Stephen N. Elliott

This guide provides information about the assessment and inclusion of all students in statewide and district assessment programs. In particular, it focuses on tactics for including students with disabilities in assessment to achieve a more complete picture of student learning and educational accountability. It is designed to help Wisconsin educators become familiar with the state's academic content standards and knowledgeable of the general content of tests in the Wisconsin Student Assessment System, so that they can actualize the requirements of the recently reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the potential of standards-based education for all students. In addition, the book provides detailed information on the state's testing guidelines, the valid use of testing accommodations and alternate assessments, and how to communicate these assessment results to educational stakeholders. Specific chapters include: (1) "Educational Assessment Today"; (2) "Characteristics of Good Assessment"; (3) "Understanding and Using the Wisconsin Student Assessment System"; (4) "Facilitating the Participation of All Students in Assessments"; and (5) "Best Practices in Assessment Programs for Educational Accountability." Appendices include standards for teacher competence in educational assessment of students, guidelines for testing procedures, and a code of fair testing practices in education. (Chapters include references.) (CR)

Facilitating the Meaningful Participation of Students with Disabilities in District and Statewide Assessment Programs

Educational Assessment and Accountability for All Students

Thomas R. Kratochwill

Maribeth Gettinger

The provision of early childhood educational and psychological services has been an area of considerable growth over the past 25 years. As a result of far-reaching trends in both public policy and clinical practices, there is a growing need for professionals appropriately trained to address the assessment and intervention issues involved in early childhood programming. To take advantage of current opportunities for extending their role and to meet the challenge of early childhood service delivery, school psychologists must expand their professional skills and broaden their knowledge base. With the publication of this volume, the Advances in School Psychology Series changes to adopt a specific thematic focus and include reviews directly related to a common theme. This volume studies the subject of early childhood education and treatment directions. The chapters address a range of specific topics and research representing advances in the field of early childhood services for school psychology -- allowing school psychologists to examine and integrate current information from multiple perspectives -- educational and sociological as well as psychological. Topics that collectively represent important developments for school psychology include current early childhood education program models, preschool handicapped children, parental involvement, peers and socialization, stress and coping, and computers and young children. To date, more efforts have been directed toward devising and validating instruments that predict failure or success among preschoolers than on designing and evaluating approaches for treating them. Although assessment is critical for meeting individual needs, the primary emphasis of this volume is on fostering cognitive, academic, social, and emotional growth of young children.

Preschool and Early Childhood Treatment Directions

Peter A. Beddow

Alexander Kurz

Ryan J. Kettler

The Handbook of Accessible Achievement Tests for All Students: Bridging the Gaps Between Research, Practice, and Policy presents a wealth of evidence-based solutions designed to move the assessment field beyond “universal” standards and policies toward practices that enhance learning and testing outcomes. Drawing on an extensive research and theoretical base as well as emerging areas of interest, the volume focuses on major policy concerns, instructional considerations, and test design issues, including: The IEP team’s role in sound assessment. The relationships among opportunity to learn, assessment, and learning outcomes. Innovations in computerized testing and the “6D” framework for standard setting. Legal issues in the assessment of special populations. Guidelines for linguistically accessible assessments. Evidence-based methods for making item modifications that increase the validity of inferences from test scores. Strategies for writing clearer test items. Methods for including student input in assessment design. Suggestions for better measurement and tests that are more inclusive. This Handbook is an essential reference for researchers, practitioners, and graduate students in education and allied disciplines, including child and school psychology, social work, special education, learning and measurement, and education policy.

Stephen N. Elliott

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