Why Should My School Invest in Stages?

Stages Helps Educators Comply with Assessment Legislation
IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Public Law 94-142 and its amendments) requires that all states have alternative assessment in place as of July 1, 2000. In response to this requirement to provide a means of assessing all students, many states have elected to include a portfolio-based assessment option. Stages assessment activities can provide valuable data for inclusion in a learner's Alternate (or Alternative) Assessment portfolio.

For details about saving time and money while providing accountability using Stages, please read this article: Stages Administrators Handout (PDF 404K).

Stages Generates Portfolio Evidence and IEP Documentation
During Stages software activities, the instructor can print directly from any screen to capture a learner-generated product. At the end of each activity, a report with instructional data about the time spent, choices made, response accuracy or work product, input method, prompt type, and time/date stamp are displayed with the learner's name. The instructional team member can then print that screen or save the information as a text-format electronic file. In addition, observation forms recorded by the practitioner during Stages activities may be included in the portfolio.

The software recommended in the Software Comparison Chart in this guide can also be used to collect evidence for portfolios. When the learner is using the computer, videos and screenshots can capture their achievements. Include in the portfolio information about access solutions and software settings.

Stages Correlates with State Standards
Because Stages activities cover core curriculum areas, they often correlate directly to a state's general and alternate standards. Stages activities match with English Language Arts and Mathematics standards as well as pre-academic skills and functional academics. For correlations between Stages activities and individual State standards, please visit the State Correlations page (these documents are in PDF).

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