The 2% Transition

New regulations require a transition away from the alternate assessment based on modified achievement standards (AA-MAS). Students who previously participated in this option will be required to take the regular state assessments aligned with college- and career-ready standards beginning in the 2014-15 school year. As states, districts, and schools move away from administering the AA-MAS under these new guidelines, educators need to consider how to support students who previously participated in the AA-MAS as they shift to the regular state tests. In this manuscript, we discuss the role of accommodations in assessment to support access for students with disabilities who were previously eligible to take the AA-MAS. We outline a process in which educators may engage to assign appropriate accommodations, and illustrate this process with an example.