Jean Clayton, M.A. Sp. Ed.

Jean Clayton, M.A., Sp.Ed., is a Senior Associate and Assessment Specialist at edCount, LLC with over 30 years of experience as an educator and alternate assessment expert. Ms. Clayton has provided content and accessibility expertise for large-scale general and alternate assessment development and evaluation projects in ELA, mathematics, science, and social studies. She has extensive experience developing and reviewing assessment items to ensure their age- and grade-appropriateness, difficulty level, and accessibility to students with significant cognitive disabilities. Ms. Clayton has developed and delivered educator professional learning services for numerous states including the development of 24 instructional content modules in social studies and science that support the delivery of rigorous instruction to students with significant cognitive disabilities.

Prior to joining edCount, Ms. Clayton worked as an Alternate Assessment Consultant for Keystone Assessment, LLC, where she developed processes for designing Hawaii’s alternate assessment and as a Technical Assistance Specialist for the Inclusive Large-Scale Standards and Assessment Project (ILSSA) at the University of Kentucky where she developed a systematic process to address the general curriculum for students with significant disabilities and served as the state coordinator for the Kentucky Assessment Project. Ms. Clayton taught elementary education and special education in Kentucky for 22 years, with most of those years teaching students with significant cognitive disabilities.

Ms. Clayton received a Master of Special Education from Murray State University and a B.S. in Elementary Education from Eastern Kentucky University. She is certified to teach Elementary, Middle School, and Exceptional Children, with a specialization in moderate and severe disabilities. Ms. Clayton has also received a Commonwealth of Kentucky Endorsement for Teaching Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities.