Online ISSN: 2325-7466
2006
Triannual
National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET)
United States

Articles

High Stakes Testing in the 21st Century: Implications for Students in Special Education

  • Lola Gordon, Ed.S. (Author)
    Lola Gordon, Ed.S., has been working in the field of special education for 12 years. She has taught students with various disabilities in both public school and alternative school settings, focusing mainly on students with emotional and behavioral disorders. She has also taught at the college level, instructing courses about children and adults with disabilities. Lola is currently a full-time doctoral student at the University of Connecticut, working toward her PhD in Educational Psychology with a focus on behavioral supports. She also has a strong interest in special education law, and is focusing her studies on bringing more awareness regarding the behavioral and mental health needs of students with disabilities into education policy.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.295
Abstract
High-stakes testing has been a part of American education since its inception. The laws that govern the use of high-stakes tests include language that mandates the inclusion of students in special education. These laws play an influential role in the new large-scale assessments aligned with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The assessments being implemented in the current 2014-2015 school year include embedded and locally provided accommodations for students with a documented need. For students with the most severe cognitive disabilities alternate assessments are available aligned with the CCSS. The implications of these assessments and the role they play in crucial factors pertaining to students in special education requires additional research. Specific areas for research should include how high-stakes tests can be useful in identifying specific needs, accommodations, and strategies for learning for students in special education, and the role test scores play in retention and dropout rates for this population.
Keywords
Accountability, Alternative Assessment, Common Core State Standards, Disabilities, Dropouts, Educational Legislation
References

Allensworth, E. (2005). Dropout rates after high-stakes testing in elementary school: A study of the contradictory efforts of Chicago’s efforts to end social promotion. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 27(4), 341-364. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3102/01623737027004341

Common Core State Standards Initiative. Retrieved from http://corestandards.org.

Fuchs, L., Fuchs, D., & Cappizzi, A. (2005). Identifying appropriate test accommodations for students with learning disabilities. Focus on Exceptional Children, 37(6). DOI: https://doi.org/10.17161/fec.v37i6.6812

Geller, L. Alonzo, J., Monegan, J., & Tindal, G. (2007). Recommendations for accommodations: Implications of (in)consistency. Remedial and Special Education, 28(4), 194-206. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/07419325070280040101

Hager, K. & Slocum, T. (2005). Using alternate assessment to improve educational outcomes. Rural Special Education Quarterly, 24(1), 24-29. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/875687050502400110

Jones, A. & King, J. (2012). The common core state standards: A vital tool for higher education. Change. Retrieved from http://www.changemag.org. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00091383.2012.706529

Kaestle, C. (2013). Testing policy in the United States: A historical perspective (The Gordon Commission on the Future of Assessment in Education). Retrieved from http://www.gordoncommission.org.

Katsyiannis, A., Zhang, D., Joseph, R., & Jones, J. (2007). High-stakes testing and students with disabilities. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 18(3), 160-167. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/10442073070180030401

Lane, S. (2013). The need for a principled approach for examining indirect effects of test use. Measurement, 11, 44-46. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15366367.2013.784162

Linn, R. (2013). Test-based accountability (The Gordon Commission on the Future of Assessment in Education). Retrieved from http://www.gordoncommission.org.

McLaughlin, M., & Thurlow, M. (2010). Educational accountability and students with disabilities: Issues and challenges. Educational Policy, 17(4), 431-451. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904803254962

McNeil, L., Coppola, E., Radigan, J., & Helig, J. (2008). Avoidable losses: High-stakes accountability and the dropout crisis. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 16(3). DOI: https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.v16n3.2008

National Academy of Education (2009). Standards, assessment, and accountability (Education Policy White Paper). Washington, DC: Author.

National Center on Universal Design (2014). Retrieved from http://www.udlcenter.org.

Nirvi, S. (2012). Challenges seen in testing special ed. Pupils on common core. Education Week, 31(33).

Salend, S. (2008). Determining appropriate testing accommodations: Complying with NCLB and IDEA. Teaching Exceptional Children, 40(4), 14-22. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/004005990804000402

Salvia, J., Ysseldyke, J., & Bolt, S. (2010). Assessment: In special and inclusive education.

Wadsworth: California Samuels, C. (2014). Graduation disparities loom large for students with special needs. Education Week, 33(19).

Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (2014). Retrieved from http://smarterbalanced.org.

Stephens, W. (2014). Testing under the microscope: How aligned assessments place demands on time, technology & connectivity. Knowledge Quest, 43(1), 31-35.

Thurlow, M., Sinclair, M., & Johnson, D. (2002). Students with disabilities who drop out of school: Current challenges in secondary education and transition. National Center on Secondary Education and Transition Issue Brief, 1(2). U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (2012). Inclusion of students with disabilities in school accountability systems (NCEE Publication No. 2012-4056). Retrieved from http://www.ed.gov/ies.ed.gov.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services, Office of Special Education Programs (2006, April). 26th Annual (2004) Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Vol. 1. Washington, DC: Author.

U.S. Department of Education (2012). Race to the Top Initiative. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/racetothetop.

Yell, M., Katsiyannis, A., Collins, J., & Losinski, M. (2012). Exit exams, high-stakes testing, and students with disabilities: A persistent challenge. Intervention in School and Clinic, 48(1), 60-64. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1053451212449740

There are 24 references in total.
How to Cite
Gordon, L. (2016). High Stakes Testing in the 21st Century: Implications for Students in Special Education. Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, 11(1), 54-63. https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.295

Winter 2016

Article Information

  • Article Type Articles
  • Submitted January 19, 2016
  • Published February 15, 2016
  • Issue Winter 2016
  • Section Articles
  • File Downloads 0
  • Abstract Views 0
  • Altmetrics
  • Share
Download data is not yet available.