Disaggregation: What's Good for the Goose is Good for the Gander, Assessment for NCLB vs. Assessment for Learning Disability Identification

Authors

  • Miriam Cherkes-Julkowski

Abstract

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) finnly insists that performance analyses use disaggregated scores. Disaggregation, according to NCLB, involves measuring and reporting achievement for separate subgroups of children so that achievement problems in anyone subgroup are not disguised when averaged or aggregated with higher achieving children in the same classroom. Despite the absolute requirement for disaggregation in NCLB, it has become common practice to do the opposite when identifying students with learning disabilities: use aggregated or composite ability and achievement scores. In fact, school personnel are highly resistant to disaggregating the ability and achievement scores for individual children. The aggregating procedure used to identify learning disabilities flagrantly flies in the face of those very sound disaggregating measurement principles considered nonnegotiable in NCLB.

Issue

Section

Articles