The NAEP can be used to track trends in student  achievement over time or to compare student performance in a particular  state with the national average. Most Students with Disabilities Were Included in Regular Reading Assessments, and Relatively Few Were Included through Alternate Assessments

In 49 states and the District of Columbia, most students with disabilities  who were tested in the 2003-04 school year were included through regular  reading assessments. For information about the percentage of students  included in this type of assessment, see figure 2. Education officials discussed several reasons students with  disabilities were excluded from the assessment including: (1) the student  had such a severe disability that the student could not meaningfully  participate; (2) the principal and the IEP team decided that the student  should not participate; and (3) the student’s IEP required that the student  be tested with accommodations that NAEP does not allow. Team decision criteria could vary across  states, leading to differences in exclusion rates. Officials from  the four states we studied in depth, assessment companies, and national  education organizations told us that designing and implementing alternate  assessments that measured student achievement on state standards was  difficult. Consequently,  designing alternate assessments that measured academic achievement was  relatively new for many states. National assessment and education experts  told us that measuring these students’ achievement often required an  individualized approach. Officials in two of the four states also reported that they were not using  alternate assessments based on grade-level standards because they were  unaware of models that appropriately measured achievement. Education Provided Many Types of Assistance, but Officials Said Examples of Alternate Assessment Approaches Would Be Helpful

Education provided a broad range of assistance to help states implement  assessment requirements for students with disabilities, such as  disseminating guidance that included technical information on alternate  assessments, reviewing state assessment plans, awarding grants to help  states improve their assessment systems, and conducting on-site visits. Our review of  Education’s Web site, however, disclosed that certain information on the  development and use of alternate assessment for students with disabilities  was difficult to locate. Education has provided much guidance to states on how to include  students with disabilities in statewide assessment systems. We have also included some additional information the department  provided to us on outreach and technical assistance efforts on the  assessment of students with disabilities and how students with disabilities  participated in the NAEP. Appendix I: Percent of Students with Disabilities Participating in State Reading/Language Arts Assessments in the 2003-04 School Year, by State

Did not provide usable data  Sum of the number of students with disabilities participating in the three different types of reading  assessments was greater than figure the state provided for the total number of students participating  in reading assessments. GAO-05-5. No Child Left Behind Act: More Information Would Help States  Determine Which Teachers Are Highly Qualified.
Why GAO Did This Study

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 has focused attention on improving the academic achievement of all students, including more than 6 million students with disabilities and requires that all students be assessed. Students with disabilities may be included through accommodations, such as extended time, or alternate assessments, such as teacher observation of student performance. To provide information about the participation of students with disabilities in statewide assessments, GAO determined (1) the extent to which students with disabilities were included in statewide assessments; (2) what issues selected states faced in implementing alternate assessments; and (3) how the U.S. Department of Education (Education) supported states in their efforts to assess students with disabilities.

What GAO Found

In the 2003-04 school year, at least 95 percent of students with disabilities participated in statewide reading assessments in 41 of the 49 states that provided data. Students with disabilities were most often included in the regular reading assessment, and relatively few took alternate assessments. Nationwide, the percentage of students with disabilities who were excluded from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) was 5 percent, but varied across states, ranging from about 2 percent to 10 percent in 2002. Among the reasons for exclusion were differences in accommodations between states and the NAEP and variation in decisions among states about who should take the NAEP. National experts and officials in the four states we studied told us that designing and implementing alternate assessments was difficult because these assessments were relatively new and the abilities of students assessed varied widely. Officials in two states said they were not using an alternate assessment measured on grade-level standards because they were unfamiliar with such assessment models or because of concerns that the assessment would not appropriately measure achievement. In addition, learning the skills to administer alternate assessments was time-consuming for teachers, as was administering the assessment. Education provided support to states on including students with disabilities in statewide assessments in a number of ways, including disseminating guidance through its Web site. However, a number of state officials told us that the regulations and guidance did not provide illustrative examples of alternate assessments and how they could be used to appropriately assess students with disabilities. In addition, our review of Education's Web site revealed that information on certain topics was difficult to locate.