This brief emphasizes the importance of English learner reclassification in California, where over 19 percent of students are classified as English learners. It outlines the high-stakes nature of this process, particularly under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which mandates uniform criteria for exiting English learner programs. The four…

Though "assessment is an integral part of the learning process," unfortunately, struggles are not uncommon, and for various reasons, some students struggle with specific assessments. So, the question becomes, what should be done about it? Discussions on inclusive educational practices have exploded as a part of a renewed push for greater…

Despite decades of tenacious advocacy and improvement efforts to expand and enshrine rights for students with disabilities, many students with individualized education programs (IEPs) still lack access to high-quality, effective learning opportunities. This can be due to a range of factors, including low expectations, exclusion from general…

In a rapidly changing world, education must evolve to prepare students not just for existing careers but also for those yet to be imagined. Daydream Believers, an innovative education organization, is embracing this challenge head-on by harnessing the power of technology to assess and enhance creative thinking among students. Daydream Believers, a…

Assessment techniques for students with visual impairments (that is, those who are blind or have low vision) are designed to meet their unique learning needs. Considerations for assessment both within the general curriculum and expanded core curriculum (ECC) for students with visual impairments are presented. The roles of educational team members…

This report outlines the approaches that state education agencies (SEAs) have taken in defining and using formative assessment practices, including practices to explicitly support students with disabilities. At the state level, there have been efforts to develop or adopt formal definitions of formative assessment practices that guide how these…

Scholarship on the science of reading (SoR) has, in some instances, taken up more narrow views of reading in discussions and instantiations of reading assessment that do not center equity and justice, especially in schools. This can lead to less valid and even harmful reading assessment, especially for students from historically marginalized…

Through-year assessment is enjoying a surge of attention. A through-year assessment program is: (1) Administered in multiple distinct sessions during a school year; and (2) Intended to support (a) the production and use of a summative determination, and (b) one additional aim. More than a dozen states are designing, piloting, or implementing…

This article demonstrates the importance of school psychologists' understanding of which type of cognitive or developmental measure is most appropriate when working with young children with cerebral palsy (CP). Cognitive profiles vary greatly within this population and motor impairments also need to be taken into consideration. School…

This chapter summarizes issues related to the accurate and timely identification of students with emotional and/or behavioral disorders (EBDs) as well as identifying need, planning interventions, and monitoring outcomes. First, we describe ongoing issues and concerns with accurate (e.g., minimization of false positives and false negatives) and…

While adolescent foundational skills interventions can be critical levers for reading improvement, district leaders, teachers, and researchers must make complex decisions about how to evaluate their effectiveness in context. In this discussion article, we explore three issues and tensions we experienced during a 2-year research-practice…

The goal in personalized assessment is to best fit the needs of each individual test taker, given the assessment purposes. Design-in-Real-Time (DIRTy) assessment reflects the progressive evolution in testing from a single test, to an adaptive test, to an adaptive assessment "system." In this article, we lay the foundation for DIRTy…

After the pandemic, many students returned to the classroom behind on reading, as shown by data in the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP). Those students are now adolescents and approaching a critical turning point in their education: They are expected to read with greater independence. For students who are still struggling to…

Assessments are generally categorized as being either formative or summative. Summative assessment takes place periodically through the school term as well as at the end and typically takes the form of formal tests and high-stakes quizzes. Summative assessment tends to be used for purposes of assigning grades and for evaluating the effectiveness…

Purpose: Reading and writing are foundational skills that provide access to educational, vocational, and social experiences. However, while the gap widens between the literacy skills of individuals with intellectual disability (ID) and those with typical development as they grow into adolescence, little is known about meeting the comprehensive…