2026 TASH Conference

This presentation reports a longitudinal analysis of students participating in alternate statewide assessments across 22 states from 2016–17 through 2023–24, examining who is included in alternate assessment populations as policy and practice responded to ESSA’s 1% participation guidance. Grounded in TASH’s commitment to justice, equity, and inclusion for people with the most significant support needs, the study investigates how state-level policy shifts, guidance, and waiver activity relate to changes in the demographic, instructional, communication, and achievement profiles of students who take alternate assessments.Alternate assessments are intended for a very small population of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, yet there is no single diagnostic test that delineates this group. Instead, participation reflects how states and IEP teams interpret federal policy. After ESSA established the 1% participation threshold, many states revised guidance or sought waivers, prompting shifts in identification and assessment decisions. Most prior research predates ESSA; therefore, updated longitudinal evidence is crucial for advocates, practitioners, and policymakers seeking to ensure assessments align with equity and inclusion principles.Using a secondary analysis of comprehensive annual datasets (assessment results and pretest teacher surveys) for the full population of students in states that use Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) alternate assessments, we examined trends in primary disability categories, English learner status, instructional settings, expressive communication complexity bands and modes, teacher-reported academic skills, and achievement in English language arts, mathematics, and science. Sample sizes varied by year and question (13–22 states; ~70,000–100,000+ students), permitting state-level and aggregate descriptions and exploration of relationships between observed trends and state policy actions.Key findings indicate a more than 10% decline in the DLM-tested population from 2017 to 2024, concurrent with increases in the concentration of primary disability categories (autism, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities), greater representation of students instructed in separate class settings, and shifts toward lower expressive communication complexity bands and increased reliance on sign and augmentative/alternative communication (AAC). DLM ELA performance reveals a growing proportion of students at the lowest performance level, while mathematics and multilingual learner status remain comparatively stable. Teacher ratings of academic skills show a slight decline, consistent with a narrowing to students with more intensive support needs.