Guidebook to Including Students with Disabilities and English Learners in Assessments
Appendix D
Assessment Principles and Guidelines for ELLs with Disabilities
This document (Thurlow et al., 2013) addressed essential principles of inclusive and validly assessments for English language learners (ELLs) with disabilities. They were generated through a Delphi expert review process, and then adjusted through discussions with educators throughout the country.
Principle 1. Content standards are the same for all students.
Principle 2. Test and item development include a focus on access to the content, free from bias, without changing the construct being measured.
Principle 3. Assessment participation decisions are made on an individual student basis by an informed IEP team.
Principle 4. Accommodations for both English language proficiency (ELP) and content assessments are assigned by an IEP team knowledgeable about the individual student’s needs.
Principle 5. Reporting formats and content support different uses of large-scale assessment data for different audiences.
Each of the principles is described in more detail, with guidelines provided for each principle.