Individuals with Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) have social competence impairments that can result in negative adult outcomes. Despite considerable research on social skills training, little is available to evaluate these programs. This study describes the development, administration, and utility of a progress-monitoring tool for…

This research was conducted to evaluate the technical properties of a set of early numeracy CBM tests that were designed to operationalize early numeric concepts. Data were collected over the course of a school year from 113 kindergarten and first-grade children using nine separate tests with three alternative forms. In addition, test-retest…

This article reviews the "Developmental Reading Assessment--Second Edition" (DRA2), a teacher-administered assessment that identifies students' instructional level, along with their strengths and weaknesses in reading. Once teachers calculate and interpret scores, the data can purportedly be used to inform, and possibly individualize, instruction.…

The dependability of academic achievement measures for English language learners (ELLs) is influenced by three facts: (a) Each ELL has unique strengths and weaknesses in each language mode (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) both in English and in his or her first language, (b) each test item poses a different set of linguistic demands…

Given the latest reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and evolving views on the identification of cognitive disabilities in special education, many high school graduates with learning disabilities and/or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder will have a Summary of Performance (SOP) in lieu of a recent…

Testing accommodations used in students' IEPs or recommended by classroom teachers were investigated. Three domains of testing accommodations were examined; (a) accommodations recommended through the IEP process, (b) accommodations recommended by the teacher, and (c) accommodations provided in the testing sessions, to explore factors that…

This study examined the effects of testing accommodations on the mathematics and reading test scores of a sample of 119 fourth graders and 78 eighth graders. The sample included 49 fourth-grade students diagnosed with a disability and 39 eighth-grade students diagnosed with a disability. All students were tested under two conditions (i.e.,…

This study examined student, parent, and teacher perceptions of the use of testing accommodations and the relationship between student perceptions of testing accommodations and their disability status and grade level. Students with and without disabilities completed math and reading achievement tests with and without accommodations. Students,…

Appropriate assessment of English language learners with academic struggles remains problematic (Alvarez, 1991). The purpose of this study was to examine the diagnostic practices of a large culturally diverse district in the Southwest. The researchers collected information from the school records of 146 English language learner (ELL) students who…

This article describes two developmental assessment instruments used by teachers working with students with autism: the Psychoeducational Profile-Revised (PEP-R) and the Adolescent and Adult Psychoeducational Profile. Information is provided on administrator qualifications, item administration, scoring, reliability, and validity. One teacher's use…

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…

A study investigated use of various test accommodations for 3,025 third-graders, 2,990 seventh-graders, and 796 eleventh-graders with disabilities in Missouri. Three accommodations (extended time, small-group administration, and read-aloud) accounted for nearly all of the students using an accommodation. Students using one accommodation were…

This article identifies problems associated with excluding the scores of students with disabilities who need nonapproved accommodations and explores ways in which these scores can be included in system and student accountability systems. The need for Individualized Education Program teams to establish guidelines and establish a documentation…