Effects and Uses Standardized Testing For Learning Disabled Students.

             Early studies on standardized achievement tests among learning-disabled children suggest that with regard to standardized achievement tests, learning-disabled students typically exhibit "cognitive and affective deficits" on certain test-taking aspects (Scruggs 267). These deficits may be alleviated in part through training and education for test takers and administrators (Scruggs, 1986). While deficits exist many in the educational community still believe standardized achievement testing is an important and vital function of education (Scruggs, 1986). Still other measures are necessary to fully understand the abilities of learning disabled students and to improve their test taking skills, attitudes toward tests and ability to take tests as accurately as possible (Scruggs, 1986).

             The Council for Learning Disabilities and National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities (NJCLD) (2004) recently teamed together to evaluate state and district wide assessments of learning outcomes in learning disabled students. Their reports suggest that while educational institutions may use standardized assessments to achieve high academic standards for students, students with learning disabilities often present "needed opportunities and serious challenges" (p. 67). In recent years federal regulations have required educational institutions to provide access to standardized tests and accountability for students with learning disabilities, including legislation such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (Council Learning Disabilities, 2004). .

             Many states use standardized assessments as a requirement for high school graduation (Thurlow, Wiley & Beilinski, 2002; Council Learning Disabilities, 2004). Standardized assessments do however have the potential to harm learning disabled students when administered improperly or when educational facilities lack the resources to administer tests correctly or administer tests with improper reliability and validity protocols for assessing learning disabled outcomes (Council Learning Disabilities, 2004).