Using Stages to Create Meaningful and Effective Alternate Assessment Portfolios
By Pugiliese, Madalaine; Closing the Gap, Vol. 21, No. 4, pp. 30, 40-42Publication Date: October/November 2002
Article describing Stages, a software program that serves as a developmental framework to provide insight on students’ cognitive and language abilities. Stages consists of a book, assessment software, and curriculum software. Stages is not age or grade specific, and it consists of seven stages of which the appropriate stage for a student represents where he or she is challenged, but not overwhelmed or frustrated. The software is designed to support the use of adapted computer access devices, and it can serve as a valuable tool for collecting primary evidence from learners with the most intensive special needs. Content reflects the research of educational experts and is parallel to national academic standards on an elementary level. Stages is not a formal assessment tool, but rather a set of activities designed on an instructional model that provides feedback and coaching. During the activities, the evaluator can print from the screen to capture a page to place in the student's portfolio. With each activity comes a report with instructional data about the time spent, choices made, response accuracy, input method, prompt type, and a time/date stamp. This organized approach can help to break down previous barriers in assessing students with special needs.
Published by: Closing the Gap, Inc. (Website:http://www.closingthegap.com)
