Unlike many other parents in her situation, Matthew's mother insisted that her son take the tests. But a recent study conducted by the National Center on Educational Outcomes at the University of Minnesota showed that schools around the country routinely find ways of excluding students with learning problems from standardized exams. Students are sent on field trips, told to stay home or simply encouraged not to participate because tests have become a bottom-line issue in and out of schools, Ysseldyke and other researchers say. Principals and teachers get merit raises, promotions and bonuses based on students' performance. Real-estate agents boast about reading scores when they're showing homes.
Local officials use good schools to lure new businesses.
The disparity galls many people who work with these students. The law also requires states to provide alternate assessments by the year 2000 for severely disabled students. But Ysseldyke cautions that any alternate test could become a new dumping ground unless the government imposes a cap on how many students can take it. Some educators say the concern over testing disabled kids is a sign of progress. A generation ago, many of these students would have been kept out of school.