Understanding Participation: Secondary Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and the Accountability System

Abstract

All students are expected to participate in accountability systems and multiple options exist for students with disabilities, including taking the general large-scale assessment with and without accommodations and taking an alternate assessment. Using a secondary analysis of the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2), the researcher conducted frequency distributions, descriptive statistics, and Chi Square Tests of Association to understand the participation of secondary students with autism spectrum disorder in standardized assessments. The results indicate that the most frequent means secondary students with autism spectrum disorder participate in standardized assessments is via an alternate assessment, although individual (i.e., functional skills) and educational factors (e.g., time in general education setting) mediate. The researcher also found low rates of accommodations provided on standardized assessments. Additional research is needed regarding the participation of students with autism spectrum disorder in the accountability system, but the results of this study suggest a relationship between both a student's time in general education and his/her functional skills and his/her type of participation in the accountability system.