Lessons Learned About Instruction from Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in College and Career Ready Assessments

The new large-scale assessments rolled out by consortia and states are designed to measure student achievement of rigorous college- and career-ready (CCR) standards. Recent surveys of teachers in several states indicate that students with disabilities like many features of the new assessments, but that there are also challenges. Many of these challenges are related to instructional issues that need to be addressed to improve student outcomes. This brief was jointly prepared by the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) and the National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI) to provide information and suggestions for state education agencies (SEAs) and other technical assistance (TA) providers who work with local education agencies (LEAs). It highlights four main challenges identified by teachers and addresses implications for instruction, the relationship to CCR standards, and implications for technical assistance. The brief offers resource suggestions organized to support teachers' development of new knowledge, skills, and practices for instruction.

January 2016