NCEO - 2007 Survey of States: Activities, Changes, and Challenges for Special Education

2009

This report summarizes the eleventh survey of states by the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) at the University of Minnesota. Results are presented for all 50 states and 3 of the 11 federally funded entities (unique states). The purpose of this report is to provide a snapshot of the new initiatives, trends, accomplishments, and emerging issues during this important period of standards-based education reform as states document the academic achievement of students with disabilities. Key findings include: - More states than in the past are counting as non-participants those students who used accommodations that produced invalid results or who tested at a grade lower than their level of enrollment. - More than half of the states are considering developing an alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards (AA-MAS). - Most states now have policies on the selection and use of accommodations and on alternate assessments that include information specifically about English language learners (ELLs) with disabilities. However, many states do not disaggregate assessment results for ELLs with disabilities and are not able to chart progress or examine trends for this group. - A few states track the performance of students who consistently perform poorly on regular assessments. - Most states record the specific accommodations used by a student on test day. States continue to work on ensuring meaningful participation of students with disabilities in state assessments. Progress during the two years since the previous survey has been strong, though many challenges remain. http://cehd.umn.edu/NCEO/OnlinePubs/StateReports/2007_survey_of_states.htm

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