Cawthon, S. W. (2010). Science and evidence of success: Two emerging issues in assessment accommodations for students who are deaf or hard of hearing . Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education , 15 (2), 185–203. https://doi.org/10.1093/deafed/enq002

Many accommodations were discussed by teachers in their survey responses, yet included primarily: small group/individual administration, extended time, test directions signed, test items read aloud, and test items signed.

A total of 290 teachers in schools in 38 states and Washington, DC (U.S.) participated. Teachers reported that they taught students with hearing impairments, and that many students also had other disabilities: learning disabilities, cognitive disabilities, ADHD, emotional disabilities, autism, cerebral palsy, deaf-blindness, and Charge Syndrome.

Accommodations use and evidence of effectiveness, as reported by teachers on survey, were the aspects that made up the dependent variable of the study.

In the subject areas of reading, math, and science, the accommodations of extended time, small group/individual administration, and test directions interpreted were identified as the most commonly offered. Further, teachers reported in response to an open-ended item that they used many different pieces of evidence to determine effectiveness of accommodations—including whether the accommodation was named on the IEP, whether students were satisfied with their assessment experience, the test score, and the relative success on other classroom assessments when using the accommodation(s). Teachers also commented on the validity of the accommodated test scores.