Although the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) aim to ensure academic achievement across U.S. school systems, critics say the standards fall short in addressing the diverse learning needs of all student groups. This is especially true of special education assessment, which involves customized instruction, individual learning outcomes and assessments to meet the specific learning needs of each student.
Since the adoption of national standardized testing, the special education achievement gap has widened. Students in Arkansas State University’s Common Core State Standards (CCSS) can expect to study this issue in depth, including both the benefits and drawbacks of standardized testing, ways to improve the Common Core, adaptive instructional strategies, assistive technologies and alternative assessment models that may better suit the needs of students with disabilities.
An Overview of CCSS
Educational policymakers developed the CCSS in 2009 to establish a national standard for academic achievement. Prior to the creation of the CCSS, every state set its own academic proficiency standards and assessments. This system placed the responsibility for their students’ educational achievement on the states themselves, but it resulted in performance disparities among different states and a general slippage in student performance in relation to students in other leading countries.
The idea behind the CCSS was to regulate and elevate achievement standards nationwide through standardized assessment in two areas: English Language Arts (ELA, including history, social studies, science and technical studies) and mathematics. “College- and career-readiness standards” established what students should know by the time they graduated from high school, and “K-12 standards” included assessments for each grade level. Individual states could elect to adopt the Common Core, and all but four states did so, although Minnesota only adopted the ELA standards, and three states have since withdrawn from Common Core.
Criticism of CCSS as Related to Special Education Assessments
Unfortunately, the implementation of CCSS has correlated with an increase in the special education achievement gap. Special education teachers have struggled to adapt Common Core-aligned assessments to the unique needs and learning styles of students with disabilities. Special education students learn according to Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) that teachers and parents develop; these IEPs detail which adaptive technologies each student needs — for instance, computer-assisted learning. A student who has trouble processing words visually may respond better to materials read aloud. Hence, computer screen readers are common in special education classrooms, as are advanced forms of voice recognition and dictation software.
Teachers and administrators must align all of these accommodations with Common Core’s standardized assessments, which can create difficulties. For example, the current special education assessments differ from special education students’ classroom experiences. This makes it difficult for the students to perform well on the tests, since it requires them to learn new technologies on the spot that still may not address their learning needs.
Teachers also struggle with the one-size-fits-all nature of Common Core-aligned assessments. It can be challenging for a teacher in inclusive classrooms to meet the instructional needs of every student while still covering the mandated curricula students will see on standardized tests. Another challenge involves time: Students with disabilities often need more time to learn material due to cognitive impairments and the pace of adaptive technologies. CCSS prescribes grade-level standards, even though a student with disabilities may need more than a grade year to fully master the content. As a result, special education students often fall behind year after year, further widening the achievement gap.
Adaptive Strategies, Technologies and Alternative Assessment Models
Thankfully, several groups are adapting Common Core assessments for students with disabilities. This can take the form of modeling adaptive assessment technologies on computer-assisted learning methods students already know, or adapting questioning methods to suit the cognitive abilities, such as limiting the amount of information programs convey at any given time.
In addition, many educators and parents are pushing for alternative standardized assessments, which take different learning styles and needs into account, as well as diverse cultural and economic backgrounds. Organizations like the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) and American College Testing (ACT) are developing assessments along these lines in an attempt to address the needs of a wider range of students.
The growing achievement gap in special education under the Common Core State Standards requires careful attention, research into personalized and effective instructional techniques, and consideration of alternative assessment methods that address diverse learning needs and styles. Earning a Master of Science in Special Education online at Arkansas State University prepares educators to adapt standardized testing and instructional approaches to better support special education assessment standards. This training equips teachers to help close the achievement gap rather than allow it to expand.
Learn about the Arkansas State University online MSE in Special Education — Instructional Specialist program.