Method for Identifying Accommodations Studies

This searchable bibliography was started in response to the need for updated information on research on accommodations. In 1999, Tindal and Fuchs created a summary of research on test changes for the Mid-South Regional Resource Center (MSRRC). Because of the dramatic increase in research on this topic, both Tindal and Fuchs and MSRRC encouraged NCEO to commit to updating the database on accommodations research. This online searchable bibliography is our commitment to this important endeavor.

For this online database, all studies summarized in Tindal and Fuchs are included, with the exception of those that considered collaborative groups, performance-based assessment, computer adaptive testing, and instruction in test-taking strategies as accommodations. Additional studies were identified for inclusion in the accommodations bibliography using a method similar to that used by Tindal and Fuchs. Four indexes (Digital Dissertations, ERIC, Education Abstracts, and PsycInfo) were searched for studies using the following keywords:

test changes standardized testing
test changes large-scale testing
large-scale test changes
standardized test changes
test changes state testing
state test changes
test changes standards-based testing
standards-based test changes
standardized test modification
large-scale test modifications
state test modifications
standards based test modifications
standardized testing accommodations
large-scale testing accommodations
state testing accommodations
standards-based testing accommodations
test changes
test modifications
test accommodations

Additionally, a variety of journals were hand-searched for articles on accommodations. These included the following journals:

Applied Measurement in Education
Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education

Assessment for Effective Intervention
Assistive Technology
Assistive Technology Outcomes and Benefits
Behavioral Disorders
British Journal of Educational Technology
British Journal of Special Education
Education Policy Analysis Archives
Educational Assessment
Educational and Psychological Measurement
Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice
Educational Psychologist
Educational Psychology
Educational Psychology in Practice
Educational Researcher
Exceptional Children
Exceptionality
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
Journal of Applied Psychology
Journal of Applied School Psychology
Journal of Applied Testing Technology
Journal of College Reading and Learning
Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education

Journal of Disability Policy Studies
Journal of Educational Computing Research
Journal of Educational Measurement

Journal of Educational Psychology
Journal of Educational Research
Journal of Learning Disabilities
Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability
Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment

Journal of School Psychology
Journal of Special Education Technology
Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness
Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools
Learning Disabilities Research & Practice
Learning Disability Quarterly
Psychology in the Schools
Psychometrika

Remedial and Special Education
Research in Developmental Disabilities
Review of Educational Research
School Psychology Quarterly

School Psychology Review

The Journal of Educational Measurement
The Journal of Special Education
The Journal of Technology, Learning, and Assessment

Websites of organizations that frequently publish accommodation studies were also searched. These included the following:

Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing

The College Board Research Library

Wisconsin Center for Educational Research

Behavioral Research and Teaching

Accommodation papers presented at annual meetings of the following organizations were also identified: American Educational Research Association, Council of Chief State School Officers, and National Council on Measurement in Education.

Criteria for Inclusion

To be included and summarized in this online bibliography, studies need to involve either (1) experimental manipulation of an accommodation, (2) investigation of the comparability of test scores across accommodated and non-accommodated conditions, or (3) examination of survey results on teachers’ knowledge and/or perceptions of accommodations. Emphasis is placed on including studies that examine testing accommodations as opposed to instructional accommodations. Although not a requirement for inclusion, studies involving accommodations for students with disabilities are the primary focus of the bibliography.

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