No Educator Left Behind is a series providing answers from the U.S. Department of Education to questions about the federal No Child Left Behind Act and how it will affect educators. If you have a question about No Child Left Behind, send an e-mail to Ellen Delisio, and we will submit your question to the Department of Education.

Question:

How is the Department of Education ensuring that under the No Child Left Behind Act, special education students will not be forced to take standardized tests that are beyond their ability level?

U.S. Department of Education:

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act is specifically designed to include all students in the state's accountability system, and thus, to leave no child behind. NCLB requires each state to develop and implement a single, statewide accountability system to ensure that all school districts and public schools show adequate yearly progress.

To that end, state assessments must provide for the participation of all students, including students with disabilities or limited English proficiency. State assessments must, therefore, provide reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities, such as extra time to take the test, large print or Braille versions of tests, testing in an isolated room, or the option of providing oral responses. For those students who cannot take the state assessment even with accommodations, alternate assessments may be appropriate. In this way, states, schools, and parents will get a true picture of the educational achievement and needs of every child.

Because it is critical to ensure that students with disabilities are not excluded from state accountability systems, the final regulations provide that the same grade-level academic content and achievement standards that apply to all public schools and public school students in the state will be applied to alternate assessments.

U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige believes that the policy may need further clarification, and he soon will seek public comment in a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM). The NPRM will propose policy regarding the appropriate use of alternate achievement standards in determining adequate yearly progress for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. The secretary anticipates that the separate NPRM will propose an exception to the policy for the small group of students with significant cognitive disabilities.

For more information about assessments and NCLB, see the final regulations at: Title I Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged; Final Rule

Read previous questions and answers in our No Educator Left Behind archive.