Learners with Significant Disabilities

Standards-based reform is now having a direct impact on students with significant disabilities, as states meet the new requirements in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for large-scale alternate assessment. This mandate for assessment and accountability of learners with significant disabilities will influence curriculum decision making for years to come. This article examines how states are responding to this requirement and stresses the need for a deliberate process that maintains the current emphasis on achieving meaningful outcomes within the context of inclusive classrooms.