Exploring Student Reading Comprehension Performance, Equity, and Engagement by Embedding Comprehension Items Within Reading Passages

• In Event: Equity-Oriented Assessment Contexts

Abstract

This paper aims to explore the incorporation of embedding items within reading passages as an effort to improve assessment equity, student experience and performance, and engagement within a universal design framework. Reading comprehension items placed within text rather than at the end may remove measurement of confounding constructs such as working memory and attention and aims to support students with disabilities, memory-load difficulties, test anxiety and English Language Learners. This paper will report results from a study that examined student performance on traditional and embedded item types. Benefits to content, measurement, and equity are discussed.

Authors

• Meg A Guerreiro, Northwest Evaluation Association

• Elizabeth Barker, NWEA

• Janice Lee Johnson, Northwest Evaluation Association