NCEO's National Data Sets Inform Education Decision-Makers

The percentage of eighth graders with disabilities using accommodations on their reading and mathematics statewide assessments varied widely among states in 2013-14, the academic year for which the most recent nationwide data is available. And that year, fewer eighth graders with disabilities used accommodations in reading than in math assessments. Where can decision makers who need such data about the assessment participation and performance of students with disabilities find it? In an online series of briefs called APR Snapshots from ICI's National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO).

NCEO provides national leadership in designing and building educational assessments and accountability systems that appropriately monitor educational results for all students, including students with disabilities. The center has a rich set of resources, like the Snapshots, related to students' educational outcomes. Each year, NCEO summarizes states' Annual Performance Report (APR) data submitted to the federal government into APR Snapshots, which also provides links to the underlying data sets. "The Snapshots provide a quick and easy way for the public to quickly see the data on participation and performance of students with disabilities in state assessments," says Martha Thurlow, director of NCEO. 

NCEO receives funding from the Research to Practice Division, Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education; individual states; and several other organizations.