As the culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) student enrollment continues to grow exponentially in New York, the number of CLD students being inappropriately identified with disabilities also continues to grow at an alarming rate. This situation, labeled as disproportionality, is due to a variety of factors. One of the main factors is the…

Disability-as-diagnosis, disability-as-identity, and disability-as-experience as pressing measurement issues in learning outcomes assessment are described in this paper. Disability represents a critically important latent variable in many learning outcomes assessment plans unless it is a formalized part of analytic plans. Noting the potential for…

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (Smarter Balanced) strives to provide every student with a positive and productive assessment experience, generating results that are a fair and accurate estimate of each student's achievement. Further, Smarter Balanced is building on a framework of accessibility for all students, including English…

Research Findings: This study examined the measurement equivalence of the "Teaching Strategies GOLD[R]" assessment system across subgroups of children based on their primary language and disability status. This study is based on teacher-collected assessment data for 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children for the fall of 2010, winter of 2010, and spring…

English language learners (ELLs) with disabilities are an increasing presence in schools in the United States. Title I and Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act require that these students meet the same academic grade-level standards and participate in content assessments as their fluent-English speaking peers without…

Assessment of learning plays a dominant role in formal education in the forms of determining features of curriculum that are emphasized, pedagogic methods that teachers use with their students, and parents' and employers' understanding of how well students have performed. A common perception is that fair assessment applies the same mode of…

There has been an increased interest in developing computer-adaptive testing (CAT) and multistage assessments for K-12 accountability assessments. The move to adaptive testing has been met with some resistance by those in the field of special education who express concern about routing of students with divergent profiles (e.g., some students with…

At present, although the percentages of students with disabilities (SDs) and/or students who are English language learners (ELL) excluded from a NAEP administration are reported, no statistical adjustment is made for these excluded students in the calculation of NAEP results. However, the exclusion rates for both SD and ELL students vary…

The five papers in this special issue of the "Journal of Applied Testing Technology" address fundamental issues of validity when tests are modified or accommodations are provided to English Language Learners (ELL) or students with disabilities. Three papers employed differential item functioning (DIF) and factor analysis and found the…

Some students are less accurately measured by typical reading tests than other students. By asking teachers to identify students whose performance on state reading tests would likely underestimate their reading skills, this study sought to learn about characteristics of less accurately measured students while also evaluating how well teachers can…

Intended for personnel in State Educational Agencies, the document provides guidelines, procedures, and forms for implementation of nondiscriminatory assessment practices with handicapped children and adults. In an introductory section, a model is presented for establishing the relationships between various components of an unbiased assessment…

The current technical history of nonbiased assessment for children with suspected handicapping conditions is highlighted. Definitions of fairness and experts' attempts to alleviate problems associated with bias in assessment are reviewed. Factors relating to nonbiased assessment are emphasized that normally do not receive sufficient attention.…

English language learners with disabilities (ELLWD) face many challenges in their academic career. Learning a new language and coping with their disabilities create obstacles in their academic progress. Variables relegating accessibility of assessments for students with disabilities and ELL students may seriously hinder the academic performance of…

This report examines the state of the art in assessing bilingual and/or multicultural students and asserts that dramatic improvements in assessment practices cannot be made within the context of the existing medical model. It is noted that existing assessment processes rely upon administration of technically-suspect norm-referenced measures to…

The article summarizes current knowledge as it relates to three basic requirements for assessment (qualified personnel, adequate tools, and fair implementation) and identifies research and evaluation priorities for special education and school psychology. Priorities include defining minimum competency for assessment personnel and identifying…