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NCEO Newsletter: October 2014 issueFormats: OnlineAn issue highlighting the launching of the 2014 NCEO Survey of States, summaries of two new reports on accommodations on English language proficiency assessments for low-incidence disabilities, and resources available from the July 2014 Webinar on "Successfully Transitioning Away from the 2% Assessment." Many of these resources are applicable to states seeking ways to improve use of data to identify intervention approaches, provide access to instruction, and improve implementation of standards-based Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). This issue also contains a short survey about the NCEO e-newsletter itself.
Published: October 2014
NCEO Synthesis Reports: 2013 State Policies for Selected Response Accommodations on Statewide Assessments (#93)A report providing information on selected response accommodations (i.e., Human Scribe, Speech to Text, Audio Transcription, Grammar Checker, Spell Checker, Calculator) that were included in state policies in 2013 for reading/ELA, math, and writing assessments. NCEO has been tracking and analyzing states' policies on assessment accommodations since 1992.
Published: September 2014
NCEO Synthesis Reports: A Summary of the Research on the Effects of Test Accommodations, 2011-2012 (#94)A report providing an update on the state of the research on testing accommodations as well as to identify promising future areas of research. Previous reports by NCEO have covered research published since 1999. NCEO summarizes the research to review current research trends and enhance understanding of the implications of accommodations use in the development of future policy directions, implementation of current and new accommodations, and valid and reliable interpretations when accommodations are used in testing situations. For 2011 and 2012, 49 published research studies on the topic of testing accommodations were found. The studies in 2011-2012 demonstrated several similarities when viewing them in comparison with previous research, especially in relation to the 2009-2010 studies examined in NCEO's previous accommodations research review.
Published: September 2014
NCEO Brief: State Assessment Decision-Making Processes for ELLs with Disabilities (#9)A brief presenting information on what is known about assessment decision-making processes for English language learners (ELLs) with disabilities. It highlights information that has been collected by the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) as well as information from other sources. Topics addressed in the brief include: (a) required assessment decision-making processes, (b) experts' recommendations about assessment decision making for ELLs with disabilities, (c) resources available to guide assessment decision making, (d) standards-based IEPs, and (e) recommended participants on the decision-making team. Conclusions focus on the six key areas in which policymakers should provide guidance for educators.
Published: June 2014
NCEO APR Snapshot Briefs: 2010-2011 APR Snapshot #6: AA-AAS Participation and Performance (#6)Formats: OnlineThis year 2013 report summarizes data for students with disabilities participating in alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards used for federal accountability in 2010-2011. Data include information on the number of students participating and the performance of those students.
Published: June 2013- NCEO APR Snapshot Briefs: 2010-2011 APR Snapshot #4: State Assessment Participation and Performance of Students Receiving Special Education Services (#4)Formats: Online
This year 2013 report summarizes participation and performance data for students with disabilities taking general state assessments in reading and math, used for federal accountability in 2010-2011.
Published: 2013 
NCEO Technical Reports: Using Cognitive Labs to Evaluate Student Experiences with the Read-Aloud Accommodation in Math (#67)A report describing a study of the read-aloud accommodation, which is frequently used on mathematics assessments. However, Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams often find it difficult to make appropriate decisions about this accommodation. NCEO and the South Dakota Department of Education examined how students performed on a math test with the read-aloud accommodation compared to how they performed without it. The study also explored students' perceptions of how the accommodation worked. Results from the study, found in this report, can help inform local and state level policies and procedures.
Published: September 2012
NCEO Technical Reports: Characteristics of Low Performing Special Education and Non-Special Education Students on Large-Scale Assessments (#60)A report investigating whether the characteristics of the lowest performing students in special education differ from the characteristics of the lowest performing students who are not in special education. The investigation in this report used data from low performing students in four states: Alabama, Hawaii, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Achievement data were disaggregated by three demographic characteristics (gender, race/ethnicity, and income status) for students taking the reading or mathematics assessments in fifth or eighth grade. In addition, researchers tracked data for each student over three years to identify how students moved in and out of the low performing category (low performing was defined as the tenth percentile and below for this report) across time.
Published: March 2012
NCEO Brief: Performance of Special Education Students: Implications for Common State Assessments (#5)A brief -- the fifth in a series for the Race to the Top Assessment Consortia -- presenting information on the performance of special education students, highlighting the range in performance of these students in the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) and SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) Consortia states, as well as the nature of gaps between special education and non-special education students. Changes in the percentage of special education students proficient and above on state tests over time are also provided. This brief provides concluding thoughts about the performance of special education students and suggestions for steps that Consortia and states might take to look at their own data. This is one of a series of NCEO Briefs for the Race to the Top (RTTT) Assessment Consortia that address the opportunities, resources, and challenges facing cross-state collaborative assessment efforts as they include students with disabilities and English language learners.
Published: January 2012
NCEO Synthesis Reports: Educating Struggling Learners: Reflections on Lessons Learned about Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment (#86)A report presenting a first-person account of someone on the front lines of school reform, specifically focusing on inclusive assessment practices as they influence curriculum, instruction, and assessment at the local and state levels. The author, Valerie Kurizaki, works within the Hawai'i State Department of Education to ensure systemic standards implementation that supports all students, especially struggling learners. Her story suggests many themes that are similar to those in districts around the country where systematic reform has improved outcomes for all students, including students with disabilities.
Published: December 2011
NCEO Technical Reports: 2008-09 Publicly Reported Assessment Results for Students with Disabilities and ELLs with Disabilities (#59)A report analyzing the public reporting of assessment data for students with disabilities in K-12 schools in the United States; this is NCEO's 13th annual report on this subject. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) required states to disaggregate performance data at the state and district level. Although reporting practices for regular assessments have changed little for 2008-09 compared to the previous years, this year did mark the first time all 50 states reported disaggregated data for at least some state assessments in ESEA accountability systems. Although there were increased mean gaps between students with disabilities and regular students on regular assessments across all grades and content areas, the mean performance for students in both populations showed improvement in all grades and content areas. However, compared to students with disabilities, regular students showed larger mean gains compared to last year. Public reporting on English language learners (ELLs) with disabilities is also examined in this report.
Published: August 2011
NCEO Technical Reports: A Summary of the Research on the Effects of Test Accommodations: 2007-2008 (#56)The use of accommodations for both instruction and assessment continues to be of great importance for students with disabilities. Numerous efforts are underway to ensure that students with disabilities participate meaningfully in more inclusive classrooms and large-scale assessments. Still, there is a need for greater understanding of the ways in which accommodations are selected and implemented during classroom instruction and assessments. The purpose of this report is to provide an update on the state of the research on testing accommodations, as well as to identify promising areas of research likely to contribute to understanding of current and emerging issues.
Published: May 2010
NCEO English Language Learners (ELLs) with Disabilities Reports: Delphi Study of Instructional Strategies for English Language Learners with Disabilities: Recommendations from Educators Nationwide (#21)A report from NCEO's national research spanning seven years that has focused on identifying and validating instructional strategies for ELLs with disabilities. In recent work, educators from five states with large ELL populations and five states with small ELL populations generated sets of reading, mathematics, and science instructional strategies and weighted their importance in focus group-like settings using the Multi-Attribute Consensus Building method. The research described here is a confirmatory Delphi study of the strategies identified in an earlier study and is based on polling teachers about strategies identified in the earlier work.
Published: September 2008
NCEO English Language Learners (ELLs) with Disabilities Reports: Reading, Mathematics, and Science Instructional Strategies for English Language Learners with Disabilities - Insights from Educators Nationwide (#19)A report studying instructional strategies at middle and junior high schools. Middle school teaching and learning is especially challenging, perhaps because the curriculum places greater cognitive demands on emerging adolescents at a developmental stage when students, especially those who have already been struggling, can be at higher risk for academic failure. ELLs with disabilities could be at particular risk, given the combination of learning challenges they may encounter in middle school. The study aimed to identify teacher-initiated instructional strategies that are preferred by practitioners who work daily with ELLs with disabilities.
Published: September 2008
NCEO Policy Directions: Planning Alignment Studies For Alternate Assessments Based on Alternate Achievement Standards (#20)A report providing states with information on the components to consider with an external vendor when planning a study of the alignment of alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS) with grade-level content standards. It also addresses guidance for maximizing resources spent to determine alignment of the AA-AAS.
Published: November 2007
NCEO Synthesis Reports: Item-Level Effects of the Read-Aloud Accommodation for Students with Reading Disabilities (#65)This year 2006 report examines data on accommodated and non-accommodated performances of students with specific reading disabilities on various math test items anticipated to be highly sensitive to accommodation effects. Analyses use three consecutive years of data from an elementary and middle school statewide assessment program. Findings show that within the fourth grade dataset, items classified as reading-hard (RH) and those classified as mathematically easy but difficult to read (ME/RH) were positively affected by the accommodation. Marginally significant findings were obtained for the ME/RH item set at the eighth grade level. The author notes limitations of the study, as well as implications for the findings.
Published: September 2006
NCEO Technical Reports: Improving Validity of Large-Scale Tests: Universal Design and Student Performance (#37)This year 2003 report presents the theoretical background and research results of an experimental study conducted using universally designed assessment features. A sample of 231 sixth graders from underperforming schools participated in two versions of a large scale assessment in randomized order. Students took both the traditionally designed version, and a second version that measured the same constructs as the first but with features of Universal Design elements. Results showed significant increases in performance for students taking the universally designed form of the assessment, and this was confirmed by student perceptions in post-test interviews on their performance and preference for assessment format with the features. Findings have implications for students with disabilities and English Learners.
Published: December 2003
NCEO Policy Directions: Using Computer-based Tests with Students with Disabilities (#15)This year 2003 report presents factors to consider in the design of computer-based testing for all students, including students with disabilities and English learners. It also provides a process for initial transformation of paper/pencil assessments to inclusive computer-based testing.
Published: January 2003
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 Synthesis Reports: Setting Standards on Alternate Assessments (#42)Formats: OnlineThis year 2002 report identifies common standards-setting techniques and how they might be applied to alternate assessments. The techniques addressed are: reasoned judgment, contrasting groups, modified Angoff, bookmarking or item mapping, body of work, and judgmental policy capturing.
Published: April 2002