Impact of Selected Background Variables on Students' NAEP Math Performance

摘要

The reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) legislation, through the enactment of the Improving Americas Schools Act (IASA) of 1994, represents a significant shift in expectations for American students. Compensatory education funding is provided through programs such as Title I and Title VII of the IASA, which now state that all children are expected to attain challenging standards set by their own state. The intent is that all children be given educational experiences to assist them in achieving high standards. Moreover, the operational consequence of these new standards-based reforms is that children previously excluded from assessments because of physical or psychological disability or because of limited proficiency in English (LEP) are now to be included. This raises complex issues. If the goal of challenging standards for all children is to be met, there must be serious efforts to ensure that previously-excluded students will have the opportunity to participate in these assessments. The National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) investigated some of these issues in a set of empirical studies exploring effective and practical approaches to assessment modification and their implications for validity. The goal was to produce and analyze a series of test accommodations and modifications that may be appropriate and feasible for use in NAEP. Further, these studies may help improve procedures for matching students to modified measures, at least for students whose first language is Spanish. The overall intention of these studies was to use experimental methods to compare modified test versions with appropriate comparison groups of students with limited English proficiency.