Date of Award/Publication

4-2010

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MS in Special Education

Department

Education

First Supervisor

Susan M. Schultz

Comments

The original intent of testing was to determine how well a student could recall information read in text, or disseminated by the instructor regardless of the learners' disposition, Today, tests are being designed to assess student's abilities through the use of alternate assessments developed in response to federal legation to determine educational standards for all students, The wrinkle however is how best to provide an appropriate method of measuring progress towards standards for students who are not able to participate in general performance assessments, In 2002, President George W, Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) that requires annual testing of public school children in third through eighth grades, The aim was to use the results to help children, parents, and teachers know the depth of learning that is taking place and administer extra help if needed, School districts across the nation use the results of standardized tests to determine how successful current curriculum teaches different skills creating a standard measure, The standard measure was put into place to allow schools to determine a student's ability and knowledge, and to determine relative success of the districts' plan of implementation, While the intent is well placed, the results do not always complete the task because standardized test results are disproportionately higher in more affluent communities because of their socioeconomic circumstances, The tests also fail to make allowances for the accommodations required by students with learning disabilities to a degree that would allow for the data to be considered in the states' assessment.

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