Alternate Assessments

 
South Carolina Alternate Assessments – Testing Students with Disabilities
All students with disabilities must be included in statewide or district-wide assessments and if necessary, must have accommodations, or must participate in an alternate assessment.
 
An Alternate Assessment is an assessment for students with significant cognitive disabilities who are assessed against Alternate Achievement Standards (AA-AAS) as they are unable to participate in the general assessment program even with appropriate accommodations.
 
(Click here for more information regarding testing students with disabilities and available accommodations.)
South Carolina Alternate Assessments (SC-Alt) Online
  • SC Alternate Assessment for SC READY (ELA and Math)
    • Grades 3-8
  • SC Alternate Assessment for SCPASS (Science and Social Studies)
    • Science: grades 4, 6, and 8
    • Social Studies: grades 5 and 7
  • SC Alternate Assessment for End-of-Course Examination Program (EOCEP)
    • English 1, Algebra 1, Biology 1, and US History and the Constitution
    • Grades 9-12
Due to COVID-19, South Carolina did not administer SC-Alt in Spring 2020.
Alternate Career Readiness Assessment
  • Districts must administer a transition assessment listed on the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) approved list, or one that has been approved by SCDE through the review approval process in order to meet the testing requirement for an alternate career readiness assessment. The approved assessment must be given any time during the school year. Students who are eligible to take an alternate career readiness assessment are those students who meet the criteria for participation in the state alternate assessments and those who meet the age requirement.
Alternate ACCESS for ELLs
  • Alternate ACCESS for ELLs® is an assessment of English language proficiency for students in grades 1 through 12 who are classified as English language learners (ELLs) and have significant cognitive disabilities that prevent their meaningful participation in the ACCESS for ELLs® assessment. The Alternate ACCESS for ELLs® consists of items that are less complex than items in the ACCESS for ELLs® assessment. The assessment is based on Alternate English language proficiency levels in four English language proficiency areas: Social and Instructional Language, language of English Language Arts, language of Mathematics, and language of Science. Like the ACCESS for ELLs®, the Alternate ACCESS for ELLs® is divided into four language domains (speaking, listening, reading and writing).
  • All students in grades K-12 who are determined to be English Language Learners - based upon the completion of a Home Language Survey and the initial assessment of their English proficiency - must take ACCESS for ELLs® or Alternate ACCESS for ELLs® each spring. This includes those students whose parents have waived direct MLP services. Students must continue to take ACCESS until they have scored “Fully English Proficient.”
  • Grades 1 through 12 (Students with significant cognitive disabilities in kindergarten should take the kindergarten ACCESS for ELLs®.)