3 – 5, 7, 8, and High School Reading. Click the images to enlarge.
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Unique States: Grades 3 - High School Math. Click images to enlarge.
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Figure 9 provides a comparison of the percentage of students proficient on the AA-AAS in grade 8 for reading and mathematics in regular states. A majority of states (n=29) reported higher proficiency rates for the reading AA-AAS compared to the math AA-AAS; 21 states had higher rates of proficiency on the math AA-AAS.
Figure 9. Proficiency Rates for Grade 8 Reading and Math AA-AAS in Regular States
A comparison of the percentage of students proficient on the AA-AAS in grade 6 in unique states for reading and mathematics is shown in Figure 10. Four of ten unique states reported proficiency rates for both reading and math in grade 6. The majority of the unique states (n = 3) showed a higher proficiency rate for reading compared to math.
Figure 10. Proficiency Rates for Grade 6 Reading and Math AA-AAS in Unique States
Grades 3 - 7 and High School. Click the images to enlarge.
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Unique states: Grades 3 – 5, 7, 8, and High School. Click the images to enlarge.
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Conclusions
The data presented in this report represent a snapshot of the participation and performance of students with disabilities who participate in the Alternate Assessment based on Alternate Achievement Standards (AA-AAS). To some extent, variability in the participation and performance rates reflects the differences in the states’ AA-AAS themselves, including where the proficient cuts were set.
The participation rates described in this report are fairly consistent across states. Participation rates for the AA-AAS tend to be slightly higher than one percent of the total population of students (or about 10 percent of all students with disabilities).
Proficiency rates are extremely variable across states, with most states having quite high rates of students in the AA-AAS deemed proficient or above. Still, the rates do not appear to be influenced by the percentage of students participating in the AA-AAS. Proficiency rates were slightly higher for reading compared to mathematics.
According to the U.S. Department of Education (Quenemoen & Thurlow, 2007), holding students who participate in the AA-AAS to high expectations greatly increases the learning opportunities provided to those students. It is important to keep these expectations in mind when examining proficiency rates of students with significant cognitive disabilities compared to proficiency rates of students with disabilities on the regular assessment (see Thurlow & Wu, 2016).
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Resources
Kearns, J. F., Towles-Reeves, E, Kleinert, H. L, Kleinert, J. O., & Thomas, M. K. (2011). Characteristics of and implications for students participating in alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards. Journal of Special Education, 45(1), 3-14.
Quenemoen, R. (2008). A brief history of alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards (Synthesis Report 68). Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, National Center on Educational Outcomes.
Quenemoen, R., & Thurlow, M. (2007). Learning opportunities for your child through alternate assessments. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
Thurlow, M., & Y. C. Wu (2016). 2013-2014. APR snapshot #10: State assessment participation and performance of students receiving special education services. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, National Center on Educational Outcomes.
Thurlow, M. L., Wu, Y., Quenemoen, R. F., & Towles, E. (2016). Characteristics of students with significant cognitive disabilities (NCSC Brief #8). Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, National Center and State Collaborative.