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NCEO Synthesis Reports: Accommodations: Results of a Survey of Alabama Special Education Teachers (#81)A report containing the findings from a survey of 2,336 special education teachers in the state of Alabama on making and implementing decisions about accommodations. A number of areas of strength were noted in the survey responses provided by this large sample of Alabama special education teachers. The special education teachers who responded to the survey demonstrated overall knowledge of accommodations use, despite the challenging items presented to them. Nevertheless, there is an evident need for professional development on making accommodations decisions and on implementing accommodations for instruction and assessment.
Published: November 2010
NCEO Out-of-Level Testing Project Reports: Understanding Out-of-Level Testing in Local Schools: A First Case Study of Policy Implementation and Effects (#11)This year 2004 report presents findings from a case study of large-scale assessment practices in a local educational agency. The research project was conducted to study specific effects of testing students with disabilities out-of-level and to describe teachers' and students' perceptions of these effects.
Published: September 2004- TIES Center Briefs: Communication Supports for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities: What Parents Need to Know (TIES Center Brief #9)
This Brief describes how families and other members of Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams can help students get the supports they need to build their communicative competence in inclusive classrooms. All students communicate, but some students may need options other than oral speech, or in addition to oral speech. Being able to communicate is an important skill for students with significant cognitive disabilities. Communication does not need to be oral. But it should be sufficient for conveying messages to others.
Published: June 2022 
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 Participation Communication Toolkit: One-Page “Ready-to-go” IEP Team Discussion GuideFormats: PDF
This “ready-to-go” discussion guide for IEP teams is designed to provide information about the different test options for students with disabilities, and the implications of those decisions. This resource also explains why it is so important that students with disabilities participate in state testing. The tool may be customized by a state, district, or school. The discussion guide is part of the Participation Communication Toolkit developed by the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) to identify and describe reasons why all students, including students with disabilities, English learners, and English learners with disabilities should take state tests. This flyer can be used as is with no changes.
Published: 3/8/2023 - NCEO Participation Communication Toolkit: One-Page “Ready-to-go” Student FlyerFormats: PDF
The purpose of this “ready-to-go” flyer is to provide concise resources about why it is so important that all students participate in state testing. Written for students, it also provides strategies to reduce student test anxiety. The flyer is part of the Participation Communication Toolkit developed by the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) to identify and describe reasons why all students, including students with disabilities, English learners, and English learners with disabilities should take state tests. This flyer can be used as is with no changes.
Published: 3/8/2023 - NCEO Participation Communication Toolkit: One-Page “Ready-to-go” Policymaker FlyerFormats: PDF
The purpose of this “ready-to-go” flyer is to provide concise resources about why it is so important that all students participate in state testing. Written for policymakers, it also provides strategies to support students and their families in the policymaker’s state. The flyer is part of the Participation Communication Toolkit developed by the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) to identify and describe reasons why all students, including students with disabilities, English learners, and English learners with disabilities should take state tests. This flyer can be used as is with no changes.
Published: 3/8/2023 - Empowering Families Flyer #4: How is test data used at SSIP stakeholder meetings?Formats: PDF
This flyer explains how the review of test data at State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) stakeholder meetings by parents and other stakeholders can support the development and implementation of plans that lead to improved outcomes for their children and all students with disabilities. The flyer also provides tips on how to be active participants in stakeholder meetings. This flyer is part of the Empowering Families Toolkit developed by NCEO to provide accessible materials for parents about assessment topics.
Published: August 2023 - NCEO Participation Communication Toolkit: Participation Communication Toolkit Slide Deck TemplateFormats: PPT
This customizable slide presentation is designed to support the needs of state education agency staff, and district and school administrators for brief but substantive information district and school administrators can use when communicating with educators, policymakers, families, and other stakeholders about why it is so important that students participate in state assessments. In addition to serving as an information resource for administrators, it may be used for in-person or webinar trainings for educators, and as a handout for educators and parents. The slides may be customized. The slide deck is part of the Participation Communication Toolkit developed by the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) to identify and describe reasons why all students, including students with disabilities, English learners, and English learners with disabilities should take state tests.
Published: 11/9/2021 - TIES Center Briefs: The General Education Curriculum - Not an Alternate Curriculum! (Brief #5)
This parent brief was developed to help parents determine whether their child with significant cognitive disabilities is provided meaningful access to the general education curriculum. It addresses the myth that students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who take the state’s alternate assessment based on the alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS). It provides characteristics of an alternate curriculum and the general education curriculum as well as some “look fors,” which are quick ways for parents to determine whether their child with significant cognitive disabilities is being provided meaningful access to the general education curriculum.
Published: August 2020 - NCEO Reports: Text-to-Speech Accommodation Policies in 2018-19 (#417)
The purpose of this report is to provide an updated review of state text-to-speech (TTS) policies across general assessments of reading, writing, mathematics, and science. TTS refers to technology that reads aloud digital text. The report provides an analysis of TTS by the support tier in which it is placed (i.e., accommodation, designated feature, or universal feature), by the specific parts of tests for which it is allowed (i.e., directions, passages/stimuli, or questions), and by the population of students who can use it (i.e., students with disabilities, English learners, or students without disabilities who are not English learners). This report also provides recommendations for state TTS policies.
Published: August 2020 
NCEO Reports: A Summary of the Research on Effects of Test Accommodations: 2015-2016 (#412)The purpose of this report is to present a synthesis of the research on test accommodations published in 2015 and 2016. We summarize the research to review current research trends and enhance understanding of the implications of accommodations use in the development of future policy directions, to highlight implementation of current and new accommodations, and seek to draw valid and reliable interpretations when accommodations are used in testing situations. The literature described here encompasses empirical studies of score comparability and validity studies as well as investigations into accommodations use, implementation practices, and perceptions of their effectiveness. As a whole, the current research body offers a broad view and a deep examination of issues pertaining to assessment accommodations.
Published: November 2019
NCEO Reports: A Review of the Literature on Computerized Speech-to-Text Accommodations (#414)This literature review describes what research conducted between 2008 and 2018 tells the field about the use of computerized speech-to-text (STT) technology tools by K-12 and post-secondary students with disabilities. Speech-to-text tools often are installed on school-provided computers or tablets and thus may be widely available to students for instructional use. The report highlights what the available literature tells us about the characteristics of students who used STT for instruction and assessment, and the methodologies and outcome variables associated with those studies; the implementation of STT tools; and the effect of the technology on academic outcomes for students with different types of disabilities.
Published: August 2019
NCEO Brief: Making Accessibility Decisions for ALL Students (#11)A Brief presenting information on steps to take in the transition from a focus on making decisions about accommodations for students with disabilities and English language learners (ELLs), to a focus on decisions about accessibility and accommodations required by the new assessment approaches of states and collaboratives of states. These new approaches include making decisions for students without an identified disability or ELL status. Seven steps are highlighted that will be useful for states in organizing professional development for educators who will be making accessibility decisions, and for educators themselves who are seeking information on making optimal decisions about accessibility tools and accommodations that meet individual student needs.
Published: June 2015- NCEO Out-of-Level Testing Project Reports: A Follow-Up Web-Based Survey: Test and Measurement Expert Opinions on the Psychometric Properties of Out-of-Level Tests (#7)Formats: Online
This year 2002 report presents results of a survey conducted with researchers, academicians, and others with expertise in testing theory and large-scale assessment on the topic of out-of-level testing. The report summarizes both quantitative and qualitative analyses of the survey data. The report concludes by recommending further areas of research to guide the development of out-of-level testing policies and practices.
Published: July 2002 - NCEO Out-of-Level Testing Project Reports: Scale Score Comparability Across Two Levels of a Norm-Referenced Math Computation Test for Students with Learning Disabilities (#8)Formats: Online
This year 2002 report summarizes a small-scale comparability study with students with learning disabilities taking the MAT/7 norm-referenced math computation test on-grade and out-of-level. The report includes qualitative feedback from students on both assessment conditions, and addresses limitations of the study.
Published: March 2002 
NCEO Synthesis Reports: Social Promotion and Students with Disabilities: Issues and Challenges in Developing State Policies (#34)Formats: OnlineThis 2000 policy study looks at existing and emerging state policies on social promotion to determine the extent to which students with disabilities are included or excluded. Results reflect the status of state policies at one point in time, as determined from publicly available state documents and statutes. The review is meant to contribute to thoughtful policy development and stimulate consideration of issues associated with high stakes testing to assess accountability for students with and without disabilities.
Published: June 2000- 1% Convening Webinar TrainingFormats: Online
This webinar provided information on how to be an effective facilitator at the 1% Cap National Convening.
Published: 2018-10-12 - NCEO Parent Fact Sheets: State Testing of Your Child Who is an English Learner (Parent Fact Sheet #4)
This Fact Sheet summarizes the resources that are available specifically to students who are English learners who take state tests. The more parents know about these test resources, the more they can ensure that their child’s test performance contributes to measures of how well the school has met the needs of all children in the school. This Fact Sheet offers tips on how to be involved in decisions about providing resources to one’s child, and also how to prepare a child for state tests in academic subjects. It is is part of a set of Fact Sheets developed by NCEO to provide accessible materials for parents about state assessments.
Published: 8/14/2023 - NCEO Reports: Speech-Language Pathologists’ Experiences with Accessibility and Accommodations for Students with Disabilities (#430)
This report presents the findings of a study aimed to address the gap between policy and practice for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who serve students identified with a speech-language impairment, including other co-existing disabilities. The following research questions were addressed: (1) What factors influence how SLPs make accessibility and accommodations decisions for students with disabilities, including English learners with disabilities? (2) How do SLPs participate in the IEP team classroom and assessment accessibility and accommodations decision-making process for students with disabilities, including English learners with disabilities? And (3) Do SLPs have professional development needs about accessibility and accommodations?
Published: December 2021