Accommodating Students with Disabilities on Large-Scale Tests: An Experimental Study

Abstract

In this study, fourth-grade special and general education students took a large-scale state-wide test using standard test administration procedures and two major accommodations addressing response conditions and test administration. On both reading and math tests, students bubbled in answers on a separate sheet (the standard condition) for half the test and marked the test booklet directly (the accommodated condition) for the other half of the test. For a subgroup of students, the math test was read to them by a trained teacher. Although no differences were found in the response conditions, an interaction was found in the test administration conditions (orally reading the test), supporting this accommodation for students with disabilities.