Teacher of the Year Ceremony
Due to inclement weather, the Teacher of the Year Ceremony has been postponed to December 16, 2025 from 5-7pm. Doors will open at 4pm. The Ceremony will take place at the Bushnell Theater in Hartford, and the order of events will remain the same.

The Connecticut Alternate Assessment System (CTAA, CTAS, and CAAELP)  

CTAA Resources

Overview of the Connecticut’s Alternate Assessment (CTAA)

Students with the most significant cognitive disabilities are identified for participation in the Alternate Assessment System when the Planning and Placement Team (PPT) determines the student meets eligibility criteria using the required Alternate Assessment System Eligibility Form embedded within CT- SEDS.  

The Connecticut Alternate Assessment (CTAA) is a secure test administered to eligible students with significant cognitive disabilities in Grades 3-8 and 11. The CTAA was designed to be administered by the Trained Teacher Administering the Alternate (TEA) in a one-to-one test setting with the student. The CTAA is comprised of a series of reading, writing, and mathematics items that must be administered by the Trained TEA during the testing window between March 23 and May 29, 2026. 


The test format includes the use of pictures and graphics to help students understand test content, reduced passage length, embedded models in reading, writing and math, and the incorporation of common geometric shapes and smaller numbers in the mathematics sections. During test administration, the TEA reads the test to the student including passages, items, and responses, and enters the student’s answers into the online student interface. 


To access resources regarding pre-planning tasks and test administration procedures, refer to the Alternate Assessment System webpage located on the Connecticut Comprehensive Assessment Program Portal.

Annual Required Teacher Training

The Connecticut Alternate Assessment System Training – Required for Teachers Administering the Alternate is a mandatory online course completed each school year to provide qualified educators with essential alternate assessment materials and the permissions to administer the CTAA and CTAS. Educators passing the embedded quiz for the training with a score of 80% or better will be assigned the Trained TEA certification and be provided all associated privileges for administering the alternate assessments.  This required qualification process ensures that TEAs receive the most current information as testing policies and system enhancements shift from year to year.

Teachers administering the alternate assessments must have a TEA user role in TIDE to access secure alternate assessment system materials, administer the CTAA, and submit student scores on the CTAS using the Data Entry Interface (DEI).

Related Resources

Alternate Assessment System Training – Located on the Alternate Assessment System webpage of the Connecticut Comprehensive Assessment Program Portal, this required online training consists of four modules and a quiz. This must be completed annually by teachers who are responsible for administering the CTAA and/or CTAS to eligible students.

Connecticut Alternate Assessment System Training Required for Teachers Administering the Alternate Overview for District Administrators - The information included in this overview describes the responsibilities of the DA in TIDE for the mandatory online course completed each school year, to provide qualified educators with essential alternate assessment materials and the permissions to administer these assessments. The DAs must follow these procedures to ensure the alternate assessments are administered by teachers qualified for this responsibility. 

Connecticut Alternate Assessment System Training Required for Teachers Administering the Alternate Overview for Trained TEAs - The information included in this overview describes the responsibilities of the TEA and the procedures to ensure the alternate assessments are administered by teachers qualified for this responsibility.

Connecticut Alternate Assessment System Training- Session Tasks- Master List - This document contains an overview of all Session Tasks that are included in the Connecticut Alternate Assessment System Training – Required for Teachers Administering the Alternate (TEAs).

Resources Specific to the Connecticut Alternate Assessment (CTAA)

  • CTAA Test Administration Manual - The Connecticut Alternate Assessment (CTAA) Test Administration Manual (TAM) is to guide Trained Teachers Administering the Alternate (TEAs) administering the CTAA to eligible students. It can also be used by District/School Test Coordinators (DCs/SCs) to prepare for and administer the CTAA in their school or district.
  • CTAA User Guide - This manual supports Trained Teachers Administering the Alternate (TEAs) navigate the Test Delivery System (TDS) as well as administer Connecticut Alternate Assessment (CTAA) practice tests and operational tests.
  • CTAA Assessing Students Who are Blind, Deaf, or Deaf-Blind– This resource is intended to be used in conjunction with the secure, required test administration materials available on the portal.
  • Connecticut Alternate Assessment (CTAA) TEA Responsibility Checklist – The responsibilities and suggested steps for the Trained TEA are defined in this document.
  • The ELA Performance Level Descriptors and Math Performance Level Descriptors were developed to summarize the knowledge, skills, and abilities prioritized for the CTAA that students need to attain at each level of achievement (Level 1-Level 4). Each performance level includes the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the preceding performance levels.
  • The National Center and State Collaborative (NCSC) web page describes the collaborative development process for the CTAA. It provides extensive resources and technical documentation that support students with significant cognitive disabilities.
  • The NCSC Wiki provides materials to support educators with instruction aligned to the Connecticut Core Standards (CCS). This wiki also provides a communication tool kit, instructional supports, and parent resources.

CTAA Scoring and Reporting