Performance-based assessments: Where do students with severe intellectual disabilities fit in

The dilemma of assessing students who have been diagnosed as Severe Intellectually Disabled (SID) has plagued school districts nationwide. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perceptions special education teachers in the state of Tennessee have regarding the inclusion of students who have Severe Intellectual Disabilities on the state alternate assessment. The Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program-Alternate Portfolio Assessment (TCAP ALT-PA) is the instrument that is used to assess these students. The participants in this study included 25 elementary special education teachers of students with Severe Intellectual Disabilities. A survey was distributed to a small sample of elementary school special education teachers in two of the largest school districts in the state of Tennessee. The research questions in this study were (a) What is the relationship between performance based assessments and the academic success of students with Severe Intellectual Disabilities? (b) How should the TCAP-Alt PA assessment instrument be revised for students with severe intellectual disabilities? (c) What additional professional development is needed for teachers on how and why alternate assessments are included in the AYP of schools? (d) To what extent do special education teachers use data results from alternate assessments to drive instruction? (e) What academic benefits, if any, do students with severe intellectual disabilities receive from taking alternate assessments? (f) What perceptions do special education teachers have regarding the TCAP-Alt PA? (g) How has instructional planning and delivery changed as a result of the TCAP-Alt PA? The results from the survey revealed that a large percentage of the teachers felt that students with Severe Intellectual Disabilities should be excluded from the state’s accountability mandate. “ Teachers however, felt that these students should be assessed by using a more informal tool, and the results of that assessment should not be included in the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) of their school.” This research is significant because the findings will assist school districts in making decisions regarding the appropriateness of assessing students who cannot participate in the regular state or district assessment mandate.