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NCLD Issues New Report on Assessments for Students with Learning Disabilities

Students lined up writing

The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), along with disability and civil rights partners, has released a new report, “Inclusive, Innovative Assessments for Students with Learning Disabilities.” Based on survey responses and focus groups with stakeholders, the report includes research findings, principles for innovative assessments, an overview of current proposals, and federal, state, and local policy recommendations for equitable assessment systems.

Citing lingering concerns with the current assessment systems, despite improvements over the last twenty years, the report provides a breakdown in attitudes between caregivers and educators concerning the value of statewide summative assessments. 78% of caregivers think assessments should be administered annually while only 48% of educators agree. Another stark difference concerns perception of student attitudes toward the assessments. 58% of caregivers believe that disability status impacts students’ attitudes while only 29% of educators believe so. Both groups agree that accommodations are essential for students with disabilities to show their potential. There has been a federal push and a growing momentum in the field to adapt and innovate assessments. The Innovative Assessment Demonstration Authority (IADA) allows State Education Authorities (SEAs) or consortia of SEAs to pilot different assessment designs or structures on a small scale over five years to determine the viability and the practicality of scaling up the innovations.

In its report, NCLD recommends 5 core principles for innovative assessments. They should: (1) Assess students’ proficiency to grade-level standards; (2) Facilitate the comparison of individual students to grade-level standards and to their peers; (3) Be accessible and culturally and linguistically responsive; (4) Be primarily used as one component of an accountability system and balanced assessment system that includes all students; and (5) Minimize instructional disruption among students and educators. The report also enumerates current assessment practices and identifies areas of concern for their use, including interim assessments, performance-based assessments, matrix sampling, and computer adaptive assessments.

Finally, NCLD suggests four federal policy recommendations: (1) preserve the requirement for assessments that allow families, educators, and policymakers to compare students and subgroups of students against grade-level performance targets; (2) publish guidance or technical assistance so that states and districts provide equitable access to assessments; (3) prioritize funding for models that target subgroups traditionally excluded from standardized assessment systems; and (4) incentivize cross-state and district innovations to reduce the cost of development.

Access the report here.

Posted:  17 February, 2023
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