現代米国における特別支援教育対象児の学力評価に関する検討 -州テストにおける代替的な評価に着目して-

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to clarify the characteristics of alternate assessment for students with disabilities. Since the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was revised in 1997, students with disabilities have had the right to access the general education curriculum and assessment. However, some students, especially students with significant cognitive disabilities have great difficulty in taking the same exam as their nondisabled peers. Thus, almost all states are developing alternate assessment for students with significant cognitive disabilities. These alternate assessments are supposed to cover the same content as general exams but have less complexity. Although alternate assessment seems to be the proper way to enable students with disabilities to learn academic subjects, some researchers have criticized such assessment. Some researchers insist that alternate assessments make special education teachers realize the importance of academic subjects. Others insist that including students with disabilities in statewide achievement tests contradicts the important characteristics of special education-individualized education. Then, I examined test items of alternate assessments. Through the study, I found that there were several different methodologies for the alternate assessments: some use portfolios; others use standardized multiple-choice tests. I also found that these alternate assessments had alternate standards, which had the same content as the general education standard, it was believed. However, the content of these standards is different from that of general education standards.