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- "Welcome to NCEO" VideoFormats: Online
This short video provides an overview of the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO).
Published: July 2021 - NCEO Reports: The Relationship between Student Placement and AA-AAAS Participation Rates (#439)
This report presents the findings of a study that looked at the relationship between states’ percentage of students participating in the alternate assessment based on alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS) and the percentage of students in more restrictive learning environments. The 2015 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), known as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), placed a 1% cap for states on student participation in the AA-AAAS. This meant that states, districts, and individualized education program (IEP) teams need to carefully consider which students should be included in these assessments. Data used in this analysis were for 2018-19. This study found that states with higher percentages of students in more restrictive environments tended to have higher percentages of students participating in the AA-AAAS for both mathematics and reading.
Published: June 2023 
TIES Center Briefs: Developing IEPs that Support Inclusive Education for Students with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities (#3)This Parent Brief focuses on developing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) that support inclusive education for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. IEPs that support inclusion are especially critical for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who participate in a state alternate assessment aligned to alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS), as well as for those in grades PreK-2 who may not yet take state assessments. The purpose of this Brief is to identify specific ways in which the IEPs of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities can be written to support inclusion in the general education curriculum and, ideally, the general education classroom.
Published: 2/5/2020
NCEO Reports: Guidance Manuals for Educators of English Learners with Disabilities: Ideas and Lessons from the Field (#410)This report describes ideas and lessons learned from leaders who developed state education agency guidance manuals for identifying, assessing and referring English learners (ELs) to special education. To ensure that students are receiving optimal instruction, appropriate interventions, and assessments, state, district, and school leaders need to develop or improve the systematic processes educators and administrators work through. Providing manuals with consistent and practical guidance (and appropriate professional learning on their use) is a means to do so. This report presents findings from telephone interviews conducted with the authors of six state manuals, probing the impetus for getting started; the manual development process; dissemination and professional learning; and lessons learned during manual development. The report concludes with implications for state and local leaders.
Published: April 2019- NCEO Reports: How Students Who Take the AA-AAAS Are Included in State Systemic Improvement Plans (SSIP): An Analysis of FFY 2021 SSIPs (#449)
This report presents the findings of an analysis of states’ FFY 2021 State Systemic Improvement Plans (SSIPs) that examined how students who participate in the alternate assessment based on alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS) were included in State-identified Measurable Results (SiMRs) related to student performance. Students who take the AA-AAAS have the most significant cognitive disabilities. This analysis revealed significant gaps in how students who take the AA-AAAS were included in these improvement efforts.
Published: April 2025 - NCEO APR Snapshot Briefs: 2020-2021 APR Snapshot #30: AA-AAAS Participation and Performance (#30)Formats: Online
This report summarizes Alternate Assessment based on Alternate Academic Achievement Standards (AA-AAAS) data used for Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) accountability. Using federally submitted data for the 2020-2021 school year, information is presented on the number of students participating in the AA-AAAS and the performance of those students. Data are presented for the 50 regular states as well as the 10 unique states.
Published: December 2023 - NCEO APR Snapshot Briefs: 2018-2019 APR Snapshot #27: AA-AAAS Participation and PerformanceFormats: Online
This report summarizes Alternate Assessment based on Alternate Academic Achievement Standards (AA-AAAS) data used for Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) accountability. Using federally submitted data for the 2018-2019 school year, we present information on the number of students participating in the AA-AAAS and the performance of those students. An AA-AAAS has been developed by each state to measure the academic achievement of students with significant cognitive disabilities. We present data for the 50 regular states as well as the 10 unique states (American Samoa, Bureau of Indian Education, District of Columbia, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Northern Marianas, Puerto Rico, Republic of Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Virgin Islands).
Published: December 2022 
NCEO APR Snapshot Briefs: 2017-2018 APR Snapshot #24: AA-AAAS Participation and Performance (#24)Formats: OnlineAn Alternate Assessment based on Alternate Academic Achievement Standards (AA-AAAS) has been developed by each state to measure the academic achievement of students with significant cognitive disabilities. This report summarizes AA-AAAS data used for Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) accountability. Using federally submitted data for the 2017-2018 school year, we present information on the number of students participating in the AA-AAAS and the performance of those students.
Published: January 2021
NCEO APR Snapshot Briefs: 2016-2017 APR Snapshot #21: AA-AAS Participation and Performance (#21)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 2016-2017 school year, we present information on the number of students participating in the AA-AAS and the performance of those students.
Published: July 2019- Accessibility and Accommodations for ELs with DisabilitiesFormats: Online
This page has links to state content test and English language proficiency assessment accessibility and accommodation policies that address English learners (ELs) with disabilities.
Published: 2021-02-01 - NCEO Brief: Getting Ready for the 2021-22 School Year: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Testing Children with Disabilities (#26)
As states, districts, and schools plan to return for the 2021-22 school year, questions are raised about whether and how to test children with disabilities, including children with the most significant cognitive disabilities and English learners with disabilities. This FAQ addresses some common questions and provides links to useful resources.
Published: August 2021 - BibliographiesFormats: Online
This page highlights two searchable bibliographic resources available on NCEO’s website. One focuses on alternate assessments based on alternate academic achievement standards for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities and the other focuses on accommodations.
Published: 2021-02-01 
NCEO Synthesis Reports: Questions and Answers: Tough Questions about Accountability Systems and Students with Disabilities (#24)Formats: OnlineThis 1996 report provides answers to some of the most commonly asked questions addressing the participation of students with disabilities in educational accountability systems. Questions about the use of accommodations, the reporting of the results of all test takers, and implementation issues are included also.
Published: September 1996
NCEO Synthesis Reports: 2005 State Policies on Assessment Participation and Accommodations for Students with Disabilities (#64)This year 2006 report analyzes states' participation and accommodation policies for students with disabilities for school year 2005. Key findings include (1) increased clarification for when accommodations can be used, (2) controversial accommodations continue to be read aloud questions, sign interpret questions and calculator use, (3) spell check appears to be more widely accepted than in the past, (4) that most states permit extended time with no restriction, and (5) that fewer states allow testing over multiple days. Also, most states now have user accessible policies on their web sites. Authors note the analysis was descriptive and there was no attempt to determine degree of compliance to federal requirements.
Published: September 2006
NCEO Technical Reports: Experts' Opinions on National Math Standards for Students with Disabilities (#3)Formats: PDFThis year 1992 report presents survey results of eleven experts in mathematics education, special education and assessment in relation to current math instruction and the Curriculum and Evaluation Standards of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and the perceived appropriateness and feasibility of the Standards for students with disabilities. Results showed that the experts agreed the adoption of the Standards was minimal and that math education in practice continues to emphasize basic skills. Two opposing viewpoints were evident in the experts' responses. One viewpoint was that the Standards did not recognize the importance of individual differences and were not better than current practice in math education. The opposing viewpoint was that the Standards reflected a vision of what mathematics should be and that minimal, non- substantial modifications were needed for students with disabilities. These opinions are summarized and discussed.
Published: September 1992- Accommodations Toolkit: Braille: ResearchFormats: Online
This fact sheet on braille is part of the Accommodations Toolkit published by the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO). It summarizes information and research findings on braille as an assessment accessibility feature or accommodation.
Published: 8/31/2021 
NCEO Technical Reports: Trends in the Participation and Performance of Students with Disabilities (#50)A report describing the first comprehensive analysis conducted by the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) of trends in the public reporting of state assessment results for students with disabilities. The study followed NCEO's four analyses of public reporting since the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. More states are reporting assessment data for students with disabilities disaggregated by grade level and content area. States have also improved their data collection systems that make this type of reporting possible but the number of states for which data were available across the four years was relatively small. Based on the states with data across years, average percentages of students with disabilities performing at the proficient or above level showed moderate increases across the four years for both reading and math in elementary and middle schools but not in high schools. Trend data also showed higher percentages of elementary school students demonstrating proficient or above performance in reading and math than their counterparts in middle and high school. Trends in the Participation and Performance of Students with Disabilities is a brief summary of this report.
Published: December 2008- V3-4: Evaluating Instructional AccommodationsFormats: Online
The special education teacher and math teacher share what they have learned about the use of an instructional accommodation for a student. They examine progress monitoring data to assess if her performance is improving.
Published: 2014-05-05 - Hints and Tips for Addressing Accommodations Issues for Peer ReviewFormats: PDF
Information and examples that states can use in responding to accommodation criteria in the Standards and Assessment Peer Review process, and to address the need for continued improvement after approval.
Published: 2007-04-02 
NCEO Newsletter: June 2020 issueFormats: OnlineThis newsletter highlights several new resources that address various aspects of distance learning, including a new brief on formative assessment strategies to improve distance learning outcomes for students with disabilities. We also are highlighting resources in the continually growing series on distance learning that is being developed by TIES Center, which is a NCEO affiliated project. This series is focused on instruction and engagement of students with significant cognitive disabilities in a distance learning environment. This issue also includes an article about a new brief on multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) for all students, including students with significant cognitive disabilities, as well as an article about several new interactive Data Analytics which enable users to explore and visualize data about assessment participation and performance. We conclude with two articles about products created by a NCEO affiliated project, the Improving Instruction for English Learners Through Accessibility Decision Making project – a report that presents the findings of a literature review on research on test accommodations for English learners and English learners with disabilities, and information about two new professional development modules on accessibility decision making.
Published: June 2020