69传媒

Special Education

Plan Would Codify Several Rules Adopted To Ease Testing of 69传媒 With Disabilities

By Christina A. Samuels 鈥 August 31, 2007 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

Special education advocacy groups offered a mixed assessment of the effect a draft proposal for reauthorizing the No Child Left Behind Act would have on students with disabilities.

Several provisions in on Aug. 28 would codify policies that the Bush administration put into effect through regulations. One such policy allows the state test scores of as many as 2 percent of all students鈥攁bout 20 percent of students with disabilities鈥攚ho take modified assessments to be counted as proficient under the law鈥檚 provisions on academic progress.

See Also

Read the accompanying story,

Draft Bill Heats Up NCLB-Renewal Debate

The draft would also codify an existing regulation that allows the scores of 1 percent of all students who take 鈥渁lternate鈥 assessments based on alternative standards to be counted as proficient. That provision is intended for students with severe cognitive disabilities, and would be equivalent to about 10 percent of students with disabilities.

The Department of Education crafted those regulations in response to calls from the states for more flexibility in how special education students are tested.

Nancy Reder, the director of governmental relations for the National Association of State Directors of Special Education in Alexandria, Va., said her organization supported the move to make the testing policies a permanent part of the NCLB law.

鈥淲e need to have high expectations for students with disabilities, but we also need to have an element of realism,鈥 she said.

Sunset Provision

However, Candace Cortiella, the director of the Marshall, Va.-based Advocacy Institute, which develops projects and services for people with disabilities, said she was disappointed to see the testing flexibility in the draft. The flexibility allows too many students with disabilities to take easier tests than those given their peers in general education, she believes.

The draft plan also would allow some districts to count as proficient the scores on modified assessments for up to 3 percent of their student populations, or roughly 30 percent of students with disabilities.

That provision would mean that up to 40 percent of students with disabilities in some districts could be counted as proficient, even if they were taking a test different from the one given to students in general education.

The expansion from 2 percent to 3 percent for some districts has a sunset provision, though, that would end it at the close of the 2009-10 school year.

鈥淚t is confusing. If it鈥檚 only good for a couple of years, why would you do it?鈥 Ms. Cortiella said.

The draft bill would also cap 鈥淣-sizes鈥 at 30 students. N-size refers to the minimum subgroup size that counts toward schools鈥 and districts鈥 accountability under NCLB. A larger N-size means that it is less likely that a school will have to report test results for a particular subgroup. States鈥 current N-sizes range from five to 75.

Dan Blair, a senior director for the Council for Exceptional Children, a professional group for special educators based in Arlington, Va., said his group supports the cap.

Events

School & District Management Webinar Crafting Outcomes-Based Contracts That Work for Everyone
Discover the power of outcomes-based contracts and how they can drive student achievement.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in 69传媒
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by 
School & District Management Webinar EdMarketer Quick Hit: What鈥檚 Trending among K-12 Leaders?
What issues are keeping K-12 leaders up at night? Join us for EdMarketer Quick Hit: What鈥檚 Trending among K-12 Leaders?

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide 鈥 elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Special Education How Special Education Might Change Under Trump: 5 Takeaways
Less funding and more administrative chaos could be on the horizon鈥攂ut basic building blocks like IDEA appear likely to remain.
7 min read
Photo of teacher working with hearing-impaired student.
E+
Special Education How Trump's Policies Could Affect Special Education
The new administration's stance on special education isn't yet clear鈥攂ut efforts to revamp federal policy could have ripple effects.
13 min read
A teenage girl from the back looks through the bars, the fenced barrier, at the White House in Washington, D.C.
iStock/Getty Images
Special Education The Essential Skill 69传媒 With Learning Differences Need
69传媒 must teach students with learning differences how to communicate about their needs.
4 min read
Vector illustration of three birds being released from a cage.
iStock/Getty
Special Education A Guide to Bringing Neurodiverse Learners Into the Fold
Three tips for teachers and principals to accommodate learning differences.
3 min read
Neurodiversity. Thinking brain. Difference concept.
iStock/Getty Images + Education Week