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Educators' Thoughts on Making Decisions About Accessibility for All StudentsThis report describes the asynchronous online focus group activity of the Data Informed Accessibility - Making Optimal Needs-based Decisions (DIAMOND) project. The goal of conducting the focus groups was to gather in-depth information about teachers' experiences with accessibility features and accommodations in the classroom and on assessments. The results from the focus groups contribute to the project's development of guidelines for making informed decisions about accessibility features and accommodations.
Published: September 2018
NCEO Reports: 2015-16 Publicly Reported Assessment Results for Students with Disabilities and ELs with Disabilities (#407)This is the nineteenth report by the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) that describes how states publicly report online assessment data for students with disabilities in K-12 schools in the United States. The purpose of this report is to examine the extent to which states reported 2015-16 assessment data for students with disabilities "to the public with the same frequency and in the same detail as it reports on the assessment of nondisabled children," as required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It also describes how states report assessment participation and performance data to the public online. It summarizes these data for grades 4 and 8, and high school, with additional analyses that focus on average performance gaps across years. The report also summarizes the extent to which states report participation and performance for English Learners (ELs) with disabilities and examines public reporting of accommodations.
Published: July 2018
NCEO Reports: A Review of the Literature on Measuring English Language Proficiency Progress of English Learners with Disabilities and English Learners (#408)The purpose of this literature review was to identify evidence-based practices used (or recommended for use) to measure progress of English learners (ELs) with disabilities on English language proficiency (ELP) assessments. In this report, we discuss how studies have defined ELP progress and the extent to which studies have examined ELP progress for ELs with disabilities. In addition, we examine the methodologies used to measure ELP progress, the evidence base for the studies, and findings specific to ELs with disabilities. The strength of the evidence base was evaluated based on: (a) transparency of study methods, (b) study samples, and (c) author-identified study limitations.
Published: July 2018
Educators' Perspectives on Classroom Implementation of Accessibility Features and AccommodationsA report from the DIAMOND project on phone interviews conducted with educators to highlight effective practices being used to implement accessibility features and accommodations in their classrooms during instruction and during assessments. Educators were asked about two kinds of accessibility features (universal features and designated features) and about accommodations.
Published: May 2018
Educators' Experiences With and Attitudes Toward Accessibility Features and AccommodationsA report from the DIAMOND project that explores the results of an online survey about educators' familiarity with and attitudes toward accessibility features and accommodations. Most of the 2,000 respondents reported that they work with students who use accessibility features and accommodations, which they believe to have a positive impact on educational outcomes. However, the survey results also show noticeable differences between different groups of educators and suggest that teachers in general education and English learner education may need more support in making and implementing decisions about accessibility features and accommodations.
Published: September 2017
NCEO State Surveys: 2016 Survey of States: State Activities Amid Evolving Educational PoliciesA report providing a snapshot of the new initiatives, trends, accomplishments, and emerging issues during a period of new education laws and initiatives. This is the fifteenth such survey of states conducted by NCEO. States were continuing to address the need for inclusive assessments while facing new requirements for assessments and accountability systems.
Published: September 2017
NCEO Brief: Meeting the Needs of ELs with Disabilities in Your State: Making EL Exit Decisions (#13)The purpose of this Brief is to highlight the numbers and characteristics of English learners (ELs) with disabilities and current decision-making processes for exiting these students from EL services. The Brief concludes with recommendations for states to consider as they support districts and schools in making appropriate exit decisions for ELs with disabilities.
Published: September 2017
Data Informed Accessibility: A Review of the LiteratureThe purpose of this literature review is to: (a) summarize the shift that has occurred in approaches to accessibility in testing (including the paradigm shift of what accessibility for all students means, and its relationship to accessibility in instruction), (b) identify the gaps in educators' knowledge and application of accessibility approaches and their need for training, and (c) explore the approaches to professional development that might be used to develop accessibility and accommodations training for all educators.
Published: September 2017
Forum on Text Readers for Everyone on All Tests: Getting a Handle on What This MeansFormats: PDFA report on a forum held on June 27, 2017 in Austin, TX that brought together staff representing state departments of education, school districts, testing and testing-related companies, and other educational organizations Texas to discuss the availability of text readers for everyone on all tests, the differences in terminology for text readers, ways to develop common language around text readers, and challenges associated with text readers. 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) State Collaborative on Assessment and Student Standards (SCASS), the English Learner (EL) SCASS, and the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO).
Published: August 2017
NCEO Reports: 2014-15 Publicly Reported Assessment Results for Students with Disabilities and ELs with Disabilities (#405)This is the eighteenth report by the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) that describes how states publicly report online assessment data for students with disabilities in K-12 schools in the United States. This report presents information on publicly reported participation and performance data for students with disabilities 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). Information on public reporting for English Learners (ELs) with disabilities is also included in this report.
Published: May 2017
NCEO Newsletter: February 2017 issueFormats: OnlineIn this issue, new NCEO activities and products are highlighted. NCEO is excited to be collaborating with the University of Texas in the new National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes (see New Deaf Center Grant). Other NCEO collaborations are reflected in its work with ACHIEVE on diplomas for students with disabilities, and in its work on the state defined alternate diploma with the National Technical Assistance Center on Transition (NTACT). A new report by NCEO provides baseline information on how states are addressing the exit of English learners (ELs) with disabilities from EL services (see How States Make Exit Decisions...). Finally, in this issue we provide some updates on NCEO's DIAMOND project activities.
Published: February 2017
NCEO Reports: Providing English Language Development Services to English Learners with Disabilities: Approaches to Making Exit Decisions (NCEO Report 404)The purpose of this report is to provide a baseline report, prior to the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act, on factors that affect decisions to exit English learners (ELs) with disabilities from English language development services, including the relationship of these decisions to students' Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Although many critical educational decisions are made for these students, the determination that an EL with disabilities should be reclassified and exited from services is one of the more critical decisions made for individual students.
Published: January 2017
Variables Used by States in the Calculation of Annual Measureable Achievement Objectives (AMAOs) for Title III ReportingThe purpose of this report is to present information on the approaches used by states to calculate each of three annual measurable achievement objectives (AMAOs) about the language acquisition and academic achievement of English learners (ELs). Although states report their AMAO calculations to the federal government, there is no mechanism of comparison across states. This report provides a snapshot of the inputs states used for calculating AMAOs for the 2014-15 school year.
Published: December 2016
CCSSO Accessibility Manual: How To Select, Administer, And Evaluate Use Of Accessibility Supports For Instruction And Assessment Of All StudentsFormats: WordThe Council of Chief State School Officers' (CCSSO's) Accessibility Manual: How to Select, Administer, and Evaluate Use of Accessibility Supports for Instruction and Assessment of All Students establishes guidelines for states to use for the selection, administration, and evaluation of accessibility supports for instruction and assessment of all students, including students with disabilities, English learners (ELs), ELs with disabilities, and students without an identified disability or EL status. Accessibility supports discussed herein include both embedded (digitally-provided) and non-embedded (non-digitally or locally provided) universal features that are available to all students as they access instructional or assessment content, designated features that are available for those students for whom the need has been identified by an informed educator or team of educators, and accommodations that are generally available for students for whom there is documentation on an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 accommodation plan. Approaches to these supports may vary depending on state or assessment consortium contexts as well as nature of assessments - be they content assessments, English language proficiency (ELP) assessments, or alternate assessments.
Published: August 2016
Forum on Common Language for States and Assessment VendorsFormats: PDFA report on a forum held on June 20, 2016 in Philadelphia that brought together states, assessment vendors, and other educational stakeholders to address the need for developing a common language around accessibility and accommodations for all students, including: (1) General education students, (2) English learners (ELs), and (3) Students with IEPs or 504 plans. The forum was a pre-session to the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) National Conference on Student Assessment (NCSA).
Published: August 2016
NCEO Reports: 2015-16 High School Assessment Accommodations Policies: An Analysis of ACT, SAT, PARCC, and Smarter Balanced (#403)This report provides a snapshot of how accommodations were included in policies across ACT, SAT, Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), and Smarter Balanced during the 2015-16 school year. As required by federal and state legislation, all students, including students with disabilities and English learners (ELs), participate in state assessments used for accountability. Some states use assessments developed by consortia of states. States also are required to ensure that graduating students are college- and career-ready (CCR). Some states use state-administrations of the ACT or SAT as their measure of CCR. Many students with disabilities and ELs use accessibility features and accommodations to access each of these assessments. This report also analyzes differences in the accessibility framework, decision-making process, and terminology across the four assessments.
Published: July 2016
White Paper on Common Accessibility Language for States and Assessment VendorsThis White Paper by DIAMOND project staff addresses the issue that different test platforms use different terminology for the accessibility features and accommodations that they offer to students, which can make it difficult for students, parents, and educators to understand the available options and select the appropriate supports.
Published: June 2016
NCEO Newsletter: June 2016 issueFormats: OnlineThis issue is packed with events and activities in which NCEO is involved this spring. One big event was the launching of the NCEO Facebook page. Please visit and like NCEO! Some new reports and tools are also highlighted in this issue, including a Lessons Learned document, an updated Principles for Inclusive Assessment report, and a new Data Analytics tool on the demographics of ELs and ELs with disabilities. With June the month for the National Conference on Student Assessment (NCSA) in Philadelphia, the center is also highlight the pre-conference forum NCEO is holding with the Assessing Special Education Students SCASS and the EL SCASS - Common Language for States and Assessment Vendors. It focuses on the need for developing a common language around accessibility and accommodations for all students. NCEO hopes you will join in this important discussion. Finally, the center describe the NCSA sessions in which NCEO is involved.
Published: June 2016
NCEO Data Analytics: State and National Demographic Information for English Learners (ELs) and ELs with Disabilities, 2012-13 (#4)Formats: OnlineThis interactive report presents data that states have submitted on the five languages most frequently used by English learners (ELs) in each state, the percent of identified ELs receiving services, the percent of ELs with disabilities, and a state profile page. The data are derived from Consolidated State Performance Reports (CSPRs), the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), and from calculations made using these sources for the school year 2012-13.
Published: April 2016
NCEO Reports: 2013-14 Publicly Reported Assessment Results for Students with Disabilities and ELLs with Disabilities (#401)This is the seventeenth report by the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) that describes how states publicly report online assessment data for students with disabilities in K-12 schools in the United States. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) require states to disaggregate participation and performance data at the state level. The ESEA flexibility waivers that many states received also require states to report for the "all students" group as well as for all of the subgroups, including students in special education, as long as the number of students in a subgroup is equal to or above the minimum reporting number defined by the state. This report presents information on publicly reported participation and performance data for the 50 regular states and the 11 unique states. Recommendations are offered to states for the public reporting of disaggregated data for students with disabilities.
Published: February 2016