The effects of accommodations on performance assessments

Most states in the United States are implementing standards-based reform. A key component of this type of reform is the notion that higher standards a re intended for all students, including students with disabilities. Perform ance on these higher standards is typically measured through large-scale as sessment systems, from which many students with disabilities have been excl uded. Without these students' participation in the standards movement, stat es will be lacking critical information on the efficacy of instructional pr ograms for all students. In order to participate, some students with disabi lities may require accommodations on these assessments. The issue of accomm odations presents many challenges, from legal to psychometric. Given the hi gh-stakes nature of these assessments when used as part of the state accoun tability system in which financial, legal, and instructional decisions are made, these Challenges need to be addressed. This study examined the effect s of providing the accommodation of reading the mathematics items to studen ts on the fourth-grade version of the Washington Assessment of Student Lear ning. Specifically. this study addressed the question, Does reading the mat hematics items allow students with learning disabilities to demonstrate the ir knowledge without affecting the validity of the test? Results provide su pport for the continued use of this accommodation for students with disabil ities that affect reading. Further research is needed in this area, especia lly as stakes increase for both schools and individual students.