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Karen Rooney, CAN Coordinator for the Division for Learning Disabilities, provides brief reports for TeachingLD.org so that visitors can keep informed about important developments in policies affecting students with learning disabilities and their teachers. TeachingLD.org is pleased to offer this page as a place for people concerned with learning disabilities to keep up to date.
29 December 2003
Due to the holiday recess, there are no additional actions by the Senate or House to report. That doesn't mean we are slowing down! DLD is arranging to meet with the other LD groups to discuss common ground to be prepared to offer feedback during the Conference process, which will allow fo negotiation of a final bill to be debated on the floor. No timelines are certain so being prepared is very important at this time.
The following excerpt is from the CEC Update and summarizes the changes related to AYP that are related to individuals with learning disabilities:
The new regulations on the No Child Left Behind Actgive states and districts more flexibility in selecting which students can beassessed using alternate achievement standards to meet adequate yearly progress goals, says the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). The regulations allow students with various disabilities to be identified as having a "significant cognitive disability." For example, now students with autism, severe learning disabilities, developmental delay, emotional disturbance, or other disabilities that affect cognitive performance could be eligible to take alternate assessments that are aligned with alternate achievement standards.
Other CEC recommendations that are part ofthe regulations are:
Some students with disabilities may be assessed at their achievement level or "out of level testing" used for students with special needs. While all students with disabilities will participate in assessments, the IEP team decides how an individual student will be assessed and the methods used. The final rule does not alter the IEP team's responsibility to make individual determinations about how a child is assessed.
The number of "proficient" scores counted for adequate yearly progress may not exceed 1 percent of all students in the grades tested (9 percent of the students with disabilities). States or districts may submit data and make a case to exceed the 1 percent cap. Though CEC says the new regulations give much needed flexibility to states and districts in meeting AYP, it warns that implementing the regulations will take a huge investment in training and technical assistance. CEC says the U.S. Department of Education needs to develop a strategic plan to assist states and districts to develop alternative achievement standards and their corresponding assessments quickly.
Best wishes for the New Year! DLD will be busy in January attending the planning meeting to prepare for the Roundtable Discussion and the National Joint Council on Learning Disabilities meeting. We will keep you posted on the issues being discussed.
Karen Rooney
CAN Coordinator, DLD
