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"This paper presents an overview of New Hampshire's efforts to implement a pilot accountability system designed to support deeper learning for students and powerful organization change for schools and districts. The accountability pilot, referred to as Performance Assessment of Competency Education or PACE, is grounded in a competency- based educational approach designed to ensure that students have meaningful opportunities to achieve critical knowledge and skills. These opportunities are judged by the outcomes students achieve and not by inputs such as seat time. Therefore, students must achieve these competencies before moving on to the next major learning targets and/or graduating from high school. High quality performance assessments play a crucial role in the PACE system because of the need to have assessments that measure the depths of student understanding of these complex learning targets. Performance assessments are used as both summative and interim measures in the PACE system as a way to document student learning of the competencies and to support remediation or extension interventions. The paper describes the system of assessments being implemented as part of the PACE pilot as well as providing a discussion of the technical quality issues the state is working to address as part of this accountability pilot. For example, being able to produce valid and comparable annual determinations for all students each year is a considerable technical challenge as well as documenting the degree to which all students are held to the same threshold expectations (equity). The paper concludes by relating the PACE initiative to the push for deeper and more meaningful learning for students. "

"Alternative Assessment Strategies There are many ways to assess students' mastery of material besides multiple choice examinations. What follows are some examples of alternative assessments that you might consider."

"The Transition Assessment Matrix was developed for secondary education transition teachers by the Indiana Northeast Cadre of Transition Leaders and the Indiana Secondary Transition Resource Center (INSTRC).  Assessments included in the Matrix have either been created by INSTRC, are available online, or are those for which INSTRC has received permission from the original publisher.  Recent Matrix updates make it easier to navigate and identify assessments that meet the specific needs of your students."

The Wisconsin Post High School Outcomes Survey (WPHSOS) assesses the outcomes of individuals with disabilities one year after they have exited high school. Former students are contacted for a telephone interview to assess areas independent living, participation in postsecondary education, employment, and high school IEP planning.

"Development of the TAGG began in 2007 with creation of the basic idea, collection of initial research studies, and social validation studies of the basic concept. A grant award from the National Institute of Education Science's National Center for Special Education Research provided the funding to bring together an involved group of assessment experts and transition professionals to create the TAGG. The following chapters of the TAGG Technical Manual describe the iterative development process that produced the TAGG assessment and results of various validity studies. We developed the TAGG following the steps detailed in the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (1999) by the American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, and the National Council on Measurement in Education. The Technical Manual Chapters will be updated as additional validity evidence becomes available."

Summary: This PDF document is in the form of a book which serves as a guide for professionals working on generating transition plans. The guide progresses through tips for planning for employment, education, independent living, etc. , and also features informal assessments for each. The guide closes with examples of letters to parents or guardians about transition planning, as well as questionaires to assess learning styles. Professional Practice: This guide is a "one stop shop" for those who are looking for resources for writing a transition plan for a student. It features a variety of different questions to guide the creation of this important document. As I work with students of transition age, I could see myself using this booklet regularly to guide my process.

Awesome resource! Transition plans are so important and this resource is really helpful when it comes to creating them.

This is a great resource. I liked how it was broken out by the ages so you can see how relevant transition services are at the different stages. It's helpful to see/consider things you might not have thought of for a plan. It will be very useful when creating transition plans for middle and school kids.

"This site has been put together by the Indiana Northeast Cadre of Transition Leaders and the Indiana Secondary Transition Resource Center. This is a �living� site that will be monitored and improved on a regular basis. New transition assessments may be added and additional sorting will take place in the future. If you have suggestions for the site or find links that need corrections, please click on the button below and share your thoughts with us. The goal is to continually improve upon the access and usability of the system."

mcst-assessment mcst-employment

Good tool for those assessing online and blended learning courses.

"Sponsored by NTACT, Michael Wehmeyer will identify how the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction can be implemented in classrooms, schools and throughout a district. Also learn about a new self-determination assessment, the Self-Determination Inventory."

The Center for Assistive Technology (CAT) was created by the School of Public Health and Health Professions at the University of Buffalo. It is a center that "conducts research, education, and service to increase knowledge about assistive devices for persons with functional impairments of all ages." The center focuses on four main areas, (1) "Research, Development, Transfer, and Commercialization," (2) "Education Programs," (3) "Client Assessment & Training Services," and (4) "Dissemination." These four areas include faculty members from approximately thirteen departments at the University of Buffalo. The website created by CAT provides information about the program as a whole, current research, educational programs and services that they provide, as well as current projects and past projects. As a special educator, I would use this website to learn about new assistive technology programs that would be beneficial for my students. I would also use this site to learn about workshops for educators that teach about new assistive technology. This information would be very beneficial during transition and career development time because it would provide me with the most recent information to give to my students.

In So What Do They Really Know? Cris Tovani explores the complex issue of monitoring, assessing, and grading students' thinking and performance with fairness and fidelity. Like all teachers, Cris struggles to balance her student-centered instruction with school system mandates.

The access information is as follows: Username: USATEACHER Password: FEBFREE Future Forward, created by USA TODAY Education, offers real-world support for course content through a library of industry-focused articles and RSS feeds, simple and effective vocabulary and reading guides, and mini-assessments categorized by career cluster.

When Ramona Pierson was 22, she was hit by a drunk driver and spent 18 months in a coma. In this talk, she tells the remarkable story of her recovery -- drawing on the collective skills and wisdom of a senior citizens' home. (Filmed at TEDxDU.) Ramona Pierson develops tools to revolutionize learning management and assessment systems -- her fourth career after aviation, neuropsychology and software development. Full bio »

"‌The Survey of Adult Skills is an international survey conducted in 33 countries as part of the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). It measures the key cognitive and workplace skills needed for individuals to participate in society and for economies to prosper. The first results from the Survey were released on 8th October 2013. The evidence from this Survey will help countries better understand how education and training systems can nurture these skills. Educators, policy makers and labour economists will use this information to develop economic, education and social policies that will continue to enhance the skills of adults.‌"

The IES College Readiness Data Catalog Tool and User Guide enables states, districts and other educational entities to assess the presence of college readiness indicators and identify gaps in developing future indicator systems. The College Readiness Data Catalog is a flexible Excel workbook that provides a shell for organizing and tracking student data relevant for measuring college readiness.

"Universal Design for Learning is a set of principles for curriculum development that give all individuals equal opportunities to learn. UDL provides a blueprint for creating instructional goals, methods, materials, and assessments that work for everyone--not a single, one-size-fits-all solution but rather flexible approaches that can be customized and adjusted for individual needs."

Here is a new online tool to calculate the cost savings and benefits of hiring a person with a disability. It includes customized results by type of business and listing of resources by State. The tool, known as "Hire Gauge," asks for basic information including the company's size, location and industry in order to provide an assessment of the expenses and incentives involved in selecting a job applicant with a disability. It is believed to be the first online tool to provide businesses with a real-time look at the tax incentives and other benefits they can tap into when hiring individuals with disabilities, according to officials with Think Beyond the Label, a public-private partnership which created Hire Gauge and supports disability employment.