This study compared the performance of 946 8th-grade students with different language proficiencies (limited English proficient [LEP], fluent English proficient [FEP], and initially fluent in English [IFE]) and language backgrounds on a 35-item math test (from the 1996 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Grade 8 Bilingual…

The Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) requirements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) underscore both the mandate and the challenge of assuring that English Language Learners (ELLs) achieve the same high standards of performance that are expected of their native English speaking peers. The intent indeed is laudable: states, districts, schools, and teachers…

A study used data from the National Education Longitudinal Study to identify predictors of placement for eighth-grade ethnic-minority students (n=3,439) in learning-disability (LD) programs. Results found that although some factors predicted placement in LD programs for all ethnic groups, placement predictors also varied by student ethnicity.…

This study examined the impact of students' background characteristics (English language proficiency) on the level of effectiveness of various types of testing accommodations. Data were collected from 946 eighth graders, some of whom were English language learners. Four accommodation strategies were used: (1) modified (simplified) English language…

Describes research on the development of a measure of student metacognition. The brief, domain-independent measure serves as a collateral measure in construct validation, supporting exploration of the self-regulatory demands of performance assessment. Results show that metacognition can be directly and explicitly measured in the context of…

Different forms of accommodation have been suggested in the assessment of English language learners (ELL). This study examined the effectiveness of a few accommodation strategies on the performance of ELL students in mathematics. A group of 946 eighth graders participated in this study. Using mathematics test items from the National Assessment of…

The impact of testing accommodation on the performance of students with limited English proficiency (LEP) was studied, focusing on the possibility of differential impact of accommodation strategies on subgroups formed based on students' background characteristics and the validity of assessments using accommodated versus nonaccommodated…