ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with an overview of high-stakes tests and their impact on students, teachers, and parents, followed by a description of the laws governing participation in statewide assessments. The use of high-stakes tests, such as exit exams, which are used to determine what type of high school diploma is earned, may have lifelong consequences. As participation rates in high-stakes tests among students with disabilities increase, so does the use of testing accommodations. Increased use of accommodations should reflect an attempt to ensure that the scores received by students with disabilities are valid measures of achievement. Ysseldyke et al. found that high-stakes assessments seem to encourage better communication with parents about students' skill levels, accommodations, and the various options available to the students. A variety of testing conditions can influence the degree to which students with disabilities demonstrate what they truly know and can do.
