Beginning in 2007, federal regulations to two major education laws gave state departments of education the option to develop an alternate assessment based on modified achievement standards (AA-MAS) for some students with disabilities. The regulations stated that the AA-MAS was intended for students who were being instructed in the grade-level curriculum but who were not likely to achieve grade-level proficiency in that curriculum during the year of their Individualized Education Program (IEP). This report summarizes the results of educator focus groups conducted by one state in a consortia dedicated to studying AA-MAS eligibility issues. In 2008 and 2009, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction held three focus groups. In each session, facilitators followed a two-part procedure developed by Berndt and Ebben (2008). First, participants responded to a series of questions about characteristics of students who would be eligible for an AA-MAS, the types of information needed to determine a student's eligibility, and teachers' roles in the decision-making process. Second, small groups of participants examined an AA-MAS fact sheet and clarified their understanding of the language found in federal regulations. Through this process, participants addressed commonly held misperceptions that at-risk students without disabilities could be included in an AA-MAS. In addition, they recognized that students with disabilities needed to be instructed in the grade-level curriculum instead of content from lower grade levels. Finally, participants acknowledged the need for standards-based IEPs to clearly address accommodations and modifications used in instruction as well as in assessments. Based on the results of these focus groups, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has planned further professional development opportunities for both special education and general education teachers. (Contains 4 tables and 4 figures.)