Sara Bolt, Jane Krentz, Matha Thurlow, University of Minnesota, National Center on Educational Outcomes.
November 2002
This report by the University of Minnesota's National Center on Educational Outcomes examines state accountability systems to determine the degree to which publicly available documents clearly show whether students with disabilities are included in accountability calculations. The authors found that, for many states, publicly available information does not make clear whether disabled pupils were included or the extent to which their data are used in the state accountability systems. They note that special schools serving students with disabilities are often held to different requirements for accountability purposes. For more information on these findings, which the authors admit will likely change as states adjust to NCLB's accountability rules (as well as the upcoming reauthorization of IDEA), go to http://education.umn.edu/nceo/OnlinePubs/Technical33.htm.