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Successfully Transitioning Away from the 2% Assessment: Frequently Asked QuestionsFormats: PDFOn August 23, 2013, the U.S. Department of Education published a proposed rollback of the regulation that allowed the alternate assessment based on modified achievement standards (AA-MAS). In February 2014, a meeting was held for states to develop plans to transition away from the AA-MAS. During the meeting, states had the opportunity to ask question of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), as well as other experts, about the use of data, accommodations, standards-based IEPs, and universal design. This set of Frequently Asked Questions represent commonly asked questions raised during this meeting.
Published: July 2014
Including Students who are Deaf or Hard-of-hearing in English Language Proficiency Assessments: A Review of State PoliciesFormats: PDFA report documenting participation and accommodation policies for English language learners (ELLs) who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing (HH) on English language proficiency (ELP) assessments used for Title III accountability. Accommodations policies are discussed with reference to five accommodations commonly used by ELLs who are Deaf/HH, including: Sign Interpret Directions, Sign Interpret Questions, Visual Cues, Sign Response, and Amplification Equipment. Over time, states' policies on participation and accommodations on ELP assessments for ELLs who are Deaf/HH have continued to evolve and become more detailed. Still, there is room for improvement. States should continue to evaluate the construct being measured by each domain and evaluate how specific accommodations impact the validity of student scores. Controversial accommodations should be re-evaluated to make sure that the greatest numbers of students have access to the assessment while maintaining the construct being measured. States should also determine whether and in what circumstances selective participation by domain is appropriate for ELLs who are Deaf/HH.
Published: 2014
NCEO Brief: Exploring Alternate ELP Assessments for ELLs with Significant Cognitive Disabilities (#10)A brief presenting information on what we know about the participation of English language learners (ELLs) with disabilities in state alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS), highlighting information collected by NCEO that informs what we know about the participation of ELLs with disabilities in alternate English language proficiency (ELP) assessments. Topics addressed in the brief include: (a) the size of the population of ELLs with disabilities; (b) what states say about the inclusion of ELLs with disabilities in alternate ELP assessments, and the participation of ELLs with disabilities in alternate ELP assessments; and (c) experts' recommendations about alternate ELP assessments for ELLs with significant cognitive disabilities. Conclusions focus on four recommendations for consideration.
Published: July 2014
NCEO Technical Reports: 2011-12 Publicly Reported Assessment Results for Students with Disabilities and ELLs with Disabilities (#69)A report analyzing public reporting practices for assessment data for students with disabilities in K-12 schools in the United States -- the 15th NCEO report to do so. The publication presents information on publicly reported participation and performance data for the 50 regular states and the 11 unique states (American Samoa, Bureau of Indian Education, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, U.S. Department of Defense Education Activities, District of Columbia, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Palau, Puerto Rico, Republic of the Marshall Islands, and U.S. Virgin Islands). For the 2011-12 school year, 49 of the 61 states reported participation and performance data for students with disabilities for all general assessments within the ESEA accountability system. Fifty-one states reported participation and performance data for alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS) that were within the ESEA system. Information about state assessments outside of ESEA is also presented. This report additionally includes information on public reporting for English language learners (ELLs) with disabilities, and includes recommendations for future public reporting of disaggregated data for students with disabilities.
Published: July 2014
NCEO Newsletter: June 2014 issueFormats: OnlineAn issue highlighting some of NCEO's recent work on the survey of states which will be sent in the fall of 2014, the transition from the alternate assessment based on modified achievement standards (AA-MAS), and sessions of interest at the National Conference on Student Assessment in New Orleans, June 25-27, 2014.
Published: June 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 Synthesis Reports: Test Security and Students with Disabilities: An Analysis of States' 2013-14 Test Security Policies (#95)A report analyzing how accommodated tests, and students with disabilities and the assessments they take, are addressed in state test security policies - a subject about which little is known. This analysis was conducted to partially fill this gap. The report provides a snapshot of how accommodated tests for students with disabilities, alternate assessments, and other related issues were addressed in states' test security policies in 2013-14. The specific research questions were, "What information do states' test security policies contain about students with disabilities and the assessments they take?" and "How are accommodations included in states test security policies?"
Published: June 2014- National Center on Educational Outcomes YouTube ChannelFormats: Online
A YouTube channel displaying videos created by the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO), which works with states across the country to provide leadership to include students with disabilities and English language learners (ELLs) in large-scale state assessments.
Published: 2014 - V1-2: Teachers Working Together to Identify Student NeedsFormats: Online
A special education teacher and math teacher discuss the possible need for accommodations for a student. They discuss how the student is performing in class and what strategies they have tried to address her needs.
Published: 2014-05-05 - V1-3: Special Education Teacher Communicating with ParentsFormats: Online
A special education teacher calls a parent to discuss how her daughter is performing in her classes. They discuss how they can work together to make sure she is completing her assignments.
Published: 2014-05-05 - V2-1: Discussing Common Misperceptions about AccommodationsFormats: Online
A special education teacher and math teacher discuss common misperceptions about accommodations. The special education teacher explains how accommodations "level the playing field" for students with disabilities rather than giving them an unfair advantage. The teachers then discuss which accommodations may be useful for the student.
Published: 2014-05-05 - V2-2: Identifying Students' Accommodation NeedsFormats: Online
A special education teacher interviews a student to learn more about her academic strengths and weaknesses. The special education teacher introduces the idea of using the read-aloud accommodation in math.
Published: 2014-05-05 - V2-3: General Education Teacher Communicating with ParentsFormats: Online
A math teacher calls a parent to discuss a student's difficulties in the classroom. They talk about the possible use of accommodations to help the student succeed in the classroom.
Published: 2014-05-05 - V3-1: Selecting Instructional AccommodationsFormats: Online
A special education and math teacher discuss "barriers" that may prevent a student from accessing math instruction. They identify possible instructional accommodations for the student including the read-aloud accommodation.
Published: 2014-05-05 - V3-2: Implementing Instructional AccommodationsFormats: Online
The special education and math teacher develop a plan to implement and evaluate a student's accommodations for instruction.
Published: 2014-05-05 - V3-3: Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team MeetingFormats: Online
An Individualized Education Program (IEP) team meeting is held at school. The student's mother, teachers, and the school principal talk about the read-aloud accommodation for math and how it will be implemented in classes.
Published: 2014-05-05 - 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 - V4-1: Preparing for Assessment AccommodationsFormats: Online
The special education and math teacher talk about a student's accommodations needs for an upcoming state test.
Published: 2014-05-05 - V4-3: Involving Students for Assessment AccommodationsFormats: Online
A student and her special education teacher talk about the use of a read aloud accommodation in math on the state test.
Published: 2014-05-05 - V4-4: Planning for Assessment Accommodations with StudentsFormats: Online
A special education teacher explains to a student receiving a read-aloud accommodation in math what will happen on test day.
Published: 2014-05-05