Accommodations

Significant NCEO Accommodations Publications

NCEO has published more than 700 publications since it was first funded in 1990. Together, the publications reflect the evolving landscape of assessing students with disabilities. Several NCEO publications contributed to a change in assessment policy and practice across the years for the provision of accommodations during testing. Among these are:

  • Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in National and State Data Collection Programs (1992, Technical Report 2) by K. S. McGrew, M. L. Thurlow, J. G. Shriner, & A. Spiegel. https://nceo.umn.edu/docs/OnlinePubs/archive/Technical/TechnicalReport002.pdf PDF
    • This report was one of the first to document the exclusion of students with disabilities from state and national assessments, often because of the need for accommodations or a concern about their performance.
  • Testing Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: A Review of the Literature (1993, Synthesis Report 4) by M. L. Thurlow, J. E. Ysseldyke, & B. Silverstein. https://nceo.umn.edu/docs/OnlinePubs/archive/Synthesis/SynthesisReport004.pdf PDF
    • This report was one of the first to document the literature on accommodations and the limited number of states with accommodation policies for their assessments.
  • Making Decisions About the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in Large-Scale Assessments: A Report on a Working Conference to Develop Guidelines on Inclusion and Accommodations (1994, Synthesis Report 13) by J. Ysseldyke, M. Thurlow, K. McGrew, & M. Vanderwood. https://nceo.umn.edu/docs/OnlinePubs/archive/Synthesis/SynthesisReport013.pdf PDF
    • This report documented the first conversations about providing accommodations for students with disabilities participating in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). It led to a series of studies conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics and the eventual development of an accommodations policy for NAEP.
  • Universal Design Applied to Large Scale Assessments (2002, Synthesis Report 44). https://nceo.umn.edu/docs/OnlinePubs/Synth44.pdf PDF
    • This report was the first to apply the concept of Universal Design to large-scale assessments. It led to several studies and the adoption of Universal Design as a critical aspect of the development of state assessments.
  • A Review of 50 States’ Online Large-scale Assessment Policies: Are English language Learners with Disabilities Considered? (2004, ELLs with Disabilities Report 6) by M. Thurlow, J. Minnema, & J. Treat. https://nceo.umn.edu/docs/OnlinePubs/ELLsDisRpt5.pdf PDF
    • This report was one of the first to provide a systematic examination of state assessment participation and accommodations policies for English learners with disabilities. It contributed to discussions and research on accommodations for English learners with disabilities.
  • Don't Forget Accommodations! Five Questions To Ask When Moving to Technology-based Assessments (2011, NCEO Brief #1) by National Center on Educational Outcomes. https://nceo.umn.edu/docs/OnlinePubs/briefs/brief01/NCEObrief1.pdf PDF
    • This brief was written as consortia of states started to develop assessments. It emphasized that accessibility was a concept broader than accommodations. The state assessment consortia adopted a tiered approach to accessibility.