Martha L. Thurlow

1. Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Decision Making Considerations for Validity Martha L. Thurlow

2. Many more people understand the difference between accommodations that alter the construct being measured and those that do not. For those accommodations that alter the construct, it is generally believed that when students use them, scores should be treated differently for aggregation or reporting. Where Are We?

3. Research on Effects of Accommodations • Universal design as a way to reduce the need for accommodations – does not eliminate the need • Research on the effects of accommodations is complicated – underlying decision making may not be at level of rigor needed for good designs • Paul Sherlock Center on Disabilities (2002) – accommodations often “bundled” and usually determined by location of student during testing rather than what IEP says

4. Research on Decision Making • DeStefano, Shriner, & Lloyd (2003) – test accommodations not always linked to instructional accommodations, not made on individual student level • Lazarus, Thompson, & Thurlow (2005) – special education teachers often unable to identify whether an accommodation was considered standard or nonstandard by the state; 1/3 did not know what happened to students’ scores when a nonstandard accommodation was used

5. Why are Decision Makers Having Problems? • Need to know the students’ needs – created by disability • Need to understand the state policies

6. Accommodation:Read Aloud Directions Number of states Allowed without Restriction 35 Allowed in Certain Circumstances 10 Allowed with Implications for Scoring 6 X

7. Accommodation:Read Aloud Questions Number of states Allowed without Restriction 3 Allowed in Certain Circumstances 44 Allowed with Implications for Scoring 14 X

8. Accommodation:Sign Interpret Questions Number of states Allowed without Restriction 13 Allowed in Certain Circumstances 29 Allowed with Implications for Scoring 8 X

9. Policies are complex – more and more because of the awareness that the validity of scores that result when accommodations are used is related to specific characteristics of what is assessed. It has been suggested that needed accommodations may even be item specific! What does that mean for NAEP and NCLB assessments?

10. Options • Ignore the issue and just continue on with our large-scale assessments, but do a lot more training • Continue to strive for universally designed tests and hope that we can ignore accommodation-by-individual item thoughts

11. Options • Use computer-based testing where accommodations can be used or not used at the item level • For specialized cases, think about the use of a decision-making tree approach (this is for states or districts)See example to follow

12. Problem: A student who is deaf is required by the state assessment to match the sounds of words. What accommodation can be provided for this student? Issue: The skill is one that is a part of a larger assessment in which the student can participate. The student cannot perform on these types of items because of the disability – they would be measuring the disability. What should be done?

13. Five points of decision can be followed by a state to determine how to address this issue: • Does the skill in question reflect a standard that is to be assessed? • Is there a clear match between the breadth and depth in the standard and how the standard is reflected on the test?

14. Five points of decision : • Is there an accommodation that can be used by a student, even though it might not be used for other aspects of the assessment? • Is there an alternative skill that could be used for students whose disability precludes performance of the skill?

15. Five points of decision : • Is there a way to score the assessment so that the student and the school are not punished because the student’s disability precludes performance on the skill? Similar questions can be applied for ELLs with disabilities (e.g., an ELL who is deaf taking a listening test).

16. Attaining valid large-scale assessment scores with the use of accommodations is going to have to go beyond studies of the effects of accommodations.