What kinds of accommodations do states make in state testing programs for students who have disabilities?
The No Child Left Behind Act passed by Congress requires that the academic progress of all students be assessed. For the purposes of determining a school's adequate yearly progress (AYP), at least 95 percent of the subgroups of children must be tested. This includes students who have disabilities and students with limited English proficiency. The law also says that states must provide reasonable accommodations for students who have disabilities or students with limited English proficiency. Because state testing systems differ, the accommodations that may be made in the state testing for students who have disabilities varies from state to state.
Factual Information
Any accommodation to the state testing procedures is intended to reduce the effects of a student's disability. For example, a student who has a visual impairment that makes it difficult to read standard-size text might complete a test with the size of the print increased to make it more legible. Except for the increased size of the print, the test items would remain identical. The increased print size reduces the effects of the student's visual disability.
Students who have disabilities are entitled to fully participate in the state's testing program. Whether or not to make modifications to the state testing procedures is a decision that is made by the team responsible for developing a student's Individual Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan. There are four types of modifications available to a team that is considering modifying a state testing situation for a student who has disabilities:
- Presentation Accommodations - that make accommodations for how the test material is presented;
- Response Accommodations - that make accommodations for how the student responds to the test items;
- Timing and Scheduling Accommodations - that make accommodations to the timing and scheduling of the test; and,
- Setting Accommodations - that make accommodations to the setting in which the student completes the state testing.
Classroom Activities
- If you are responsible for implementing the state testing program for a student who has disabilities in your classroom, consult with special educators to determine if accommodations to the testing are appropriate. Any decision about accommodations to the testing must be made by the team responsible for a student's IEP or 504 Plan.
- Visit the Center for Educational Outcomes at the University of Minnesota and review your state's policies regarding state testing.
Collaboration
Talk with your school's administrator and/or colleagues from the special education department about your state's testing program and what processes are used in your district to make modifications to the testing for students who have disabilities.
Resources and Links
- Information about state testing policies is located at the website of the Center for Educational Outcomes at the University of Minnesota.
- The United States Department of Education offers answers to frequently asked questions regarding state testing.
- The National Center for Learning Disabilities published a parent advocacy brief by Candace Cortiella, titled No Child Left Behind; Determining Appropriate Assessment Accommodations for Students with Disabilities, that contains useful information about testing accommodations.
- The United States Department of Education published a document called Raising Achievement: Alternate Assessments for Students with Disabilities that contains information about US Department of Education policies regarding alternative assessments for students who have disabilities.