Introduction to the special issue on alternate assessments based on modified academic achievement standards: New policy, new practices, and persistent challenges

This introduction to the special issue titled Alternate Assessments Based on Modified Academic Achievement Standards: New Policy, New Practices, and Persistent Challenges addresses the federal policy introducing the new alternate assessment for students with persistent academic difficulties, as well as related implementation issues that will be more thoroughly considered throughout the journal. Three guidelines are identified within the policy for alternate assessments based on modified academic achievement standards (AA-MASs), including that (a) a state's grade-level academic content standards cannot be modified for an AA-MAS, (b) a state's general test can be modified for an AA-MAS, and (c) a state's achievement standards can be modified for an AA-MAS so long as they remain on grade level. This article introduces key issues including identification of students eligible for an AA-MAS, the degree of modification that can be applied to develop an AA-MAS, and the current state of AA-MAS development across the nation. The article concludes with overviews of each contribution in the journal.