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Item-Level Effects of the Read-Aloud Accommodation for Students With Reading Disabilities

Michigan State University

Martha L. Thurlow

University, 442 Erickson Hall, East Lansing, MI 48823, sbolt@ msu.edu

Research support for providing a read-aloud accommodation (i.e., having an individual read test items and directions aloud) to students with disabilities has been somewhat limited, particularly when merely examining effects of the accommodation on overall test scores for general groups of students with disabilities. We examined data on accommodated and nonaccommodated performances of students with specific reading disabilities on math test items anticipated to be highly sensitive to accommodation effects due to their level of reading and math difficulty. We conducted analyses across 3 consecutive years of data from an elementary and middle school statewide assessment program. Within the elementary data set we identified a significant Accommodation Group x Reading Difficulty interaction effect, such that the accommodation appeared to more positively impact student performance on items that were classified as difficult to read. We describe other identified effects and discuss limitations of the study, as well as implications.

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Assessment for Effective Intervention, Vol. 33, No. 1, 15-28 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/15345084070330010301


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This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Bolt, S. E. Articles by Thurlow, M. L. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?