For the Future

Jessica Sellitto
April 12, 2016
High-Stakes Testing and Its Impact On Special Education Students
Introduction
In the United States, standardized testing that assesses student aptitude and achievement
has played a significant role in shaping educational thinking. Since the 1980s, in order to ensure
that American students are competitive with their counterparts in other countries, U.S.
policymakers have tried countless measures to improve the public school system.1 Recent
reforms have led to the current high-stakes testing movement, which measures student
achievement and school effectiveness mainly through the analysis of standardized test scores.2
The resulting policies have put an emphasis on using test results to make important decisions
about students, teachers, and administrators in elementary and secondary schools around the
country. All students, even ones with special needs, have to pass these tests and meet stringent
graduation requirements in order to be granted a high school diploma.
Special education students in the United States make up 13 percent of public school
enrollment.3 Some of the learning challenges that these students face include Down Syndrome,
dyslexia, autism, dyscalculia, and ADHD. These disabilities have a significant impact on
learning basic skills such as reading, writing and math. They can also interfere with higher-level
skills such as organization, abstract reasoning, memory and attention.4 Many of these students

can meet the same achievement standards as other students if they are given access to the same
content as their peers and are provided specially designed instruction, supports, and
accommodations when needed. Students with learning disabilities have gained access to specific
accommodations such as alternate locations, adapted questions, and assistants to read test
questions out loud to them. 5 In fact, prior to the high-stakes testing movement, many states, in
response to the unreasonable testing inflicted upon special needs students, modified their state
assessments at the local level. With the imposition of high-stakes testing, however, local
districts are prohibited by state mandates from modifying the tests but still expect special
education students to pass them.6 Special education students only get their accommodations or
modifications listed in their Individualized Educational Programs.7 Participation policies have
varied across states, and special education students needs for assessment accommodations
havent always been met.

NCLB and Assessments

Most would agree that the movement toward high-stakes testing was an extension of the
No Child Left Behind Act. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was signed into law in 2002 and
its provisions include testing grades 3-8 annually in reading and math.8 NCLB provided that the
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) should be the primary means for
evaluating the success of NCLB. Students with learning disabilities are included in the
accountability system of NCLB since the act requires all schools to test all students, including
those with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and 504 plans.9 If a child receives special
education services, it is part of the law that they must have an IEP. An IEP is an important legal
document that indicates a childs learning needs, the services the school will provide and how
progress will be measured.10 Similar to an IEP, a 504 plan can help students with learning

disabilities as it outlines how a childs specific needs are met with accommodations,
modifications and other services. 11A student with a
504 plan, however, usually spends the entire school

Figure 1: PSSA test score decline

statewide, 2011-14

day in a general education classroom and typically,

children who need modifications would have an IEP,
not a 504 plan.12 Clearly, the goal of NCLB was to
increase students achievement and access to learning.
With a growing focus on standardized testing and
added pressure on both faculty and students, however,
test scores have actually declined. For example,
according to figure 1, test scores for a Pennsylvania
School Assessment declined over a three-year period,
with the special education population declining the
most.13

Source: Reprinted From: http://www.postgazette.com/news/education/2014/11/21/Statestudent-scores-declined-with-reduced-fundingtest-results-show/stories/201411240030

Risks and Issues With Testing: What Do These Test Measure?

Another major problem with standardized testing is in relation to what it actually
measures. The data is used to determine if a school, district, or state is making progress in
student achievement in the areas of reading and math. Schools that fail to achieve certain
standards for the students in each grade assessed, each area assessed, and in each subgroup are
subject to a series of sanctions. Therefore, the performance of students with disabilities can have
a substantial impact on the overall performance of the school. It is entirely possible for a school
that achieves adequate yearly progress for the total school population, as well as all but one
subgroup, such as the subgroup of students with disabilities, to be rated as needing improvement

under NCLB.14 This level of accountability puts pressure on teachers and parents of students with
disabilities. Why should students from any subgroup who learn in a unique and individual
manner define the progress of the school? Students with disabilities have individualized plans for
a reason, but then are seen as no different than a student without a learning disability. This not
only ignores the students needs but also has a negative impact on the teacher and the school. It
is necessary that students with learning disabilities needs are acknowledged, accommodated and
realistic to their education plans.
Since these tests represent high-stakes for individual students, such as grade promotion or
even a standard school diploma, high-stakes testing is designed to hold individual students
accountable for their own test performance, unlike system accountability, which is aimed at
the providers of education, such as states, school districts, and schools.15 High-stakes and
standardized testing pose extreme risks for students with learning disabilities, however. While
students with learning disabilities could benefit from increased focus on student achievement,
high-stakes standardized testing can also present serious obstacles and consequences.

Testing Accommodations and Opting Out

One of the major risks for the special education population is that accommodations are
not always provided and therefore parents are increasingly deciding to opt out of tests.
Accommodations must be determined by the students IEP team or Section 504 team, including
the parent and they should be based on the students individual needs and should be similar to
those provided to the student during classroom assessment.16 Decisions about assessment
accommodations are not to be made on the basis of disability category; therefore, schools are
unable to develop a predetermined list of accommodations specifically for those students with
learning disabilities.17 It has become increasingly difficult for parents to find perfect

accommodations for their child and as a result, the stress and pressure surrounding these tests
have begun to outweigh any benefit of having a standardized testing system.
Because of the problems with accommodations, some parents have chosen to have their
child opt out of taking standardized tests. It is sometimes difficult, however, for parents to find
ways to opt out of these tests. For example, IEP teams may not exempt students from
participating in a states assessment system. The IEP or 504 team determines how a student will
participate, not whether a student will participate. Therefore the student does not always have
the option to opt out, based on state policies.18 And as a result, many parents choose to keep
their children home from school on designated test days. . One-size-fits-all tests punish and
discourage students who are already vulnerable, including children with special needs, thus
creating the desire for parents choosing to opt out of high-stakes tests.19 Opting out should not
be viewed as a cop-out to prevent failure in any way but rather is a way to take control back of
schools and education.

How Standardized Tests Affect the Student, the Teacher and the Community
Standardized testing has negatively impacted students, teachers and classrooms in a
multitude of ways. The most significant is obviously how if affects the students themselves.
Quite often, standardized tests do not accurately measure the progress of students with special
needs because these students are not always performing at grade level or have disabilities that
inhibit their ability to complete standardized assessments in the same manner as their nondisabled people.20 Standardized tests cause severe stress and anxiety in all students, so when
students with learning disabilities are forced to take these tests, the impact could be even greater
in terms of anxiety and pressure. These tests have a particularly harmful impact on the frustration
level and emotional state of students with special needs, which can result in negative views of
school and learning for students who are already struggling.21 If a student is not in an

environment in which he or she can focus and thrive, it is counterproductive for them in any way
to take these exams. The sitting times of these tests are long and create exhaustion and frustration
for students with special needs. For example, if students miss class because of an extended time
accommodation for testing, they will fall behind all the other students and therefore their in-class
performance would suffer. In addition, the majority of students with special needs require extra
time to complete assessments. Therefore, pulling them from the classroom in order to be tested
and reduces the amount of instructional time students receive during the year. With these two
realities in mind, there are little to no positive effects of these tests overall on student learning
and educational progress. According to a Gallup
Survey, as shown in Figure 2, parents are beginning and

Figure 2: Parents Opinion on Testing and Its

Effectiveness

continuing to worry about the impact that high-stakes

tests have on their children.22 Only fourteen percent of
parents see testing as effective in measuring school
effectiveness in this survey, and that number is
something that should be recognized by state education
departments. 23
Students arent the only ones to be concerned
about the realities of high-stakes testing. Educators
have grown frustrated with the current system in place.

Source: Reprinted From: Gallup

http://neatoday.org/2015/08/23/poll-americans-wantless-standardized-testing-and-more-school-funding/

High-stakes testing undermines teacher collaboration. For example, since teachers are evaluated
based on the performance of their classes, they are discouraged from helping students in another
teachers class. It becomes a competition and takes the focus away from learning and enjoyment
in the classroom. It also makes their work environment more hostile and intense. Further,
teaching to the test" is replacing good teaching practices with "drill and kill" rote learning. A

five-year University of Maryland study completed in 2007 found "the pressure teachers were
feeling to 'teach to the test'" since NCLB was leading to declines in teaching higher-order
thinking, in the amount of time spent on complex assignments, and in the actual amount of high
cognitive content in the curriculum. 24 Teachers who love teaching become frustrated with their
jobs and as a consequence, may find something else to do while their jobs will be taken over by
people who have no interest in or passion about education. Teachers have a huge impact on
every students life, and if a teacher is given no time to expand beyond the material being tested,
their students wont learn valuable life lessons and will not be as passionate about their learning.
Enthusiasm is infectious and teacher pressure to teach to a test rather than excitement for the
learning process will certainly be sensed by students. As an extension of this problem, students
will come to school and attend classes without teachers motivated to educate and memorization
and rote learning will take the place of any form of creative learning processes.25 Teachers no
longer have to truly engage students or challenge their ideas because all answers will already be
preconceived or, at the very least, preordained by a test constructed not by teachers but by big
business.
Standardized testing affects individuals so therefore it has an affect on the community
and school district as a whole. Local newspapers print test scores making them a source of public
conversation and controversy. Even more controversial is the fact that test scores can greatly
affect a school districts funding. The standard is that the federal government plays an important
role in funding local schools, and without federal funding many schools would cease to exist.26
While schools don't actually have to administer annual achievement tests, they'll lose funding if
they don't. This forces schools to put funds before the students and before their faculty. This is
unfair to all students, and especially unfair to students with special needs whose scores should
not always be factored into the funding of the school. Another issue is that high-stakes tests can

even negatively impact real estate. Property values will decrease if a school is not considered
good based on its test scores. This raised the question of what actually makes a school good.
Test scores cannot be the only determinant, considering that there are so many drawbacks that
come with high-stakes test taking.

Possible Solutions: Opting Out, Alternative Testing, Portfolio-Based Assessment

Although it is evident that there have been some gains in high-stakes testing, many
problems still exist. Figure 3 shows the pros and cons associated with opting out in New York
State, for example. 27
Figure 3: The Gains and Downsides of the High-Stakes Testing
Gains

Downside

Last year, the opt-out movement exploded,

fed by educators, teachers unions and social
media. It led to 200,000 kids statewide and
70,000 on Long Island opting out.
The state and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo have
let teachers and parents evaluate every
individual learning standard, made changes
to the length and structure of tests, and
created a system to let teachers evaluate
every test item.
The state is replacing the current test
producer.
NYS adopted a four-year moratorium on
using scores to rate teachers.

State exams are loaded with poorly written,

ambiguous questions. A recent statement
signed by 545 NYS Principals noted that
many teachers and principals could not agree
on the correct answers.

Ineffective teachers are seldom fired.

Substandard schools hardly ever
improve.
Poorly educated and special education
children rarely succeed. There are too
many ineffective teachers, substandard
schools and districts, and poorly
educated children.
Standardized tests are the only objective
way to compare achievement across
multiple classrooms, schools, districts
and states.
Less than 40 percent of New York
students are on track to be college and
career ready by graduation
It may cost schools and districts millions
of dollars in state and federal funding

Source: Created from information from Newsday. http://www.newsday.com/opinion/editorial/opt-out-season-isback-1.1161904

It is evident that the current standardized test system in place is not effective and is often
opposed by teachers and parents alike. High-stakes tests and the other expectations placed on
special needs students might negatively impact them in a multitude of ways. The pressure may
result in fewer diplomas for them, less opportunity for life skills training in school. Their days

are filled with more academic support classes to get them through, thus eliminating opportunities
for art, music and other creative experiences. Some of the needs of students with learning
disabilities are met through certain accommodations in the classroom, so why are they not met
with same treatment in relation to tests? These tests do not measure anything related to what
students actually learn or need to learn for their future, especially if a special needs students
wishes to develop skills that will make them successful in the job market. Further, high-stakes
tests can even threaten the successful achievement of a high school diploma as standardized
testing becomes an integral part of a students academic profile. The current solution is for
parents to have their children to opt out. While this is a temporary solution, it is not the definitive
fix to the problems caused by high-stakes testing. School districts are penalized when too many
students opt out of tests. In some states, if fewer than 95% of the students in a given school or
district take the test, that school cannot make AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) and lose funding
and resources.28 This is one of the ways schools can fail when students opt out.
The spirit of NCLB is that no child should be left behind yet ironically that is exactly
what we are doing to special education students when there are unreasonable expectations and
lack of resources for the students to meet the standards. While it would be extremely difficult to
get rid of standardized tests completely, modifications need to be made in order to better the
United States education system. A significant aspect of standardized tests is that these tests are
not made by educators. Rather, they are created by legislators. To solve the problems associated
with high-stakes testing, it is important to first look at how the tests are made and make changes
from there. Legislators must recognize that the educators should make the decisions in regards to
test questions, requirements and distribution. Until educators are the decision-makers, it is
crucial that parents get together to support legislators who support their educational agendas.

One solution could be to reinstate the idea of alternative assessment for special education
students. Alternative tests were essentially eliminated with the rise of high-stakes tests. These
tests would be effective because the content that intellectually disabled students are taught and
the standards they are expected to meet might be very different from those of their grade-level
peers. Alternate assessments enable schools to measure progress from year to year for a student
who is still struggling to learn and understand different concepts.29. Another promising form of
assessment is what is known as "portfolio-based assessment." The approaches to portfolios vary
considerably, but they all rest on records kept by the teacher and on collections of the student's
work, called the "student portfolio."30 Students are usually encouraged to reflect on the work that
has been selected which helps students think not only about what they have learned, but about
their own learning processes, all of which contributes to the overall goal of improving student
learning. Schools should not be so focused on meeting testing requirements. This focus is taking
away from the improvement and growth of students with disabilities and also without
disabilities. Although standardized tests can play a useful role in education, they need to be
detached from high-stakes consequences. Educational reform has to be fluid and therefore
standardized tests are not answer to solving crisis in American education.

10


1
Gail L. Thompson, and Tawannah G. Allen. Four Effects of the High-stakes Testing
Movement on African American K-12 Students. The Journal of Negro Education 81.3 (2012):
218227.
2

Ibid

Lazarus, Sheryl, Quenemoen, Rachel and Thurlow, Martha. Meeting the Needs of Special
Education Students: Recommendations for the Race to the Top Consortia and States.
Cehd.umn.edu.
4

Learning Disabilities Association of America. Types of Learning Disabilities.

http://ldaamerica.org/types-of-learning-disabilities/. 2016.
5

Fuchs, Douglas and Fuchs, Lynn. Fair and Unfair Testing Accommodations. The School
Superintendents Association.
6

Ibid

GreatSchools Staff. Implications of High-Stakes Testing for Students With Learning

Disabilities. Greatschools.org. http://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/high-stakes-testinglearning-disabilities/. 2010.
8

Strauss, Valerie. No Child Left Behind: What standardized test scores reveal about its legacy.
The Washington Post. 2015.
9

Ibid

10

Ibid

11

Ibid

12

Stanberry, Kristin. Understanding 504 Plans. Understood.org. June, 2014.

13

Chute, Eleanor. Pennsylvania student scores declined with reduced funding, test results
show." Pittsburg Post Gazette. November 21, 2014.
14

GreatSchools Staff. Implications of High-Stakes Testing for Students With Learning

Disabilities. Greatschools.org. http://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/high-stakes-testinglearning-disabilities/. 2010.
15

Ibid

16

Ibid

17

Ibid

11


18

Juerling, Merry. Guide for Opting Out/Refusing High Stakes Testing and Test Preparation for
Special Needs/Exceptional Students. Unitedoptout.com. February 7, 2015.
19

NYStopTesting. Why Opt Out of NYS Standardized Tests?

http://www.nystoptesting.com/2014/03/why-opt-out-of-nys-standardized-tests.html. March 27,
2014.
20

Willis, Judy. Brain-Friendly Strategies for the Inclusion Classroom. ASCD.

21

AFT. Against Standardized Assessments for Students Receiving Special Education Services.
http://www.aft.org/resolution/against-standardized-assessments-students-receiving-specialeducation-services
22

Walker, Tim. Poll: Americans Want Less Standardized Testing and More School Funding.
NeaToday. August 23, 2015.
23

Ibid

24

ProCon.org. Is the Use of Standardized Tests Improving Education in America?

http://standardizedtests.procon.org
25

Ibid

26

Van Thompson. Do Standardized Test Scores Factor in to How Much Money a School Will
Receive? Global Post.
27

The Editorial Board. Opt-out movement is out of hand. Newsday.

http://www.newsday.com/opinion/editorial/opt-out-season-is-back-1.1161904. March 26, 2016.
28

FairTest. How NCLB Relates to Opting Out of Tests.

http://www.fairtest.org/sites/default/files/Federal_law_related_to_opting_out_-final.pdf
29

Gryta, Virginia. Alternate Assessments: What They Are and How They Work.
Understood.org. https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/partnering-with-childsschool/tests-standards/alternate-assessments-what-they-are-and-how-they-work
30

Neill, Molly and Peterson, Bob. Alternatives to Standardized Tests. Rethinking Schools.
http://www.rethinkingschools.org/restrict.asp?path=archive/13_03/assess.shtml

12