Accommodation2 (number of identified research studies in parentheses) |
Research Needs |
---|---|
Assistive Technology (11) |
|
Braille3 (7) |
|
Calculator (22) |
|
Clarify/ Simplify/ Repeat Directions3 (5) |
|
Color Contrast (6) |
|
Extended Time4 (21) |
|
Familiar Proctor/Test Administrator3 (7) |
|
Highlighting (2) |
|
Human Read Aloud5 (20) |
|
Large Print (8) |
|
Magnification (3) |
|
Manipulatives6 (10) |
|
Math Charts/Tables (2) |
|
Multiple Days3 (5) |
|
Noise Reduction (4) |
|
Paper Format7 (3) |
|
Preferential Seating (4) |
|
Recorded Oral Delivery8 (12) |
|
Scribe3 (6) |
|
Signed Administration (7) |
|
Small Group and Individual Administration4 (10) |
|
Speech-to-Text (5) |
|
Spell Check (5) |
|
Student Reads Aloud to Self5 (5) |
|
Tactile Graphics (10) |
|
Test Breaks4 (12) |
|
Text-to-Speech (Computer Generated Voice)5 (10) |
|
Word Prediction3 (4) |
|
1 For additional information and details about identified research gaps and studies reviewed see the Accommodations Toolkit (NCEO, 2020, 2021, 2022).
2 Several studies reported findings for more than one accommodation.
3 Much of the research on this accommodation was conducted more than a decade ago.
4 There is limited research on this accommodation alone because it is often bundled with other accommodations.
5 Past research on this accommodation shows mixed findings.
6 There is limited research on the effectiveness of physical manipulatives during testing though several recent studies examined virtual manipulatives.
7 As more assessments are administered digitally, additional research is needed on a variety of topics related to the provision of the paper format as an accommodation.
8 Prerecorded audio is not used as much as it once was due to the shift to online assessments that provide oral delivery using text-to-speech technology.
Even though Table 1 is not a comprehensive list of gaps in the literature, the identified areas suggest where there is a need for additional research. Research on these topics could provide valuable information and expand the accommodations' knowledge base.
Federal and state policymakers, as well as educators, rely on the accommodations research literature to evaluate how accommodations should be used to improve accessibility for students with disabilities; however, accommodations research is an area with many unexplored issues. Researchers with an interest in this area have the opportunity to conduct studies that will impact how students navigate barriers on assessments that make it difficult for them to show what they know and can do. Doctoral students will not need to look far to find topics where they can make an important original contribution to the literature.
The research gaps identified in this Brief are not a complete catalog of needed research related to accommodations, but rather should be considered a list of some research priorities and the beginnings of a research agenda. This list is also not static and will need to be updated as additional research is conducted. Hopefully this articulation of needed research will encourage the education research community to support and conduct research that will help fill current gaps. There is an urgent need for additional knowledge about how to appropriately use accommodations to ensure that assessments are accessible and validly measure what students know and can do.
Footnote
1 Thompson et al., 2002; Johnstone et al., 2006; Zenisky & Sireci, 2007; Cormier et al., 2010; Rogers et al., 2012; Rogers et al., 2014; Rogers et al., 2016; Rogers et al., 2019; Rogers et al., 2020; Rogers et al., 2021; Rogers et al., 2022.
Cormier, D. C., Altman, J., Shyyan, V., & Thurlow, M. L. (2010). A summary of the research on the effects of test accommodations: 2007–2008 (Technical Report 56). National Center on Educational Outcomes
Johnstone, C. J., Altman, J., Thurlow, M. L., & Thompson, S. J. (2006). A summary of the research on the effects of test accommodations: 2002 through 2004 (Technical Report 45). National Center on Educational Outcomes.
Larson, E. D., Thurlow, M. L., Lazarus, S. S., & Liu, K. K. (2020). Paradigm shifts in states’ assessment accessibility policies: Addressing challenges in implementation. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 30(4), 244–252. https://doi.org/10.1177/1044207319848071
National Center on Educational Outcomes. (2020, 2021, 2022). Accommodations toolkit.
Rogers, C. M., Christian, E. M., & Thurlow, M. L. (2012). A summary of the research on the effects of test accommodations: 2009–2010 (Technical Report 65). National Center on Educational Outcomes
Rogers, C. M., Lazarus, S. S., & Thurlow, M. L. (2014). A summary of the research on the effects of test accommodations, 2011–2012 (Synthesis Report 94). National Center on Educational Outcomes.
Rogers, C. M., Lazarus, S. S., & Thurlow, M. L. (2016). A summary of the research on the effects of test accommodations: 2013–2014 (NCEO Report 402). National Center on Educational Outcomes.
Rogers, C. M., Thurlow, M. L., Lazarus, S. S., & Liu, K. K. (2019). A summary of the research on the effects of test accommodations: 2015–2016 (NCEO Report 412). National Center on Educational Outcomes.
Rogers, C. M., Lazarus, S. S., Thurlow, M. L., & Liu, K. K. (2020). A summary of the research on the effects of K–12 test accommodations: 2017 (NCEO Report 418). National Center on Educational Outcomes.
Rogers, C. M., Lazarus, S. S., & Thurlow, M. L. (2021). A summary of the research on the effects of K–12 test accommodations: 2018 (NCEO Report 423). National Center on Educational Outcomes
Rogers, C. M., Thurlow, M. L., Lazarus, S. S., Ressa, V. A., & Swadek, G. S. (2022). A summary of the research on the effects of K–12 test accommodations: 2019 (NCEO Report 433). National Center on Educational Outcomes.
Thompson, S., Blount, A., & Thurlow, M. (2002). A summary of the research on the effects of test accommodations: 1999 through 2001 (Technical Report 34). National Center on Educational Outcomes.
U.S. Department of Education. (2018). A state’s guide to the U.S. Department of Education’s assessment peer review process. Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. https://www2.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/saa/assessmentpeerreview.pdf
Zenisky, A. L., & Sireci, S. G. (2007). A summary of the research on the effects of test accommodations: 2005–2006 (Technical Report 47). National Center on Educational Outcomes.
The authors of this Brief were Sheryl S. Lazarus, Martha L. Thurlow, and Lane Holden.
NCEO Director, Sheryl Lazarus; NCEO Assistant Director, Kristin Liu
All rights reserved. Any or all portions of this document may be reproduced and distributed without prior permission, provided the source is cited as:
Lazarus, S. S., Thurlow, M. L., & Holden, L. (2023, April). Gaps in the accommodations research literature (NCEO Brief #31). National Center on Educational Outcomes.
The Center is supported through a Cooperative Agreement (#H326G210002) with the Research to Practice Division, Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education. The Center is affiliated with the Institute on Community Integration at the College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota. Consistent with EDGAR §75.62, the contents of this report were developed under the Cooperative Agreement from the U.S. Department of Education, but do not necessarily represent the policy or opinions of the U.S. Department of Education or Offices within it. Readers should not assume endorsement by the federal government.
Project Officer: David Egnor
NCEO works in collaboration with Applied Engineering Management (AEM), Center for Parent Information (CPIR), Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE), and WestEd.
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