Teleconference 12: May 1, 2006

11:30 am Pacific, 12:30 pm Mountain, 1:30 pm Central, 2:30 pm Eastern. 
1.5 hours duration.

Investigating the Effects of Accommodations on Use of Student Scores: What Empirical Understanding Means for NCLB Accountability Purposes

States are exploring multiple ways to assess students with disabilities who do not currently “fit” well in available assessment options. Among the strategies to develop new options is that of empirically drawing the line between accommodations that support use of results for accountability and those that do not. Key questions being asked include:

• How do we determine whether and how use of these accommodations change the construct of what is measured?
• What is the effect of these changes on the validity of score interpretations? 
• Can we accept these results for the purposes of accountability, and can we defend these decisions professionally and politically?

This telephone conference will focus on research and practice considerations related to these key questions.

Please e-mail Rachel Quenemoen at quene003@umn.edu with your questions, comments, and ideas for future telephone conferences, before or after our May 1 call.

In order to get the most out of our May 1 telephone conference, please review these materials online, or if you prefer, download them to your computer, or print them out.  Thank you.

Note: Some of the files below require Acrobat Reader. If you don't have this software, go to the Acrobat Reader Web site for a free download.

I. Materials for Teleconference 12

a. Test Accommodations and Test Validity: Issues, Research Findings, and Unanswered Questions (Stephen G. Sireci)

b. Georgia Modification Research Study (Sharron Hunt and Melissa Fincher)

II. Additional Resources

a. U.S. Department of Education Toolkit on Teaching and Assessing Students with Disabilities
http://www.osepideasthatwork.org/toolkit/index.asp

b.  National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) Parent Advocacy Briefs

Panelists for the May 1, 2006 Teleconference

Researcher Panelist

Stephen G. Sireci, Professor in the Research and Evaluation Methods Program and Director of the Center for Educational Assessment in the School of Education at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst

State Panelists

Georgia Department of Education Assessment Director Sharron Hunt
Georgia Department of Education Assessment Assistant Director Melissa Fincher

Federal Panelists

OSEP:  David Egnor and Cynthia Bryant
OESE:  Sue Rigney

Co-hosts

Stanley Rabinowitz, Assessment and Accountability Comprehensive Center
Rachel Quenemoen and Martha Thurlow, National Center on Educational Outcomes