Alignment Analysis and Standard-Setting Procedures for Alternate Assessments

WCER Working Paper No. 2004-1

Andrew T. Roach and Stephen N. Elliott

September 2004, 22 pp.

ABSTRACT: This paper provides an overview of the methods and results of alignment analyses and standard-setting procedures used in investigations conducted during the development of alternate assessments in two states: Wisconsin and Idaho . To meet the assessment and accountability mandates contained in the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 (IDEA ' 97) and the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, policymakers and test developers need to conduct two types of investigations: (a) analyses of the alignment between assessments and state standards and (b) standard-setting procedures to determine appropriate cut scores for proficient performance. Application of a nationally recognized alignment procedure (Webb, 2002) and a modification of a widely used standard-setting procedure (Lewis, Mitzel, & Green, 1996) to alternate assessments are outlined.

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keywords: Alternate Assessment; Standard Setting; Alignment Analysis