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

State policies on the participation of students with disabilities in distri ct or state assessments, and the accommodations available in those assessme nts, continue to change rapidly. Examination of participation and accommoda tion policies of all states revealed that in mast states the individualized Education Program team is central in decision making. Testing accommodatio ns are commonly allowed, though some are allowed only under certain conditi ons, and there is considerable variability from one state to the next. Stat es generally offer more accommodations on criterion-referenced tests than n orm-referenced tests. Issues raised by state policies and how the policies are translated into practice are discussed.