Labor and Employment

Session Notes

The session presenters discussed how the process of assessing youth with disabilities relates to both No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements and student education and transition goals. South Dakota Senator Ed Olson, session moderator, introduced the topic with a story of a recent high school graduate with disabilities who began her schooling with a misleading assessment which, when reconducted, resulted in a highly productive and successful educational experience.  Jane Krentz, currently a research fellow at the National Center on Educational Outcomes (a former state legislator and chair of NCSL's Education Committee), provided a history of testing policy at the national level, including a discussion of how assessment requirements may drive expectations of students.  Jane also discussed issues around the Department of Education's case-by-case state NCLB exemptions for this population.  Bob Runkel described Montana's Comprehensive Assessment system, an innovative effort that capitalizes on the state's rural and small school districts.  A highlight of the Montana program is the evaluation of children using both Montana Reading and Mathematics content standards and expanded benchmarks, measured through teacher observation.  Joan Wills, director of the Center on Workforce Development at the Institute for Educational Leadership, closed the session with a summary of how workplace expectations can be met and even exceeded through a quality redesign of the assessment process and education plan.  Ms. Wills argued for alternative testing with an emphasis on workplace transition skills and competencies. She also stressed the importance of an intra-agency approach to education in order to best serve students with disabilities.

	Speakers/Presentations
Jane Krentz  Research Fellow  National Center on Educational Outcomes  Minneapolis, Minnesota  - Power Point Presentation  - Printer Friendly (PDF) Version	Bob Runkel  Administrator  Office of Public Instruction, Division of Special Education  Helena, Montana  - Power Point Presentation  - Printer Friendly (PDF) Version	Joan Wills   Director, Center for Workforce Development  Institute for Educational Leadership  Director, National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth  Washington, D.C.  - Power Point Presentation  - Printer Friendly (PDF) Version
Senator Ed Olson	Jane Krentz	Bob Runkel and Joan Wills

 2005 NCSL Annual Meeting Disability Sessions