State Policies and Research on Alternate Assessment Accommodations - NCEO Report 446

Oct 15, 2026

A 2025 NCEO report analyzes state policies and research on alternate assessments for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, focusing on AA-AAAS accommodations. It summarizes two studies: a policy analysis (April–May 2024) covering public accommodations documentation across 51 states, and a literature review covering research from 2000–2023. Results identify common accommodations, inconsistent policy terminology, and limited evidence on effectiveness. Findings call for clearer communication, stronger educator professional development, and better alignment across policy, practice, and research.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages64

Reading Time2 h 41 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

Introduction

Purpose

State Policies and Research on Alternate Assessment Accommodations NCEO Report 446 NCEO Report 446 State Policies and Research on Alternate Assessment Accommodations Mari Quanbeck, Virginia A. Ressa, and Martha L. Thurlow March 2025 All rights reserved. Any or all portions ofthis document may be reproduced and distributed without prior permission, provided the source is cited as: Quanbeck, M., Ressa, V. A., & Thurlow, M. L. (2025). State policies and research on alternate assessment accommodations (NCEO Report 446) . National Center on Educational Outcomes. The Center is supported through a Cooperative Agreement (\#H326G210002) with the Research to Practice Division, Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education. The Center is affiliated with the Institute on Community Integration at the College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota. Consistent with EDGAR §75.62, the contents of this report were developed under the Cooperative Agreement from the U.S. Department of Education, but do not necessarily represent the policy or opinions of the U.S. Department of Education or Offices within it. Readers should not assume endorsement by the federal government. Project Officer: David Egnor In collaboration with: NCEO Core Staff Andrew R. Hinkle, Co-Director Kristi K. Liu, Co-Director Jessica Bowman Gail Ghere Linda Goldstone Michael L. Moore Darrell Peterson Mari Quanbeck Virginia A. Ressa Kathy Strunk Yi-Chen Wu National Center on Educational Outcomes University of Minnesota 2025 East River Parkway, Room 1-330 • Minneapolis, MN 55414 Phone 612/626-1530 [http://www.nceo.info](http://www.nceo.info) The University of Minnesota shall provide equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. This document is available in alternative formats upon request. ~~Executive Summary ~~ States have been required to provide alternate assessments based on alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS) for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities since 2000. These assessments were developed to ensure that all students, including those with the most significant cognitive disabilities, could participate in state assessment and accountability systems. Although accommodations have long been a critical component of general assessments, they were not initially identified for alternate assessments. As assessment consortia began developing new alternate assessments in 2011, they incorporated additional approaches to accessibility, including accommodations and other accessibility features. Current approaches typically include multiple tiers of support: universal features available to all students, designated features available to any student with a documented need, and accommodations specifically for students with disabilities. This report presents findings from two studies examining AA-AAAS accommodations policies and research. The policy analysis conducted from April 1 to May 31, 2024 found that 49 of 51 states had publicly available documents containing AA-AAAS accommodations policies, with most states (36) having at least two documents. The most commonly provided accommodations were signed administration (48 states), magnification (46 states), assistive technology (46 states), manipulatives (43 states), human reader (44 states), and calculator (42 states). States used varying terminology and organizational approaches for their accommodations policies, and many incorporated universal design features directly into test development and administration rather than listing them as separate accommodations. Information about accommodations was often difficult to locate and sometimes inconsistent across documents within states. The

FAQs

What requirement drives the use of AA-AAAS alternate assessments and related accommodations?

States have been required since 2000 to provide alternate assessments based on alternate academic achievement standards for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. Accommodations have long been essential in general assessments, but they were not initially identified specifically for alternate assessments.

What did the 2024 policy analysis find about how states document AA-AAAS accommodations?

From April 1 to May 31, 2024, 49 of 51 states had publicly available documents with AA-AAAS accommodations policies, often using multiple documents. The policy analysis also found that information could be hard to locate and sometimes inconsistent within states.

What does the report conclude about gaps in research and what improvements are needed?

The literature review found only six research studies from 2000–2023, indicating limited evidence, especially regarding accommodations effectiveness. The report emphasizes the need for more consistent policy documentation, comprehensive educator professional development, and better coordination across policy, practice, and research.

Oct 15, 2026

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