K-12 special education policies and practices that ensure students with disabilities receive a free, appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment are coming under pressure from the rapid expansion of online learning. Forty-six state and non-state jurisdiction special education directors responded to a brief survey about K-12 online learning. Findings demonstrated an increase in the number of states providing online instruction; indicated that students with many different types of disabilities participate in online learning; and described the directors' reflections on current issues as well as anticipated barriers to students with disabilities participating in online learning. Ambiguity and variability existed across state policies regarding online education as each state may have been in a different stage of adopting this relatively new approach to K-12 education. As a result, students bring to their undergraduate education a wide array of perceptions, attitudes, and prior experiences that may affect their learning outcomes.

In conjunction with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (IDEA; PL 105-17), the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 (NCLB; PL 107-110) calls for enhancements to existing assessment and accountability systems within specific timelines. The NCLB Act also stresses the importance of using reliable and valid data for decision making. This study examined the consequential validity of a large-scale alternate assessment system for students with severe cognitive disabilities in one midwestern state. Three hundred and four teachers completed a survey designed to measure their perceptions of the alternate assessment's influence on instruction and the development of individualized education programs (IEPs). Findings indicated the assessment had a strong influence on instruction and a strong, but lesser influence on the development of IEPs.

Alternate assessment scoring and reporting systems are emerging across states. This article highlights those of Delaware and Indiana. Delaware's alternate assessment portfolios are scored by two third parties using a multidimensional rubric. Scores are checked for agreement, and discrepancies are resolved. Delaware reports five dimension scores and a total portfolio score, aligned in format to the regular assessment reports. In Indiana, lead teachers use a rubric similar to that used in general education assessments to score alternate assessment electronic portfolios. The state is in the process of developing a common metric for domain and subdomain scores, which will allow alternate assessment scores to be reported with the same level of detail as general assessment scores. Although these states were selected for this report due to their preparedness in the area of reporting, both view their methods as still evolving and improving.

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