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NCLB Alternate Assessment Policies and Postschool Employment Outcomes for Individuals With Significant Cognitive
Collin Shepley1, R Joseph Waddington1
1Collin Shepley, University of Kentucky; and R. Joseph Waddington, University of Notre Dame.
Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
|January 28, 2024
Summary
Alternate assessment policies for students with significant cognitive disabilities showed descriptively positive employment outcomes. However, imprecise estimates indicate more research is needed on these special education accountability measures.
Area of Science:
- Special Education
- Educational Policy
- Labor Economics
Background:
- Debate exists regarding the impact of accountability assessments on students with significant cognitive disabilities.
- Previous research has primarily used correlational methods to study assessment impacts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the effect of alternate assessment policies under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
- To examine the impact of these policies on the employment outcomes of individuals with significant cognitive disabilities.
Main Methods:
- Employed a difference-in-differences approach.
- Utilized data from select waves of the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2.
Main Results:
- Alternate assessment policies were associated with descriptively positive employment outcomes.
- Statistical estimates of the impact were highly imprecise, suggesting uncertainty in the findings.
Conclusions:
- The findings present a complex picture regarding the employment effects of alternate assessment policies.
- Further research is necessary to clarify the precise impact on employment for this student population.
