Fuchs, L. S., Fuchs, D., Eaton, S. B., Hamlett, C. L., Binkley, E., & Crouch, R. (2000). Using objective data sources to enhance teacher judgments about test accommodations . Exceptional Children , 67 (1), 67–81. https://doi.org/10.1177/001440290006700105

Students completed four brief reading assessments under four conditions: a) standard, b) extended-time, c) large print, d) student reads aloud (read-aloud). Then, students took a test using accommodation(s) that were determined (either by teacher judgment or data-based judgment) to best meet their individual needs.

Students in grades 4 and 5 with learning disabilities and grade 4 students without learning disabilities participated. A total of 181 students had learning disabilities (49.6% of sample), and 184 students did not have learning disabilities. Of the students with disabilities, 31% were African American, 68% were European American, and 1% were Asian American. Of the students without disabilities, 29% were African American, 65% were European American, and 8% were Asian American.

Twelve 400-word 3rd grade reading passages from Monitoring Basic Skills Progress (Fuchs, Hamlett, & Fuchs, 1997) were administered to each student (three were administered under each accommodation condition). Also, forms K & L of level 10 of the Iowa (Riverside, 1994) were administered to each student with LD under standard and accommodated conditions. Teacher questionnaires were also administered to teachers to determine what accommodations they would have considered appropriate for the students participating in the study.

Students with learning disabilities, as a group, profited differentially from the student read aloud accommodation, but not from extended time or large print accommodations. Teachers' decisions regarding appropriate accommodations did not correspond to benefits that the students derived. Data-based assessment techniques (based on differential gains from accommodations on the twelve reading passages) predicted differential performance on the large-scale assessment better than teacher judgments.