Test Administrators' Perspectives on the Use of the Read Aloud Accommodation in Math on State

32 Pages·2012·0.24 MB·English

Technical Report 66
Test Administrators’ Perspectives on the
Use of the Read Aloud Accommodation in
Math on State Tests for Accountability
N A T I O N A L
C E N T E R O N
EDUCATIONAL
O U T C O M E S
In collaboration with:
Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)
National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE)
Supported by:
U.S. Office of Special Education Programs
Technical Report 66
Test Administrators’ Perspectives on the
Use of the Read Aloud Accommodation in
Math on State Tests for Accountability
Jennifer R. Hodgson • Sheryl S. Lazarus • Lynn M. Price •
Jason R. Altman • Martha L. Thurlow
October 2012
All rights reserved. Any or all portions of this document may be reproduced
and distributed without prior permission, provided the source is cited as:
Hodgson, J. R., Lazarus, S. S., Price, L. M., Altman, J. R., & Thurlow, M.
L. (2012). Test administrators’ perspectives on the use of the read aloud
accommodation in math on state tests for accountability (Technical Report 66).
Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, National Center on Educational
Outcomes.
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N A T I O N A L
C E N T E R O N
EDUCATIONAL
O U T C O M E S
The Center is supported through a Cooperative Agreement (#H326G110002)
with the Research to Practice Division, Office of Special Education Pro-
grams, U.S. Department of Education. The Center is affiliated with the In-
stitute on Community Integration at the College of Education and Human
Development, University of Minnesota. This report was funded with par-
tial support from the Multi-state GSEG Toward a Defensible AA-MAS.
This project is supported by General Supervision Enhancement Grants
(#H373X070021) from the Research to Practice Division, Office of Spe-
cial Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education. Opinions ex-
pressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of
Education or Offices within it.
NCEO Core Staff
Martha L. Thurlow, Director Kristi K. Liu
Deb A. Albus Ross E. Moen
Manuel T. Barrera Michael L. Moore
Laurene L. Christensen Rachel F. Quenemoen
Linda Goldstone Rebekah Rieke
James Hatten Christopher Rogers
Christopher J. Johnstone Miong Vang
Jane L. Krentz Yi-Chen Wu
Sheryl S. Lazarus
National Center on Educational Outcomes
University of Minnesota • 207 Pattee Hall
150 Pillsbury Dr. SE • Minneapolis, MN 55455
Phone [phone] • Fax [phone]
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without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status,
veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
This document is available in alternative formats upon request.
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Acknowledgments
The National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) with the state of South Dakota conducted
research that informed the development of Technical Report 66. The authors of this report received
assistance from others to plan and implement the research. Authors also received assistance in
drafting sections of this report.
For their support, special thanks go to:
• Diane Halpin, former Research Associate at the Institute on Community Integration at the
College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota
• Kristin Liu, Senior Research Fellow at the National Center on Educational Outcomes
• Rebekah Rieke, Project Coordinator at the National Center on Educational Outcomes
• Linda Turner, Assessment Supervisor of Special Education Programs for the South Dakota
Department of Education
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Executive Summary
Accommodations are changes in practices or procedures that facilitate access to instruction and as-
sessment for students with disabilities. Students who struggle to decode written text may benefit from
a “read aloud” accommodation (Thurlow, Moen, Lekwa, & Scullin, 2010), which presents text-based
material through auditory rather than visual means (Bolt & Roach, 2009). Read-aloud accommoda-
tions are used frequently for instruction (Newman, 2006), and assessment purposes (Altman, Cormier,
Lazarus, & Thurlow, 2012; Bolt & Thurlow, 2004; Christensen, Braam, Scullin, & Thurlow, 2011).
However, evidence to support the use of the read-aloud accommodation on tests for accountability is
mixed (Cormier, Altman, Shyyan, & Thurlow, 2010; Thurlow, Lazarus, & Christensen, 2012).
Given inconsistencies in the literature for the read-aloud accommodation, more research is needed to
determine how this accommodation is used in practice. Previous research used educators’ perceptions
to explore the participation of students with disabilities on large-scale tests, including the use of ac-
commodations (see for example, Altman et al., 2012). The current study conducted by the National
Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO), in collaboration with the South Dakota Department of
Education, used focus group methodology to look closer at what happens in the room on test day
when the read-aloud accommodation is used on mathematics assessments. Focus groups were con-
ducted with educators who had administered the read-aloud accommodation for the South Dakota
state mathematics assessment.
Focus group discussions revealed a variety of issues on the read-aloud accommodation. Educators
agreed that although it is a frequently used accommodation, its use and effectiveness might vary de-
pending on the content area. Educators also indicated a need for training on how to appropriately and
accurately provide the accommodation. For example, educators discussed appropriate expression and
intonation during test administration, as well as issues related to the reading of mathematical opera-
tions, symbols, and terms.
Other issues identified by focus group participants were practical and logistical factors. Educators
spent considerable effort arranging small groups and testing locations for students using the read-
aloud accommodation. Some challenges in administration could not be prevented, even with careful
preparation. Educators discussed cognitive and social-emotional benefits associated with use of the
read-aloud accommodation. For example, increased attention, on-task behavior, and decreased anxiety
were generally considered possible benefits.
Results from this study may inform local and state level policies on read-aloud administration. Ap-
propriate selection and administration procedures will ensure that all students will be able to show
what they know and can do on assessments.
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Table of Contents
Acknowledgments .............................................................................................................................iii
Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................v
Overview .............................................................................................................................................1
South Dakota ................................................................................................................................2
Purpose .........................................................................................................................................3
Focus Group Procedures .....................................................................................................................4
Participants ...................................................................................................................................4
Setting and Timing .......................................................................................................................4
Procedures ....................................................................................................................................4
Results .................................................................................................................................................5
Research Question 1: What are appropriate practices in administration
of the read-aloud accommodation? ..............................................................................................5
Research Question 2: How does the read-aloud accommodation
benefit students? ...........................................................................................................................8
Research Question 3: What differences exist in the use of the read-aloud
accommodation in math versus other content areas (e.g., reading, science)?............................10
Research Question 4: What differences exist between the read-aloud
accommodation and other accommodations for students? ........................................................12
Related Themes .........................................................................................................................13
Discussion .........................................................................................................................................14
References .........................................................................................................................................17
Appendix A. Focus Group Protocol ..................................................................................................21
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Overview
Accommodations are intended to promote access for students with disabilities. Students may
have physical, sensory, or cognitive challenges that prevent them from showing what they know
and can do (Bolt & Roach, 2009). When used for assessment, accommodations remove obstacles
“immaterial to what the test is intended to measure” (Thurlow, Lazarus, & Christensen, 2008,
p. 17). Accommodations should be based on the student’s individual needs (Thurlow, Elliott,
& Ysseldyke, 2003), and data should be collected during instruction and assessment to ensure
that the accommodation is working as intended (Elliott & Thurlow, 2006).
Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 2001 and the Individuals with Dis-
abilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 require that all students, including students with
disabilities, participate in state accountability systems. Accommodations play an important role
in providing equitable access on state tests for accountability. State policies provide guidance for
the types of accommodations that may be used and how accommodations decisions should be
made (Thurlow, 2007). In addition, federal regulations released on April 9, 2007 for Alternate
Assessments based on Modified Achievement Standards (AA-MAS) highlighted states’ role in
supporting “the use of appropriate accommodations to increase the number of students who
are tested against academic achievement standards for the grade in which a student is enrolled”
(Sec. 200.6[a][1][ii][A]).
The number of students with disabilities using accommodations on state tests for accountabil-
ity varies across U.S. states and has for some time (Altman, Thurlow, & Vang, 2010; Thurlow,
Moen, & Altman, 2006). More than half of the states report that 50 to 74 percent of elementary
students with disabilities use accommodations in math, and an additional six states report that
more than 75 percent of elementary students with disabilities use accommodations in math.
However, in two states, fewer than 25 percent of elementary students with disabilities use the
read aloud accommodation in math (Altman et al., 2010).
An accommodation frequently allowed on state mathematics tests is items and directions read
aloud (Thurlow, Lazarus, Thompson, & Morse, 2005). A “read aloud” accommodation is intended
to provide access for students with disabilities who have difficulty decoding written text (Thur-
low, Moen, Lekwa, & Scullin, 2010), and may require the use of human readers, audiotapes, or
screen readers to present a test through auditory rather than visual means (Bolt & Roach, 2009).
Evidence to support use of the read-aloud accommodation on mathematics assessments is
mixed. An analysis of mathematics test scores from the National Association of Educational
Progress (NAEP) showed a differential benefit for the read-aloud accommodation when used
for students with disabilities compared to students without disabilities (Weston, 2002). Another
study compared the test performance of students with and without disabilities on mathemat-
NCEO 1