All Kids Count
Introduction
"Measure what you treasure." This popular saying is particularly relevant when considering the participation of students with disabilities in statewide assessment systems. Statewide assessments have become a key component of school reform initiatives because they are seen as a way to hold schools accountable for the educational results of all students. Assessments also help states and school districts gather information about student performance and progress, leading to improved education for all students.
Yet, a look at the recent history of assessment practices across the country reveals that students with disabilities have been excluded from assessments at alarmingly high levels: approximately fifty percent of students with disabilities have been excluded from various large-scale assessments, with rates of exclusion varying widely from state to state. Exclusion from large-scale assessment systems gives an unfortunate message that the learning achievements and progress of some students don’t count. If, as a nation, we really do believe that all students count, then we must count all students, including students with disabilities, in statewide assessments. Counting all students does not mean that all students take the same tests. It does mean that every student deserves full and equal opportunity to demonstrate what he or she knows and is able to do. It also means that every student’s learning and educational progress is accounted for and considered when critical policy and program decisions based on assessment scores are made.
All Kids Count is intended as a basic primer on the participation of students with disabilities in statewide assessment systems. Its purpose is to give parents, parent leaders, professionals, and other interested parties basic guidelines and points of reference for participating in discussions around policies and practices related to the inclusion of students with disabilities in large-scale assessment programs.
Right now educators, school administrators, parents, policymakers, test designers, and other stakeholders are intensely engaged in developing new strategies to include students with disabilities in large-scale assessments. One important impetus for this increased attention to assessment occurred on June 4, 1997, the day President Clinton signed into law the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Amendments of 1997. IDEA now requires that students with disabilities have access to the same high standards and general education curriculum as their non-disabled peers. IDEA also requires that all students with disabilities be included in state and district assessments, with accommodations where appropriate. Participation of children with disabilities is similarly required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Benefits to Students
Statewide assessments have enormous ramifications for students with disabilities. Benefits to students include:
A Key to Higher Expectations. The overall goal for our nation’s many education reform initiatives is to raise the level of learning for all students, including students with disabilities. This goal is grounded in the belief that all students are capable of meeting much higher standards than have been expected of them in the past. Historically, expectations for students with disabilities have been appallingly low, as these students have been discouraged from participating in general curriculum studies. Students with disabilities must participate in assessments to ensure meaningful access to the same high curriculum and standards that drive education for all other students.
School Accountability for All. Participation in assessments sends the message that schools are accountable for all students reaching higher levels of learning. The higher expectations placed on schools can result in increased use of accommodations or adaptations and other strategies to help students with disabilities reach higher standards.
A Role in Shaping Policies and Programs. To help students meet higher standards, state and local education agencies are developing new instructional methods and technologies. Data from assessments can be used to gather information about promising practices and to improve programs. If students with disabilities are included in assessments, their needs will be considered in shaping education policies, programs, and practices.
High Stakes for Individual Students. For individual students, the importance of assessment may be even more direct and critical. Increasingly, assessments are used as the basis for awarding diplomas or for gaining access to post-secondary opportunities. Students with disabilities must have equal opportunities to demonstrate their competencies in order to have full and equal access to future life opportunities.
States are now reviewing and revising their policies in order to comply fully with IDEA. Educators must now consider the achievement of all students with disabilities when evaluating the performance of a school, district, or state. These changes to IDEA provide great promise. When properly implemented, they will ensure that students with disabilities receive the full benefits of education reform. As with all other aspects of special education law, however, making the promise a reality is contingent on the active participation of parents of students with disabilities working in partnership with educators.
In America, we treasure education and view it as essential to creating the educated citizenry necessary for a democracy to flourish. We treasure our children as the best hope for our future and the future of our country. With active participation of parents, committed professionals, and ordinary citizens, we can create an educational system that demonstrates its commitment to each child by counting and being accountable for each child’s learning.
Overview of Contents
All Kids Count contains the following components:
Executive Summary: Analysis of Statewide Assessment Survey Results --This Summary provides a national picture of statewide assessment policies and practices, including those related to the participation of students with disabilities in statewide assessment programs. The analysis is based on findings from the PEER Project’s state-by-state survey of statewide assessment programs.
State Profiles: Statewide Assessment Survey Results -- The State Profiles are based on the PEER Project’s survey of individual state policies and practices related to statewide assessment. In addition to general information about each state’s assessment program, there are brief answers to specific questions related to the inclusion of students with disabilities in assessments, the use of accommodations, and the reporting of scores.
In conducting this survey, the PEER Project analyzed state policy documents and directly contacted state education officials to update, verify, and expand upon the Council of Chief State School Officers’ Annual Survey of State Student Assessment Programs (Fall 1996, data on 1995-96 programs). The PEER Project’s survey was conducted from Summer 1997 through February 1998. The PEER Project recognizes that states are continuously engaged in addressing school reform and assessment issues, and, therefore, some of the reported information may already have changed.
Policy Issues, Questions, and Strategies -- This section highlights key policy and implementation issues for students with disabilities and suggests strategies for improving state policy and program development related to assessment.
Examples of Accommodations from State Assessment Policies -- The PEER Project compiled this list of accommodations while reviewing state assessment policies. They are offered as examples of possible accommodations that may be useful in developing an individual student’s IEP or 504 plan, or in designing state policies.
Assessment: A Key Component of Education Reform -- Prepared by Martha L. Thurlow, Ph.D., Associate Director, National Center for Educational Outcomes, this PEER Information Brief provides an overview of the role of assessment in education reform and highlights issues related to the inclusion of students with disabilities in large-scale assessments.
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