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- What do Teachers Know About Accessibility Features and Accommodations for English Learners?Formats: PDF
This presentation discussed what teachers know about accessibility features and accommodations for English learners. It was presented at the 2019 Minnesota Department of Education's Minnesota English Learner Education conference (MELEd).
Published: 2019-11-22 - What Do You Wish Your Colleagues Knew About Making Content Accessible for ELs?Formats: PDF
This presentation addressed making academic content accessible for English learners. It was presented at the 2019 Minnesota Department of Education's Minnesota English Learner Education conference (MELEd).
Published: 2019-11-22 - Predictors of Participation of Transition Planning Participation and Future Goal Aspirations for Secondary ELs with DisabilitiesFormats: PDF
This presentation discussed predictors of participation of transition planning participation and future goal aspirations for secondary English learners with disabilities. It was presented at the 2019 Minnesota Department of Education's Minnesota English Learner Education conference (MELEd).
Published: 2019-11-19 
NCEO Reports: A Summary of the Research on Effects of Test Accommodations: 2015-2016 (#412)The purpose of this report is to present a synthesis of the research on test accommodations published in 2015 and 2016. We summarize the research to review current research trends and enhance understanding of the implications of accommodations use in the development of future policy directions, to highlight implementation of current and new accommodations, and seek to draw valid and reliable interpretations when accommodations are used in testing situations. The literature described here encompasses empirical studies of score comparability and validity studies as well as investigations into accommodations use, implementation practices, and perceptions of their effectiveness. As a whole, the current research body offers a broad view and a deep examination of issues pertaining to assessment accommodations.
Published: November 2019
NCEO Brief: Considerations for States Providing Materials in Braille (#19)The purpose of this brief is to provide information on, and recommendations for, providing appropriate braille materials for students. In November 2012, the U.S. members of the Braille Authority of North America (BANA) voted to adopt Unified English Braille Code (UEB), with implementation of the code to begin in January 2016. Prior to that, braille materials and assessments were provided through English Braille American Edition (EBAE) a "literary" code, and Nemeth Code for Mathematics & Science Notation (Nemeth). Now, math and science materials can be created in UEB only or in Nemeth that is embedded within UEB. This brief examines why providing both options is important to designing appropriate school policies and procedures for braille users.
Published: October 2019
NCEO Reports: 2016-17 Publicly Reported Assessment Results for Students with Disabilities and ELs with Disabilities (#411)This is the 20th report by the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) that describes how states publicly report assessment data for students with disabilities in K-12 schools in the United States. The purpose of this report is to examine the extent to which states reported 2016-17 assessment data for students with disabilities “to the public with the same frequency and in the same detail as it reports on the assessment of nondisabled children,” as required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It also describes how states report assessment participation and performance data to the public online. It summarizes these data for grades 4 and 8, and high school, with additional analyses that focus on average performance gaps across years. The report also summarizes the extent to which states report participation and performance for English Learners (ELs) with disabilities and examines public reporting of accommodations.
Published: October 2019
NCEO Reports: 2018-19 Participation Guidelines and Definitions for Alternate Assessments based on Alternate Academic Achievement Standards (#415)The purpose of this report is to provide an update on state participation criteria and guidelines for alternate assessments based on alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS). In this report, we analyze criteria for participation, factors identified by states not to use as the basis for decisions, formats of resources provided, and the existence of explicit definitions of students with “significant cognitive disabilities.” Also included are analyses of information covered in state documents about AA-AAAS participation: the type of information provided to parents, the extent to which English learners are addressed, and the inclusion of information about exemptions.
Published: October 2019
NCEO Newsletter: October 2019 issueFormats: OnlineThis newsletter includes articles on a variety of topics. First, a Brief on examining disproportionality is highlighted, including ideas for looking at data when sample sizes are small; this brief also provides a link to a video on producing confidence intervals. Following that is an article highlighting a study of guidance manuals; it describes ideas and lessons learned from leaders who developed state education agency and local education agency guidance manuals for identifying, assessing, and referring English learners (ELs) to special education. Presentations that will be made by NCEO staff in November in St Paul, Minnesota (MELEd) and February in Portland Oregon (CEC) are also listed in this newsletter. Finally information on products from two NCEO affiliated projects is presented – first, several products from the TIES Center are shown, followed by a description of a module that is now publicly available from the DIAMOND project.
Published: October 2019
Forum on States and Districts Working Together on the 1.0% ThresholdA report on a forum held on June 26, 2019 in Orlando, Florida to discuss how states and districts can work together to meet the 1.0% threshold on participation in the alternate assessment aligned to alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS). The forum was a post-session to the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) National Conference on Student Assessment (NCSA), and was a collaboration of the Assessing Special Education Students (ASES) State Collaborative on Assessment and Student Standards (SCASS) and the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO). This report summarizes both the introductory information provided to forum participants, and the facilitated forum discussions that followed.
Published: September 2019
1% Toolkit: Developing a 1% Cap Waiver or Waiver Extension Request (NCEO Tool #1)The Every Student Succeeds Act allows for states to request a waiver from the 1% cap on alternate assessment participation requirements. Waiver request requirements are described in this Tool (the first of several 1% tools NCEO is developing), along with examples of how states responded to each requirement. The Tool also includes a section on Additional Considerations (reporting on stakeholder involvement; addressing approaches to take when the 95% participation requirement for requesting a waiver is not met). This Tool was developed through a collaborative process with the 44 states participating in the 1% Cap Community of Practice (CoP) during its bi-weekly webinar calls in 2018. Although the CoP was formed at the request of states to be for private state conversations, it was with mutual agreement that this Tool should be shared publicly.
Published: September 2019
1% Toolkit: Data Analysis and Use Planning Tool for Examining AA-AAAS Participation: Addressing the Percentage of Students Participating in the Alternate Assessment (NCEO Tool #2)This Data Analysis and Use Planning Tool is designed to help states and districts develop a plan for analyzing and using their AA-AAAS data as part of their efforts to meet the 1.0% cap on state-level participation in the alternate assessment aligned to alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS). Developed during the NCEO’s Peer Learning Group 1 (PLG 1), it presents a four-step data analysis framework that is intended to serve as an example and a starting point for states and districts.
Published: September 2019
1% Toolkit: State-District Data Display Templates: Addressing the Percentage of Students Participating in the Alternate Assessment (NCEO Tool #3)This State-District Data Display Templates tool is designed to provide states and districts with templates to display their data, with the end goal being to support an examination of the displayed data to determine whether there are any unusual results that require further examination and discussion. This tool was developed through the work of NCEO’s Peer Learning Group 1, which focused on ways to dig into state and district data as part of the states’ efforts to meet the 1.0% cap on state-level participation in the alternate assessment aligned to alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS).
Published: September 2019
1% Toolkit: District Dialogue Guide: Addressing the Percentage of Students Participating in the Alternate Assessment (NCEO Tool #4)As part of its efforts to meet the 1.0% cap on state-level participation in the alternate assessment aligned to alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS), NCEO’s Peer Learning Group 1 (PLG 1) developed this dialogue guide. It is designed to help district, school staff, and stakeholders engage in thoughtful conversations, tailored to their unique contexts, about participation in the AA-AAAS. It encourages frank discussions that can help to identify ways in which to examine a variety of data sources, use varied analysis methods, and gather relevant information, all toward the goal of ensuring that appropriate decisions are made about participation in the AA-AAAS.
Published: Sun Sep 22 2019
1% Toolkit: Frequently Asked Questions on AA-AAAS (NCEO Tool #5)The 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) 1.0% cap on state-level participation rates in the alternate assessment aligned to alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS) generated questions answered by the U.S. Department of Education in this Frequently Asked Questions on AA-AAAS. This FAQ tool includes questions that were asked by state personnel during the October 2018 1% Cap National Convening: Supporting States in Implementing ESSA’s 1% State-level Cap on Participation of Students in the AA-AAAS held in Boston, Massachusetts, during the NCEO 1% Community of Practice (CoP) and during NCEO’s Peer Learning Group 2 (PLG 2). The questions are listed in this tool by topic, and include the date the question was answered by the U.S. Department of Education.
Published: September 2019
NCEO Reports: Status of State-Defined Alternate Diplomas in 2018-19 (#416)The purpose of this report is to summarize the status of state-defined alternate diplomas in the 50 U.S. states three years after the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESSA) indicated that states could develop these diplomas and use them in accountability calculations. To count this diploma in a graduation measure for accountability, several criteria must be met, including that it must be standards-based, aligned to state requirements for the regular high school diploma, and obtained within the time period for which the state ensures the availability of a free appropriate public education (FAPE). This report documents the status of state-defined alternate diplomas in states in 2018-19 and provides recommendations to states intending to develop a state-defined alternate diploma.
Published: September 2019
NCEO Reports: A Review of the Literature on Computerized Speech-to-Text Accommodations (#414)This literature review describes what research conducted between 2008 and 2018 tells the field about the use of computerized speech-to-text (STT) technology tools by K-12 and post-secondary students with disabilities. Speech-to-text tools often are installed on school-provided computers or tablets and thus may be widely available to students for instructional use. The report highlights what the available literature tells us about the characteristics of students who used STT for instruction and assessment, and the methodologies and outcome variables associated with those studies; the implementation of STT tools; and the effect of the technology on academic outcomes for students with different types of disabilities.
Published: August 2019
NCEO Brief: Guidance for Examining Disproportionality of Student Group Participation in Alternate Assessments (#18)The purpose of this brief is to examine disproportionality with respect to student group participation in Alternate Assessments aligned with Alternate Academic Achievement Standards (AA-AAAS). It is a companion to the NCEO brief, Guidance for Examining District Alternate Assessment Participation Rates. This brief provides a more detailed examination and illustration of a particular issue, disproportionality. The companion brief outlined a broad framework and general principles to guide the examination of AA-AAAS participation rates, particularly in light of the challenge of small n-sizes and associated uncertainty. It begins by reviewing the framework with respect to its application to address disproportionality in participation in the alternate assessment aligned to alternate academic achievement standards. This is followed by an illustration of specific analytic steps, and concludes by providing guidance for further inquiry that links back to the guiding principles in the framework.
Published: August 2019- Guidance for examining disproportionality of student group participation in alternate assessmentsFormats: PDF
This document examines disproportionality with respect to student group participation in Alternate Assessments aligned with Alternate Academic Achievement Standards (AA-AAAS). This paper is a companion to “Guidance for Examining District Alternate Assessment Participation Rates” (Evans & Domaleski, 2018). This companion document outlines a broad framework and general principles to guide the examination of AA-AAAS participation rates, particularly in light of the challenge of small n-sizes and associated uncertainty.
Published: 2019-08-01 - Strategies for Meeting Requirements for Alternate Assessments and WIOAFormats: PDF
This presentation discussed strategies for meeting requirements for alternate assessments and WIOA. It was presented at the 2019 Office of Special Education Programs’ Leadership Conference.
Published: 2019-07-22 
TIES Center Reports: Communication Competence in the Inclusive Setting: A Review of the Literature (#103)This report presents findings from a literature review that was conducted to identify evidenced-based approaches to supporting the development of communicative competence for K-8 students in inclusive educational settings. Specifically, the review examined whether communication programming employing augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is being successfully used in inclusive elementary and middle school settings, and what elements of the communication program are most likely to affect students’ communicative competence.
Published: June 2019