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NCEO Newsletter: June 2018 issueFormats: OnlineIn this issue, we highlight several upcoming events, plus a couple of new reports available from NCEO. First, the upcoming pre-conference session to the National Conference on Student Assessment (NCSA) in June in San Diego. The pre-conference session will focus on the use of speech-to-text. Following that is a listing of the sessions in which NCEO staff are participating during the NCSA conference, as well as at the International Test Commission Conference in Montreal at the beginning of July. Also highlighted in this issue are two new reports.
Published: June 2018
NCEO Newsletter: February 2015 issueFormats: OnlineAn issue highlighting findings from a recent National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) report on graduation requirements for students with significant cognitive disabilities who participate in the alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS). This issue also provides snapshots of updates on the six assessments consortia - PARCC, Smarter Balanced, DLM, NCSC, ASSETS, and ELPA21! These snapshots focus on the consortia's efforts for students with disabilities and ELLs, including ELLs with disabilities. Finally, if you will be in Palm Springs for the ATP Conference, or in San Diego for the CEC Conference, or in Chicago for the AERA/NCME Conferences, NCEO has for you a list of the sessions that will be delivered, moderated, or chaired by Center staff.
Published: February 2015
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 Technical Reports: Nearing the Target in Disaggregated Subgroup Reporting to the Public on 2004-2005 Assessment Results (#46)This year 2007 report describes the public reporting of participation and performance data for students with disabilities published on state department of education web sites for the 2004-2005 school year. It describes the state assessment systems, how data were reported, and achievement gaps. It concludes with recommendations for public reporting.
Published: April 2007
Self-Study Guide for the Development of Statewide Assessments that Include Students with DisabilitiesFormats: OnlineThis year 1996 self-study guide is designed to help state education agency (SEA) staff evaluate and revise their assessment policies and procedures in a way that promotes the participation of all students in some form of their state assessment programs. More specifically, it is intended for staff responsible for the state assessment system and staff responsible for the education of students with disabilities. It also could be used by test development contractors and stakeholders who are serving on state task forces to develop state assessment systems. And, this guide should be helpful to local education agency staff who wish to revise their own assessments to include all students.
Published: 1996- NCEO Technical Reports: Revisiting Graduation Requirements and Diploma Options for Youth with Disabilities: A National Study (#49)
A document reporting on National Center on Educational Outcomes' (NCEO) fourth study of state graduation requirements for students with disabilities. This national study was designed to describe current variations across states in high school exit exam practices and the use of alternative diploma/credentialing options. The study also examines the intended and unintended consequences for students when they are required to pass exit exams to receive a high school diploma, and the intended and unintended consequences of using single or multiple diploma options for students with disabilities.
Published: December 2007 
NCEO Technical Reports: A National Study on Graduation Requirements and Diploma Options for Youth with Disabilities (#36)This 2003 report updates the status of states' graduation requirements and diploma options for students with disabilities after the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act. This report also examines state perspectives on intended and unintended consequences of various graduation policies, including exit exams and multiple diploma options, for students with disabilities.
Published: October 2003
NCEO Technical Reports: Are We There Yet? Accountability for the Performance of Students with Disabilities (#33)This year 2002 report identifies and describes state accountability systems to determine the degree that public documents clearly articulate whether students with disabilities are included in accountability calculations. Primary indicators addressed in state systems included student performance on statewide assessments, Performance growth, attendance rates, and dropout rates. The review found that only a handful of states clearly counted all students with disabilities in accountability determinations for schools.
Published: November 2002
NCEO Synthesis Reports: Principles and Characteristics of Inclusive Assessment and Accountability Systems (#40)Formats: OnlineThis year 2001 report presents six core principles of inclusive assessment and accountability systems with a brief rationale and specific characteristics that reflect each principle. These principles are based on a decade of NCEO's documentation of assessment and accountability systems and on review and comment from multiple stakeholders who share a common goal of improving outcomes for all students.
Published: November 2001- Moving Your Numbers WebsiteFormats: Online
A website presenting Moving Your Numbers, which provides examples of real districts -- from small rural communities to large urban centers -- that are positively affecting the performance of all children, including students with disabilities, through collective and focused actions of adults. While different in demographics, each of these districts has publicly committed to improving teaching and learning for every child through effective data use and changing the ways in which adults across the system work and learn together.
Published: 2012 - School Leader Series: Supporting the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in Assessment (School Leader Series Brief #1)
This resource is designed to provide guidance to school leaders about supporting the inclusion of students with disabilities in state and district content assessments. Developed in collaboration with CCSSO, the Assessment, Standards, and Education for Students with Disabilities (ASES) and School Leadership Development and Supports (SLDS) state collaboratives made important contributions to this document. This resource highlights what school leaders can do to ensure all students with disabilities are instructed in academic content for their enrolled grade and participate in state and district content assessments. It also gives talking points for school leaders to use when addressing key stakeholders on the topic.
Published: 9/28/2021 
Forum on Speech-to-Text and Scribing: Getting a Handle on What This MeansFormats: PDFA report on a forum held on June 26, 2018 in San Diego, California that brought together staff from state departments of education, school districts, testing and testing-related companies, and other educational organizations to discuss speech-to-text and scribing, the differences in terminology, challenges associated with speech-to-text, and needed research. The forum was a pre-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), the 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 2018
NCEO APR Snapshot Briefs: 2013-2014 APR Snapshot #11: Assessment Accommodations Use by Students Receiving Special Education Services (#11)Formats: OnlineThis report provides information on the number of students with disabilities using accommodations and the performance of these students on the general statewide assessment used for Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) accountability. Using federally submitted data from the 2013-2014 school year, we present information on accommodations for reading and mathematics statewide assessments administered to grade 8 students (and grade 4 to show a comparison to grade 8 data).
Published: September 2016
NCEO Brief: Including Students with Disabilities in Common Non-Summative Assessments (#6)A brief -- the sixth in a series for the Race to the Top Assessment Consortia -- addressing the Consortia's need to develop an inclusive approach to their non-summative assessments, including their optional interim assessments. Consideration should be given to: (a) the implementation of universal design principles; (b) the development of clear participation criteria and guidelines; and (c) accommodation policies that account for good testing practices, embedded features of technology-based assessments, and additional accommodations. This brief encourages the Consortia to build on what has been learned from inclusive large-scale assessments.
Published: July 2012
Improving Accommodations Outcomes: Monitoring Instructional and Assessment Accommodations for Students with DisabilitiesFormats: PDFA document presenting a five-step process for schools, districts, and states to use in monitoring accommodations for instruction and assessment. It was designed to be a companion to the "Council of Chief State School Officers' Accommodations Manual: How to Select, Administer, and Evaluate Use of Accommodations for Instruction and Assessment of Students with Disabilities" (2005), which applies to students with disabilities who participate in large-scale assessments and the instruction they receive. Each step provides monitoring questions to ask, current examples from states, samples of forms that might be used, a checklist for evaluating a state's activities for each step, and space for action planning and questions. Appendices contain a glossary of terms related to monitoring and sample forms that can be adapted for use.
Published: 2009
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 Technical Reports: An Analysis of Perceived Desirability, Feasibility, and Actual Use of Specific Criteria for Large-Scale Assessment and Accountability Systems (#21)Formats: PDF
This year 1998 report describes results of a national survey of 222 administrators, teacher and other IEP team members who rated the desirability, feasibility and use of criteria for large-scale assessment and accountability systems for students with disabilities. The criteria addressed participation in assessments, accommodations on the assessments, and the reporting of results for students with disabilities. The report includes a discussion of findings with policy implications for educators and parents.
Published: July 1998 
NCEO Reports: Guidebook to Including Students with Disabilities and English Learners in Assessments (#420)This report provides 10 lessons about how to ensure inclusive assessment practices for students with disabilities and English learners. In addition to the 10 lessons, it provides foundational information on the characteristics of these students that require consideration during all phases of assessment design, development, and implementation. The focus of the Guidebook is large-scale summative assessments rather than interim and formative assessments; it does not address accountability considerations. The purpose of the Guidebook is to remind all assessment, special education, and other personnel in state departments of education of the lessons that have been learned, and to share those lessons with new personnel in state assessment, special education, Title I, and Title III offices.
Published: June 2020
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 Synthesis Reports: Accommodation Policies for States' Alternate Assessments based on Alternate Achievement Standards (AA-AAS) (#90)A report focusing on accommodation policies for alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS). NCEO has analyzed participation and accommodation policies for students with disabilities on state administered assessments since 1992 and this report is part of that long-term study. In addition to presenting a national overview of policies, this report also addresses the results of NCEO's policy analysis by the four content assessment consortia -- Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC), Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM), and National Center and State Collaborative (NCSC). The researchers' summary of the results of their analysis of accommodation policies for AA-AAS is organized under three areas of focus: the terms states used to describe changes in assessment administration, the specific accommodations addressed in policies overall, the accommodations addressed for ELLs and accommodation guidelines provided by states. Detailed information overall and by the four consortia are provided in the report appendices.
Published: July 2013