Disentangling Multiple Sources of Error in a Reading Assessment for Students With Disabilities

• In Event: Assessment of Special Populations

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is twofold: (1) to examine the impact of grammatically complex features in a standardized reading assessment that may negatively affect test accessibility and validity for students with disabilities, and (2) to introduce methodology using Generalizability Theory to identify measurement error introduced by grammatical complexity in reading assessments for students with disabilities. Identification of the role of grammatical complexity on standardized assessments is an important step leading to improved test validity and test accessibility for students with disabilities. Initial results of the G study indicated that grammatical complexity is a major source of error for students with disabilities; however, raters’ accuracy in identifying complexity features was not a significant source of measurement error.

Author

• Nancy A. Ewers, University of California - Davis