NATIONAL CENTER ON EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES University of Minnesota Rachel Quenemoen Cammy Lehr Martha Thurlow

ASSESSING EDUCATIONAL RESULTS - TOUGH ISSUES FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES l Understanding standards, assessments, and accountability l Addressing issues related to assessment accommodations, what we know l Facing tougher graduation requirements, and other issues

Accountability Systems for All l Improving America’s Schools Act l Goals 2000 l Revised Individuals with Disabilities Education Act With IDEA 1997, special education is moving to a system with accountability for both services and for student learning

IDEA Accountability Requirements l Performance goals and indicators: goals and standards for students with disabilities “are consistent, to the maximum extent appropriate” to those set for all children l Students with disabilities “are included in general State and district-wide assessment programs, with appropriate accommodations, where necessary”

IDEA Accountability Requirements, cont. l Alternate assessment aligned to general curriculum standards, beginning not later than July 1, 2000 l Reporting to public for ALL students, numbers and performance levels, aggregated and disaggregated l IEP documentation of decisions

Accountability Means... l...a systematic method to assure those inside and outside the educational system that schools are moving in desired directions –Currently there is a shift from: Is the student getting services? –To also: Is the student learning?

Assessment is one Part of Accountability Assessment for instructional planning VS. Assessment for accountability

Accountability System Components l Goals (Content Standards) l Indicators of Success (Performance Standards) l Measures of Performance l Reporting l Consequences

Purposes l To make decisions about student competence l To provide data for making policy decisions l To make comparisons among local education agencies or schools; and l To provide data for criterion- referenced accountability

SYSTEM acCOUNTability l Are ALL students learning to high standards? –Need to pull apart results - are there GROUPS of students failing? What are possible reasons? No opportunity to learn? No accommodations to learn or to show what they’ve learned? No appropriate interventions to ensure learning? Low expectations?

HIGH STANDARDS ALL KIDS acCOUNTability l Everything else is negotiable... Instructional methods, place, structure, schedules, time.. l If groups of students are not achieving high standards, INTERVENE!!!!! l School improvement efforts are key - be sure ALL kids count in school improvement

STUDENT Accountability l AFTER system is held accountable, THEN we hold the student accountable l Appropriate assessment measures l Multiple measures, includes large scale test scores, but also other performance measures as appropriate l Decisions made by team, documented on IEP

Why Is Inclusion in General Accountability System Important? For accurate picture of education To make “fair” comparisons To meet legal requirements (e.g., Title I, Goals 2000) To avoid unintended effects To benefit from reforms To promote higher expectations

“We Treasure What We Measure”

“... the purpose of assessment and accountability is to improve the quality of instruction in schools and school systems, rather than simply to measure and report school effectiveness.” Committee on Title I Testing and Assessment Report, 1999

Participation Issues It is not IF all students participate, it is HOW they will participate.