10:05 a.m., Dec. 16, 2002--Measuring academic progress for students with moderate or severe cognitive disabilities is a challenge. UD’s Center for Disabilities Studies has received recognition for its innovative approach to evaluating these students’ skills in the creation and implementation of its Delaware Alternate Portfolio Assessment project, which received the Distinguished Community Service Award from The Arc of Delaware (formerly the Association for Retarded Citizens).
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| Center for Disability Studies Director Michael Gamel-McCormick: “Not only does the portfolio project assess the abilities of students with disabilities, it gives teachers structure and goals.” |
Michael Gamel-McCormick said he is proud of the accomplishments of the team that devised the program, including co-principal investigators Don Peters, Amy Rextrew Professor of Individual and Family Studies, and Shaunna Crossen, and Janine Weber, project coordinator, graduate students Kellie Anderson and Jennifer Dugan and senior secretary Allison Chandler.
“Not only does the portfolio project assess the abilities of students with disabilities, it gives teachers structure and goals. The team also has sought input from teachers, families and the community in developing the project, and their feedback has been important and valuable in learning what works and what doesn’t,” Gamel-McCormick said.
“Recognition from The Arc of Delaware was an unexpected, pleasant surprise which encourages our efforts in working with students with disabilities,” Crossen said.
By federal law, all students must be included in the statewide assessment and testing program. But, students with cognitive disabilities have a wide range of individual abilities and needs, and the alternate portfolio assessment project is designed to be flexible and tailored to individual students.
“The Delaware Department of Education has funded the project since 1997, and our team had the responsibility to develop, oversee and implement this alternate method of measuring students’ achievements,” Crossen said.
Teachers are trained to maintain portfolios of students with disabilities, who are enrolled in a functional life skills curriculum and document their progress in five areas—communication, personal management, social, career/vocational and applied academics.
“For example, one student may learn how to take a list and go shopping, or another student who cannot speak may learn to order food at a fast-food restaurant using pictures,” Crossen said.
The portfolios, documenting student progress, are evaluated by trained Delaware educators. Last May, more than 400 portfolios were submitted, and this year the project is fully implemented in Delaware schools, Gamel-McCormick said.
“Other states are interested in Delaware’s alternate assessment,” Crossen said. “The team has made presentations at professional conferences and educators are interested in our findings. We also learn from their experiences,” Crossen said.
Article by Sue Moncure
Photo by Duane Perry
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