States Report Trouble With Special Ed. Testing

By Joetta L. Sack

Many states are still struggling to create alternative assessment systems for special education students and to figure out which students should be tested using those alternatives, according to the results of a recent state-by-state survey.

And while more students with disabilities are being included in state tests of academic achievement, only 23 states can provide data on how many are participating, according to the survey by the National Center on Educational Outcomes at the University of Minnesota. The research group has studied assessments for the disabled since 1991, and has repeatedly warned state leaders of their obligations under the 1997 amendments to the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. ( "Special Education: Examining Costs," Sept. 22, 1999.)

The survey also found that reported participation rates varied greatly among those states that could provide such data, as did the types of testing...