简体中文
EnglishWhat is NCEO (National Center on Educational Outcomes)?
Updated
NCEO is the National Center on Educational Outcomes, a center focused on including students with disabilities—including students who are also English learners—in instruction and assessments. It is a research and resource organization, not a school, test provider, or enrollment service: its site offers briefs, newsletters, toolkits, data, and research summaries that states, districts, educators, and families can use to improve assessment policy and participation.
What NCEO works on
NCEO's stated scope covers accessibility across a comprehensive assessment system. That means its work is not limited to year-end state tests; it spans:
- Formative assessment practices
- Classroom-based assessments
- Diagnostic assessments
- Interim assessments
- Summative assessments
The common thread is making sure students with disabilities can participate meaningfully and show what they know, rather than being excluded from how learning is measured.
What you can find on nceo.info
The site organizes its material into publications and quick links. Current examples from the homepage include:
| Resource | What it is for |
|---|---|
| "Participation Matters" brief on statewide assessment participation | Connects policymakers with NCEO resources for improving assessment policies so students with disabilities fully participate |
| "More Than a Score" brief | Helps families of students with disabilities ask the right assessment questions when choosing a school, and explains key assessment terms |
| NCEO newsletter | Updates on conference sessions, a post-conference forum on process data, and recent publications |
| 1% Toolkit | Resources related to the 1% cap on alternate assessments |
| Accommodations Toolkit | Guidance on assessment accommodations |
| Annual Performance Reports (APR) and Assessment Snapshot Data | Data resources |
| Participation Communication Toolkit | Materials for communicating about assessment participation |
| School Leader Series and Special Education Directors Toolkit | Role-specific resources |
| ELs with Disabilities Toolkit | Resources for English learners with disabilities |
| Searchable Research Summaries, AA-AAAS Bibliography, Accommodations Bibliography | Research and reference collections |
| Videos | Multimedia resources |
Who it is for and how to use it
NCEO's audience is broad: state and local education agencies, policymakers, school leaders, special education directors, educators, and families. The right entry point depends on your task:
- If you set or interpret state assessment policy, start with the participation briefs and APR/snapshot data.
- If you are a school leader or special education director, the role-specific toolkits and accommodations resources are the most direct fit.
- If you are a parent choosing a school, the "More Than a Score" brief gives you questions to ask about how your child's learning will be measured and reported.
- If you need research, use the searchable research summaries and the two bibliographies.
What NCEO is not
NCEO does not administer tests, enroll students, or sell assessment products based on the site's description. It produces research, publications, and toolkits. If you need to register for a state assessment or request a testing accommodation for a specific student, those actions go through your state or district assessment office; NCEO's material is best used to understand the policy and ask better questions of those offices.