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There has been a paradigm shift from accommodations to the identification of levels of accessibility (e.g., universal features, designated features, and accommodations). A consequence of this shift is that many students with disabilities who previously were assigned accommodations now access many of them as universal or designated features. This Brief highlights what states and Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams can do to avoid possible unintended consequences of the paradigm shift.

Many students with disabilities use accessibility features and accommodations during instruction and when taking assessments. It is important to consider teacher perceptions and experiences when making accessibility decisions. The National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) synthesized and summarized research conducted between 1999 and 2022 on the perceptions of teachers regarding accommodations. Based on this research on teachers' perceptions of accommodations, NCEO suggests several strategies that could improve practice.

This report highlights the findings of the sixteenth survey of states conducted by the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO). It has been administered for more than three decades to collect information from states about the participation and performance of students with disabilities in the assessments that comprise the comprehensive assessment system. Topics addressed included: accessibility and accommodations, alternate assessments based on alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS), interim assessments, accountability, English learners with disabilities, technology, graduation requirements, State Systemic Improvement Plans (SSIPs)/State-identified Measurable Results (SiMRs), family engagement, and technical assistance needs.

This report summarizes an investigation of literature published in 1985-2023 on universal design (UD) of large-scale assessments. State education agencies, K-12 assessment vendors, teacher trainers, and classroom teachers are increasingly applying the principles of UD to the instruction and assessment of students from special populations. In theory, UD ensures that instruction and assessment are created from the beginning to be accessible to the widest population of students possible. Yet, it is unclear how these UD frameworks and their associated principles and elements are being applied, or even which UD framework is used. This obscurity and lack of defined UD principles in the research literature creates obstacles in research replication and in identification of evidence-based practices. This scoping review identifies how the concept of UD has been applied to the broad range of U.S. district and state large-scale academic assessments. We included literature on the application of UD to the broad range of K-12 district and state large-scale academic assessments in the U.S.

Taking an inclusive and equitable approach to emergency management planning means considering the needs of all populations, and neurodivergent individuals are entitled to the same emergency services as neurotypical individuals. Core planning teams should team up with disability specialists, parents and guardians, and Individualized Education Program or Section 504 teams familiar with the student's needs to adjust the school emergency operations plan (EOP) so that it is ready to accommodate a range of neurodivergences in a variety of settings. This fact sheet contains suggested strategies for core planning teams as they engage in school EOP development.

While institutions of higher education (IHEs) encourage freedom of expression, critical thinking, and the dynamic exchange of ideas, they have also historically been the setting for social and political demonstrations. It is important for university leaders to collaborate closely with safety, security, and emergency management partners. This fact sheet provides information on the types of protests and demonstrations at IHEs, the importance of protecting student voices and their right to protest while maintaining safety, considerations for campus safety leaders and partners, and emergency management planning and developing a Protest/Civil Unrest Annex.

Cybersecurity remains a critical concern for school systems nationwide, showing a consistent increase in publicly disclosed K-12 cyber incidents over the past 5 years. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's 2024 Homeland Threat Assessment underscores this trend, predicting ongoing targeting of K-12 school networks by cyber actors who will continue to seek access to school networks, noting that "K-12 school districts have been a near constant ransomware target due to school systems' IT budget constraints and lack of dedicated resources." This fact sheet guides administrators, educators, support staff, and IT staff through the prevention, response, and recovery stages of a ransomware incident at the district level. It also highlights tested strategies and the importance of collaboration with key stakeholders.

For more than a decade, the GMACTM Prospective Students Survey (PSS) has provided the world's graduate business schools with critical insights into the decision-making processes of people actively applying to, considering, or researching graduate management education (GME) programs. Its questions--covering a diverse range of topics that impact prospective students' application and enrollment decisions--provide school professionals with timely, relevant, and reliable market intelligence to inform how they engage with candidates to build their incoming classes. Respondents include candidates who visited GMAC's web properties (i.e., mba.com, businessbecause.com, callingalloptimists.com, gmac.com, gmat.com.cn, and social media accounts) to learn about and prepare applications to GME programs. Respondents may also be members of partner organizations (e.g., Forté Foundation, Beta Alpha Psi) who are interested in GME. This year's report, which considers data collected throughout the 2023 calendar year, continues to explore trends in the candidate pipeline, program preferences, mobility considerations, and career goals. The first section builds on previous year's results about candidate interest in social impact, leveraging the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals as a framework. It focuses on new questions added to this year's survey about candidate demand for equity and inclusion, sustainability, and health and well-being in their academic experiences. The report then considers surging interest in artificial intelligence (AI); evolutions in candidate expectations for flexibility; motivations behind candidate mobility from key markets; trends in certifications and micro-credentials; and the ongoing patterns in candidate career preparation and upskilling. Each section begins with actionable insights for program and recruitment consideration, then expands on some of the key points that emerged from this year's analysis.

Alternate assessments aligned to alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS) are designed and implemented for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. Historically, these assessments have been described as reflecting reduced "depth," "breadth," and "complexity." Yet, the meaning of these terms is often not defined. The purpose of this report is to provide: (1) an overview of relevant history and legislation that address depth, breadth, and complexity of AA-AAAS; and (2) questions for states to consider as they revise or develop new AA-AAAS. This information also can be useful for states submitting evidence for an existing AA-AAAS to the U.S. Department of Education peer review process.

There continues to be confusion among some educators and staff in State Education Agencies (SEAs) and Local Education Agencies (LEAs) about what is an accommodation and what is a modification. This confusion about accommodations and modifications happens in how these words are used in both instruction and assessment. The confusion is further compounded by the use of the term "modified curriculum" when describing the academic content taught to some students with disabilities. The misunderstandings of these terms affect how Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) are written and then implemented. The purpose of this Brief is to clarify what accommodations and modifications are for both instruction and assessment for students with disabilities. We also disentangle the use of the term "alternate or modified curriculum" from the meaning of modification used for instruction and assessment. Accommodations and modifications can also be appropriate for English learners; however, this Brief is focused on students with disabilities, including English learners with disabilities.

The presence of volunteers, both affiliated and unaffiliated, and the influx of donations during and after an emergency can be addressed through a comprehensive emergency operations plan (EOP). Education agencies and their planning teams must consider developing a system that addresses the different types of donations and volunteers, how they will be distributed and managed, who will be involved in that process internally and externally, and how to communicate with organizations and individuals playing key roles. Furthermore, an EOP should consider how to ensure the safety of students, staff members, and visitors while volunteers are on campus, as well as the tools needed to maintain and manage volunteers, donations, and the various operational functions that come with their influx.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bullying among youths includes any unwanted aggressive behavior involving an imbalance of power that is repeated multiple times or is likely to be repeated. Hate speech, also called bias-based speech, is a type of discriminatory harassment that can occur as verbal or written slurs, stereotypes, or images involving any protected characteristic. Bullying and harassment can have significant negative physical, psychological, and academic consequences on those who are bullied, those who bully others, and those who witness bullying. All federally funded educational institutions are legally obligated to address discriminatory harassment. This fact sheet explains how core and ad hoc planning team members at K-12 schools and school districts can prepare for bullying, harassment, and hate speech through the development of a Bullying Annex.

The Prospective Students Survey is one of the Graduate Management Admission Council's (GMAC) keystone research programs. The global graduate management education (GME) community has relied on data from this survey to gain insights about candidates' decision-making processes when considering and applying to graduate business schools since 2009. The findings detailed in this report are based on responses from a total of 2,710 individuals surveyed between January and December 2022. Prospective students who responded represent those interested in various MBA and business master's program categories, including full-time MBA, professional MBA, executive MBA, master's in management and international management, and other specialized business master's programs. Responses used for analysis included candidates who are at different stages of the GME journey, including those who are actively applying to business schools or currently doing research about graduate business degrees. This year, the information gleaned from the Prospective Students Survey is being released in a nine-part series for easier consumption and improved user experience. This overview report contains the following sections: (1) Career Aspirations; (2) Career Goals; (3) Industries of Interest; (4) Job Functions of Interest; and (5) Methodology. [The following individuals made significant contributions to the publication of this report: Quan Yuan, Alexandria Williams, and Kun Yuan.]

The Prospective Students Survey is one of the Graduate Management Admission Council's (GMAC) keystone research programs. The global graduate management education (GME) community has relied on data from this survey to gain insights about candidates' decision-making processes when considering and applying to graduate business schools since 2009. This year, the rich information gleaned from the Prospective Students Survey is being released in a nine-part series for easier consumption and improved user experience. The findings detailed in this overview report are based on responses from a total of 2,710 prospective students surveyed between January and December 2022 who represent those interested in various MBA and business master's program categories, including full-time MBA, professional MBA, executive MBA, master's in management and international management, and other specialized business master's programs. Responses used for analysis included candidates who are at different stages of the GME journey, including those who are actively applying to business schools or currently doing research about graduate business degrees. Descriptive analyses were conducted on survey responses to examine prospective students' program of study preferences, application plans, and preferred study destination. This overview report contains the following sections: (1) Graduate Management Education Decisions; (2) Program Choice; (3) School Selection Criteria; (4) Study Destination Considerations; and (5) Methodology. [Contributors of the report include: Quan Yuan, Alexandria Williams, and Kun Yuan.]

This Deans Summary highlights the key themes and insights of the GMAC Prospective Students Survey -- 2023 Summary Report. It continues to explore trends in the candidate pipeline, program preferences, and career goals as well as new questions added to this year's survey about first-generation candidates, motivations for pursuing GME, and social issues like sustainability and corporate social responsibility. [For the related report, "GMAC Prospective Students Survey. 2023 Summary Report," see ED630796. For the 2022 report, see ED623229.]

For more than a decade, the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) Prospective Students Survey (PSS) has provided the world's graduate business schools with critical insights into the decision-making processes of people currently considering applying to a graduate management education (GME) program. Its questions--covering a diverse range of topics that impact prospective students' application and enrollment decisions--provide school professionals with timely, relevant, and reliable market intelligence to inform how they engage with candidates to build their incoming classes. This year's summary report, which considers data collected in the 2022 calendar year, continues to explore trends in the candidate pipeline, program preferences, and career goals. It also focuses on new questions added to this year's survey about first-generation candidates, motivations for pursuing GME, and social issues like sustainability and corporate social responsibility. The report then considers the longevity of trends in online and hybrid education and candidate mobility brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. [Contributors of the report include: Andrew Walker, Alexandria Williams, Nicola Rampino, Quan Yuan, Kun Yuan, and Sabrina White. For the related report, "GMAC Prospective Students Survey. 2023 Deans Summary," see ED630799. For the 2022 report, see ED623211.]

Women represent a key demographic in the global workforce and are increasingly seeking advanced degrees to further their careers. However, many barriers and challenges still exist in attracting and retaining prospective female students in graduate management education (GME) programs. This research brief takes a closer look at the perspectives of women in the GME pipeline. Data is leveraged from GMAC's Prospective Students Survey, in which candidates self-select their gender identity, as well as other research to better understand their motivations and goals. With this understanding, GME programs can better tailor messaging to use when marketing to this key audience. First, the brief examines the mindset female candidates have expressed in the survey, including the motivations and barriers they consider when assessing a potential next step in GME. Then, through the identification of female candidates' hopes for potential benefits from GME, the second section contextualizes these preferences. With a better understanding of female GME candidates' mindsets and hopes, the final section examines their associated career goals and expectations and their plans for the future.

Up to 1.0% of the total tested state student population in a subject area may participate in the alternate assessment based on alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS). This Brief presents the results of analyses of states' AA-AAAS participation rates from 2015-16 through 2018-19. Information is presented on: (a) the number of states meeting the 1.0% participation requirement in each year from 2015-16 through 2018-19 for mathematics (i.e., math) and reading/language arts (i.e., reading), and (b) states with decreasing and states with increasing patterns of participation rates across the four years in math and reading.

This research brief provides insights on first-generation candidates in graduate management education including data on their motivations, financial plans, and barriers to pursuing higher education. These findings can help business school professionals to better understand and support this population of business school students. The brief draws upon GMAC's 2022 Prospective Students Survey data as well as expert insights to glean a closer look into how schools might most appropriately support first-generation students in graduate management education.