National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)

Slide 1

High School Exit Exams: Performance, Validity and

Use

Martha L. Thurlow

National Center on Educational Outcomes

www.nceo.info

National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)

Slide 2

Number of students using accommodations during state assessments:

Elementary Middle School High School

1999

53% 44% 44%

2005

65% 64% 61%

National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)

Slide 3

Complexity of policies has increased over time, as reflected in coding systems used to summarize state accommodation policies

Year Coding System

1993 X = allowed; O = prohibited

1995 Lists of states with certain accommodations

1997 X = allowed; O = prohibited

1999 X = allowed; O = prohibited

2001 X = allowed; X* = score not aggregated if used; O = prohibited

2003 A = allowed; AC = allowed in certain circumstances; AI = allowed with implications for scoring and/or aggregation; P = prohibited

2005 A = allowed; A* = allowed but called nonstandard (with no implications for scoring or aggregation); AC = allowed in certain circumstances; AI = allowed with implications for scoring and/or aggregation; P = prohibited

National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)

Slide 4

A A* AC AI AC/AI P

Large Print 10 0 0 0 0 0

Braille 10 0 0 0 0 0

Sign Directions 9 0 1 0 0 0

Read Aloud Direct.

9 0 0 0 0 0

Repeat Directions

7 1 0 0 0 0

Visual Cues 5 0 0 0 0 0

Familiar Examiner

7 0 0 0 0 0

Admin. by Others

6 0 0 0 0 0

Sign Questions 2 1 2 0 2 0

Addtl. Examples 2 0 0 0 0 0

Read Aloud Quest.

3 1 3 0 2 0

Presentation Accommodations

Sample of 10 States with Distinct Policies for High School Exit Exam

National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)

Slide 5

A A* AC AI AC/AI P

Mag. Equipment 8 0 0 0 0 0

Amp. Equipment 9 0 0 0 0 0

Light/Acous. 8 0 0 0 0 0

Calculator 3 1 1 1 1 2

Templates/Graph

9 0 0 0 0 0

Audio/Video 5 0 0 0 0 0

Noise Buffer 5 0 0 0 0 0

Adap/Spec Furn 8 0 0 0 0 0

Abacus 4 0 0 0 0 0

Manipulatives 5 0 0 1 0 0

Equipment and Material Accommodations

Sample of 10 States with Distinct Policies for High School Exit Exam

National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)

Slide 6

A A* AC AI AC/AI

Proctor/Scribe 7 0 1 1 1

Write in Test Booklet

10 0 0 0 0

Brailler 7 0 1 0 0

Tape Recorder 8 0 1 0 0

Computer/Mach. 6 1 2 0 1

Sign Responses 8 0 0 0 1

Comm. Device 5 1 1 0 0

Pointing 7 0 1 0 0

Speech/Text Dev. 3 1 0 0 0

Spell Checker 3 1 2 0 2

Response Accommodations

Sample of 10 States with Distinct Policies for High School Exit Exam

National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)

Slide 7

A A* AC AI AC/AI

With Breaks 9 0 0 0 0

Extended Time 8 0 0 0 0

Time Beneficial to Student

8 0 0 0 0

Multiple Sessions

3 0 0 0 0

Over Multiple Days

7 0 0 0 0

Scheduling/Timing Accommodations

Sample of 10 States with Distinct Policies for High School Exit Exam

National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)

Slide 8

Sample of 10 States with Distinct Policies for High School Exit Exam

A A* AC AI AC/AI

Individual 10 0 0 0 0

Small Group 10 0 0 0 0

Carrel 9 0 0 0 0

Seat Location 8 0 0 0 0

Separate Room 5 0 0 0 0

Minimize Dist. 3 0 0 0 0

Student’s Home 7 0 1 0 0

Special Ed. Classroom

3 0 0 0 0

Setting Accommodations

National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)

Slide 9

Who Receives Accommodations (besides IEP

students)?

• 504 students (41 states)• ELLs with IEPs (25 states)• All students, with qualifications (6 states)• All students (no qualifications) (2 states)• Other (11 states)

National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)

Slide 10

Complicating Matters

Some states use college admission tests as their high school exams (not as “exit exams” per se), with the accommodation policies conforming to those of the admission test rather than the typical state policy – but this may in turn affect state practice!

National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)

Slide 11

Alternative Routes

Study conducted in 2003-2004

Figure 1. Alternative Routes to a Standard Diploma (2003-2004)

                                                             

National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)

Slide 12

Many of states’ alternative routes are not very alternative!

And, for students with disabilities, including students with learning disabilities, states seem to be willing to accept noncomparable alternative routes.

National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)

Slide 13

Policy Implications

• Accommodations should meet students’ needs, and not necessarily be a function of the test. There is no real reason for accommodations to vary just because an assessment is an exit exam (other than content)

• There are many reasons to provide much more viable alternative routes to standard diplomas – ones that are based on the same standards and expectations, but that are truly alternative routes.

National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)

Slide 14

Practice Recommendations

• Students, parents, and educators need to think about the implications of the transition from an open and flexible (relatively) accommodations system to a closed and inflexible (relatively) accommodations system.

• Accommodations should be tested out to make sure that they are really needed. If they are, document them.

National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)

Slide 15

Product Recommendations

Tools are needed to help with training and decision making

Some exist – ASES SCASS Accommodations Manual: how to Select, Administer, and Evaluate Use of Accommodations for Instruction and Assessment of Students with Disabilities

More are needed!