Dynamic Learning Maps photos of kids with disabilities

Dynamic Learning Maps® Alternate Assessment

We provide an instructionally relevant assessment and report assessment results to help guide instruction.

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Test Updates

May 14, 2026

The Dynamic Learning Maps® (DLM®) program provides Individual Student Score Reports for students who completed the DLM alternate assessment during the 2025–2026 school year. Score reports communicate achievement within grade-level content standards to educators, parents, and others.

April 9, 2026

What is a field test? 

DLM Highlights

June 4, 2026

As we close out the 2025–2026 school year, we are happy to share some exciting news about the exponential growth of the Dynamic Learning Maps® (DLM®) assessment. During our first operational year in 2014–2015, we had a total of 749,900 testlets administered with eight states testing in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics. As we approach the end of this year’s testing window, we are proud to announce that we have more than tripled the DLM alternate assessment’s…

November 20, 2025

Each year, teachers must complete or update each student’s First Contact Survey. It is important to update this information annually to ensure students’ strengths and needs are accurately considered for instruction and testing.

The First Contact Survey is a series of items that goes beyond basic demographics and covers a variety of areas, including communication, academic skills, and attention. The test administrator enters the responses for each eligible student on their rosters.…

Member States

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High Expectations for Student Success

This video outlines four keys to academic success for students with significant cognitive disabilities and highlights a few postsecondary opportunities for students taking the DLM alternate assessment. The contents of the video were developed from an ATLAS study on how DLM academic achievement standards prepare students to pursue postsecondary opportunities (pdf).

Parents: Learn more about how to build high expectations for your child’s life after high school in A Future of Opportunity (pdf).