When One Size Does Not Fit All—The Special Challenges of Accountability Testing for Students with Disabilities

Pullin, Diana

doi:10.1111/j.1744-7984.2005.00031.x

Cited by 5 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…We can also turn to our colleagues in other academic disciplines, including sociology (e.g., Mehan, , pp. 49–56, ; Young, ), anthropology (e.g., Goldman & McDermott, ), economics (e.g., Jacob, ), law (e.g., Pullin, ), and linguistics (e.g., Hill, ). Even though measurement has roots in psychology, our field also could benefit from closer contact with new developments in social psychology (e.g., Steele, ) as well as the cognitive and learning sciences (Bransford & Schwartz, ; Gee, ; Mislevy, ).…”

Section: Intended Consequencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Getting the Help We Need

Haertel

2013

J Educational Measurement

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In validating uses of testing, it is helpful to distinguish those that rely directly on the information provided by scores or score distributions (direct uses and consequences) versus those that instead capitalize on the motivational effects of testing, or use testing and test reporting to shape public opinion (indirect uses and consequences). Some uses and consequences, both direct and indirect, are intended; others are unintended. Unintended consequences pose greater challenges in test validation because they must be identified before they can be investigated. Validation of uses and consequences can employ theories and methods from various social science disciplines. Educational measurement is most closely allied with psychology and statistics, but sociologists, anthropologists, economists, linguists, and others also could help in theorizing and investigating the consequences of test use, especially indirect and unintended consequences.

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Section: Intended Consequencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Getting the Help We Need

Haertel

2013

J Educational Measurement

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“…The measurement of the performance of students with disabilities for accountability purposes is an issue that has raised many questions, and there are a number of US publications where various consequences of the No Child Left Behind policy have been studied and discussed (West, 2002;Pullin, 2005;Katsiyannis et al, 2007;Nagle et al, 2007a, b;Hardman & Dawson, 2008). Policies have differed and they have also gradually changed as a consequence of several kinds of critical arguments.…”

Section: Accountability Presumes Homogeneity But the Student Body Ismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This practice has been criticised because it could send out the message that the achievements of certain students do not count. On the other hand, to be subjected to the same assessment as all other students may violate the right of students with disabilities to get an adapted assessment that fully takes account of their needs (West, 2002;Pullin, 2005). Several states have introduced in their accountability system subgroups that have specific targets to reach and whose results have to be reported separately (the school as a whole; white, black, Hispanic, Native American, Asian, multiracial and economically disadvantaged students; students with limited proficiency in English; students with disabilities; and, in some states, gender).…”

Section: Accountability Presumes Homogeneity But the Student Body Ismentioning

confidence: 99%

Simple-Minded Accountability Measures Create Failing Schools in Disadvantaged Contexts: A Case Study of a Swedish Junior High School

Westling

2013

Policy Futures in Education

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The principles of new public management-market mechanisms, accountability and standards-have been applied in the education system. These methods are supposed to increase efficiency, but there is also a risk of negative consequences from the services provided if the measures of performance target a reduced range of goals, ignore relevant variables or are not valid measures. Indicators used to compare schools' performance are aggregate measures, such as the percentage of students who have access to secondary education and the average qualification value. This study reports how accountability policy and procedures may affect the functioning of the education system through the case study of a school serving a diverse student population. The school organisation was influenced by measures of performance, external events and contextual and selection variables. The average qualification value measure seems to be a limited measure of performance at the school level, since it largely reflects school composition and school segregation. Even the available performance measures adjusted for background variables do not take account of relevant variables that may influence the school's need of resources and its results, such as students' language proficiency and special educational needs. Other performances that are not easily measured-such as the prevention of dropout, improvement of school attendance and provision of an equitable education for all studentsare disregarded. Schools serving those students with the most needs risk being penalised by an approximate and restricted range of accountability systems because there is a risk that the schools will appear to be failing when they are working with more complex and advanced tasks than average schools. Based on these inaccurate performance measurements, the school may be targeted with wideranging, severe and basically unjust interventions.

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“…States should do this in accordance with professional and technical standards (Pullin, 2005), thereby giving IEP teams the best available data and guidelines for their consideration.…”

Section: Accommodations In Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This requirement has grown increasingly important as states have exercised their policies on use of accommodations, sometimes without data to support a decision, and other times without due consideration to preserving the validity of assessments. Now, all states have an affirmative obligation to determine appropriate accommodations for assessments that maintain their reliability and validity and to provide guidelines to IEP teams for decision making on the use of accommodations (Pullin, 2005; Title I-Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged, 2005, Proposed § 300.160(b)(2), IDEIA).…”

Section: Accommodations In Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%