The goal of school is learning. Assessments are just one way—albeit a very important way—in which we find out whether students have learned or not. For many students, especially those with disabilities, being able to show what's been learned is greatly improved when teachers provide individualized instruction and appropriate accommodations in the classroom and in testing situations.

The sheer variety of accommodations and assessments allows IEP teams a range of tools by which to understand and maximize student ability. Progress monitoring along the way adds an extra and powerful tool for continually checking on student growth and adjusting instruction to match student need. Carefully selecting accommodations to address student strengths, challenges, and experiences means that students with disabilities have the supports they need to access classroom instruction and then demonstrate what they've learned.

Investigating and providing strategies such as accommodations that support student success can have obviously beneficial results for students—which is reason enough to provide them, plus it’s the law—but they can be beneficial for our schools as well.  Schools and educational systems as a whole are accountable for the results they achieve and must demonstrate that their students are learning. As Dr. Lynn Boyer sees it, “You really try with all these options – including accommodations – that allow children to demonstrate what they know to not only get more accurate test scores but also to help the children to learn." Providing students with disabilities with the equipment necessary to succeed in the classroom and show their knowledge and skills in a regular assessment format means that they are truly included in the world of education.