When it comes to alternate assessment, Kentucky guidance is clear: this decision matters—a lot. It’s not just a series of checkboxes ✅. It’s about making sure students are accessing instruction and assessment that truly match how they learn best.
So… who is alternate assessment really for?
According to Kentucky’s participation guidelines, alternate assessment is intended for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. These are students who:
Require extensive, direct individualized instruction across settings
Are learning content aligned to alternate academic achievement standards (not grade-level standards)
Need substantial supports to access and demonstrate learning
We’re talking about a very small group of students—not just those who are struggling, but those with significantly different learning needs in depth and complexity.
🚫 Let’s Bust a Few Myths
Alternate assessment is not for students just because they:
Are performing below grade level
Have a specific disability label
Exhibit challenging behaviors
Are English learners
Miss a lot of school
Receive instruction in an MSD/FMD classroom
Kentucky guidance is clear: none of these factors alone qualify a student.
🧩 Here’s Where It Gets Really Important…
There are three separate decisions the ARC must make when developing the IEP, and they are often (incorrectly) lumped together:
✔️ Assessment Participation (How does the student show what they know?)
✔️ Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) (Where does the student receive instruction?)
✔️ Diploma Pathway (What is the student working toward?)
Kentucky regulations and guidance require that these decisions are made individually and intentionally:
Assessment participation is determined using alternate assessment participation guidelines (707 KAR 1:320)
Placement/LRE is determined based on services and supports in the IEP (707 KAR 1:350)
Diploma pathway is a separate ARC discussion, including understanding options like the alternate diploma
👉 Translation:
One decision should never drive the others.
A student’s classroom, label, or diploma path does not automatically determine assessment participation.
💡 A Quick Gut Check for Teams
Ask yourselves:
Is this student learning content that is fundamentally different, not just at a different pace?
If yes, you may be on the right track. If not, it’s worth a deeper conversation.
🎉 Buzz Bonus: Did You Catch It?
We know this is important information—and we want to make it worth your time to dig in!
👀 Hidden somewhere in this article is a “buzzword.”
Be one of the first to find it for a chance to win an Amazon gift card!
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(Hint: It’s a word that reminds us these three decisions should not overlap.)
Getting this decision right ensures students are challenged, supported, and set up for success in ways that truly reflect who they are as learners. And that’s something worth buzzing about.
