VALIDITY ISSUES IN DESIGNING ACCOMODATIONS

FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS

WHAT IS ACCOMODATION?

Accommodations are alterations in

the way tasks are presented that allow
children with learning disabilities to
complete the same assignments as
other students.
Why Do Teachers Accommodate?

1. to help them understand the content.

2. to help them complete assignments.
3. to help them improve their English.
4. to help them feel included and
comfortable.
Three characteristics that are vital in determining the validity
of accommodated outcomes.

1. Effective in making assessments more accessible for ELL

students
2. Provides assessment outcomes that are valid
3. Sensitive to student background
Critical issues and topics
1.How effective are the accommodations in making assessments
more accessible for ELL students? (Effectiveness)
2.Are the accommodated assessments as valid as the non-
accommodated assessments? (Validity)
3.Do accommodations work the same for all ELL students, despite
their different backgrounds and their differences in the levels of
English proficiency? (Differential impact)
4.How relevant are the accommodations that are used for ELL
students to their specific needs? (Relevance)
Most commonly used accommodations for ELLs

Extended time
This accommodation provides students with additional
(or extended) time to complete an assessment.

English dictionary
A dictionary is a book in which the words and phrases of
a language are listed alphabetically, together with their
meanings or their translations in another language.
English glossary
Only provides terminology that appears in the test.
Bilingual dictionary/glossary
An essential and expected test accommodation for ELLs
by having access to definitions of content-related terms.
Customized dictionary
The customized dictionary was a literal cut- and-paste of
the actual dictionary entries, which only included terms that
were (1) in the test and (2) non-content related.
Native language testing
Translating tests into a student’s native language.
Linguistically modified test
Linguistic modification involves modifying the linguistic
features on existing assessments of any item that may include
unnecessary complexity.
Computer testing
Employs computer applications for eliciting and evaluating
test takers’ performance in a second language.
IMPORTANT FACTORS TO ASSESS IN MEASURING THE VALIDITY OF
THE ACCOMODATION FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS.

1.The effectiveness of accommodations for ELL students.

2.The validity of accommodations for ELL students.
3.The differential impact of accommodations for ELL students.
4.The degree of relevance of accommodations for ELL students.