Project Director
Ada Sullivan, M.Ed., CAST
Funder
LD ACCESS Foundation
Peter Jay Sharp Foundation
Timeframe
2006-2008
Project Description
In today’s climate of teacher accountability under the No Child Left Behind Act and IDEA 2004, students’ scores on large scale tests determine whether they graduate and go on to college. Many high-stakes tests present barriers to students with learning disabilities and do not always provide an accurate measure of their learning. Yet, these tests still hold power to determine a student’s future, a teacher’s credibility, and a school’s funding. As high-stakes tests continue to be the norm for measuring student growth and reporting progress, then it is imperative that tests are designed in ways that break down these barriers while maintaining their integrity.
CAST has built a strong line of work in UDL and large scale assessment. This three-year project continues our work to develop useful tools to change the practices of test developers and influence legislative policy to truly make a difference for students with learning disabilities. CAST researchers are creating models, prototypes, tools and services that enable test developers to develop universally designed large-scale assessments that are psychometrically sound and provide the flexibility to fairly measure student progress for students with learning disabilities. In the policy arena, CAST continues to build the knowledge and interest of states and government agencies regarding the necessity for universally designed large scale assessments.
