Types of Accommodations

In response to the relative lack of focus on ELLs in state policy, the CEEE research team developed an ELL-responsive taxonomy linking the use of accommodations more directly to the linguistic needs of ELLs, rather than to a special education accommodation framework (Rivera, Collum, Shafer Willner, & Sia, 2006, p. 48).

A review of 2006-07 state assessment policies for accommodating ELLs revealed that at least half of the state policies that had previously grouped the discussion of “special populations” together in the same section of the policy now distinguished more clearly between issues relevant to ELLs and those unique to students with disabilities (Shafer Willner, Rivera, & Acosta, 2008).. Twelve states abandoned the use of a disabilities taxonomy to categorize accommodations (presentation, response, timing/scheduling, setting). Of the twelve states, only one adopted an ELL-responsive taxonomy. However, a core group of states continue to frame policy using a disabilities framework. Roughly 30 percent continue to combine state policy text for ELLs and students with disabilities within the same paragraph or section of the policy. This core group of states also continues to rely on a disabilities taxonomy to categorize accommodations.

The ELL-responsive taxonomy presented here classifies accommodations according to whether they provide direct or indirect linguistic support. Both forms of accommodation address ELLs linguistic needs, helping these students access the academic construct being measured by the assessment.

Word document with ELL-responsive taxonomy and list of 104 accommodations found in state ELL assessment policies. (40 were ELL-responsive; 64 were non-ELL-responsive.)

The 44 accommodations for ELLs that can be found in states' assessment policies are organized into the following categories:

Jumplinks to different types of test accommodations for ELLs:

I. Accommodations providing direct linguistic support involve adjustments to the language of the test. Such accommodations can be provided in the student's native language or in English. At the same time, these accommodations must preserve the validity of the test by ensuring that the construct being tested remains unaltered. In other words, linguistic accommodations are not intended to give ELLs support on how to respond to test items correctly.

A) English language accommodations are most appropriate for students receiving grade-level instruction in the content being tested in English. Direct Linguistic Support in English Accommodations are classified according to 3 categories: simplification, repetition, and clarification.

1) Simplification Accommodations-- The process of linguistic simplification is intended to reduce the semantic and syntactic complexity of the English used in the text of a test including directions, items, and response options.

Specific examples of simplication accommodations are:

• Directions simplified
• Items read aloud in simplified/sheltered English
• Simplified/sheltered version of test provided
  

2) Repetition Accommodations -- As a test accommodation, reading aloud is used primarily for dyslexic and blind students. It requires the student to listen to the text, comprehend, and process it based on short-term memory. No written text is provided. By contrast, when reading aloud is used for ELLs, the student typically is allowed to hear and read text at the same time. In a testing context, exact repetition of test directions and/or items may afford ELLs an additional opportunity to process the language of the test by reducing the impact of processing speed and memory capacity on comprehension.

Specific examples of repetition accommodations are:

• Directions read aloud in English
• Items read aloud in English
• Directions repeated in English
• Both oral and written directions provided
• Audio-taped test items provided in English Audio-taped directions provided in English
• Key words or phrases in directions highlighted
• Key words and phrases in test highlighted
  

3) Clarification Accommodations -- When ELLs negotiate linguistic meaning through clarification requests, they receive support for just the specific portions of the linguistic input not understood, and the reformulated input is more manageable and within their processing capacities (Long, 1980; 1983, 1996).

Specific examples of clarification accommodations are:

• Directions explained/clarified in English
• Words on test clarified (e.g. words defined, explained)
• Spelling assistance, spelling dictionaries, spell/grammar checker provided
• Test taker verifies understanding of directions

B) Native language accommodations are most appropriate for ELLs participating in native-language instruction and for ELLs who are literate in the native language but in early stages of learning English. Native Language Accommodations that provide Direct Linguistic Support are classified according to 4 categories: written translation, scripted oral translation, and those involving (student) response. The primary difference among this group of accommodations is generally a matter of scriptedness vs. spontaneity.

1) Written Translation Accommodations

• Word lists (mono or dual language)
• Written directions provided
• Side-by-side dual-language versions of the test provided
• Translated version of the test provided

2) Scripted Oral Translation Accommodations

• Oral directions provided in native language
• Audio-taped test directions provided in native language
• Audio-taped test items provided in native language

3) Sight Translation Accommodations refers to a spontaneous, oral rendition of the test content in the student's native language.

• Directions translated into native language
• Directions explained/clarified in native language
• Test items read aloud in native language
• Interpreter or sight translator provided

4) Response Accommodations

• Student responds in Native Language

 

II. Indirect Linguistic Support accommodations are designed to adjust the conditions under which ELLs take the test in order to help ELLs process language more easily, but they are not direct modifications of the language of the test. Only one accommodation is considered to meet the operational definition of an ELL-responsive accommodation

Test schedule Accommodations

• Allow extended time

III. Test administration practices

Most adjustments to test schedules or test settings fail to meet the operational definition of an ELL-responsive accommodation since these items are unlikely to reduce construct-irrelevant variance due to language. Therefore, it was recommended that these items be reclassified as test administration practices. Test administration practices are innocuous and are not considered a threat to score comparability.

For example, administering a test in a location with minimal distraction would not be expected to affect a student’s test score, but it would help facilitate reading the test aloud without disturbing other test takers. It recommended that states remove these practices from the list of ELL-responsive accommodations and classify them as test administrative practices.

It is also recommended that some of these practices be integrated into test directions of specific accommodations (e.g., administering the test individually for an oral presentation).

In addition to being a stand-alone accommodation, it was recommended that extended time also be considered a test administration practice when providing accommodations such as dictionaries and glossaries, scripted oral accommodations, sight translations, and response accommodations.

1) Test schedule (administration practices)

• Test schedule extended
• Subtests flexibly scheduled
• Test administered at time of day most beneficial to test taker
• Breaks provided during test sessions

2) Test environment (administration practices)

• Test individually administered
• Test administered in small group
• Teacher faces test taker
• Test administered in location with minimal distraction
• Test taker provided preferential seating
• Test taker tested in separate location (or carrel)
• Person familiar with test taker administers test
• ESL/bilingual teacher administers test
• Additional one-to-one support provided
• Test administered in familiar room
• Test administered in ESL/Bilingual classroom
• Special test preparation provided