Nonverbal Assessment of Academic Achievement with Special Populations

Abstract

Current accountability systems in national and state education agencies place a high value on the inclusion of all students in evaluation efforts. The Gallaudet Research Institute has taken the lead in developing state-of-the-art norms for deaf students taking individual and group standard achievement tests. For those educators who will be administering tests to deaf students, the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf has developed a Code of Ethics which insures that translators convey accurately the meaning of test items, do not unethnically help or advise test-takers, and accurately record responses when necessary. As demonstrated by this chapter, planning alternate assessments for students with severe speech and physical impairments is a complex affair. However, it is incumbent on professionals who work with this population to understand that adherence to strict standardization can be relaxed in lieu of what is effective in eliciting maximum performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)