Education Data Seen Bypassing Disabled Youths

By Debra Viadero

WASHINGTON--Between 40 percent and 50 percent of all students with disabilities are excluded from the sampling procedures used in some of the most prominent surveys and assessments used to measure the nation's educational well-being, according to a new study.

Researchers from the National Center for Educational Outcomes at the University of Minnesota, which conducted the study, said the findings raise questions about the reliability of such well-known measures as the National Assessment of Educational Progress and the National Educational Longitudinal Study. By excluding some of the students who have the most trouble learning, the researchers said, such estimates could be painting an overly optimistic picture of educational progress.

The findings come as national efforts to improve education are focusing to a great degree on such measures. The National Educational Goals Panel, for example, has begun producing annual reports on how well the nation and individual states are doing in meeting the six national education goals. And federal lawmakers are debating whether to establish a national assessment system...