Lessons Learned About Assessment 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 adjusted well to the new assessments, and liked many of their features, but there are also challenges. 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 three main challenges identified by teachers and addresses implications for assessment and for technical assistance. The brief offers resource suggestions organized to support decision making, improved assessments and improved assessment experiences for students.

March 2016