Principles and Characteristics of Inclusive Assessment ...

Principles and Characteristics of Inclusive Assessment Systems in a Changing Assessment Landscape

In collaboration with: Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE)

Supported by: U.S. Office of Special Education Programs

NCEO Report 400

NCEO Report 400

Principles and Characteristics of Inclusive Assessment Systems in a Changing Assessment Landscape

Martha L. Thurlow, Sheryl S. Lazarus, Laurene L. Christensen, and Vitaliy Shyyan

January 2016 All rights reserved. Any or all portions of this document may be reproduced and distributed without prior permission, provided the source is cited as: Thurlow, M. L., Lazarus, S. S., Christensen, L. L., & Shyyan, V. (2016). Principles and characteristics of inclusive assessment systems in a changing assessment landscape (NCEO Report 400). Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, National Center on Educational Outcomes.

The Center is supported through a Cooperative Agreement (#H326G110002) with the Research to Practice Division, Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education. The Center is affiliated with the Institute on Community Integration at the College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota. The contents of this report were developed under the Cooperative Agreement from the U.S. Department of Education, but does not necessarily represent the policy or opinions of the U.S. Department of Education or Offices within it. Readers should not assume endorsement by the federal government.

Project Officer: David Egnor

NCEO Core Staff

Martha L. Thurlow, Director Deb A. Albus Laurene L. Christensen Linda Goldstone Sheryl S. Lazarus Kristi K. Liu

Michael L. Moore Rachel F. Quenemoen Christopher Rogers Vitaliy Shyyan Yi-Chen Wu

National Center on Educational Outcomes University of Minnesota ? 207 Pattee Hall 150 Pillsbury Dr. SE ? Minneapolis, MN 55455 Phone 612/626-1530 ? Fax 612/624-0879

The University of Minnesota shall provide equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

This document is available in alternative formats upon request.

Acknowledgments

This document would not have been possible without the dedication and expertise of all NCEO staff. Their continued analyses of current assessment practices, and what could be done to improve those practices is the basis for the principles and characteristics identified here. In addition to the authors, appreciation is due to (in alphabetical order): Debra Albus, Linda Goldstone, Kristin Liu, Michael Moore, Rachel Quenemoen, Christopher Rogers, and Yi-Chen Wu.

The NCEO Principles were reviewed by multiple stakeholders who share the common goal of improving outcomes for all students. These valued stakeholders were the NCEO Advisory Committee and the NCEO Community of Practice (CoP). NCEO's Advisory Committee includes representatives of several states, researchers, and stakeholder technical assistance providers and representatives. NCEO's CoP members are representatives of national and regional technical assistance partners. They contributed through monthly discussions of inclusive assessment and accountability issues and opportunities. These individuals and groups are identified here. Each of these valued partners improved this report substantially; any errors remaining are ours.

NCEO Advisory Committee

Trinell Bowman, Maryland Department of Education Gail Fitzgerald, University of Missouri, retired Connie Hawkins, Exceptional Children Assistance Center Dirk Mattson, Educational Testing Service Margaret McLaughlin, University of Maryland Judy Park, Utah Department of Education, retired Mary Ann Snider, Rhode Island Department of Education James Wendorf, National Center on Learning Disabilities Markay Winston, formerly with the Chicago Public Schools

NCEO Community of Practice

Center on Standards and Assessment Implementation (CSAI) Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) IDEA Data Center (IDC) National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) National Center on Systemic Improvement (NCSI) National Center for Technical Assistance on Transition (NTACT) Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)

Executive Summary

The National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) revisited and revised its 2008 Principles for inclusive assessment systems to respond to the many changes in the current educational assessment context. The revised Principles reflect a broader perspective that acknowledges that the Principles should apply not only for students with disabilities but also for English learners (ELs) and ELs with disabilities, as well as to all types of assessments in assessment systems.

As before, the Principles provide a vision of an inclusive system of assessments. They address national, state, district, school, and classroom K-12 academic content assessments and assessments of English language proficiency.

This report presents six core principles, each with a brief rationale, and specific characteristics that reflect each principle. The principles are:

Principle 1: Every policy and practice reflects the belief that all students must be included in state, district, and classroom assessments.

Principle 2: Accessible assessments are used to allow all students to show their knowledge and skills on the same challenging content.

Principle 3: High-quality decision making determines how students participate in assessments.

Principle 4: Implementation fidelity ensures fair and valid assessment results.

Principle 5: Public reporting content and formats include the assessment results of all students.

Principle 6: Continuous improvement, monitoring, and training ensure the quality of the overall system.

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