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Moving Your Numbers: District Self-Assessment Guide for Moving Our Numbers: Using Assessment and Accountability to Increase Performance for Students with Disabilities as Part of District-Wide ImprovementFormats: PDFA guide for use by district leadership teams and school-level leadership teams in gauging the district's degree of implementation and scale of actions associated with effective practices identified in the Moving Your Numbers series.
Published: 2012- School Leader Series: Understanding the Consequences of Assessment Participation Decisions for Students with Disabilities (School Leader Series Brief #2)
This resource is designed to provide guidance to school leaders about understanding the consequences of assessment participation decisions for students with disabilities. 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 IEP teams understand the short-term and long-term consequences of participation decisions for students with disabilities and ensure appropriate assessment participation decisions are made and implemented. It also gives talking points for school leaders to use when addressing key stakeholders on the topic.
Published: 9/28/2021 - School Leader Series: What School Leaders Need to do Before, During, and After the Assessment Window (School Leader Series Brief #4)
This resource is designed to provide guidance on what school leaders need to do before, during, and after the assessment window. 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 should do to prepare for, do during, and do after assessments for students with disabilities. It also gives talking points for school leaders to use when addressing key stakeholders on the topic.
Published: 9/28/2021 
NCEO Synthesis Reports: Characteristics of States' Alternate Assessments Based on Modified Academic Achievement Standards in 2008 (#72)A report describing an assessment option permitted by federal regulations that give states the flexibility to offer an alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards (AA-MAS). This assessment option is for a small group of students with disabilities who can make significant progress but may not reach grade-level proficiency within the time period covered by their Individualized Education Program. Students who participate in an AA-MAS must have access to grade-level content. States are not required to offer this option. This report compiles, analyzes, and summarizes states' participation guidelines for the AA-MAS.
Published: September 2009
NCEO Synthesis Reports: States' Alternate Assessments Based on Modified Achievement Standards (AA-MAS) in 2007 (#67)This year 2007 report summarizes the publicly available information about alternates based on modified achievement standards (AA-MAS). It describes the formats and eligibility criteria for five states with an AA-MAS, and further information on another state intending to administer one in the 2008-09 school year. It also describes how states' AA-MAS differ from states' regular assessments, including assessment characteristics and incorporated accommodations.
Published: December 2007
PARA Accessible Reading Assessment Reports: State Accommodations Policies: Implications for the Assessment of ReadingA report presenting the results of an analysis of the accommodations that are included in state accommodations policies and guidelines. The purpose of the analysis was to learn more about 10 accommodations that may have specific implications for the assessment of reading: audio-video equipment, Braille, large print, proctor/scribe, read-aloud directions, read-aloud questions, repeat/re-read/clarify directions, sign interpret directions, sign interpret questions, and sign responses to sign language interpreter. Much controversy has surrounded the use of some accommodations on statewide assessments used for accountability purposes. This report examines the variation across states for this group of accommodations.
Published: June 2006
NCEO Technical Reports: Analyzing Results of Large-Scale Assessments to Ensure Universal Design (#41)This year 2005 report illustrates one method for determining whether items on an assessment are functioning differentially for students with disabilities in comparison to their peers without disabilities. The report describes various statistical techniques used with a large statewide dataset for a mathematics assessment, and describes ways to compensate for lack of statistical power when looking at small group sizes. The report concludes that items can be flagged for review using differential functioning or other types of analysis.
Published: July 2005
NCEO Synthesis Reports: A Report of a Standard Setting Method for Alternate Assessments for Students with Significant Disabilities (#47)This year 2002 report presents one state's use of the "body of work" approach toward standard setting to determine performance level cut scores for an alternate assessment developed for students with the most significant disabilities. It describes the rationale and design the state used in its portfolio assessment, followed by a detailed description of the standard setting process, including information on time and resource constraints, areas of potential contamination and bias in the approach, and the importance of range-finding and pin-pointing phases for this approach.
Published: October 2002- NCEO Policy Directions: Recommendations for Addressing Standards and Assessments on State and District IEP Forms (#12)Formats: Online
This year 2001 report provides specific recommendations for how to make IEPs reflect goals and services that support students with disabilities in learning toward high educational standards. The report provides background on IEPs before IDEA 1997 and changes since that time. Recommendations address topics such as adding alternate assessments to IEP forms, including implications of assessment decisions, offering statewide training on standards-based IEPs and assessment options in easily accessed locations, and clearly labeling IEPs so districts know what information is required or recommended.
Published: March 2001 
NCEO Synthesis Reports: Neglected Numerators, Drifting Denominators, and Fractured Fractions: Determining Participation Rates for Students with Disabilities in Statewide Assessment Programs (#23)Formats: OnlineDeveloping accurate reporting procedures on the participation of students with disabilities in large-scale assessment programs has proven to be difficult, due to a lack of data, differing definitions of eligible testing populations, and the misalignment of data collection efforts and data management responsibilities. This 1996 report provides specific recommendations for both policymakers and local practitioners and administrators to assist in improving our ability to accurately report the participation of students with disabilities in statewide assessment programs.
Published: October 1996- Accommodations Considerations in Pre-College and Postsecondary Assessments for Deaf IndividualsFormats: PDF
This presentation focused on accommodations considerations in pre-college and postsecondary assessments for deaf individuals. It was presented at the 2019 Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) annual conference.
Published: 2019-01-30 - What Alternate Assessments and Diplomas Really Mean for Students with Significant DisabilitiesFormats: PDF
This presentation addressed what alternate assessments and diplomas really mean for students with significant disabilities. It was presented at the 2020 Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) annual conference.
Published: 2020-02-07 - Trends in Accommodations Assigned to English Learners with Disabilities for Statewide AssessmentsFormats: PDF
This presentation focused on trends in accommodations assigned to English learners with disabilities for statewide assessments. It was presented at the 2019 Minnesota Department of Education's Minnesota English Learner Education conference (MELEd).
Published: 2019-11-22 - NCEO Annual Performance Reports and State Performance Plans: Biennial Performance Reports: 2000-2001 State Assessment DataFormats: PDF
A report summarizing assessment data from State Performance Plans.
Published: December 2002 
Accommodations and the Performance of All Students on Rhode Island's Performance Assessment (Rhode Island Report 1)Formats: OnlineA report from the past Rhode Island Assessment Project, a federally funded effort.
Published: June 1999- NCEO Reports: State Policies and Research on Alternate Assessment Accommodations (#446)Formats: PDF
This report presents findings from two studies examining accommodations policies and research on alternate assessments based on alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS). This policy analysis and literature review revealed several key insights about accommodations for AA-AAAS, with far-reaching implications for policy, practice, and future research. These findings underscore the need for a comprehensive and coordinated approach to improving assessment practices for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.
Published: March 2025 - NCEO Brief: Cross-agency Collaboration to Improve Assessments and Outcomes for Students with Disabilities (#36)
This Brief focuses on collaboration between special education and assessment offices, but other offices (e.g., curriculum and instruction, accountability) may also need to be involved. The Brief describes the reasons for collaboration and its benefits, provides suggestions for who needs to be involved, and provides specific examples of successful collaboration.
Published: October 2024 - MIDAS Project Reports: A Mixed Methods Study on Teaching Students Who Moved From the AA-AAAS to General State Assessment (#102)Formats: PDF
This report presents the findings of a study that examined the successes and barriers that teachers faced when instructing students with disabilities who have moved from the alternate assessment based on alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS) to the general state assessment. For this study, classroom observations and teacher interviews were conducted in three states.
Published: July 2024 
NCEO APR Snapshot Briefs: 2008-2009 APR Snapshot #1: State Assessment Participation and Performance of Special Education Students (#1)Formats: OnlineThis year 2012 report summarizes the participation and performance of eighth grade students with disabilities, in reading and math assessments used for federal accountability in the 2008-2009 school year.
Published: January 2012- Thinking About the Students Who May Qualify to Participate in An Alternate Assessment Based on Modified Academic Achievement Standards (AA-MAS): A Tool for Study Groups
A tool to learn more about the characteristics of students who may quality to participate in an alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards (AA-MAS). This is an archived report because this assessment option is no longer allowed.
Published: 2010-12-01