Bottsford-Miller, N. A. (2008). A cross-sectional study of reported inconsistency in accommodation use in the classroom and standardized test settings for elementary and middle school students with disabilities (Publication No. 3343545) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Minnesota]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global. https://www.proquest.com/docview/304531581

University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN); ProQuest document ID: 304531581

The relationship between accommodations and modifications specified on student IEPs and 504 plans to those provided in the classroom and during assessment was examined. The test-related supports were based on those provided naturalistically to a national sample, and included more time on tests, oral delivery, and setting accommodations, along with provision of alternate assessments and modified tests.

A sample of 5,794 students who were primarily in elementary and middle school was drawn from a national (U.S.) dataset; all were students with disabilities. The researcher reported additional demographic details including sex and race/ethnicity, as well as students' disability categories.

To answer three sets of research questions, data were drawn from the Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study (SEELS) 2001-2002 (Wave 2) data collection: a teacher survey, a student survey, and a direct assessment of reading comprehension and applied mathematics skills.

Results for the first set of questions suggested that the provision of a series of accommodations and modifications specified or not on IEPs and 504 plans varied in degree of consistency in the classroom setting and the testing situation, when compared to one another. That is, the opposite of the expected result actually occurred: students were less likely to receive assigned accommodations during testing than during classroom instruction. Second, two of the assessment supports showed patterns of inconsistent provision based on student demographic characteristics. More time on tests varied in consistency of provision based on school setting, in that suburban students were more likely than urban and rural students to be inconsistently provided this testing accommodation. Similarly, this accommodation was provided significantly less consistently for middle school and older students than for elementary students. Alternate assessment was provided less consistently for non-minority students than for ethnic minority students, and also for students with learning disabilities, emotional disabilities, hearing impairments, and other health impairments, when compared with students with autism. Third, consistent provision of test and classroom supports affected student achievement. However, due to data constraints the details of this finding could not be elaborated. Limitations of the study were reported, and future research possibilities were suggested.