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NCEO Technical Reports: Good News and Bad News in Disaggregated Subgroup Reporting to the Public on 2005-2006 Assessment Results (#52)A report analyzing the public reporting of disaggregated data for students with disabilities by the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO). This analysis, which is the 10th done by NCEO, is for school year 2005/2006 and it marks the fourth data cycle from the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001. On this tenth anniversary, NCEO presents both the good news and bad news for 2005/2006 reporting and summarizes other observed trends.
Published: December 2008
Moving Your Numbers: A Synthesis of Lessons Learned: How Districts Used Assessment and Accountability to Increase Performance for Students with Disabilities as Part of District-wide ImprovementFormats: PDFA guide summarizing the lessons learned by school districts profiled in the Moving Your Numbers series. Moving Your Numbers features the work of ten districts with varying demographics that have used assessment and accountability as an impetus for positive change. In each case, districts used the increasing demand for accountability for all students and groups of students to change the conversation and practice across the district, "moving their numbers" in a positive direction for all children as a result. The stories of the ongoing journey of each district, while far from done, describe the actions of adults committed to improving their own practice as a way to support higher levels of learning for all children. While each district had its own framework or set of guiding core beliefs for organizing its work, each of them implemented a set of practices that was very similar. Evidence suggests that these six practices, when used in an aligned and coherent manner, are associated with higher student achievement:
- Use data well;
- Focus your goals;
- Select and implement shared instructional practices;
- Implement deeply;
- Monitor and provide feedback and support; and
- Inquire and learn
The lessons learned from featured districts are presented in this synthesis guide across each of the practice areas delineated above.
Published: 2012- NCEO Reports: Revisiting the Meaning of “Reduced Depth, Breadth, and Complexity” for AA-AAAS (#441)
Alternate assessments aligned to alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS) are designed and implemented for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. Historically, these assessments have been described as reflecting reduced depth, breadth, and complexity. Yet, the meaning of these terms is often not defined. The purpose of this report is to provide: (a) an overview of relevant history and legislation that address depth, breadth, and complexity of AA-AAAS; and (2) questions for states to consider as they revise or develop new AA-AAAS. This information also can be useful for states submitting evidence for an existing AA-AAAS to the U.S. Department of Education peer review process.
Published: January 2024 
Informe sobre el desarrollo de un lenguaje común de la accesibilidad para los estados y proveedores de evaluacionesSpanish translation of the report, "White Paper on Common Accessibility Language for States and Assessment Vendors." This White Paper by DIAMOND project staff addresses the issue that different test platforms use different terminology for the accessibility features and accommodations that they offer to students, which can make it difficult for students, parents, and educators to understand the available options and select the appropriate supports. Content is in Spanish.
Published: February 2017
NCEO Brief: Considerations for Consortia as States Transition Away from AA-MAS (#7)A brief addressing the need for consortia to assist their member states in moving away from the alternate assessment based on modified achievement standards (AA-MAS). It focuses on key considerations for consortia as they address the inclusion of low-performing students in all member states, informed by the lessons learned from the AA-MAS. Topics highlighted in this brief are: including low-performing students in field test designs, customizing non-summative assessments to include low-performing students, and collecting and examining data on this group of students.
Published: February 2014
NCEO Technical Reports: State Literacy Standards, Practice, and Testing: Exploring Accessibility (#38)This year 2004 report reviews state reading standards, addresses alternative modes for student interaction with print, and analyzes the correspondence between reading standard requirements and the modes of interaction with print. It concludes by identifying implications for instruction, assessment and related issues. The authors consider this paper to be a first step in exploring how students can access print in order to more widely promote student access to standards, instruction and assessments.
Published: May 2004
NCEO Technical Reports: A Summary of Research on the Effects of Test Accommodations: 1999 through 2001 (#34)This year 2002 report summarizes 46 empirical research studies on accommodations published between 1999 through 2001. The report describes the characteristics of the studies: purpose, type of assessment and content, participants, research design, findings, and limitations. Observations from the analysis are given with recommendations for future research, including considerations in assessment design and standardization (i.e., universal design) to reduce the need for accommodations.
Published: December 2002
NCEO Out-of-Level Testing Project Reports: Test and Measurement Expert Opinions: A Dialogue About Testing Students with Disabilities Out of Level in Large-Scale Assessments (#6)Formats: OnlineThis year 2002 report summarizes the discussion of two focus groups composed of test and measurement experts held to address out-of-level testing. The report summarizes the concerns raised and concludes that studies are needed to determine the differential results of out-of-level test scores compared to on-grade level test scores.
Published: March 2002
NCEO Technical Reports: Educational Results for Students with Disabilities: What Do the Data Tell Us? (#23)Formats: PDFThis year 1998 report presents an analysis of state performance reports, focusing on how students with disabilities are doing nationally on assessments of academic content and nonacademic measures. The analysis includes 115 reports from state accountability offices and state special education offices, with state data organized by a framework designed by the National Center on Educational Outcomes. Findings include a description of the extent of states reporting these data as well as a summary of the data found.
Published: December 1998- NCEO Technical Reports: IEPs and Standards: What They Say for Students with Disabilities (#5)Formats: PDF
This year 1993 report presents a study comparing students' IEPs to national and locally defined standards for mathematics. The IEPs of 76 students with mild disabilities were compared to the National Assessment of Educational Progress proficiency levels for mathematics, local standards, and a taxonomy of dimensions including: Level of Mastery, Nature of the Material, and Operations. The report suggests a widening of the gap between what students with disabilities are taught and the assessments with which they are tested. Implications for actions by the special education and standards-setting communities are discussed.
Published: May 1993 - NCEO Reports: Test Security and Students with Disabilities: An Analysis of States’ 2020-21 Test Security Policies (#434)
This report provides a snapshot of how accommodated tests for students with disabilities, accessibility, alternate assessments, and other related issues were addressed in states’ test security policies for 2020-21. Strong test security policies and procedures are needed to help ensure the integrity and validity of state assessments, yet some test security measures may affect accessibility. There is a need for thoughtful consideration of ways in which possible test security measures may affect accessibility, and how to balance test security and accessibility. This report is an update of an analysis NCEO of 2013-14 test security policies.
Published: December 2021 
NCEO Newsletter: February 2018 issueFormats: Online2018 greetings from NCEO. In this issue, a new webpage on the NCEO website is highlighted, as well as a new report on states' alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS) participation guidelines and definitions of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. Also in this issue is an update on the activities of the DIAMOND project, which is developing professional development materials, including online modules, on accessibility and accommodations. Finally, in this issue, we provide information on sessions at the annual conferences of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME).
Published: February 2018
NCEO Technical Reports: Test Administrators' Perspectives on the Use of the Read Aloud Accommodation in Math on State Tests for Accountability (#66)A report describing a study conducted by NCEO, in collaboration with the South Dakota Department of Education, that used focus group methodology to look closer at what happens in the room on test day when the read-aloud accommodation is used on mathematics assessments. Focus groups were conducted with educators who had administered the read-aloud accommodation for the South Dakota state mathematics assessment. Focus group discussions revealed a variety of issues on the read-aloud accommodation. Results from this study may inform local and state level policies on read-aloud administration.
Published: October 2012
NCEO Synthesis Reports: Expectations for Students with Cognitive Disabilities: Is the Cup Half Empty or Half Full? Can the Cup Flow Over? (#55)Formats: OnlineThis year 2004 report addresses making informed decisions about the best instruction and assessments for students with cognitive disabilities. It includes an analysis of nationally representative cognitive and achievement data to illustrate the dangers of blanket assumptions about appropriate achievement expectations for individuals based on his or her cognitive ability or diagnostic label. Further, the report reviews research on achievement patterns of students with cognitive disabilities and the effects of teacher expectations.
Published: December 2004
NCEO APR Snapshot Briefs: 2015-2016 APR Snapshot #18: AA-AAS Participation and Performance (#18)Formats: OnlineThis report summarizes Alternate Assessment based on Alternate Achievement Standards (AA-AAS) data used for Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) accountability to measure the academic achievement of students with significant cognitive disabilities. Using federally submitted data from the 2015-2016 school year, we present information on the number of students participating in the AA-AAS and the performance of those students.
Published: July 2018- NCEO APR Snapshot Briefs: 2014-2015 APR Snapshot #15: AA-AAS Participation and Performance (#15)Formats: Online
This report summarizes AA-AAS data used for Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) accountability. Using federally submitted data from the 2014-2015 school year, we present information on the number of students participating in the AA-AAS and the performance of those students.
Published: November 2017 
NCEO State Surveys: 2012 Survey of States: Successes and Challenges During a Time of ChangeA report providing a snapshot of new initiatives, trends, accomplishments, and emerging issues during this important period of education reform as states document the academic achievement of students with disabilities. This is the thirteenth such survey of states conducted by NCEO. States also reported information about the alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS), and on new developments in assessment such as teacher evaluation and how they are contributing to the consortia. In the three years since the previous survey, states continued to make strong progress, though challenges remained and several new issues emerged.
Published: September 2013
NCEO Technical Reports: Using the Think Aloud Method (cognitive labs) to Evaluate Test Design for Students with Disabilities and English Language Learners (#44)This year 2006 report describes research on think aloud methods used to detect design issues in large scale assessments. Students included in this study were students with learning disabilities, hearing impairments, cognitive disabilities, English learners, and students without disabilities proficient in English. Findings address the ability of specific student groups to participate in the think aloud procedure and the level of mathematics items with most informative data.
Published: August 2006- NCEO Technical Reports: State Graduation Requirements for Students With and Without Disabilities (#24)
This year 1999 report documents state graduation requirements based on a survey study of assessment directors of 50 states and the District of Columbia. The National Center on Educational Outcomes and the National Transition Network collaborated in this study. The report describes what is required for students with and without disabilities to earn exit documents in each state, including standard diplomas, certificates of completion, IEP diplomas and honor diplomas, and provides details about exam and coursework modifications that states allow for students with disabilities. The report offers recommendations for policymakers as they consider setting policy for graduation requirements.
Published: April 1999 
NCEO Data Analytics: AA-AAS Participation Rate from 2007-08 to 2016-2017 (#12)Formats: OnlineThis interactive report presents data on the participation rate and percent proficient on the alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS) by grade and content across years. This report provides the data with an interactive performance map, trends over time, and state profiles.
Published: 2020-01-22