In 2015, the United States Department of Education awarded an Enhanced Assessment Initiative grant to the Data Informed Accessibility--Making Optimal Needs-based Decisions (DIAMOND) project to create professional development resources for educators who have to make decisions about accessibility features and accommodations. This study presents…

Every child is unique and learns in different ways. Some children are identified as needing special education services to support his or her learning at school. Parents can play a major role in shaping the services a child receives. This guidebook has been written for parents, guardians, and surrogate parents of a child (ages 3 to 21 or…

The purpose of this study was to gather in-depth information about teachers' experiences with accessibility features and accommodations in the classroom and on assessments. Expanded options for accessibility, beyond accommodations, has accompanied the increased implementation of technology-based assessments. Asynchronous online focus groups were…

Some students with disabilities who receive special education services need accommodations or modifications to their educational program in order to participate in the general curriculum and to be successful in school. While the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and its regulations do not define accommodations or modifications,…

The Council of Chief State School Officers' "Accommodations Manual: How to Select, Administer, and Evaluate the Use of Accommodations for Instruction and Assessment of Students with Disabilities" was first developed to establish guidelines for states to use for the selection, administration, and evaluation of accommodations for…

This article advocates the use of a decision-making flowchart to help understand whether the proposed test alteration(s) is an accommodation or a modification. If the proposed alteration is not listed in state guidelines, the flowchart directs the IEP team to identify (a) the purpose of the test and (b) the consequences of the scores so that the…

This article provides an overview of identification of appropriate testing accommodations for students with learning disabilities (LD). First it defines the concept of testing accommodations and review research on test accommodations commonly used with students with LD. Next it examines the validity and fairness in accommodations, as well as the…

This bulletin provides guidance and direction to Missouri local education agencies (LEAs) on the role of general educators in educating students with disabilities and in linking the general education curriculum to participation in state- and district-wide assessment. It reviews the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requirements…