Ryan, S. E. (2024). In support of a read aloud accommodation: A meta analysis study (Publication No. 30811075) [Doctoral dissertation, St. John’s University (New York)]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global. https://www.proquest.com/docview/2937462486

St. John's University (Queens, NY)

The read aloud accommodation was examined, where test content is read to students by either a human proctor, video/audio player, or computer. This study specifically conducted a meta-analysis to understand the effects of read aloud accommodations across different subject areas, delivery methods, and grade levels.

The meta-analysis included 114 effect sizes from 23 studies involving students with and without disabilities across elementary, middle, and high school. Most students with disabilities were identified as having learning disabilities. The participants came from diverse educational settings in the United States.

A variance-known hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) approach was used to analyze effect sizes across studies and determine factors that influence the effectiveness of read aloud accommodations. Examined variables included disability status, subject area (math or reading), accommodation delivery method, grade level, extra time allowance, and research design to explain variations in effect sizes across studies.

Both students with and without disabilities benefited from read aloud accommodations, although the effect size was significantly larger for students with disabilities (0.27 versus 0.14 for students without disabilities). The accommodation effect was significantly stronger for reading tests than for math tests, and when delivered by human proctors rather than by video/audio players or computers. Read aloud accommodations did not always meet the interaction hypothesis criteria, as students without disabilities sometimes also benefited from the accommodation.