Do state assessments truly measure a disabled students' intellectual Research Paper

Do state assessments truly measure a disabled students' intellectual abilities - Research Paper Example Testing to Students with Disabilities Students with disabilities should be afforded the same kinds of opportunities to do well in high-stakes testing. This is proven in a document released by The University of the State of New York?and The State Education Department?Office of Vocational and Education Services ?for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID). It states: According to Test Access and Accommodations for Students with Disabilities (2006), â€Å"All students, including students with disabilities, are expected to learn and achieve high standards.   To meet this goal, students with disabilities must have access to general education curriculum courses, electives and required assessments.   This was affirmed in 1997 when the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was amended to require that students with disabilities, including students with severe cognitive disabilities through the development of a State alternate assessment, participate in State and districtwide a ssessments† (pgh. 1). Further, it has been noted that appropriate testing accommodations can and shall have been made in order to take into account the fact that there are several different types of differently-abled learners. What should matter is that these students are given the same types of opportunities as students in regular and Honors courses to achieve their best, at whatever level of schooling they are at—but especially in high school so they are adequately prepared to move on to higher education beyond the secondary level. According to Test Access and Accommodations for Students with Disabilities (2006), â€Å"IDEA 2004 further strengthened this requirement by adding several new provisions that will ensure that students have access to State tests and that test results are valid and... The research paper tells that students with disabilities should be afforded the same kinds of opportunities to do well in high-stakes testing. This is proven in a document released by The University of the State of New York and The State Education Department Office of Vocational and Education Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID). Further, it has been noted that appropriate testing accommodations can and shall have been made in order to take into account the fact that there are several different types of differently-abled learners. What should matter is that these students are given the same types of opportunities as students in regular and Honors courses to achieve their best, at whatever level of schooling they are at—but especially in high school so they are adequately prepared to move on to higher education beyond the secondary level. These accommodations that are called for routinely help assess students’ true intellectual abilities by helping students demonstrate how they have attained a mastery of certain skill sets. According to Test Access and Accommodations for Students with Disabilities, â€Å"Many students with disabilities will require testing accommodations in order to participate in testing programs on an equal basis with their nondisabled peers. Such accommodations provide students with the ability to demonstrate mastery of skills and attainment of knowledge without being limited or unfairly restricted due to [having] a disability†.