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The Department of Education will direct $14 million from current fiscal year resources to increase State capacity for rigorous assessment, instruction, and accountability for students with disabilities.
The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), and the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) will jointly implement the Action Plan detailed below.
Goal: To provide immediate support to States that agree to improve their assessments in exchange for greater flexibility of AYP requirements for students with disabilities.
Resources: $5,000,000 from OSERS
Actions:
Develop a comprehensive "Tool Kit" with information to help States improve instruction and assessments for students with disabilities.
Form a working group to assist the Department in ensuring that technical assistance is directly linked to improving student achievement.
Announce FY05 Competition for Enhanced Assessment Grants.
Goal: Provide support to States to improve instruction in reading and math for students with disabilities.
Resources: $3,000,000 from OSERS
Action:
OSERS will issue two Requests for Proposals (RFP) for funding in 2005:
Goal: Improve accountability for students who are held to alternate and modified achievement standards and track changes in practice as a result of the new flexibility.
Resources: $6,000,000 from IES
Action:
IES will issue an RFP for funding in 2005 to conduct a study to address the validity and reliability of alternate assessments; their alignment with State content standards in reading, math, and science; and the number and type of students who take these assessments.
OSERS will continue to direct significant IDEA discretionary funds to improve assessments, instruction, and accountability for students with disabilities.
IES will invest several million dollars a year for 3 to 5 years for research grants to improve and evaluate instruction, and teacher training and professional development to improve reading, writing, math, and science skills for children with disabilities.
OESE will support Comprehensive Technical Assistance Centers that will focus on improving assessments, instruction, and accountability for all students, particularly students with disabilities.
OESE, OSERS, and IES will continue to collaborate to ensure that efforts are coordinated across special education and Title I programs and directly linked to improving student achievement.
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