The Consequences of Using Testing Accommodations: Student, Teacher, and Parent Reactions to and Perceptions of Testing Accommodations
WCER Working Paper No. 2003-3
Sylvia C. Lang, Patrick J. Kumke, Erin L. Cowell, and Corey E. Ray
April 2003, 21 pp.
ABSTRACT: This study examined (a) student, parent, and teacher perceptions of the use of testing accommodations, (b) the relationship between student perceptions of testing accommodations and their disability status, and (c) the relationship between grade level and perceptions of accommodations. Students with and without disabilities completed math and reading achievement tests with and without accommodations. Students, parents, and teachers then completed questionnaires to share their views on the use of testing accommodations. Significant differences were found in the proportions of students with and without disabilities who reported the accommodated test condition to be easier, more comfortable, and a better indicator of their knowledge. Most parents and teachers perceived testing accommodations to be fair and valid for students with disabilities. Consequential aspects of testing are an important part of validity evidence for large-scale assessment systems. The perceived positive consequences of testing accommodations appear to provide further evidence for their continued use and for their role in facilitating valid test scores.
keywords: Testing Accommodations; Students With Disabilities; Consequential Validity
