,,ii  #aadth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #ebh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,february #ab1 #bjae
 ,mr4 ,casey 7for himself and ,mrs4     
,murray7 introduced the following bill2 
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,health1 ,education1     
,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a ,,bill  ,to   
amend the ,elementary and ,secondary    
,education ,act of #aife in order to    
improve the requirements regarding      
alternate standards and assessments for 
students with the most significant      
cognitive disabilities1 and for other   
purposes4  #a4 ,short title  ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,empowering ,parents
 and ,students ,through ,information    
,act4  #b4 ,alternate standards and     
assessments for students with the most  
significant cognitive disabilities      
,section #aaaa of the ,elementary and   
,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj
 ,u4,s4,c4 #fcaa7 is amended-- 7#a7 in  
subsection 7b7--  7,a7 in paragraph     
7#a71 by adding at the end the          

following3  7,g7 ,state requirements for
 alternate achievement standards        
,notwithstanding subparagraph 7,b71 in  
the case of any ,state that elects to   
use alternate academic achievement      
standards in any subject included in the
 ,state's accountability system under   
paragraph 7#b7 for students with the    
most significant cognitive disabilities1
 in accordance with section             
#fab7;a77#af7 of the ,individuals with  
,disabilities ,education ,act and       
sections #bjj4a7;d7 and #bjj4f7;a77#b7  
of title #cd1 ,code of ,federal         
,regulations1 or any successor          
regulation1 the ,state shall--  7i7     
establish and monitor implementation of 
clear and appropriate guidelines for    
individualized education program teams  
7as defined in section #fad7;d77#a77;,b7
 of the ,individuals with ,disabilities 
,education ,act7 to apply in            
determining1 on an annual and           
subject-by-subject basis1 when a child's
 significant cognitive disability       

justifies assessment based on alternate 
academic achievement standards2  7ii7   
ensure that parents of the students whom
 the ,state plans to assess using       
alternate assessments-- 7,i7 are        
involved in the decision that their     
child's academic achievement will be    
measured against alternate academic     
achievement standards1 consistent with  
section #fad7;d77#a77;,a77i77,,vi77bb7  
of the ,individuals with ,disabilities  
,education ,act2  7,,ii7 provide        
informed consent that their child's     
achievement will be measured against    
alternate academic achievement standards
 using such assessment2 and  7,,iii7 are
 informed of any effect that            
participation in such assessment may    
have on their child's academic          
preparation and eligibility for a       
regular secondary school diploma1 as    
determined by the ,state2  7iii7 provide
 evidence that students with the most   
significant cognitive disabilities are  
included in and making progress in the  

general curriculum for the grade in     
which the students are enrolled and in  
assessments aligned with that           
curriculum1 as described in section     
#fja7;c77#e77;,a7 of the ,individuals   
with ,disabilities ,education ,act2     
7iv7 develop1 disseminate information   
about1 make available1 and promote the  
use of reasonable accommodations to     
increase the number of students with the
 most significant cognitive disabilities
 participating in grade-level academic  
instruction and assessments aligned with
 grade-level academic standards1 and    
promote the use of reasonable           
accommodations to increase the number of
 students with the most significant     
cognitive disabilities who are tested   
against grade-level academic achievement
 standards2  7v7 take steps to ensure   
general and special education teachers  
and other appropriate staff know how to 
administer assessments1 including how to
 make appropriate use of accommodations1
 for students with disabilities2  7vi7  

require separate annual determinations  
about whether a student should be       
assessed using an alternate assessment  
based on alternate academic achievement 
standards for each subject assessed2 and
  7vii7 ensure that students who take an
 alternate assessment based on alternate
 academic achievement standards are not 
precluded from attempting to complete   
the requirements for a regular secondary
 school diploma1 as determined by the   
,state4  2 and  7,b7 in paragraph 7#b71 
by adding at the end the following3     
7,l7 ,no inclusion of ,i,e,ps ,a ,state 
shall not use any student individualized
 education program1 as defined in       
section #fjb7ad7 of the ,individuals    
with ,disabilities ,education ,act1 in  
the ,state accountability system4  2 and
  7#b7 in subsection 7h77#a77;,c7-- 7,a7
 in clause 7i71 by striking disability  
status and inserting disability category
 described in section #fjb7c7 of the    
,individuals with ,disabilities         
,education ,act2  7,b7 in clause 7vii71 

by striking and after the semicolon2    
7,c7 in clause 7viii71 by striking the  
period at the end and inserting 2 and2  
and  7,d7 by adding at the end the      
following3  7ix7 the number and         
percentage of students with disabilities
 who take an alternate assessment based 
on alternate achievement standards1 by  
grade and subject1 and1 for each grade  
and subject1 by disability category     
described in section #fjb7c7 of the     
,individuals with ,disabilities         
,education ,act1 except that            
disaggregation shall not be required in 
a case in which the number of students  
in a category is insufficient to yield  
statistically reliable information or   
the results would reveal personally     
identifiable information about an       
individual student4  4