Test Scores Rise for Students With Disabilities

Report's author calls for NCLB law 'strong factor' in 4th grade score gains

Test scores on state assessments for students with disabilities have increased in recent years, according to a recent study .

The Washington-based Center on Education Policy examined state mathematics and reading test results from the 2005-06 school year to the 2007-08 school year. Those state tests are used to determine whether schools and school districts are making adequate yearly progress under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

The study, released Nov. 17, found that students with disabilities showed progress at all levels of proficiency in 4th grade, where the median percentage scoring at the basic level or above was 71 percent. Most states showed more gains than declines among students with disabilities...