Assessment of progress in the general curriculum for students with disabilities

Legislative initiatives and federal regulations require states to provide students with disabilities access to the general curriculum and to include all students in state assessment systems. Assessing the progress in the general curriculum for students with disabilities challenges states to determine how academic standards apply to all students and to create universally designed assessments. Decisions regarding the use of accommodations, alternate assessments, and out-of-level testing continue to be discussed and debated. Implications for research include the continued development and use of universally designed assessments and instruction, the alignment of alternate assessments to state standards, an increase in the scope, of progress monitoring to include students with significant disabilities, and the promotion of state standard attainment by students through effective teacher practices.