Experts: Align Testing For Special Ed, At-Risk Students

Education Daily (5/3, Riley) reports, "Federal education policies that are closely aligned can more effectively promote how at-risk students and those with disabilities are assessed in the future, several experts suggest in comments on reauthorizing ESEA." Judith Moening, executive director for special education for the North East Independent School District in San Antonio, said that "Congress should 'end the separate parallel educational system created by the IDEA'" even as the Education Department develops growth models that hold schools accountable for students progress but not penalize them in the short term. "Aimee Guidera, executive director of the Data Quality Campaign, points to the need for federal policies to include requirements related to longitudinal data," which, besides tracking students' performance, "helps determine the efficiencies of specific schools, policies and programs while it identifies best practices from consistently high-performing teachers and schools."