Test items undergo multiple iterations of review before states and vendors deem them acceptable to be placed in a live statewide assessment. This article reviews three approaches that can add validity evidence to states' item review processes. The first process is a structured sensitivity review process that focuses on universal design considerations for items. The second method is a series of statistical analyses intended to increase the limited amount of information that can be derived from analyses on low‐incidence populations (such as students who are blind, deaf, or have cognitive disabilities). Finally, think aloud methods are described as a method for understanding why particular items might be problematic for students.

This article examines topics found in reading standards for K–12 education and then examines the standards from a perspective of accessibility for students with a variety of sensory and learning disabilities. The article begins by first determining how broad or limiting states' reading standards are in coverage and whether focus on particular standards limits options for students to use multiple methods of interaction with print (e.g., accessing print through visual, audio, tactile, or multiple modalities). A review of standards found that state standards generally fall into the following categories: the acquisition of specific skills; the knowledge of the elements or conventions in language; literacy as an interactive, thinking activity; literacy as a problem-solving tool; and literacy as a catalyst for personal growth. With the exception of specific skill standards, all standards have the potential to be accessed through different modalities.

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) and the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA '04) raise the achievement expectations of all students, including students with disabilities. These requirements place new responsibilities on institutions of higher education and state educational agencies to ensure that teachers are knowledgeable about state academic content and achievement standards and expectations. This paper puts forth competencies for teachers in this new era of standards-based education that were developed by the Educational Policy Reform Research Institute (EPRRI), in collaboration with the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO), and validated by participants at a national symposium on teacher quality. The paper also compares these competencies with Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) model standards and the state standards for beginning teachers of one state to see whether current standards contain the proposed competencies. In conclusion, these competencies are proposed as a supplement to existing standards and are envisioned as an aid in matching existing standards to federal and state requirements.

This chapter presents factors to consider in the design of online assessments for all students, including students with disabilities and English-language learners. It presents a process and considerations for the initial transformation of paper-and-pencil assessments to inclusive online assessments, focusing on features of universal design, the use of assistive technology, and an examination of the use of individual accommodations in light of the content tested. The authors hope to convey the importance of implementing a process for addressing these considerations from the beginning of online assessment design. Retrofitting completed assessments can result in concerns about validity.