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Portsmouth narrows alternate‑assessment eligibility as federal 1% rule guides changes
Summary
District staff told the School Committee they reviewed assessment criteria after RIDE’s change in alternate‑assessment guidance and expect to remove about four to five students from alternate assessment lists; programming and budget requests have been developed to support affected students.
Portsmouth special education leaders updated the School Committee on Jan. 14 about work to comply with federal limits on alternate assessments and to avoid over‑identifying students for alternate assessment.
Mrs. Shay, who is leading the district’s response, said the district developed data criteria and reviewed student records with building special education teams. She explained alternate assessment is intended for students with significant cognitive disabilities, not simply students who need an accommodation. “Alternate assessment is really geared to those students with a significant cognitive disability,” Mrs. Shay said.
The district’s review identified a small number of students who no longer meet the stricter federal criteria; Mrs. Shay told the committee staff expect “either 4 or 5 students who no longer meet that criteria.” She said the district has outlined programming changes and included resource requests in the FY2026 budget to support appropriate instruction for those students and others whose instruction needs differ from grade‑level standards.
Committee members discussed federal requirements under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), including the 1% cap on students assessed with an alternate assessment. Dr. Kenworthy and staff said they will report back later in the year with implementation steps once budget decisions are known.
The committee asked staff to provide at least one further update before the end of the school year.
