National Center on Education Outcomes
July 2002
This thorough if dry report by the National Center on Education Outcomes (NCEO) details the various participation options and accommodations available to students with disabilities when taking state tests. According to both the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1997, all students, including those with disabilities, should be included in state- and district-wide testing with "reasonable" or "appropriate" (the language depends on the document) accommodations. The NCEO report describes state policies in this area as of 2001 and compares them to state policies reported earlier. Numerous charts show state participation policies, testing options, accommodation policies, groups eligible for accommodations, criteria for making accommodation decisions, and alternate assessments for all fifty states. Noted in the report are the addition of partial participation (when a student takes some but not all of the test) and out-of-level testing (when a student takes the test designed for students at a lower grade level) options, the increased specificity of the 2001 policies, the implications of accommodations for test scoring, and a list of controversial accommodations (such as allowing a proctor or scribe to record a student's responses). Interestingly, "emotional anxiety" was included by six states as a reason for students not to participate in assessments. Accommodations for assessments continue to be based largely on the recommendation of the student's IEP (Individual Education Plan) team, although parents are gaining an increased role in the process. If you'd prefer a brief overview of state policies rather than an exhaustive state-by-state breakdown, the report does a good job of highlighting these in its executive summary and concluding summary. You can find the full report online at http://education.umn.edu/NCEO/OnlinePubs/Synthesis46.html.
