Current legislation encourages schools to educate students with disabilities (SWDs) in general education settings to the greatest extent appropriate. However, it is unclear whether inclusion in general education settings provides SWDs a sufficient opportunity to learn the academic content assessed by accountability measures. This initial study was…

Assessment permeates many aspects of our educational society. With the passage of federal legislation (i.e., No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004), assessment in the form of accountability is ever present in our K-12 educational system. Current assessment practices should be used in…

Although numerous English language proficiency (ELP) measures currently exist, many were developed prior to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). These pre-NCLB measures typically focused on social language proficiency, whereas post-NCLB measures are linked to ELP standards and focus on academic language proficiency (ALP). ELP measures are…

The intent of large-scale assessment systems is to promote student achievement toward specific standards by holding schools accountable for the performance of all students. However, it is difficult to know whether large-scale assessment systems are having this intended effect as they are currently implemented. In this article, the authors examine…

Including students with disabilities in the new standards and accountability systems is one of the key challenges facing school districts around the nation. In this article, the authors first address the evolving assessment and accommodations requirements of both the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities…

In this article, the authors highlight the impact of alternate assessment on curriculum content for students with severe disabilities. Alternate assessment is a requirement of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Amendments of 1997 and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 to ensure that students with the most significant…

In conjunction with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (IDEA; PL 105-17), the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 (NCLB; PL 107-110) calls for enhancements to existing assessment and accountability systems within specific timelines. The NCLB Act also stresses the importance of using reliable and valid data for decision making.…

Professionals with expertise in assessment and diverse learners are in demand to assist in developing and implementing large-scale assessment and accountability systems. This article highlights aspects of current federal legislation that pertain to the development of these systems, describes the areas of expertise and unique perspectives of…

The inclusion of students with disabilities in large-scale assessments, typically by using testing accommodations, for statewide accountability systems became a legal reality with the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 1997, and the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2002. These legal mandates and best…

Despite policy mandates to include students with disabilities in educational assessment and accountability programs, current practices suggest a substantial lack of capacity for effective inclusion. Continuing professional development (CPD) is an essential component of disseminating and implementing effective inclusion practices. Recent reviews of…

Alternate assessments are intended for use with students who are unable to participate in general state and district assessment systems even with accommodations, and have been described as the "ultimate accommodation" for promoting the inclusion of students with significant disabilities in accountability systems. This article examines four…

Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) bridges traditional psychometric and classroom-based observational assessment paradigms to forge an innovative approach to measurement, with several advantages over traditional and other forms of classroom assessment. This article provides a framework for extending CBM in two ways. First, the authors explain how…

Findings are presented from the National Center on Educational Outcomes' 1999 survey of state directors (n=48) of special education about test participation rates and factors that influence participation. More students are participating in statewide testing, however, there are factors that continue to inhibit greater participation. Recommendations…

A study investigated the views of 81 teachers, administrators, and assessment personnel about issues stemming from the participation of students with disabilities in large-scale assessments. Findings indicate local personnel are giving increasingly careful consideration to appropriateness of curriculum choices, assessment options that match…

This article discusses the increased pressure that states are under to include test scores of students with disabilities obtained under nonapproved accommodation conditions in their accountability systems. It recommends Individualized Education Program teams carefully consider the use of nonapproved accommodations and consider the purpose and use…