Performance of Students With Disabilities Under Regular and Oral Administrations of a High-Stakes Reading Examination

• Published in: Applied measurement in education 2006-01, Vol.19 (1), p.21-39
• Main Authors: Huynh, Huynh, Barton, Karen E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Exit Examinations; Grade 10; Graduation requirements; Group Testing; High Schools; High Stakes Tests; Learning Disabilities; Oral Language; Reading; Reading Tests; Secondary school students; South Carolina; Students with disabilities; Test Content; Testing; Testing Accommodations; Verbal communication
• ISSN: 0895-7347; 1532-4818
• DOI: 10.1207/s15324818ame1901_2

This study examined the effect of oral administration accommodations on test structure and student performance on the Reading test of the South Carolina High School Exit Examination (HSEE). The examination was given at Grade 10 and was untimed; hence, students were permitted as much time as they needed to answer all the questions. Three groups of students were studied. The 1st group consisted of students with disabilities (SWD) who were given the test under oral administration. Students in the 2nd group were SWD who were given the regular forms without oral accommodations. The last group comprised students without disabilities who took the regular forms, also without accommodations. It was found that the internal (factorial) structure of the HSEE test remained stable across these students groups. In addition, it was found that, after controlling for major background variables, HSEE performance of SWD under oral administration accommodations was equal to that of SWD (presumably with milder disabilities) under regular administration. It was concluded that oral administration accommodation served to level the playing field for students whose disabilities were presumably severe enough to require oral accommodations.