Universally Designed Assessments

Publications and Other Universal Design Resources

NCEO Resources

Online resources available at NCEO's Web site (the publications are listed chronologically, with the most recent first; Policy Directions will give a general overview of the issues with other publications providing greater depth):

• A Principled Approach to Accountability Assessments for Students with Disabilities (Synthesis Report 70)
  HTML document /PDF document
• Characteristics of States' Alternate Assessments Based on Modified Academic Achievement Standards in 2010-2011 (Synthesis Report 85)
  HTML document / PDF document
• Don't Forget Accommodations! Five Questions To Ask When Moving to Technology-based Assessments NCEO (NCEO Brief #1)
  HTML document / PDF document
• Meeting the Needs of Special Education Students: Recommendations for the Race-to-the-Top Consortia and States (Arabella Advisors)
  PDF document
• Student Think Aloud Reflections on Comprehensible and Readable Assessment Items: Perspectives on What Does and Does Not Make an Item Readable (Technical Report 48) HTML document / PDF document
• A State Guide to the Development of Universally Designed Assessments HTML document / PDF document
• Universal Design Online Manual HTML document
• Using the Think Aloud Method (Cognitive Labs) to Evaluate Test Design for Students with Disabilities and English Language Learner (Technical Report 44) HTML document / PDF document
• Using Systematic Item Selection Methods to Improve Universal Design of Assessments (Policy Directions 18) HTML document / PDF document (2006)
• Considerations for the Development and Review of Universally Designed Assessments (Technical Report 42) HTML document / PDF document (2005)
• 2005 State Special Education Outcomes: Steps Forward in a Decade of Change HTML document / PDF document (2005)

For reports before 2005, see NCEO's Archived Publications.

Additional Resources

Cortiella, C. (2009). A parent’s guide to universal design for learning.  New York: National Center for Learning Disabilities.

Dolan, R. P., Burling, K.S., Harms, M., Beck, R., Hanna, E., Jude, J., Murray, E.A., Rose, D.H., & Way, W. (2009). Universal design for computer-based testing guidelines. Iowa City, IA: Pearson.

Elliott, S. N., Kettler, R. J., Beddow, P. A., Kurz, A., Compton, E., McGrath, D., Bruen, C., Hinton, K., Palmer, P., Rodriguez, M., Bolt, D. & Roach, A. (2010). Effects of using modified items to test students with persistent academic difficulties. Council for Exceptional Children, 76(4), 475-495.

Johnstone, C. J., Thompson, S. J., Miller, N. A., & Thurlow, M. L. (2008). Universal design and multi-method approaches to item review. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 27(1),25-36.

Ketterlin-Geller, L. R. (2008).Testing students with special needs: A model for understanding the interaction between assessment and student characteristics in a universally designed environment. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 27(3), 3-16.

Laitusis, C. C. (2007). A variety of approaches for studying accommodations on assessments (pp.73-81). In Educational Testing Service (Eds.), Accommodating students with disabilities on state assessments: What works? Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service.

Leighton, J., Heffernan, C., Cor, M., Gokiert, R., & Cui, Y. (2008). An experimental test of student verbal reports and expert teacher evaluations as a source of validity evidence for test development. Edmonton, Canada: University of Alberta - Edmonton, Centre for Research in Applied Measurement and Evaluation.

Russell, M. & Kavanaugh, M. (Eds.). Assessing Students in the Margins. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

Thurlow, M. L., Johnstone, C. J., & Ketterlin-Geller, L. R. (2008). Universal design of assessment. In S. E. Burgstahler & R. C. Cory (Eds.), Universal design in higher education: From principles to practice (pp. 73-81). Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.

Top of page