• Director, TIES Center
  • Assistant Director, National Center on Educational Outcomes
Email
kline010@umn.edu
Phone
+1 612-626-9061
Address
Masonic Institute on the Developing Brain
Rm 1-331 [map]
2025 E River Pkwy
MInneapolis, MN 55414

Kristin Kline Liu, Ph.D., is a Senior Research Associate at the National Center on Educational Outcomes and the Co-Principal Investigator of the TIES Center (Increasing Time, Instructional Effectiveness, Engagement, and State Support for Inclusive Practices for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities). In this role she addresses policies and practices that support inclusive learning environments for students with significant cognitive disabilities. She is also the Co-Principal Investigator for the Improving Instruction of English Learners Through Accessibility Decision Making project. The Improving Instruction project will design an online learning module to improve West Virginia teachers' understanding and use of accessibility features and accommodations for English learners. Kristi has a Ph.D. in Second Languages and Cultures Education from the University of Minnesota. Her research and technical assistance focuses on improving academic expectations and outcomes of students from special populations, including English learners, students with disabilities, and, her particular area of expertise, English learners with disabilities. Her work also addresses the inclusion of students with special needs in accountability assessments at the local and state levels.

Projects

Project

National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)

Provides national leadership in designing and building educational assessments and accountability systems that appropriately monitor educational results.

Project

TIES Center: Increasing Time, Instructional Effectiveness, Engagement, and State Support for Inclusive Practices for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities

Creates sustainable changes in school and district educational systems so that students with significant cognitive disabilities can fully engage in the same instructional and non-instructional …

Project

Improving Instruction for English Learners Through Improved Accessibility Decisions

Developed two professional development modules on accessibility and accommodations decision making for instruction and assessment for English learners. One module is for educators and the other is …

Project

TIES-SCOE

TIES Center is engaged in a year-long collaboration (2024-2025) with the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) for the "California Includes" initiative. The project aims to develop comprehen…

Project

Minnesota Principal Leadership for Inclusive Education Manual

This project develops the Minnesota Principal Leadership for Inclusive Education Manual , an online resource to support school principals in envisioning, designing, and implementing inclusive …

Products

NCEO Data Analytics: AA-AAS Participation Rate from 2007-08 to 2016-2017 (#12)

This interactive report presents data on the participation rate and percent proficient on the alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS) by grade and content across …

Published: 2020-01-22

ELPA21 White Paper: Developing an Alternate ELPA21 for English Learners with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities

This White Paper was developed as part of the commitment of the English Language Proficiency Assessment for the 21st Century (ELPA21) project to the development and implementation of an alternate …

Published: August 2018

Educators' Thoughts on Making Decisions About Accessibility for All Students

This report describes the asynchronous online focus group activity of the Data Informed Accessibility - Making Optimal Needs-based Decisions (DIAMOND) project. The goal of conducting the focus …

Published: September 2018

Proceedings of the NCEO Interim Assessment Convening: Measuring What Students with Disabilities Know and Can Do Using Interim Assessments

This report contains the proceeding of the Interim Assessment Convening on Measuring What Students with Disabilities Know and Can Do Using Interim Assessments that was hosted by NCEO, and held on …

Published: December 2021

Improving Instruction Briefs: Working with Language Interpreters: Information for Teachers

This Brief for teachers answers questions about working with a language interpreter for families whose children are English learners. Clear, comprehensible communication between parents and …

Published: December 2019

NCEO Technical Reports: State Reports on the Participation and Performance of English Language Learners with Disabilities in 2006-2007 (#54)

A report reviewing state reports on the participation and performance of English Language Learners (ELLs) with Disabilities in 2006-2007. Previous data reports suggested that ELLs with disabilities…

Published: May 2009

NCEO Technical Reports: Student Think-Aloud Reflections on Comprehensible and Readable Assessment Items: Perspectives on What Does and Does Not Make an Item Readable (#48)

A document reporting on research related to large-scale assessments for students with learning disabilities in reading. The researchers examined the role of "readable and comprehensible" test …

Published: September 2007

School Leader Series: Working with IEP Teams to Make State Assessment Participation and Accessibility and Accommodations Decisions (School Leader Series Brief #3)

This resource is designed to provide guidance to school leaders about working with IEP teams to make state assessment participation and accessibility and accommodations decisions. Developed in …

Published: 9/28/2021

NCEO Limited English Proficiency Projects Reports: Grade-Level Standards-Based Science Outcomes for English Language Learners and Language Minority Students - A Review of the Literature (#6)

This year 2009 report is a literature review of peer-reviewed research on standards-based science outcomes and English learners and language minority students.

Published: April 2009

NCEO Limited English Proficiency Projects Reports: Connecting English Language Proficiency, Statewide Assessments, and Classroom Proficiency (#5)

This year 2004 study provides information on the link between teacher ratings of English learners' academic language, language proficiency tests, and standardized assessments.

Published: August 2004

NCEO Limited English Proficiency Projects Reports: Relationships Between a Statewide Language Proficiency Test and Academic Achievement Assessments (#4)

This year 2004 report compares English learner reading performance on an English language proficiency test to English learner and English fluent peer performance on academic achievement tests.

Published: August 2004

NCEO Limited English Proficiency Projects Reports: 1999-2000 Participation and Performance of English Language Learners Reported in Public State Documents and Web Sites (#3)

This 2002 report summarizes publicly reported participation and performance data for English learners on state assessments.

Published: September 2002

NCEO Limited English Proficiency Projects Reports: State and District Assessments as an Avenue to Equity and Excellence for English Language Learners with Disabilities (#2)

This 2001 report summarizes publicly reported participation and performance data for English learners on state assessments.

Published: September 2001

NCEO Limited English Proficiency Projects Reports: The Effects of a Simplified English Language Dictionary on a Reading Test (#1)

This year 2001 report examines the performance of Hmong background English learners using a monolingual English dictionary accommodation on a reading test.

Published: March 2001

NCEO English Language Learners (ELLs) with Disabilities Reports: Middle School Principals' Perspectives on Academic Standards-Based Instruction and Programming for English Language Learners with Disabilities (#22)

A report from a study following up on the findings of earlier NCEO research on instructional services and leadership for English language learners (ELLs) with disabilities. This study looked at a …

Published: September 2008

NCEO English Language Learners (ELLs) with Disabilities Reports: Delphi Study of Instructional Strategies for English Language Learners with Disabilities: Recommendations from Educators Nationwide (#21)

A report from NCEO's national research spanning seven years that has focused on identifying and validating instructional strategies for ELLs with disabilities. In recent work, educators from five …

Published: September 2008

NCEO English Language Learners (ELLs) with Disabilities Reports: Middle School Principals' Interpretation of State Policy and Guidance on Instructional Strategies for ELLs with Disabilities (#20)

A report describing how principals of successful schools translated information to teachers on designing accessible standards-based instruction for ELLs with disabilities. The study aimed to …

Published: September 2008

NCEO English Language Learners (ELLs) with Disabilities Reports: Reading, Mathematics, and Science Instructional Strategies for English Language Learners with Disabilities - Insights from Educators Nationwide (#19)

A report studying instructional strategies at middle and junior high schools. Middle school teaching and learning is especially challenging, perhaps because the curriculum places greater cognitive …

Published: September 2008

NCEO English Language Learners (ELLs) with Disabilities Reports: Use of Chunking and Questioning Aloud to Improve the Reading Comprehension of English Language Learners with Disabilities (#17)

This year 2006 report describes how the chunking and questioning aloud instructional strategy could improve the reading achievement of English learners with disabilities.

Published: December 2006

NCEO English Language Learners (ELLs) with Disabilities Reports: Math Strategy Instruction for Students with Disabilities who are Learning English (#16)

This year 2006 report describes the effect of a teacher-directed "think aloud" strategy with English learners with disabilities in math.

Published: November 2006

NCEO English Language Learners (ELLs) with Disabilities Reports: ELL Parent Perceptions on Instructional Strategies for their Children with Disabilities (#12)

This year 2005 report examines parents' perspectives on instructional strategies teachers use with English learners with disabilities.

Published: November 2005

NCEO English Language Learners (ELLs) with Disabilities Reports: Student Perceptions of Instructional Strategies - Voices of English Language Learners with Disabilities (#11)

This year 2005 report examines the perspective of English learners with disabilities on instructional strategies used in standards-based instruction.

Published: July 2005

NCEO English Language Learners (ELLs) with Disabilities Reports: Educator Perceptions of Instructional Strategies for Standards-based Education of English Language Learners with Disabilities (#7)

This year 2004 report summarizes a study on teacher-identified strategies for teaching grade-level reading/English language arts, math, and science to English learners with disabilities.

Published: August 2004

NCEO English Language Learners (ELLs) with Disabilities Reports: Graduation Exam Participation (2000-2001) of English Language Learners with Disabilities (#3)

This year 2005 report examines the performance of English learners with disabilities on Minnesota's Basic Standards Test in 2000-2001.

Published: June 2005

NCEO English Language Learners (ELLs) with Disabilities Reports: Graduation Exam Participation and Performance (1999-2000) of English Language Learners with Disabilities (#2)

This year 2005 report examines the participation and performance of English learners with disabilities on Minnesota's Basic Standards Test in 1999-2000.

Published: May 2005

NCEO Synthesis Reports: Who Are the Students Who May Qualify for an Alternate Assessment Based on Modified Academic Achievement Standards (AA-MAS)? Focus Group Results (#79)

A report summarizing the results of educator focus groups conducted by one state in a consortium dedicated to studying alternate assessments based on modified achievement standards (AA-MAS) …

Published: January 2011

PARA Accessible Reading Assessment Reports: Studying Less-Accurately Measured Students

A report describing a small-scale study that closely examined a limited number of students to shed light on several questions. The study provided a preliminary look at the possibility of using …

Published: October 2010

PARA Accessible Reading Assessment Reports: Disabilities and Reading: Understanding the Effects of Disabilities and Their Relationship to Reading Instruction and Assessment

A report providing common ground on the issues surrounding reading and students with various disabilities to facilitate discussion of accessible reading assessment. The information in this report …

Published: March 2009

School Leader Series: Supporting the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in Assessment (School Leader Series Brief #1)

This resource is designed to provide guidance to school leaders about supporting the inclusion of students with disabilities in state and district content assessments. Developed in collaboration …

Published: 9/28/2021

NCEO Minnesota Assessment Project Reports: Initial Perceptions of English as a Second Language Educators on Including Students with Limited English Proficiency in Minnesota's High Standards (#33)

This year 2000 report examines educator perceptions and expectations of including English learners in Minnesota's High Standards.

Published: December 2000

NCEO Minnesota Assessment Project Reports: Bilingual Accommodations for Limited English Proficient Students on Statewide Reading Tests: Phase 2 (#31)

This year 2000 report examines a bilingual side-by-side test accommodation for English learners on a reading test.

Published: August 2000

NCEO Minnesota Assessment Project Reports: Participation and Performance of Limited English Proficient Students During Second Attempts on a Graduation Exam (#28)

This year 2000 report examines the performance of English learners on Minnesota's Basic Standards Tests.

Published: June 2000

NCEO Minnesota Assessment Project Reports: Factors Related to the Performance of LEP Students on Basic Standards Tests (#27)

This year 2000 report summarizes factors affecting English learner performance on Minnesota's state assessments.

Published: July 2000

NCEO Minnesota Assessment Project Reports: Data on LEP students in State Education Reports (#26)

This year 2000 report summarizes the extent of states' public reporting of English learner data on state assessments.

Published: August 2000

NCEO Brief: Developing Common Accommodations Policies Discussion Points for Consortia (#2)

A brief -- the second in a series for the Race to the Top Assessment Consortia -- addressing the need for the Consortia to develop shared accommodations policies. The publication presents informati…

Published: May 2011

NCEO Brief: Understanding Subgroups in Common State Assessments: Special Education Students and ELLs (#4)

A brief -- the fourth in a series for the Race to the Top Assessment Consortia -- presenting information on the characteristics of special education students, English Language Learners (ELLs), and …

Published: July 2011

NCEO Technical Reports: Characteristics of Low Performing Special Education and Non-Special Education Students on Large-Scale Assessments (#60)

A report investigating whether the characteristics of the lowest performing students in special education differ from the characteristics of the lowest performing students who are not in special …

Published: March 2012

Impact: Feature Issue on Educating K-12 English Language Learners with Disabilities

A newsletter issue examining the education of English language learners with disabilities, who are a growing part of the K-12 school population in the U.S. The available knowledge on how to …

Published: Winter/Spring 2013

Assessment Principles and Guidelines for ELLs with Disabilities

A report detailing the work of an Institute project called Improving the Validity of Assessment Results for English Language Learners with Disabilities (IVARED) that has identified essential …

Published: 2013

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities on State English Language Proficiency Assessments: A Review of 2011 State Policies

A report documenting states' participation and accommodation policies for English language learners (ELLs) with disabilities on their English Language Proficiency (ELP) assessments. The states' …

Published: August 2013

Voices From the Field: Making State Assessment Decisions for English Language Learners With Disabilities

A report describing an activity undertaken by the Improving the Validity of Assessment Results for ELLs with Disabilities (IVARED) project, which is a consortium of the five states of Arizona,...

Published: 2013

NCEO Brief: Participation of ELLs with Disabilities in ELP Assessments (#8)

A brief presenting information on what is known about the participation of English language learners (ELLs) with disabilities in state English language proficiency (ELP) assessments. It highlights...

Published: May 2014

NCEO Brief: State Assessment Decision-Making Processes for ELLs with Disabilities (#9)

A brief presenting information on what is known about assessment decision-making processes for English language learners (ELLs) with disabilities. It highlights information that has been collected …

Published: June 2014

NCEO Brief: Exploring Alternate ELP Assessments for ELLs with Significant Cognitive Disabilities (#10)

A brief presenting information on what we know about the participation of English language learners (ELLs) with disabilities in state alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards...

Published: July 2014

Including Students who are Deaf or Hard-of-hearing in English Language Proficiency Assessments: A Review of State Policies

A report documenting participation and accommodation policies for English language learners (ELLs) who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing (HH) on English language proficiency (ELP) assessments used for Title...

Published: 2014

Including Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired in English Language Proficiency Assessments: A Review of State Policies

A report updating information on state participation and accommodations policies for English language learners (ELLs) who are Blind/Visually Impaired (VI) on English language proficiency (ELP)...

Published: August 2014

NCEO Data Analytics: State Assessment Participation and Performance of Students with IEPs, 2020-2021 (#19)

This interactive report presents data on the participation and performance of students receiving special education services in statewide assessments used for Elementary and Secondary Education Act …

Published: January 2024

NCEO Minnesota Assessment Project Reports: Input from the Field on Assessing Students with Limited English Proficiency in Minnesota's Basic Requirements Exams (#2)

This year 1996 report summarizes survey data on the inclusion of English learners in Minnesota's Basic Standards Tests.

Published: August 1996

NCEO Data Analytics: State and National Demographic Information for English Learners (ELs) and ELs with Disabilities, 2012-13 (#4)

This interactive report presents data that states have submitted on the five languages most frequently used by English learners (ELs) in each state, the percent of identified ELs receiving...

Published: April 2016

Creating Social Change for English Language Learners by Improving Access to Grade-level Instruction

Book description: The recent increase in immigration patterns in the United States has meant an increase in the number of children whose first language is not English entering American schools. …Published: 2023

NCEO Minnesota Assessment Project Reports: Focus Group Input on Students with Limited English Proficiency and Minnesota's Basic Standards Tests (#4)

This year 1996 report summarizes focus group input on the participation of English learners on Minnesota's first Basic Standards Test administration.

Published: August 1996

NCEO Minnesota Assessment Project Reports: Accommodations for Students with Limited English Proficiency: Analysis of Guidelines from States with Graduation Exams (#6)

This year 1996 report reviews high stakes graduation testing guidelines and summarizes accommodation trends for English learners.

Published: August 1996

NCEO Minnesota Assessment Project Reports: Resources: Limited English Proficient Students in National and Statewide Assessments (#8)

This year 1996 report provides an annotated review of the literature on issues in assessing English learners.

Published: August 1996

NCEO Minnesota Assessment Project Reports: A Review of the Literature on Students with Limited English Proficiency and Assessment (#11)

This year 1997 report reviews literature on best practices for assessing English learners.

Published: August 1997

NCEO Minnesota Assessment Project Reports: High School Graduation Requirements in the U.S. for Students with Limited English Proficiency (#13)

This year 1997 report examines graduation requirements for the 50 states and summarizes how these policies apply to English learners.

Published: September 1997

NCEO Minnesota Assessment Project Reports: Educators' Responses to LEP Students' Participation in the 1997 Basic Standards Testing (#15)

This year 1997 report examines participation and accommodations decision-making for English learners on Minnesota's Basic Standards Test.

Published: October 1997

NCEO Minnesota Assessment Project Reports: Cambodian, Hmong, Lao, Spanish-Speaking, and Vietnamese Parents and Students Speak Out on Minnesota's Basic Standards Tests (#12)

This year 1997 report summarizes views of English learners and their parents on participation in Minnesota's Basic Standards Tests.

Published: May 1997

NCEO Minnesota Assessment Project Reports: Participation and Performance of Students from non-English Language Backgrounds: Minnesota's 1996 Basic Standards Tests in Reading and Math (#17)

This year 1999 report summarizes data for students from non-English language backgrounds taking Minnesota's Basic Standards Tests in 1996.

Published: January 1999

NCEO Minnesota Assessment Project Reports: Limited English Proficient Students' Participation and Performance on Statewide Assessments: Minnesota Basic Standards Reading and Math, 1996-1998 (#19)

This year 1999 report summarizes data for English learners taking the Minnesota's Basic Standards Tests from 1996 to 1998.

Published: September 1999

NCEO Minnesota Assessment Project Reports: Participation and Performance of Limited English Proficient Students: Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments in Reading and Math, 1998-99 (#24)

This year 2000 report summarizes data for English learners taking Minnesota's Comprehensive Assessments in 1998-1999.

Published: January 2000

NCEO Minnesota Assessment Project Reports: 1999 Report on the Participation and Performance of Limited English Proficient Students on Minnesota's Basic Standards Tests (#30)

This year 2000 report builds on previous reports examining the participation and performance rates of LEP eighth grade students on Minnesota's Basic Standards Tests. This report covers the testing …

Published: August 2000

NCEO Minnesota Assessment Project Reports: Bilingual Accommodations for Limited English Proficient Students on Statewide Reading Tests: Phase 1 (#20)

This year 1999 report examines the feasibility and desirability of offering English learners a reading test with bilingual test items and answer choices.

Published: October 1999

NCEO Minnesota Assessment Project Reports: Feasibility and Practicality of a Decision Making Tool for Standards Testing of Students with Limited English Proficiency (#22)

This year 1999 report describes an accommodation decision-making tool for educators and examines the tool's feasibility.

Published: December 1999

Improving Instruction Briefs: Building Successful Communication Between Parent or Guardian and Teacher: Information for Parents or Guardians (Arabic translation)

This Brief, translated into Arabic, explains how parents or guardians of students who are English learners can develop successful communication with teachers. Good parent-educator communication is …

Published: June 2020

Literature on Early Literacy Instruction in Four Languages (Chinese, Korean, Navajo, Russian)

This year 2003 report reviews literature on evidence-based research for teaching reading to Chinese, Korean, Navajo, and Russian children.

Published: October 2003

NCEO Brief: Meeting the Needs of ELs with Disabilities in Your State: Making EL Exit Decisions (#13)

The purpose of this Brief is to highlight the numbers and characteristics of English learners (ELs) with disabilities and current decision-making processes for exiting these students from EL …

Published: September 2017

Instructing and Assessing English Learners with Significant Cognitive Disabilities

The purpose of this report is to identify an evidence base on best practices in English language arts instruction for English learners (ELs) with significant cognitive disabilities whose family may...

Published: September, 2015

NCEO Reports: Alternate Assessments for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities: Participation Guidelines and Definitions (#406)

This report documents the status of states' assessment participation guidelines and definitions of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities that were in place just prior to the …

Published: December 2017

NCEO Brief: Using Local Assessment Data to Measure Progress Toward the State-Identified Measurable Result (SIMR) (#14)

The purpose of this Brief is to outline key strategies for the collection, analysis, and use of local assessment data to monitor progress toward the (State-Identified Measurable Result)SIMR.

Published: February 2018

Educators' Perspectives on Classroom Implementation of Accessibility Features and Accommodations

A report from the DIAMOND project on phone interviews conducted with educators to highlight effective practices being used to implement accessibility features and accommodations in their classrooms.

Published: May 2018

NCEO Data Analytics: State Assessment Participation and Performance of Students with IEPs, 2014-2015 (#6)

This interactive report presents data on the participation and performance of students receiving special education services in statewide assessments used for Elementary and Secondary Education Act...

Published: June 2018

NCEO Data Analytics: State Assessment Participation and Performance of Students with IEPs, 2015-2016 (#7)

This interactive report presents data on the participation and performance of students receiving special education services in statewide assessments used for Elementary and Secondary Education Act...

Published: July 2018

NCEO Reports: 2015-16 Publicly Reported Assessment Results for Students with Disabilities and ELs with Disabilities (#407)

This is the nineteenth report by the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) that describes how states publicly report online assessment data for students with disabilities in K-12 schools...

Published: July 2018

NCEO Reports: A Review of the Literature on Measuring English Language Proficiency Progress of English Learners with Disabilities and English Learners (#408)

The purpose of this literature review was to identify evidence-based practices used (or recommended for use) to measure progress of English learners (ELs) with disabilities on English language...

Published: July 2018

Accessible Instruction and Assessment for Students with Disabilities

This presentation, focusing on accessible instruction and assessment for students with disabilities, was presented at the 2020 Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) annual conference.

Published: 2020-02-07

NCEO Reports: 2016-17 Publicly Reported Assessment Results for Students with Disabilities and ELs with Disabilities (#411)

This is the 20th report by the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) that describes how states publicly report assessment data for students with disabilities in K-12 schools in the United …

Published: October 2019

School Leader Series: Understanding the Consequences of Assessment Participation Decisions for Students with Disabilities (School Leader Series Brief #2)

This resource is designed to provide guidance to school leaders about understanding the consequences of assessment participation decisions for students with disabilities. Developed in collaboration…

Published: 9/28/2021

TIES Center Reports: Using Systems Change Efforts to Implement and Sustain Inclusive Education Practices in General Education Settings for Students with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities: A Review of the Literature (#102)

This report presents the findings from a literature review that examined how systems change efforts can guide initiatives to increase and sustain the placement of students with the most significant…

Published: June 2019

NCEO Data Analytics: 2016-17 Publicly Reported Assessment Results for Students with Disabilities and ELs with Disabilities (#11)

This interactive report presents data on public reporting practices for assessment data for students with disabilities in K-12 schools in the United States.

Published: 2020-01-06

NCEO APR Snapshot Briefs: 2020-2021 APR Snapshot #28: State Assessment Participation and Performance of Students Receiving Special Education Services (#28)

This report provides a snapshot of the participation and performance of students receiving special education services in statewide assessments used for Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA …

Published: December 2023

Improving Instruction Briefs: Accessibility Features and Accommodations: Information for Parents or Guardians (Traditional Chinese translation)

This Brief, translated into Traditional Chinese, explains accessibility features and accommodations for parents or guardians of students who are English learners, and also provides guidance on how …

Published: June 2020

Improving Instruction Briefs: Building Successful Communication Between Teacher and Parent or Guardian: Information for Teachers

This Brief for teachers answers questions about communicating with parents or guardians for whom communicating in English is a challenge. Good parent-educator communication is key to determining …

Published: December 2019

Successfully Making and Implementing Participation and Accommodations Decisions for English Learners with Disabilities

This presentation addressed how to successfully make and implement participation and accommodation decisions for English learners with disabilities. It was presented to the U.S Departments of …

Published: 2020-08-27

Student Demonstrations of their Use of Accessibility Features and Accommodations

This report presents information from a study by the Data Informed Accessibility—Making Optimal Needs-based Decisions (DIAMOND) project that examined classroom use of accessibility features and …

Published: June 2019

NCEO Brief: Understanding the Characteristics of English Learners with Disabilities to Meet Their Needs During State and Districtwide Assessments (#24)

The purpose of this Brief is to highlight available federal data about the characteristics of English learners with disabilities, including how the population has changed over time. Understanding …

Published: 10/26/2021

Improving Instruction Briefs: Working with Language Interpreters: Information for Parents or Guardians (Arabic translation)

This Brief, translated into Arabic, answers questions about working with a language interpreter that parents or guardians of students who are English learners might have. Clear, comprehensible …

Published: June 2020

Using Online Professional Development Modules to Learn about Accessibility Features and Accommodations

This presentation explored using online professional development modules to learn about accessibility features and accommodations. It was presented at the 2018 Minnesota Department of Education's …

Published: 2018-11-17

School Leader Series: What School Leaders Need to do Before, During, and After the Assessment Window (School Leader Series Brief #4)

This resource is designed to provide guidance on what school leaders need to do before, during, and after the assessment window. Developed in collaboration with CCSSO, the Assessment, Standards, …

Published: 9/28/2021

NCEO Parent Fact Sheets: State Testing of Your Child Who is an English Learner (Parent Fact Sheet #4)

This Fact Sheet summarizes the resources that are available specifically to students who are English learners who take state tests. The more parents know about these test resources, the more they …

Published: 8/14/2023

Improving Instruction Briefs: Building Successful Communication Between Parent or Guardian and Teacher: Information for Parents or Guardians (Vietnamese translation)

This Brief, translated into Vietnamese, explains how parents or guardians of students who are English learners can develop successful communication with teachers. Good parent-educator communication…

Published: June 2020

Where Do I Go? What Do I Do? Training Educators of Rural English Learners to Provide Accessible Instruction and Assessment

This chapter describes a federally-funded grant project to train West Virginia educators and parents on accessible assessment and instruction for K-12 English learners. West Virginia is a rural …

Published: 2023

NCEO Parent Fact Sheets: Engaging Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families (Fact Sheet #5 - Educator)

This Fact Sheet provides educators with strategies that will help them engage culturally and linguistically diverse families and their children. These strategies can help overcome the challenges …

Published: 9/21/2023

NCEO Brief: Getting Ready for the 2021-22 School Year: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Testing Children with Disabilities (#26)

As states, districts, and schools plan to return for the 2021-22 school year, questions are raised about whether and how to test children with disabilities, including children with the most...

Published: August 2021

A Framework for Making Decisions about Participation in a State’s Alternate ELP Assessment (NCEO Report 426)

This report provides information on how to identify which English learners who may have a most significant cognitive disability are eligible to take an alternate English language proficiency (alt- …

Published: 10/28/2021

NCEO APR Snapshot Briefs: 2020-2021 APR Snapshot #29: Students in Special Education Assigned Assessment Accommodations (#29)

This report provides information on the number of students with disabilities assigned accommodations and the performance of these students on the general statewide assessment used for Elementary …

Published: December 2023

Improving Instruction Briefs: Working with Language Interpreters: Information for Parents or Guardians (Simplified Chinese translation)

This Brief, translated into Simplified Chinese, answers questions about working with a language interpreter that parents or guardians of students who are English learners might have. Clear, …

Published: June 2020

NCEO Reports: Text-to-Speech Accommodation Policies in 2018-19 (#417)

The purpose of this report is to provide an updated review of state text-to-speech (TTS) policies across general assessments of reading, writing, mathematics, and science. TTS refers to technology …

Published: August 2020

NCEO APR Snapshot Briefs: 2018-2019 APR Snapshot #26: Students in Special Education Assigned Assessment Accommodations

This brief provides information on the number of students with disabilities assigned accommodations and the performance of these students on the general statewide assessment used for Elementary …

Published: October 2022

Improving Instruction Briefs: Working with Language Interpreters: Information for Principals

This Brief for principals answers questions about working with a language interpreter for families whose children are English learners. Clear, comprehensible communication between parents and …

Published: December 2019

Improving Instruction Briefs: Accessibility Features and Accommodations: Information for Parents or Guardians (Simplified Chinese translation)

This Brief, translated into Simplified Chinese, explains accessibility features and accommodations for parents or guardians of students who are English learners, and also provides guidance on how …

Published: June 2020

TIES Center Reports: Communication Competence in the Inclusive Setting: A Review of the Literature (#103)

This report presents findings from a literature review that was conducted to identify evidenced-based approaches to supporting the development of communicative competence for K-8 students in …

Published: June 2019

Impact: Feature Issue on Inclusive Education for K-8 Students with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities

An issue in the Impact series that examines K-8 inclusive education. Historically, students with the most significant cognitive disabilities were often taught only functional skills in our K-12 …

Published: Winter 2018-19

NCEO APR Snapshot Briefs: State Assessment Participation and Performance of Students Receiving Special Education Services (#22)

This report provides a snapshot of the participation and performance of students receiving special education services in statewide assessments used for Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA …

Published: February 2021

NCEO APR Snapshot Briefs: 2020-2021 APR Snapshot #30: AA-AAAS Participation and Performance (#30)

This report summarizes Alternate Assessment based on Alternate Academic Achievement Standards (AA-AAAS) data used for Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) accountability. Using federally …

Published: December 2023

NCEO Reports: Revisiting the Meaning of “Reduced Depth, Breadth, and Complexity” for AA-AAAS (#441)

Alternate assessments aligned to alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS) are designed and implemented for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. Historically, these …

Published: January 2024

NCEO Reports: 2018-19 Participation Guidelines and Definitions for Alternate Assessments based on Alternate Academic Achievement Standards (#415)

The purpose of this report is to provide an update on state participation criteria and guidelines for alternate assessments based on alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS). In this …

Published: October 2019

NCEO Reports: The Role of Assessment Data in State Systemic Improvement Plans (SSIPs): An Analysis of FFY 2018 SSIPs (#425)

This report presents the findings of an analysis of states’ FFY 2018 State Systemic Improvement Plans (SSIPs), submitted to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs …

Published: February 2021

NCEO Data Analytics: State Assessment Participation and Performance of Students with IEPs, 2016-2017 (#10)

This interactive report presents data on the participation and performance of students receiving special education services in statewide assessments used for Elementary and Secondary Education Act …

Published: December 2019

Making and Implementing Accessibility and Accommodations Decisions in Assessment and Instruction for English Learners

This presentation focused on how to make and implement accessibility and accommodations decisions in assessment and instruction for English learners. It was presented at the 2019 National Conferenc…

Published: 2019-06-25

Improving Instruction Briefs: Working with Language Interpreters: Information for Parents or Guardians (Vietnamese translation)

This Brief, translated into Vietnamese, answers questions about working with a language interpreter that parents or guardians of students who are English learners might have. Clear, comprehensible …

Published: June 2020

NCEO Brief: Including Students with Disabilities in K-2 Academic Assessments (#28)

This Brief provides an overview of issues related to the inclusion of students with disabilities and English learners with disabilities in early grade (i.e., K-2) assessments. State academic …

Published: November 2022

Improving Instruction Briefs: Building Successful Communication Between Parent or Guardian and Teacher: Information for Parents or Guardians (Simplified Chinese translation)

This Brief, translated into Simplified Chinese, explains how parents or guardians of students who are English learners can develop successful communication with teachers. Good parent-educator …

Published: June 2020

NCEO Participation Communication Toolkit: Communicating about Annual State Assessment Participation for All Students: A Communication Toolkit

This communications toolkit was developed by the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) to identify and describe reasons why all students, including students with disabilities, English …

Published: 2023-03-09

NCEO APR Snapshot Briefs: 2018-2019 APR Snapshot #25: State Assessment Participation and Performance of Students Receiving Special Education Services

This report provides a snapshot of the participation and performance of students receiving special education services in statewide assessments used for Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA …

Published: October 2022

NCEO Reports: A Summary of the Research on the Effects of K–12 Test Accommodations: 2017 (#418)

The purpose of this report is to provide a synthesis of the research on K-12 testing accommodations. In this report, we summarize the research published in 2017. 

Published: August 2020

NCEO Reports: Using Interim Assessments to Appropriately Measure What Students with Disabilities Know and Can Do: Advisory Panel Takeaways and NCEO Recommendations (#427)

A report on a virtual meeting NCEO held on February 16 and 17, 2021 of an Interim Assessment Advisory Panel to tap into the panel members’ collective knowledge about using interim assessments to …

Published: May 2021

Improving Instruction Briefs: Building Successful Communication Between Parent or Guardian and Teacher: Information for Parents or Guardians

This Brief for parents or guardians of students who are English learners answers questions about communicating with teachers when English is a challenge, and the benefits of successful communicatio…

Published: December 2019

NCEO APR Snapshot Briefs: 2018-2019 APR Snapshot #27: AA-AAAS Participation and Performance

This report summarizes Alternate Assessment based on Alternate Academic Achievement Standards (AA-AAAS) data used for Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) accountability. Using federally …

Published: December 2022

TIES Inclusive Practices Series (TIPS): TIP #23: Supporting the Communication Needs of Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) Users who are also English Learners

Students with significant cognitive disabilities who are also English Learners or emergent multilingual language users present unique opportunities for inclusive education teams. This TIP provides …

Published: April 2021

NCEO Reports: A Review of the Literature on Computerized Speech-to-Text Accommodations (#414)

This literature review describes what research conducted between 2008 and 2018 tells the field about the use of computerized speech-to-text (STT) technology tools by K-12 and post-secondary …

Published: August 2019

Improving Instruction Briefs: Accessibility Features and Accommodations: Information for Parents or Guardians

This Brief explains accessibility features and accommodations for parents or guardians of students who are English learners, and also provides guidance on how to talk to teachers to help their …

Published: December 2019

NCEO Reports: The 95 Percent State Assessment Participation Requirement: Current Landscape, State Challenges, and Recommended Strategies (#429)

This report provides an overview of federal statutory language on student participation in state summative assessments used for accountability as well as the participation requirements for states …

Published: 9/30/2021

Improving Instruction Briefs: Accessibility Features and Accommodations: Information for Parents or Guardians (Spanish translation)

This Brief, translated into Spanish, explains accessibility features and accommodations for parents or guardians of students who are English learners, and also provides guidance on how to talk to …

Published: June 2020

MTSS for All: Including Students with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities

The purpose of this Brief is to provide suggestions for ways in which the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) can include students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. 

Published: 1/23/2020

NCEO Reports: A Literature Review on Evidence-Based Literacy Assessment and Instruction Practices for English Learners with Significant Cognitive Disabilities (#422)

This report summarizes a comprehensive investigation of research published between 2000–2018 on evidence-based literacy assessment and instruction practices for English learners with the most …

Published: November 2020

Improving Instruction Briefs: Building Successful Partnerships Between the School Principal, Families, and Communities: information for Principals

This Brief for principals answers questions about communicating with parents or guardians for whom communicating in English is a challenge. Good parent-educator communication is key to determining …

Published: December 2019

Improving Instruction Briefs: Working with Language Interpreters: Information for Parents or Guardians (Spanish translation)

This Brief, translated into Spanish, answers questions about working with a language interpreter that parents or guardians of students who are English learners might have. Clear, comprehensible …

Published: June 2020

Accommodations Toolkit: Tactile Graphics: Research

This fact sheet on tactile graphics is part of the  Accommodations Toolkit . It summarizes information and research findings on the use of tactile graphics as an accessibility feature or...

Published: 8/31/2021

NCEO Reports: Updated Assessment Principles and Guidelines for English Learners with Disabilities (#424)

This updated report, originally published in 2013, presents five core principles of valid assessments for English learners with disabilities, along with a brief rationale and specific guidelines...

Published: August 2020

Additional Educators’ Perspectives on Classroom Implementation of Accessibility Features and Accommodations

A second report from the DIAMOND project on phone interviews conducted with educators to highlight effective practices being used to implement accessibility features and accommodations in their …

Published: April 2019

Improving Instruction Briefs: Building Successful Communication Between Parent or Guardian and Teacher: Information for Parents or Guardians (Spanish translation)

This Brief, translated into Spanish, explains how parents or guardians of students who are English learners can develop successful communication with teachers. Good parent-educator communication …

Published: June 2020

NCEO Data Analytics: Percent of Students with Disabilities by Disability Categories for 2005-06 to 2016-17 (#8)

This interactive report presents data on the number and percent of students receiving special education services by trends over time, category, and by state. The U.S. Department of Education …

Published: February 2019

Universal Design and Assessments

This presentation shares information about an updated state guide to universally designed assessments. The purpose of the guide is to provide states with strategies for designing tests from the …

Published: 8/24/2021

NCEO Brief: Avoiding Unintended Consequences of Improved Accessibility of State Tests (#35)

There has been a paradigm shift from accommodations to the identification of levels of accessibility (e.g., universal features, designated features, and accommodations). A consequence of this …

Published: May 2024

Improving Instruction Briefs: Building Successful Communication Between Parent or Guardian and Teacher: Information for Parents or Guardians (Traditional Chinese translation)

This Brief, translated into Traditional Chinese, explains how parents or guardians of students who are English learners can develop successful communication with teachers. Good parent-educator …

Published: June 2020

Improving Instruction Briefs: Working with Language Interpreters: Information for Parents or Guardians (Traditional Chinese translation)

This Brief, translated into Traditional Chinese, answers questions about working with a language interpreter that parents or guardians of students who are English learners might have. Clear, …

Published: June 2020

A Summary of the Research on Test Accommodations for English Learners and English Learners with Disabilities: 2010-2018

The purpose of this literature review is to examine the published English learner (EL) accommodations literature between 2010 and 2018 to provide an updated overview of research trends on this …

Published: 1/8/2020

Improving Instruction Briefs: Accessibility Features and Accommodations: Information for Parents or Guardians (Arabic translation)

This Brief, translated into Arabic, explains accessibility features and accommodations for parents or guardians of students who are English learners, and also provides guidance on how to talk to …

Published: June 2020

NCEO APR Snapshot Briefs: 2017-2018 APR Snapshot #23: Students in Special Education Assigned Assessment Accommodations (#23)

This APR Snapshot Brief provides information on the number of students with disabilities assigned accommodations and the performance of these students on the general statewide assessment used for …

Published: March 2021

NCEO Data Analytics: Number and Percentage of English Learners with Disabilities by Disability Category, 2012-13 to 2020-21 (#18)

This interactive report presents information on the percentage of students with disabilities ages 6-21 who are also English learners (i.e., English learners with disabilities), and the proportion …Published: March 2023

Improving Instruction Briefs: Working with Language Interpreters: Information for Parents or Guardians

This Brief for parents or guardians of students who are English learners answers questions about working with a language interpreter. Clear, comprehensible communication between parents and …

Published: December 2019

English Learners with Disabilities Toolkit: Using Data to Understand the Characteristics of English Learners with Disabilities in Your State (Tool 1)

This tool is designed to provide state education agencies (SEAs), particularly assessment staff, with templates to use to display data on the characteristics of English learners with disabilities. …

Published: August 2024

NCEO Reports: A Summary of the Research on Effects of Test Accommodations: 2015-2016 (#412)

The purpose of this report is to present a synthesis of the research on test accommodations published in 2015 and 2016. We summarize the research to review current research trends and enhance …

Published: November 2019

Improving Instruction Briefs: Accessibility Features and Accommodations: Information for Parents or Guardians (Vietnamese translation)

This Brief, translated into Vietnamese, explains accessibility features and accommodations for parents or guardians of students who are English learners, and also provides guidance on how to talk …

Published: June 2020

NCEO Data Analytics: Percentage of Students with IEPs Who Were Assigned Accommodations from 2007-08 to 2016-17 (#13)

This interactive report presents data on the number and percentage of students receiving special education services who were assigned accommodations for the state general assessments used for …

Published: May 2020

Challenges Teachers Experience in Making Decisions about Accessibility Options in Instruction and Assessment

This presentation addressed challenges teachers experience in making decisions about accessibility options in instruction and assessment. It was presented at the 2019 American Education Research …

Published: 2019-04-07

NCEO APR Snapshot Briefs: 2017-2018 APR Snapshot #24: AA-AAAS Participation and Performance (#24)

This report summarizes AA-AAAS data used for Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) accountability.

Published: January 2021

NCEO Data Analytics: Participation Rate for 2007-08 to 2016-17 (#14)

This interactive report presents the annual performance data for students with disabilities on state assessment data for 2007-08 to 2016-17 which were analyzed to investigate trends in participatio…

Published: September 2020

NCEO Reports: Universal Design and K-12 Academic Assessments: A Scoping Review of the Literature (#442)

This report summarizes an investigation of literature published in 1985-2023 on universal design (UD) of large-scale assessments. State education agencies, K-12 assessment vendors, teacher trainers…

Published: February 2024

NCEO APR Snapshot Briefs: 2021-2022 APR Snapshot #31: Assessment Participation, Performance, and Assigned Accommodations for Students Receiving Special Education Services (#31)

This report provides a snapshot of the participation and performance of students receiving special education services on statewide reading/language arts and mathematics assessments for 2021-22. …

Published: 6/25/2024

NCEO Reports: An Updated State Guide to Universally Designed Assessments (#431)

This Guide is an update to the State Guide to Universally Designed Assessments that was originally published by NCEO in 2006. It provides a brief overview of what a universally designed assessment …

Published: February 2022

English Learners with Disabilities Toolkit: State Assessments for English Learners with Disabilities: State Data Display Templates (Tool 2)

This State Data Display Templates tool is designed to provide state education agencies with templates to use to display state assessment participation and student characteristics data for English …

Published: September 2024

Topics

  • Education practices (K12 and transition)
    • Inclusive education
    • Academic standards
    • Instructional strategies
    • Accommodations and supports
  • Specific life stage
    • Children
  • Culture and diversity
    • English language learners (ELLs)
    • Immigrants
  • Educational accountability and assessment
    • Accommodations and supports
    • Accountability
    • Assessment (large-scale, alternate)
    • Assessment of individuals
    • Public reporting

Activities

  • Research
  • Technical assistance
  • Dissemination