Welcome to MSAA

The Multi-State Alternate Assessment (MSAA) is a comprehensive assessment system designed to promote increasing higher academic outcomes for students with significant cognitive disabilities in preparation for a broader array of post-secondary outcomes.

• Math and ELA grade 3-8 and high school
• Science grades 5, 8 and high school

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​This test contains many built-in supports that allow students to show what they know and can do by communicating as independently as possible. This assessment was developed through the research and development done by the National Center and State Collaborative (NCSC). 

​Currently, MSAA meets U.S Department of Education Peer Review requirements. Raising academic standards for all students and measuring student achievement to hold schools accountable for educational progress are central strategies for promoting educational excellence and equity in our Nation's schools. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) supports State efforts to establish challenging standards, develop aligned assessments, and build accountability systems for districts and schools that are based on educational results.

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Accommodations

• Paper version of test items (printed from the platform)
• Scribe is used when the student is physically unable to respond to any portion of the test. The test administrator will input the student's response into the assessment platform 
• Transcription is used when a student is physically able to respond to a test item in a format for paper-based administration
• The use of sign language
• Braille cards available for foundational items​

Design

• ​​Simplified language and shortened ELA passages
• Modeling Strategies embedded in items
• Pictures, charts, tables, and maps to help students understand the reading passages
• Computer-based, two-stage adaptive test
• Various item types: selected response, constructed response, and open-ended response