Americans with Disabilities Act (1990): This act requires that youth with disabilities be provided with the same benefits and services as are available to youth without disabilities. ADA is known as a major employment act, with implications for both physical plant accommodations and other accommodations for individuals with disabilities. It also requires that accommodations be provided to youngsters with disabilities.

Assessment: Assessment refers to a collection of data that can be collected in many different ways, one of which is testing. Assessment includes collections of student work such as portfolios, interviews, observations, and record review, to name a few.

Educational Accountability: A systematic way to assure those inside and outside the educational system that schools are moving in desired directions (Center for Policy Options, 1993).

Improving America’s Schools Act (1994, reauthorization in 1999): Formerly known as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), this law funds Title I programs (also known as Chapter 1 in the past). Title I is a major funding source for schools with disadvantaged students. The 1994 IASA, and its reauthorization in 1999, made the requirements that students with disabilities are to be included in the programs, and in the evaluation systems for the programs, which were to be based on standards and assessed through state and district assessments.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (1997): This far reaching re-authorization emphasizes standards-based reform, access to the general education curriculum, and inclusion in state and district assessments. This law applies to students between the ages of 3-21 who qualify for special education. IDEA 1997 guarantees the right to free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment for students with disabilities. As a result of IDEA 1997, states must establish goals and perfor ance indicators for the performance of children with disabilities that are consistent with those set for other children by the state. Students with disabilities must be included in state and district assessment or in an alternate developed for them, and their performance must be reported publicly in the same way and with the same frequency as for students without disabilities

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (1973): This law prohibits discrimination in federally funded programs on the basis of disability. Section 504 provides supports to ensure that youth with disabilities have an equal opportunity to gain the same benefits, obtain the same results, and reach the same level of achievement as their peers without disabilities. This section of the Rehab act is the basis for 504 accommodation plans.

Student Accountability: Students are held responsible; consequences for results are assigned to them.

System Accountability: Educators, schools, and/or districts are held responsible; consequences for results are assigned to them.

Testing: Testing is a narrower term than assessment. Testing can mean administering one particular test, be it classroom or norm-referenced, for the overall purpose of assessing student knowledge in particular areas.