The performance of special education students on state assessments has been the subject of much discussion and concern. A common belief is that all special education students perform poorly on state assessments. There are many misperceptions about the performance of students with disabilities. It is important for the Race-to-the-Top Assessment Consortia to recognize these misperceptions and their implications for common assessments. This Brief presents information on the range in performance of special education students. It also highlights the changes in the performance of this subgroup over time. [Contributors to the writing of this Brief were Kamarrie Davis, Sheryl Lazarus, and Martha Thurlow.]