Eighth Annual Maryland Conference:  Alternate Assessment

October 11 & 12, 2007

University of Maryland

College Park, MD

 

Organizer:  William D. Schafer                              Moderator:  Robert W. Lissitz

 

Thursday, October 11

7:00 – 8:30:            Registration & Continental Breakfast

              

Introduction

8:30 – 8:45             Welcome & Overview

                               Robert W. Lissitz, University of Maryland

 

Conceptualizing Alternate Assessment, With an Emphasis on:

8:45 – 9:15             Defining the Population to be Served

                               Jacqueline F. Kearns, University of Kentucky

9:15 – 9:45             Understanding the Construct to be Assessed

                               Stephen N. Elliott, Vanderbilt University

9:45 – 10:15           Sampling the Domain for Evidence of Achievement

                               Gerald Tindal, University of Oregon

10:15 – 10:30         Break     

10:30 – 11:00         Influencing Alternate Assessments Through Public Policy

                               Susan L. Rigney, U. S. Department of Education

11:00 – 11:30         Alignment Issues & Methods for Alternate Assessments

                               Diane M. Browder, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

11:30 – 12:00         Setting Standards for Alternate Assessments

                               Steve Ferrara, American Institutes for Research

12:00 – 12:30         Evaluating Alternate Assessments

                               Scott F. Marion, Nat Cntr for Imp. of Educational Assessment

12:30 – 1:30           Lunch

1:30 – 2:00             Commonalities and Differences Among State Programs

                               Rachel Quenemoen, University of Minnesota

 

Selected State Exemplars – Philosophy, Description, Supporting Data 

2:00 – 2:45             Connecticut

                              Peter Behuniak, University of Connecticut

                               Joseph Amenta, Connecticut State Department of Education

2:45 – 3:30             Georgia

                               Claudia Flowers, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

                               Melissa Fincher, Georgia Department of Education

3:30 – 3:45             Break

3:45 – 4:30             Maryland

                               Sharon Hall, U. S. Department of Education

                               Martin Kehe, Maryland State Department of Education

                               William D. Schafer, University of Maryland

4:30 – 5:15             Mississippi

                               Stephen N. Elliott, Vanderbilt University

                               Andrew Roach, Georgia State University

 

Friday, October 12

7:30 – 8:00             Continental Breakfast

8:00 – 8:45             Massachusetts

                               Daniel J. Wiener, Massachusetts Department of Education

                               Charles A. DePascale, Nat Cntr for Imp. of Educational Assessment

8:45 – 9:30             Oregon

                               Gerald Tindal, University of Oregon

                               Nancy Latini, Oregon Department of Education

                               Diana Carrizales, Oregon Department of Education

9:30 – 10:15           South Carolina

                               Steve Ferrara, American Institutes for Research

                               Suzanne Swaffield, South Carolina Department of Education

                               Lorin Mueller, American Institutes for Research

10:15 – 10:45         Break

10:45– 12:45          Take-Home Messages. Panel Presentations (10 min. each).

                               Possible Themes:

                               What do developers of alternate assessments most need to know?

                               What should evaluators of alternate assessments focus on?

                               What new knowledge needs to be developed in the next few years?    

                               Peter Behuniak, University of Connecticut

                               Diane M. Browder, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

                               Stephen N. Elliott, Vanderbilt University

                               Steve Ferrara, American Institutes for Research

                                              Claudia Flowers, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

                               Jacqueline F. Kearns, University of Kentucky

                               Scott F. Marion, Nat Cntr for Imp. of Educ. Assessment

                               Rachel Quenemoen, University of Minnesota

                               Susan L. Rigney, U. S. Department of Education

                               William D. Schafer, University of Maryland

                                              Gerald Tindal, University of Oregon

                               Daniel J. Wiener,     Massachusetts Department of Education

12:45 – 1:00           Conference Wrap-Up

                               Robert W. Lissitz, University of Maryland