Using Computers to Improve
Test Design and Support
Students with Disabilities and English-Language Learners
Testing Accommodations Summary Computer-Based Read-Aloud Tools: An Effective Way to Accommodate Students with Disabilities Computers Improve Students' Writing Performance on Tests Using Computers for Reading Tests Does Not Affect Scores Computer Accommodations Must Begin as Classroom Accommodations
State standardized tests, their results, and how those results are used are fraught with controversy. As the stakes increase, so must our efforts to ensure the effectiveness and fairness of the tests. Four New England States, in an initiative known as the New England Compact Enhanced Assessment Project, have conducted a series of studies to explore critical issues surrounding a leading innovation in state testing: computerized accommodations for students with disabilities and English-Language Learners.
Overview
Recent federal regulations have increased state testing in our schools and
intensified the impact of results. The 2002 No Child Left Behind Act requires
yearly testing of all students in grades three through eight in Language
Arts and Mathematics, and results from these tests exert a powerful influence
on decisions about the quality of education provided by schools and teachers.
Federal regulations also stipulate that state testing programs must include all students, regardless of any special needs or language challenges. Because most of these students receive special assistance or accommodations when learning in the classroom, federal regulations stipulate that they should receive similar accommodations during testing. These accommodations are offered to remove barriers that interfere with the students' ability to demonstrate what they know and can do. For example, a student who is blind might take a test presented in Braille or students with reading challenges might have a proctor who reads aloud word problems on a math test. In all cases, the accommodations are designed to allow students to demonstrate their skill and knowledge without providing unfair advantage.
Because test results have profound and far-reaching effects, it is imperative that they be welldesigned, fair, and capable of producing accurate results. To increase the efficiency of testing, a few states have started to use computers to test students. Computer-based tests have two clear advantages: They can instantly produce scores, and they may reduce costs associated with printing and delivering paper-based tests. Some educators also speculate that computers may ensure that tests are delivered in a more fair and consistent manner. Others, however, worry that tests delivered on computer may present new barriers to students who are not accustomed to the technology.
Exploring Critical Issues
To explore these issues, four New England states (Rhode Island, Vermont,
New Hampshire, and Maine) worked together to conduct a set of research studies.
Two focused on the utility of using a computer to provide accommodations.
The other two experiments focused on whether and how computer-based tests
affect performance of students with different levels of computer skills.
It should be emphasized that only one state (Maine) is currently delivering
tests to eighth grade students using computers. The three other states do
not have any immediate plans to test students using computers. However,
recognizing the potential benefits of computer-based testing, all four states
felt it was important to begin exploring these critical issues now so that
they would be better prepared to make decisions about computer-based testing
in the future.
The research studies were led by senior researchers Michael Russell of inTASC (www.bc.edu/research/intasc/) and Robert Dolan of CAST (www.cast.org), with funding from the U.S. Department of Education.
Research Reports:
- Examining the Effect of Computer-Based Passage Presentation on Reading Test Performance
- Examining the Feasibility and Effect of a Computer-Based Read-Aloud Accommodation on Mathematics Test Performance
- Examining the Effect of Text Editor and Robust Word Processor on Student Writing Test Performance
- Examining the Effect of "Respond Aloud" Option on Students' Reading Comprehension Test Performance
Research Summary Presentations
- Examining the Effect of Computer-Based Passage Presentation on Reading Test Performance
- Examining the Feasibility and Effect of a Computer-Based Read-Aloud Accommodation on Mathematics Test Performance
- Examining the Effect of Text Editor and Robust Word Processor on Student Writing Test Performance
- Examining the Effect of "Respond Aloud" Option on Students' Reading Comprehension Test Performance
