The 2001 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), brought about a dramatic change in the level of attention paid to millions of public school students who historically perform poorly. Its mandate to "close the achievement gap" for specific groups of students -- and achieve proficiency for all students in reading and math by 2013-2014 -- has provided historic impetus for change.

The National Center for Learning Disabilities has produced two comprehensive reports on No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and its impact on students who receive special education in our nation's schools -- almost half of whom have learning disabilities (LD). The new reports provide a compelling look at how several NCLB requirements have affected this important and often controversial student group. A companion study on State Test Accommodations Policies will provide an overview of the variance and validity of these policies. Both reports provide recommendations for the reauthorization of NCLB, now underway in the U.S. Congress.

Rewards & Roadblocks: How Special Education Students are Faring Under No Child Left Behind
For one group of students -- those who receive special education services -- NCLB has provoked discussions that span a wide range of opinions and positions. While much of the impact of NCLB remains to be seen -- after all, full implementation only began in the 2005-2006 school year -- its time to take a look at what we know about the rewards and roadblocks for special education students. This report provides a look at several specific requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and their impact on students receiving special education supports and services.

State Testing Accommodations: A Look at Their Value and Validity
Accountability demands, as required by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 have accelerated students’ use of accommodations on large-scale state assessments. In particular, students with disabilities and students with limited English proficiency are often provided with accommodations during testing in order to include them as full participants and provide them with fair testing conditions. This report describes the variability in the adoption and use of test accommodations across different states. In a similar vein, this report explores a new challenge to the use of test accommodations due to the recently released federal regulations allowing the creation of an alternate assessment, based on modified achievement standards for students with disabilities (U. S.Department of Education, 2007a).

NCLD also hosted a Webinar to discuss the impact of NCLB and the value of state testing accommodations. Click here to listen and watch the Webinar.

More information on No Child Left Behind can be found at www.ld.org/nclb.