Positive educational results for all students: The promise of standards-based reform

Standards-based reform has swept the nation, carrying with it many promises, including obtaining a more accurate picture of education overall and when comparing schools and districts, providing benefits for students with disabilities who take part In state and district assessments, decreasing the number of inappropriate referrals to special education, and promoting high expectations for many students who have not before been held to high standards. These potential benefits for students with disabilities are supported by federal laws (e.g., Title I, IDEA) that require access to the general education curriculum and the participation of students with disabilities in state and district assessments. Attaining the goals of standards-based education for students with disabilities, however, remains a challenge in three ways: reaching agreement that content and performance standards should apply to all students, including students with disabilities; determining how to extend existing assessment systems to students who may need accommodations or other modifications; and translating assessment results Into instructional changes and interventions. The author proposes several ways to address each of these challenges so that students with disabilities achieve positive educational results as part of current standards-based reforms.