ERIC Number: ED415623
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1996-Aug
Pages: 19
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Input from the Field on Assessing Students with Disabilities in Minnesota's Basic Standards Exams. State Assessment Series: Minnesota Report 1.
Spicuzza, Richard; Erickson, Ronald; Thurlow, Martha; Ruhland, Aaron
The results of a survey of 14 Minnesota school districts on the participation of students with disabilities in the Basic Standards Exams are examined in this report. Findings indicate that all 14 districts had at least 50 percent of all eligible students with disabilities participate in the April 1996 testing cycle. Ten districts indicated they had written guidelines to assist them in making participation decisions and choosing accommodations, and had made potential modifications to the test to meet individual student needs. However, only 6 districts indicated that they had used the guidelines during the recent testing cycle. When districts did not have guidelines or chose not to use them, they often indicated that participating decisions were made on the basis of either disability category or severity of disability. Many districts also indicated that decisions were made on a case-by-case basis. Of those districts with written guidelines, most had guidelines that had been produced by more than one individual or by a specific group of individuals. Providing accommodations was an area of concern to districts and was often inconsistently interpreted and implemented across districts. The need for guidance from the Minnesota Department of Children, Families, and Learning is emphasized. An appendix includes a copy of the survey used. (CR)
Descriptors: Academic Standards, Accountability, Achievement Tests, Disabilities, Educational Assessment, Educational Testing, Elementary Secondary Education, Evaluation Methods, Guidelines, Minimum Competency Testing, Outcomes of Education, State Programs, State Surveys, Student Evaluation, Student Participation, Testing Accommodations
National Center on Educational Outcomes, University of Minnesota, 350 Elliott Hall, 75 East River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455; phone: 612-626-1530; fax: 612-624-0879; World Wide Web: http://www.coled.umn.edu/NCEO (document may be copied without charge, additional print copies $5).
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC.
Authoring Institution: National Center on Educational Outcomes, Minneapolis, MN.; Minnesota State Dept. of Children, Families, and Learning, St. Paul.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A