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Keystone is a client-centered alternate assessment design firm with extensive experience developing and implementing alternate assessment systems.We believe that assessment should inform instruction and that classroom instruction should be reflected in the alternate assessment. Our staff has taught in the classroom and consulted with teachers and state departments on teaching and assessment. We know what works and what doesn’t. Furthermore, our team understands the individual requirements and goals of our clients, and has developed a unique, responsive and customized approach to assessment design. We work closely with each client to determine their needs on a case-by-case basis and provide individual attention to ensure that each of those needs is met. Our team understands the federal education and special education laws and guidance for alternate assessment. At Keystone, we’re passionate about what we do because we share a common vision: to improve assessment and provide the best possible educational opportunities for students with significant cognitive disabilities.

Keystone was founded by proven leaders in the field of alternate assessment based on alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS). Members of our team were instrumental in the development of the very first alternate assessment and addressing academic standards, even before the passage of IDEA ’97 and have been pioneers in the field ever since. Our staff has worked in four countries, 27 states, and five U.S. territories to develop and implement alternate assessment systems. They have helped shape the field of AA-AAAS by contributing to research and texts on alternate assessment, working on Enhanced Assessment Grants (EAG), General Supervision Enhancement Grants (GSEG), and by working one-on-one with students with disabilities, their teachers, educational teams and families.