Assessment of Students With Sensory Disabilities: Evidence-Based Practices

This article presents an overview of recommended practices for assessing students who are deaf/hard of hearing, visually impaired, or deafblind. These recommendations were originally derived from a systematic review of research studies, policy documents, and professional literature on assessment (1990-2013) for the Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform (CEEDAR) Center. This review was then updated through 2016 on select topics identified in the original review with the addition of research on assessment accommodations, dynamic assessment, and curriculum-based assessment. The authors applied the CEEDAR Center rubric criteria for evaluating the strength of evidence for each identified practice. Across the disability groups, evidence was at the emerging to moderate levels, with the highest level of evidence for assessment accommodations specific to each disability.