Snyder, J. (2010). Audio adapted assessment data: Does the addition of audio to written items modify the item calibration ? (Publication No. 3407168) [Doctoral dissertation, George Fox University]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global. https://www.proquest.com/docview/305243465

George Fox University (Newberg, OR); ProQuest document ID: 305243465

The accommodation examined was the addition of an audio recording of items for the reading and math tests. Under study was whether the addition of audio recording modified (or re-calibrated) the difficulty level of printed items.

A total of 624 students with IEPs in grades 3–6 from four schools in a California (U.S.) school district participated. Specific disabilities were not reported; this was a cross-section of naturally-occurring disabilities across the school populations of the four schools under study. Detailed information about the ethnicities in each school is provided in an appendix.

The dependent variable was student scores on math and reading tests. The math and reading tests were developed from items drawn from the Measures of Academic Progress item bank from the Northwest Evaluation Association.

The findings include that there is no significant difference between the initial item calibration and the calibration of the items in the audio presentation modification, for the reading test and for the math test as a whole. Reviewed individually, some of the items became more difficult, others became easier, and some remained unchanged—but notable is that these differences in difficulty were neutralized across the item groups as a whole. Future research possibilities were suggested.