Middle School Teachers’ Perceptions of Academic and Behavioral Support Testing Accommodations

Abstract

Understanding educators’ perceptions about the validity and ease of providing various accommodated test administrations is critical for assisting them in promoting the accessibility of testing and instruction. One-hundred forty-eight educators completed a survey of their perceptions of the validity and ease of providing over 30 different test accommodations, encompassing both academic and behavioral supports. Results indicated that teachers generally considered the selected accommodations as allowing for valid measurement during testing, although academic accommodations tended to be more commonly perceived as allowing for valid testing than behavioral support accommodations. Specific accommodations varied considerably in terms of their perceived ease of provision, with behavioral support accommodations tending to be perceived as easier to provide than academic accommodations. Implications for future research and practice are provided.