Inclusion of Students with Disabilities and English Learners

It is important for NAEP to assess as many students selected to participate as possible. Assessing representative samples of students, including students with disabilities (SD) and English learners (EL), helps to ensure that NAEP results accurately reflect the educational performance of all students in the target population, and can continue to serve as a meaningful measure of U.S. students’ academic achievement over time.

In March 2010, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), working with the National Assessment Governing Board, adopted a new policy to maximize the participation of students with disabilities (SD) and English learners (EL).

Today, NAEP continues to explore ways to ensure consistent, inclusive assessment and reporting across all jurisdictions and student populations.

In 2019, about 90% of students with disabilities and English learners in fourth and eighth grades were assessed in the NAEP mathematics and reading assessments.

U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2019 Mathematics and Reading Assessments

Explore Performance Data for Students With Disabilities

Learn more about the characteristics and performance of students with disabilities on the NAEP mathematics and reading assessments, as well as the available testing accommodations.

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Inclusion Accommodation Data

Recent Inclusion, Exclusion and Accommodation Rates

Some students with disabilities (SD) and English learner (EL) students can be assessed without special procedures. Some require testing accommodations to participate in NAEP, while others may not be able to participate even with accommodation. The percentage of SD and EL students who are excluded from NAEP assessments varies both from one jurisdiction to another and within a jurisdiction over time. Download recent data on participation rates, inclusion rates, and other information about SD and EL.

NAEP Policy and Accommodations for SD/EL Students

Accommodations in the testing environment or administration procedures are available for SD and EL students to support their participation in the assessment. Some NAEP testing accommodations are actually built-in features—or Universal Design Elements--of the digitally based assessments that are available to all students. Other accommodations, such as additional test time, are available upon request. Every jurisdiction decides what accommodations the students in that jurisdiction are eligible to receive.

Inclusion Policy History of NAEP Inclusion How NAEP Assesses EL Students Performance of Students with Disabilities Inclusion Letter for students with disabilities (SD) & English learners (EL) click to open PDF.

Outline of student raising hand with sample survey questionnaire for student.

Survey Questionnaires

NCES collects information about accommodations needed for SD and EL students in order to examine the relationship between inclusion and the assessment and to inform inclusion decisions for students. NAEP obtains this information by asking the school staff (principal, assistant principal, special education teacher, bilingual education/ESL teacher, or classroom teacher) most familiar with each SD or EL student participating in an assessment to complete the appropriate survey questionnaire or worksheet. Explore SD and EL survey.

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Exclusion Rates

Some SD and EL students can be assessed without accommodations. Some require accommodations to participate in NAEP, while others may not be able to participate even with accommodations. The percentage of SD and EL students who are excluded from NAEP assessments varies across assessment subjects, from one jurisdiction to another, and within a jurisdiction over time. See percentages of inclusion or exclusion of SD and EL students for the nation, by jurisdiction, and by participating districts for assessments since 1992. Also review research exploring the potential impact of change in exclusion rates on assessment results.

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Historic Accommodation Type Data

Explore the percentage of accommodations used over the last 30 years. Download by subject to see the accommodation types used since 1998.