New York State Alternate Assessment

New York State Alternate Assessment

The New York State Alternate Assessment (NYSAA) is a part of the New York State Testing Program.  It is a datafolio-style assessment in which students with severe cognitive disabilities demonstrate their performance toward achieving the New York State learning standards.  Eligibility for participation in NYSAA is determined by the Committee on Special Education (CSE) according to criteria described in the Administrators' Manual and other materials listed below.  Student performance is recorded through direct observation and documentation and may include other information such as student work products, photographs, audio and videotapes.  Students must be assessed once a year beginning in the school year they become 9 years old through the school year they become 14 (grade equivalents 3-8). The secondary level NYSAA is administered during the school year they become 17-18 years of age (high school).

There were changes in NYSAA beginning in 2006-07 that require schools and families to update their knowledge about the NYSAA process.  NYSAA Training Specialists and Regional Lead Trainers serving boards of cooperative educational services (BOCES) and Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Yonkers and New York City are available to conduct professional development sessions and technical assistance to educate teachers, service providers, administrators, families and others at the regional and local level on the administration of the assessment.

Information about the current process, data collection, determining student performance levels, scoring dates, content area assessment guides, participation criteria and the federal and State requirements for assessment has moved to the Office of State Assessment web page at http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/osa/nysaa/home.shtml.