ABSTRACT
Special populations in schools today include students with disabilities and students who are learning English. Some of the greatest challenges for setting performance standards arise when the needs and characteristics of special populations are considered. The challenge does not start there, however, because the delineation of content standards also raises issues when addressing students with disabilities and English language learners. In this chapter, our purpose is first to examine the setting of content standards that are appropriate for all students in schools today; and second, to address the setting of performance standards. As we do this, we necessarily confront challenges in adequately assessing students so that content and performance standards make sense for all students.
