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The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) require all students with disabilities to be included in the state's assessment system.  Title I of NCLB further requires that the assessment results for all students who have been enrolled in a school for a full academic year be used in calculating adequate yearly progress (AYP) for the district and the state. On December 9, 2003, the United States Department of Education (USDOE) released final regulations, effective January 8, 2004, clarifying the accountability provisions for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001.

This bulletin highlights information in a question and answer format on the New York State Alternate Assessment (NYSAA) and Advice for Local Leaders. This information is excerpted from New York State Education Department (NYSED) and USDOE memoranda related to this topic.

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