Students with disabilities in large-scale assessments: State participation and accommodation policies

State policies on the participation of students with disabilities in district or state assessments, and the accommodations available in those assessments, continue to change rapidly. Examination of participation and accommodation policies of all states revealed that in most states the Individualized Education Program team is central in decision making. Testing accommodations are commonly allowed, though some are allowed only under certain conditions, and there is considerable variability from one state to the next. States generally offer more accommodations on criterion-referenced tests than norm-referenced tests. Issues raised by state policies and how the policies are translated into practice are discussed.