Sheryl Lazarus

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...

This Brief describes the criteria that must be met for a State-defined alternate diploma to meet federal requirements for inclusion in the Title I Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR).

The purpose of this literature review is to: (a) summarize the shift that has occurred in approaches to accessibility in testing (including the paradigm shift of what accessibility for all students...

A report providing a rationale, procedures, and tools to develop and continuously improve alternate assessments based on modified achievement standards (AA-MAS) achievement level descriptors...

A report from the DIAMOND project that explores the results of an online survey about educators' familiarity with and attitudes toward 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.

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...

A report on a forum held on June 20, 2016 in Philadelphia that brought together states, assessment vendors, and other educational stakeholders to address the need for developing a common language...

A report summarizing the discussion at the Forum on Evaluating Educator Effectiveness held in June 2012 in Minneapolis. Thirty-six individuals representing a dozen states, four testing companies,...

A report on a forum held on June 26, 2018 in San Diego, California that brought together staff from state departments of education, school districts, testing and testing-related companies, and...

A report on a forum held on June 26, 2019 in Orlando, Florida to discuss how states and districts can work together to meet the 1.0% threshold on participation in the alternate assessment aligned...

A report on a forum held on June 27, 2017 in Austin, TX that brought together staff representing state departments of education, school districts, testing and testing-related companies, and other...

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...

Spanish translation of the report, "White Paper on Common Accessibility Language for States and Assessment Vendors."

The new large-scale assessments rolled out by consortia and states are designed to measure student achievement of rigorous college- and career-ready (CCR) standards. Recent surveys of teachers in...

This Brief provides information and suggestions for SEAs and other technical assistance providers with challenges identified by the teachers related to college- and career-ready (CCR) standards.

A report detailing the work of researchers from projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education in 2006-2007 under three funding sources (General Supervision Enhancement Grants, Enhanced...

A report identifying several actions for the Race to the Top assessment consortia to take to meet the needs of special education students. The actions are consistent with standards and principles...

A tool that can be used to help groups prioritize strategies, decisions, recommendations, or policies. It has been used by NCEO for over a decade and the use of the Multi-Attribute Consensus...

A brief addressing the need for consortia to assist their member states in moving away from the alternate assessment based on modified achievement standards (AA-MAS). It focuses on key...

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...

A brief -- the first in a series for the Race to the Top Assessment Consortia -- addressing the need to think carefully about accommodations when moving from paper-based assessments to...

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...

A brief -- the sixth in a series for the Race to the Top Assessment Consortia -- addressing the Consortia's need to develop an inclusive approach to their non-summative assessments, including their...

A Brief presenting information on steps to take in the transition from a focus on making decisions about accommodations for students with disabilities and English language learners (ELLs), to a...

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...

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...

A brief -- the fifth in a series for the Race to the Top Assessment Consortia -- presenting information on the performance of special education students, highlighting the range in performance of...

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...

The purpose of this Brief is to assist states in identifying strategies to use to meet the state 1% cap on participation in the alternate assessment.

This Brief provides information on alternate achievement standards and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014, and makes several suggestions about ways to show that a student...

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...

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.

An interactive, online brief analyzing public reporting practices for assessment data for students with disabilities in K-12 schools in the United States. This interactive brief is based on NCEO...

A report presenting the results of a study looking at coursework and exit exam requirements for students with IEPs compared to students without IEPs. This relates to the larger issues of graduation...

An online, interactive brief presenting the results of NCEO's analysis of states' graduation policies for their students with significant cognitive disabilities who participate in the alternate...

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...

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

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...

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...

A report concluding that assessments better measure what students know and can do when states and consortia thoughtfully consider how to balance test security and accessibility. Many states are...

A report exploring how federal policy initiatives such as the flexibility waivers for accountability are requiring that states transition away from the use of an alternate assessment based on...

A report providing considerations and recommendations on growth models for students with disabilities. The academic progress of students is an important indicator of educational success. For school...

This is the seventeenth report NCEO that describes how states publicly report online assessment data for students with disabilities in K-12 schools in the United States.

This is the eighteenth 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...

This report provides a snapshot of how accommodations were included in policies across ACT, SAT, PARCC, and Smarter Balanced during the 2015-16 school year.

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...

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...

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...

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...

This report provides an update on the state of the research on testing accommodations as well as to identify promising future areas of research. Previous reports by NCEO have covered research...

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...

This document is the fourth in a series of Principles documents produced by the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO). NCEO revisited and revised its 2008 Principles for inclusive...

This document is the fourth in a series of Principles documents produced by the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO). NCEO revisited and revised its 2008 Principles for inclusive...

The purpose of this report is to provide a baseline report, prior to the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act, on factors that affect decisions to exit English learners (ELs) with disabilities...

The purpose of this report is to summarize the status of state-defined alternate diplomas in the 50 U.S. states three years after the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESSA) indicated that...

This year 2007 report summarizes a survey to states addressing accommodations, participation rates and performance of students with disabilities in statewide assessments.

A 2009 report providing a snapshot of the new initiatives, trends, accomplishments, and emerging issues during this important period of standards-based education reform ...

A report providing a snapshot of new initiatives, trends, accomplishments, and emerging issues during this important period of education reform as states document the academic achievement of...

A report providing a snapshot of the new initiatives, trends, accomplishments, and emerging issues during this important period of education reform as states documented the academic achievement of...

A report providing a snapshot of the new initiatives, trends, accomplishments, and emerging issues during a period of new education laws and initiatives. This is the fifteenth such survey of states...

This year 2001 report analyzes state participation and accommodation policies nationwide and presents major findings.

This year 2005 report analyzes states' 2003 participation and accommodation policies, but does not determine whether policies complied with federal requirements.

This year 2006 report analyzes states' participation and accommodation policies for students with disabilities for school year 2005, but does not determine federal compliance.

A 2008 report updating the National Center on Educational Outcomes' (NCEO) report from 2006 that tracked and analyzed state policies on assessment participation and accommodations since 1992. The...

A report examining the wide variation across states in their accommodations policies for Human Reader, Text to Speech, and Pre-recorded Audio. The results of the analyses in the report can inform...

A report providing information on selected response accommodations (i.e., Human Scribe, Speech to Text, Audio Transcription, Grammar Checker, Spell Checker, Calculator) that were included in state...

A 2008 report updating the National Center on Educational Outcomes' (NCEO) report from 2001 that identified principles and characteristics underlying inclusive assessment and accountability...

A report providing an update on the state of the research on testing accommodations as well as to identify promising future areas of research. Previous reports by NCEO have covered research...

A report containing the findings from a survey of 2,336 special education teachers in the state of Alabama on making and implementing decisions about accommodations. A number of areas of strength...

A report describing an assessment option permitted by federal regulations that give states the flexibility to offer an alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards...

A report tracking the characteristics of states' alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards (AA-MAS) that the National Center on Educational Outcomes has been following since...

A report tracking test design changes between the alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards (AA-MAS) and regular assessment, whether states' AA-MAS were computer-based,...

A report exploring the context of computer-based testing (CBT), current state computer-based tests, and considerations for students with disabilities, in part as follow-up to a similar exploration...

A report detailing the results of states' 2014-15 requirements for students with disabilities who participate in the general assessment to earn a regular diploma, and comparing the requirements...

A report analyzing the graduation requirements and diploma options for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who participate in states' alternate assessments based on alternate...

A report summarizing the research literature for both professional development on accommodations decision making, and traditional and high-quality online teacher professional development. NCEO...

A report that analyzes the characteristics of states' science alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS)in 2014-2015.

A report presenting the results of an analysis of states' accommodations policies for the Alternate Assessment based on Modified Achievement Standards (AA-MAS), and compares these policies with the...

This year 2007 report summarizes publicly available information about alternates based on modified achievement standards with regard to eligibility and assessment characteristics.

A report compiling, analyzing, and summarizing states' plans for phasing out the alternate assessment based on modified achievement standards (AA-MAS) in their approved waiver applications. The...

A report compiling, analyzing, and summarizing what states said about the Alternate Assessments Based on Alternate Achievement Standards (AA-AAS) in their waiver applications. The U.S. Department...

A report describing an assessment option permitted by federal regulations that give states the flexibility to offer an alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards...

A report updating the information gathered by the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) in previous reports. Since 2007, NCEO has annually compiled, analyzed, and summarized states'...

A report analyzing how accommodated tests, and students with disabilities and the assessments they take, are addressed in state test security policies -- a subject about which little is known. This...

A report analyzing public reporting practices for assessment data for students with disabilities in K-12 schools in the United States -- the 15th NCEO report to do so. The publication presents...

A report analyzing public reporting practices for assessment data for students with disabilities in K-12 schools in the United States. This report -- the 16th of its kind by the National Center on...

A report discussing the use of the "IEP Quality Tutorial-South Dakota (IEPQ-SD)." During the 2010-2011 school year, the state of South Dakota piloted an online program called the "IEP Quality...

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...

A report examining publicly-reported participation and performance data for the alternate assessment based on modified achievement standards (AA-MAS). Analysis included all states publicly...

A report explaining how Tennessee developed an Alternate Assessment based on Modified Academic Achievement Standards called the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program-Modified Academic...

A report describing a study conducted by NCEO, in collaboration with the South Dakota Department of Education, that used focus group methodology to look closer at what happens in the room on test...

A report describing a study of the read-aloud accommodation, which is frequently used on mathematics assessments. However, Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams often find it difficult to...

A report presenting the results of an analysis of the accommodations that are included in state accommodations policies and guidelines. The purpose of the analysis was to learn more about 10...

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...

A Webinar for states that are transitioning away from the 2% assessment - the alternate assessment based on modified achievement standards (AA-MAS) that is being discontinued. The materials from...

A brief reporting the findings of a longitudinal analysis of three years of student-level demographic and performance data for four states: the 2004-05, 2005-06, and 2006-07 school years. Data sets...

Educators, students, and families have found many compelling reasons to support inclusive education for students with and without disabilities. This Brief delineates ten reasons that supporting...

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...

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...

This year 2005 topical review addresses the use of accommodations for students with disabilities on state-wide tests and their implications for educational accountability systems.

This year 2003 topical review addresses the knowledge and skills needed by teachers to effectively promote the achievement of students with disabilities within the current era of standards-based...

The purpose of this year 2001 topical review is to provide a comprehensive account of reporting the performance of students with disabilities on state assessments.

The National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) and a consortium of five states joined together to form the Multi-state GSEG Toward a Defensible Alternate Assessment Based on Modified...

This White Paper by DIAMOND project staff addresses the issue that different test platforms use different terminology for the accessibility features and accommodations that they offer to students,...