Use of Recommended and Provided Testing Accommodations I

Testing accommodations used in students’ IEPs or recommended by classroom teachers were investigated. Three domains of testing accommodations were examined; (a) accommodations recommended through the IEP process, (b) accommodations recommended by the teacher, and (c) accommodations provided in the testing sessions, to explore factors that potentially influence the implementation of recommended testing accommodations. The Assessment Accommodations Checklist (AAC) was used as a means of translating the IEP process from diverse school districts into a common framework. A three-category system developed by CTB/McGraw-Hill was used to characterize potential threats to validity posed by each of the recommended and provided accommodations. Accommodations that were frequently recommended and used (i.e., provide extra testing time, read directions to students, provide distraction free space, etc.) are discussed with regard to the CTB/McGraw-Hill categories, and aspects of future research are outlined.