Why is it worth using universally designed assessments?
Using universally designed assessments has the obvious benefit of enabling all students to take the same test, thus simplifying interpretation of results. In addition, universally designed assessments can reduce the paper work needed to comply with the IDEA ’97 legislation provision §300.532(c)(2), which states: If an assessment is not conducted under standard conditions, a description of the extent to which it varied from standard conditions (e.g., the qualifications of the person administering the test or the method of test administration) must be included in the evaluation report. (U.S. Dept. of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, 1999, Evaluation Procedures and Determination of Eligibility section, para. 4) If only ordinary accommodations are needed, this documentation task is simplified.
