Accountability and Access to Opportunity: Mutually Exclusive Tenets Under a High-Stakes Testing Mandate

Abstract

Abstract The No Child Left Behind Act mandates that all students must be included in accountability assessments of educational progress. This article examines the undesirable social and vocational ramifications associated with the use of a single high-stakes test to assess the academic proficiencies of students with disabilities and the present discriminatory nature of the required performance on one standardized exam. Acceptable alternatives satisfy the requirement of accountability and ensure equal access to opportunity for students with disabilities in a fair and nondiscriminatory manner.