Universal Design and K-12 Academic Assessments - A Scoping Review of the Literature - NCEO Report 442

Oct 15, 2026

Universal design (UD) principles are increasingly applied to K-12 instruction and large-scale academic assessments, including related approaches such as UDL, UDI, UID, and UDA. This scoping review summarizes literature from 1985–2023 on UD for U.S. district and state assessments, using a four-stage screening process that yielded 76 resources. Findings show inconsistent UD frameworks, with greater emphasis on accessibility features and accommodations. Evidence gaps remain, especially limited linkage to an explicit UD framework and a need for clearer specificity.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages82

Reading Time3 h 27 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

Purpose and scope of the review

Search and inclusion of resources

Findings on UD framework consistency

Target student populations addressed

Links to underlying UD frameworks and research gaps

Universal Design and K-12 Academic Assessments: AScoping Review of the Literature NCEO Report 442 NCEO Report 442 Universal Design and K-12 Academic Assessments: A Scoping Review of the Literature Kristin K. Liu, Martha L. Thurlow, Mari Quanbeck, Jessica A. Bowman, and Amy Riegelman February 2024 All rights reserved. Any or all portions ofthis document may be reproduced and distributed without prior permission, provided the source is cited as: Liu, K. K., Thurlow, M. L., Quanbeck, M., Bowman, J. A., & Riegelman, A.(2024) . Universal design and K-12 academic assessments: A scoping review of the literature (NCEO Report 442) . 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 Sheryl S. Lazarus, Director Jessica Bowman Kascinda Fleming Gail Ghere Linda Goldstone Andrew R. Hinkle Kristi K. Liu Charity Funfe Tatah Mentan Michael L. Moore Darrell Peterson Mari Quanbeck Virginia A. Ressa Christopher M. Rogers Jennifer Sommerness Kathy Strunk Martha L. Thurlow 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 ~~ State education agencies, K-12 assessment vendors, teacher trainers, and classroom teachers are increasingly applying the principles of universal design (UD)—including Universal Design for Learning (UDL), Universal Design of Instruction (UDI), Universal Instructional Design (UID), and Universal Design of Assessment (UDA)—to the instruction and assessment of students from special populations. In theory, UD ensures that instruction and assessment are created from the beginning to be accessible to the widest population of students possible. This report summarizes an investigation of literature published in 1985-2023 on universal design (UD) of large-scale assessments. We included literature on the application of UD to the broad range ofK-12 district and state large-scale academic assessments in the U.S. Using a scoping review process, we searched peer-reviewed manuscripts as well as Ph.D. dissertations, white papers, briefs, reports and information published on websites of non-governmental organizations (i.e., gray literature). After a four-stage resource identification and screening process, we included 76 resources in our literature review; 28 of the included resources were research-based. We found that the resources included in this scoping review, particularly the research-based resources, did not apply a consistent UD framework or definition. In the 76 resources, UDA was represented more often than UDL; sometimes multiple frameworks were referred to, or no framework was mentioned. In the subset of 28 research-based resources, more studies referenced UDA than UDL. Again, these resources often referred to multiple frameworks, without clea

FAQs

What is the scope of the scoping review on universal design and K-12 assessments?

The review covers literature published from 1985 to 2023 on universal design for large-scale academic assessments. It includes applications of UD across U.S. K-12 district and state assessments.

How were sources identified and selected for inclusion in the review?

Sources were identified through a scoping review process using peer-reviewed manuscripts and gray literature (e.g., dissertations, white papers, briefs, and reports). A four-stage resource identification and screening process produced 76 included resources, including 28 research-based resources.

What did the review find about consistency in UD frameworks and definitions?

The included resources did not apply a consistent UD framework or definition. UDA appeared more often than UDL, and many resources referenced multiple frameworks or did not mention a framework at all.

Oct 15, 2026

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