Amanda Kloo - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Amanda Kloo

Research paper thumbnail of Implementing Modified Achievement Tests: Questions, Challenges, Pretending, and Potential Negative Consequences

Springer eBooks, 2011

This chapter discusses findings from the General Supervision Enhancement Grant awarded to the sta... more This chapter discusses findings from the General Supervision Enhancement Grant awarded to the state of Pennsylvania by the US Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs for which the authors provide research support and consultation. The views and commentary expressed therein are solely those of the authors. No official support or endorsement by the US Department of Education or the Pennsylvania Department of Education is intended or to be inferred. We thank the editors, Deborah Fulmer, and Jane Partanen for comments on earlier drafts.

Research paper thumbnail of Assessing Opportunity-to-Learn for Students With Disabilities in General and Special Education Classes

Assessment for Effective Intervention, Mar 4, 2014

Current legislation encourages schools to educate students with disabilities (SWDs) in general ed... more Current legislation encourages schools to educate students with disabilities (SWDs) in general education settings to the greatest extent appropriate. However, it is unclear whether inclusion in general education settings provides SWDs a sufficient opportunity to learn the academic content assessed by accountability measures. This initial study was designed to (a) describe the extent to which general and special educators provide their eighth-grade classes with an opportunity to learn the state-specific standards and to (b) examine the extent to which SWDs experience a differentiated opportunity to learn compared with their overall class. Across three states, we trained 38 general and special educators to use an online teacher log to report on various opportunity-to-learn (OTL) indices for 46 mathematics and reading classes and 89 nested SWDs. Based on an average logging period of 151 days, the results indicated that this sample’s SWDs included in general education classes experienced less time on standards, more non-instructional time, and less content coverage than their overall class. Limitations and implications for policy and future research are discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of IEP Team Decision-Making for More Inclusive Assessments: Policies, Percentages, and Personal Decisions

Springer eBooks, 2011

Since the 2001–2002 school year, the accountability provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act (N... more Since the 2001–2002 school year, the accountability provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, 2001) have shaped much of the work of public school teachers and administrators in the United States. NCLB required each state to develop content and achievement standards in several subjects, to administer tests to measure students’ attainment of those standards, to develop targets for student performance on those tests, and to impose a series of sanctions on schools and districts that did not meet the targets. Together, the standards, assessments, and consequences constitute a standards-based accountability system. State assessments are the mechanism for determining whether schools have been successful in teaching students the knowledge and skills defined by the content standards. The accountability provisions ensure that schools are held accountable for educational results. Many states had such a system in place before NCLB took effect, but since 2001–2002, every state in the United States has had to develop and implement a standards-based accountability system that meets the requirements of the law. This mandate has affected every public school student, every public school, and every district in the nation.

Research paper thumbnail of Coteaching Revisited: Redrawing the Blueprint

Preventing School Failure, 2008

Coteaching involves 2 certified teachers: 1 general educator and 1 special educator. They share r... more Coteaching involves 2 certified teachers: 1 general educator and 1 special educator. They share responsibility for planning, delivering, and evaluating instruction for a diverse group of students, some of whom are students with disabilities. In this article, the authors review models of coteaching and the research base for coteaching and describe coteaching as it is currently practiced. After arguing that educators have not yet realized the potential of coteaching, the authors propose a new framework for looking at coteaching and a blueprint to guide its implementation differently in different instructional environments.

Research paper thumbnail of The “Two Percent Students”: Considerations and Consequences of Eligibility Decisions

Peabody Journal of Education, Oct 30, 2009

and-conditions-of-access.pdf This article may be used for research, teaching and private study pu... more and-conditions-of-access.pdf This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution , reselling , loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material.

Research paper thumbnail of Performance of Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities on Early-Grade Curriculum-Based Measures of Word and Passage Reading Fluency

Exceptional Children, Jul 1, 2013

Alternate assessments have been used for the last 10 years to evaluate schools' efforts to teach ... more Alternate assessments have been used for the last 10 years to evaluate schools' efforts to teach children with significant cognitive disabilities. However, few studies have examined the reading skills of children who participate in these assessments. The purpose of this study was to extend understanding of the reading skills of this population by administering early-grade word and passage reading fluency curriculum-based measures to a sample of 7,440 students in Grades 3 through 8 and 11. Overall, the performance on curriculum-based measures and the relationship with alternate assessment performance varied based upon disability, grade, and level of alternate assessment. The authors discuss implications for test developers and teachers along with future directions for research.

Research paper thumbnail of What, Where, and How? Special Education in the Climate of Full Inclusion

Exceptionality, Oct 13, 2009

... DOI: 10.1080/09362830903231986 Naomi Zigmond a , Amanda Kloo a & Victoria Volonino a page... more ... DOI: 10.1080/09362830903231986 Naomi Zigmond a , Amanda Kloo a & Victoria Volonino a pages 189-204. Available online: 09 Oct 2009. ...

Research paper thumbnail of Assessing Opportunity-to-Learn for Students With Disabilities in General and Special Education Classes

Assessment for Effective Intervention, 2014

Current legislation encourages schools to educate students with disabilities (SWDs) in general ed... more Current legislation encourages schools to educate students with disabilities (SWDs) in general education settings to the greatest extent appropriate. However, it is unclear whether inclusion in general education settings provides SWDs a sufficient opportunity to learn the academic content assessed by accountability measures. This initial study was designed to (a) describe the extent to which general and special educators provide their eighth-grade classes with an opportunity to learn the state-specific standards and to (b) examine the extent to which SWDs experience a differentiated opportunity to learn compared with their overall class. Across three states, we trained 38 general and special educators to use an online teacher log to report on various opportunity-to-learn (OTL) indices for 46 mathematics and reading classes and 89 nested SWDs. Based on an average logging period of 151 days, the results indicated that this sample’s SWDs included in general education classes experience...

Research paper thumbnail of Implementing Modified Achievement Tests: Questions, Challenges, Pretending, and Potential Negative Consequences

Handbook of Accessible Achievement Tests for All Students, 2011

This chapter discusses findings from the General Supervision Enhancement Grant awarded to the sta... more This chapter discusses findings from the General Supervision Enhancement Grant awarded to the state of Pennsylvania by the US Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs for which the authors provide research support and consultation. The views and commentary expressed therein are solely those of the authors. No official support or endorsement by the US Department of Education or the Pennsylvania Department of Education is intended or to be inferred. We thank the editors, Deborah Fulmer, and Jane Partanen for comments on earlier drafts.

Research paper thumbnail of IEP Team Decision-Making for More Inclusive Assessments: Policies, Percentages, and Personal Decisions

Handbook of Accessible Achievement Tests for All Students, 2011

Since the 2001–2002 school year, the accountability provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act (N... more Since the 2001–2002 school year, the accountability provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, 2001) have shaped much of the work of public school teachers and administrators in the United States. NCLB required each state to develop content and achievement standards in several subjects, to administer tests to measure students’ attainment of those standards, to develop targets for student performance on those tests, and to impose a series of sanctions on schools and districts that did not meet the targets. Together, the standards, assessments, and consequences constitute a standards-based accountability system. State assessments are the mechanism for determining whether schools have been successful in teaching students the knowledge and skills defined by the content standards. The accountability provisions ensure that schools are held accountable for educational results. Many states had such a system in place before NCLB took effect, but since 2001–2002, every state in the United States has had to develop and implement a standards-based accountability system that meets the requirements of the law. This mandate has affected every public school student, every public school, and every district in the nation.

Research paper thumbnail of The “Two Percent Students”: Considerations and Consequences of Eligibility Decisions

Peabody Journal of Education, 2009

and-conditions-of-access.pdf This article may be used for research, teaching and private study pu... more and-conditions-of-access.pdf This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution , reselling , loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material.

Research paper thumbnail of Implementing an Alternate Assessment based on Modified Academic Achievement Standards: When policy meets practice

International Journal of Disability Development and Education, Mar 1, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of Response to Intervention: A reality check

Advances in Learning and Behavioral Disabilities, 2009

... If Devon were referred for special education services, should the other nine students also be... more ... If Devon were referred for special education services, should the other nine students also be referred? ... that there is a high probability (0.88) that students identified as poor readers at the end of the1st grade will also be so identified at the end of the 4th grade (Juel, 1988) and ...

Research paper thumbnail of Coteaching Revisited: Redrawing the Blueprint

Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth, 2008

... Naomi Zigmond is a professor of special edu-cation at the University of Pittsburgh. ... In D.... more ... Naomi Zigmond is a professor of special edu-cation at the University of Pittsburgh. ... In D. Speece & B. Keogh (Eds.), Research on classroom ecologies: Implications for inclusion of children with learning disabilities (pp. 163–190). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Zigmond, N. (2003). ...

Research paper thumbnail of What, Where, and How? Special Education in the Climate of Full Inclusion

Exceptionality, 2009

... DOI: 10.1080/09362830903231986 Naomi Zigmond a , Amanda Kloo a & Victoria Volonino a page... more ... DOI: 10.1080/09362830903231986 Naomi Zigmond a , Amanda Kloo a & Victoria Volonino a pages 189-204. Available online: 09 Oct 2009. ...

Research paper thumbnail of Response to Intervention: A reality check

... If Devon were referred for special education services, should the other nine students also be... more ... If Devon were referred for special education services, should the other nine students also be referred? ... that there is a high probability (0.88) that students identified as poor readers at the end of the1st grade will also be so identified at the end of the 4th grade (Juel, 1988) and ...

Research paper thumbnail of Performance of Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities on Early-Grade Curriculum-Based Measures of Word and Passage Reading Fluency

Exceptional Children, Jun 22, 2013

Research paper thumbnail of Curriculum-Based Measurement at Larue Elementary

The Influence of Curriculum-Based Measurement on Education, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of Predicting End-of-Year Achievement Test Performance: A Comparison of Assessment Methods

Assessment for Effective Intervention, 2013

ABSTRACT Motivated by the multiple-measures clause of recent federal policy regarding student eli... more ABSTRACT Motivated by the multiple-measures clause of recent federal policy regarding student eligibility for alternate assessments based on modified academic achievement standards (AA-MASs), this study examined how scores or combinations of scores from a diverse set of assessments predicted students’ end-of-year proficiency status on statewide achievement tests. Scores from 388 eighth-grade students, both with and without disabilities, from 3 states were compared for the predictive validity of test inferences from a set of brief online screening tests, teachers’ ratings of performance, and students’ previous year’s achievement tests. The research team developed screening tests in reading and mathematics that were found to be internally consistent and added predictive value to the identification of students who would perform at a level below proficient on state achievement tests of reading and mathematics. Although achievement results from the previous year were more predictive of future achievement results, scores from the online screening tests and from Performance Screening Guides could be used as supplements to typical achievement tests. Implications of these findings for educators in the 17 states currently using AA-MAS tests for students with disabilities are discussed, and needed future research is identified.

Research paper thumbnail of Assessing Opportunity-to-Learn for Students With Disabilities in General and Special Education Classes

Assessment for Effective Intervention

Current legislation encourages schools to educate students with disabilities (SWDs) in general ed... more Current legislation encourages schools to educate students with disabilities (SWDs) in general education settings to the greatest extent appropriate. However, it is unclear whether inclusion in general education settings provides SWDs a sufficient opportunity to learn the academic content assessed by accountability measures. This initial study was designed to (a) describe the extent to which general and special educators provide their eighth-grade classes with an opportunity to learn the state-specific standards and to (b) examine the extent to which SWDs experience a differentiated opportunity to learn compared with their overall class. Across three states, we trained 38 general and special educators to use an online teacher log to report on various opportunity-to-learn (OTL) indices for 46 mathematics and reading classes and 89 nested SWDs. Based on an average logging period of 151 days, the results indicated that this sample’s SWDs included in general education classes experience...

Research paper thumbnail of Implementing Modified Achievement Tests: Questions, Challenges, Pretending, and Potential Negative Consequences

Springer eBooks, 2011

This chapter discusses findings from the General Supervision Enhancement Grant awarded to the sta... more This chapter discusses findings from the General Supervision Enhancement Grant awarded to the state of Pennsylvania by the US Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs for which the authors provide research support and consultation. The views and commentary expressed therein are solely those of the authors. No official support or endorsement by the US Department of Education or the Pennsylvania Department of Education is intended or to be inferred. We thank the editors, Deborah Fulmer, and Jane Partanen for comments on earlier drafts.

Research paper thumbnail of Assessing Opportunity-to-Learn for Students With Disabilities in General and Special Education Classes

Assessment for Effective Intervention, Mar 4, 2014

Current legislation encourages schools to educate students with disabilities (SWDs) in general ed... more Current legislation encourages schools to educate students with disabilities (SWDs) in general education settings to the greatest extent appropriate. However, it is unclear whether inclusion in general education settings provides SWDs a sufficient opportunity to learn the academic content assessed by accountability measures. This initial study was designed to (a) describe the extent to which general and special educators provide their eighth-grade classes with an opportunity to learn the state-specific standards and to (b) examine the extent to which SWDs experience a differentiated opportunity to learn compared with their overall class. Across three states, we trained 38 general and special educators to use an online teacher log to report on various opportunity-to-learn (OTL) indices for 46 mathematics and reading classes and 89 nested SWDs. Based on an average logging period of 151 days, the results indicated that this sample’s SWDs included in general education classes experienced less time on standards, more non-instructional time, and less content coverage than their overall class. Limitations and implications for policy and future research are discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of IEP Team Decision-Making for More Inclusive Assessments: Policies, Percentages, and Personal Decisions

Springer eBooks, 2011

Since the 2001–2002 school year, the accountability provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act (N... more Since the 2001–2002 school year, the accountability provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, 2001) have shaped much of the work of public school teachers and administrators in the United States. NCLB required each state to develop content and achievement standards in several subjects, to administer tests to measure students’ attainment of those standards, to develop targets for student performance on those tests, and to impose a series of sanctions on schools and districts that did not meet the targets. Together, the standards, assessments, and consequences constitute a standards-based accountability system. State assessments are the mechanism for determining whether schools have been successful in teaching students the knowledge and skills defined by the content standards. The accountability provisions ensure that schools are held accountable for educational results. Many states had such a system in place before NCLB took effect, but since 2001–2002, every state in the United States has had to develop and implement a standards-based accountability system that meets the requirements of the law. This mandate has affected every public school student, every public school, and every district in the nation.

Research paper thumbnail of Coteaching Revisited: Redrawing the Blueprint

Preventing School Failure, 2008

Coteaching involves 2 certified teachers: 1 general educator and 1 special educator. They share r... more Coteaching involves 2 certified teachers: 1 general educator and 1 special educator. They share responsibility for planning, delivering, and evaluating instruction for a diverse group of students, some of whom are students with disabilities. In this article, the authors review models of coteaching and the research base for coteaching and describe coteaching as it is currently practiced. After arguing that educators have not yet realized the potential of coteaching, the authors propose a new framework for looking at coteaching and a blueprint to guide its implementation differently in different instructional environments.

Research paper thumbnail of The “Two Percent Students”: Considerations and Consequences of Eligibility Decisions

Peabody Journal of Education, Oct 30, 2009

and-conditions-of-access.pdf This article may be used for research, teaching and private study pu... more and-conditions-of-access.pdf This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution , reselling , loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material.

Research paper thumbnail of Performance of Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities on Early-Grade Curriculum-Based Measures of Word and Passage Reading Fluency

Exceptional Children, Jul 1, 2013

Alternate assessments have been used for the last 10 years to evaluate schools' efforts to teach ... more Alternate assessments have been used for the last 10 years to evaluate schools' efforts to teach children with significant cognitive disabilities. However, few studies have examined the reading skills of children who participate in these assessments. The purpose of this study was to extend understanding of the reading skills of this population by administering early-grade word and passage reading fluency curriculum-based measures to a sample of 7,440 students in Grades 3 through 8 and 11. Overall, the performance on curriculum-based measures and the relationship with alternate assessment performance varied based upon disability, grade, and level of alternate assessment. The authors discuss implications for test developers and teachers along with future directions for research.

Research paper thumbnail of What, Where, and How? Special Education in the Climate of Full Inclusion

Exceptionality, Oct 13, 2009

... DOI: 10.1080/09362830903231986 Naomi Zigmond a , Amanda Kloo a & Victoria Volonino a page... more ... DOI: 10.1080/09362830903231986 Naomi Zigmond a , Amanda Kloo a & Victoria Volonino a pages 189-204. Available online: 09 Oct 2009. ...

Research paper thumbnail of Assessing Opportunity-to-Learn for Students With Disabilities in General and Special Education Classes

Assessment for Effective Intervention, 2014

Current legislation encourages schools to educate students with disabilities (SWDs) in general ed... more Current legislation encourages schools to educate students with disabilities (SWDs) in general education settings to the greatest extent appropriate. However, it is unclear whether inclusion in general education settings provides SWDs a sufficient opportunity to learn the academic content assessed by accountability measures. This initial study was designed to (a) describe the extent to which general and special educators provide their eighth-grade classes with an opportunity to learn the state-specific standards and to (b) examine the extent to which SWDs experience a differentiated opportunity to learn compared with their overall class. Across three states, we trained 38 general and special educators to use an online teacher log to report on various opportunity-to-learn (OTL) indices for 46 mathematics and reading classes and 89 nested SWDs. Based on an average logging period of 151 days, the results indicated that this sample’s SWDs included in general education classes experience...

Research paper thumbnail of Implementing Modified Achievement Tests: Questions, Challenges, Pretending, and Potential Negative Consequences

Handbook of Accessible Achievement Tests for All Students, 2011

This chapter discusses findings from the General Supervision Enhancement Grant awarded to the sta... more This chapter discusses findings from the General Supervision Enhancement Grant awarded to the state of Pennsylvania by the US Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs for which the authors provide research support and consultation. The views and commentary expressed therein are solely those of the authors. No official support or endorsement by the US Department of Education or the Pennsylvania Department of Education is intended or to be inferred. We thank the editors, Deborah Fulmer, and Jane Partanen for comments on earlier drafts.

Research paper thumbnail of IEP Team Decision-Making for More Inclusive Assessments: Policies, Percentages, and Personal Decisions

Handbook of Accessible Achievement Tests for All Students, 2011

Since the 2001–2002 school year, the accountability provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act (N... more Since the 2001–2002 school year, the accountability provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, 2001) have shaped much of the work of public school teachers and administrators in the United States. NCLB required each state to develop content and achievement standards in several subjects, to administer tests to measure students’ attainment of those standards, to develop targets for student performance on those tests, and to impose a series of sanctions on schools and districts that did not meet the targets. Together, the standards, assessments, and consequences constitute a standards-based accountability system. State assessments are the mechanism for determining whether schools have been successful in teaching students the knowledge and skills defined by the content standards. The accountability provisions ensure that schools are held accountable for educational results. Many states had such a system in place before NCLB took effect, but since 2001–2002, every state in the United States has had to develop and implement a standards-based accountability system that meets the requirements of the law. This mandate has affected every public school student, every public school, and every district in the nation.

Research paper thumbnail of The “Two Percent Students”: Considerations and Consequences of Eligibility Decisions

Peabody Journal of Education, 2009

and-conditions-of-access.pdf This article may be used for research, teaching and private study pu... more and-conditions-of-access.pdf This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution , reselling , loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material.

Research paper thumbnail of Implementing an Alternate Assessment based on Modified Academic Achievement Standards: When policy meets practice

International Journal of Disability Development and Education, Mar 1, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of Response to Intervention: A reality check

Advances in Learning and Behavioral Disabilities, 2009

... If Devon were referred for special education services, should the other nine students also be... more ... If Devon were referred for special education services, should the other nine students also be referred? ... that there is a high probability (0.88) that students identified as poor readers at the end of the1st grade will also be so identified at the end of the 4th grade (Juel, 1988) and ...

Research paper thumbnail of Coteaching Revisited: Redrawing the Blueprint

Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth, 2008

... Naomi Zigmond is a professor of special edu-cation at the University of Pittsburgh. ... In D.... more ... Naomi Zigmond is a professor of special edu-cation at the University of Pittsburgh. ... In D. Speece & B. Keogh (Eds.), Research on classroom ecologies: Implications for inclusion of children with learning disabilities (pp. 163–190). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Zigmond, N. (2003). ...

Research paper thumbnail of What, Where, and How? Special Education in the Climate of Full Inclusion

Exceptionality, 2009

... DOI: 10.1080/09362830903231986 Naomi Zigmond a , Amanda Kloo a & Victoria Volonino a page... more ... DOI: 10.1080/09362830903231986 Naomi Zigmond a , Amanda Kloo a & Victoria Volonino a pages 189-204. Available online: 09 Oct 2009. ...

Research paper thumbnail of Response to Intervention: A reality check

... If Devon were referred for special education services, should the other nine students also be... more ... If Devon were referred for special education services, should the other nine students also be referred? ... that there is a high probability (0.88) that students identified as poor readers at the end of the1st grade will also be so identified at the end of the 4th grade (Juel, 1988) and ...

Research paper thumbnail of Performance of Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities on Early-Grade Curriculum-Based Measures of Word and Passage Reading Fluency

Exceptional Children, Jun 22, 2013

Research paper thumbnail of Curriculum-Based Measurement at Larue Elementary

The Influence of Curriculum-Based Measurement on Education, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of Predicting End-of-Year Achievement Test Performance: A Comparison of Assessment Methods

Assessment for Effective Intervention, 2013

ABSTRACT Motivated by the multiple-measures clause of recent federal policy regarding student eli... more ABSTRACT Motivated by the multiple-measures clause of recent federal policy regarding student eligibility for alternate assessments based on modified academic achievement standards (AA-MASs), this study examined how scores or combinations of scores from a diverse set of assessments predicted students’ end-of-year proficiency status on statewide achievement tests. Scores from 388 eighth-grade students, both with and without disabilities, from 3 states were compared for the predictive validity of test inferences from a set of brief online screening tests, teachers’ ratings of performance, and students’ previous year’s achievement tests. The research team developed screening tests in reading and mathematics that were found to be internally consistent and added predictive value to the identification of students who would perform at a level below proficient on state achievement tests of reading and mathematics. Although achievement results from the previous year were more predictive of future achievement results, scores from the online screening tests and from Performance Screening Guides could be used as supplements to typical achievement tests. Implications of these findings for educators in the 17 states currently using AA-MAS tests for students with disabilities are discussed, and needed future research is identified.

Research paper thumbnail of Assessing Opportunity-to-Learn for Students With Disabilities in General and Special Education Classes

Assessment for Effective Intervention

Current legislation encourages schools to educate students with disabilities (SWDs) in general ed... more Current legislation encourages schools to educate students with disabilities (SWDs) in general education settings to the greatest extent appropriate. However, it is unclear whether inclusion in general education settings provides SWDs a sufficient opportunity to learn the academic content assessed by accountability measures. This initial study was designed to (a) describe the extent to which general and special educators provide their eighth-grade classes with an opportunity to learn the state-specific standards and to (b) examine the extent to which SWDs experience a differentiated opportunity to learn compared with their overall class. Across three states, we trained 38 general and special educators to use an online teacher log to report on various opportunity-to-learn (OTL) indices for 46 mathematics and reading classes and 89 nested SWDs. Based on an average logging period of 151 days, the results indicated that this sample’s SWDs included in general education classes experience...