Special Topic Area:
Accommodations for English Language Learners

Resources on Accommodations for ELLs

Online resources available at NCEO’s Web site (the publications are listed chronologically, with the most recent first):

• English Language Learners with Disabilities in State English Language Proficiency Assessments: A Review of State Accommodation Policies (Synthesis Report 66) (HTML format available soon) / PDF format
• The Effects of a Simplified English Dictionary Accommodation for LEP Students Who Are Not Literate in their First Language (LEP Report 1)
• Bilingual Accommodations for Limited English Proficient Students on Statewide Reading Tests: Phase 2 (Minnesota Assessment Project Report 31)
  
• Bilingual Accommodations for Limited English Proficient Students on Statewide Reading Tests: Phase 1 (Minnesota Assessment Project Report 20)
  

Peer Reviewed Journals

Albus, D., Thurlow, M., Liu, K. & Bielinski, J.  (2005).The effect of a simplified English dictionary on a reading test.  Journal of Educational Research, 98(4), 245-254.

Abedi, J., Hofstetter, C.H., and Lord, C.  (2004). Assessment accommodations for English language learners:  Implications for policy-based empirical research.  Review of Educational Research, 74(1), 1-28.

Johnson, E. and Monroe, B. (2004). Simplified language as an accommodation on math tests.  Assessment for Effective Intervention, 29(3), 35-45.

Rivera, C., Stansfield, C. (2003/2004). The effect of linguistic simplification of science test items on score comparability.  Educational Assessment, 9(3&4), 79-105.

Hofstetter, C. (2003). Contextual and mathematics accommodation test effects for English-language learners.  Applied Measurement in Education, 16(2), 159-188.

Abedi, J. (2002).  Assessment and accommodations of English language:  Issues, concerns and recommendations.  Journal of School Improvement, 3(1).  Available:  http://www.ncacasi.org/jsi/2002v3i1/assessment

Abedi, J. (2002). Standardized achievement tests and English language learners: Psychometrics issues. Educational Assessment, 8(3), 231-257.

Abedi, J., & Lord, C. (2001). The language factor in mathematics tests. Applied Measurement in Education, 14(3), 219-234.

Abedi, J., Lord, C., Hofstetter, C., & Baker, E. (2000). Impact of accommodation strategies on English language learners' test performance. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 19(3), 16-26.

Sireci, S. G. (1997). Problems and issues in linking assessments across languages. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 16(1), 12-19.

Other Sources

Cook, L., Eignor, D., Sawaki, Y., Steinberg, J. and Cline, F. (2006).  Investigating the dimensionality of an English-language arts assessment administered to English-language learners with and without accommodations.  Princeton, NJ:  Educational Testing Service.

Francis, D., Rivera, M., Lesaux, N., Kieffer, M., and Rivera, H. (2006).  Research-based recommendations for the use of accommodations  in large-scale assessments.  Houston, TX:  Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation and Statistics, Center for Instruction, University of Houston. 

Rivera, C., Collum, E., Willner, L. and Sia, J. (2006).  Study 1:  An analysis of state assessment policies regarding the accommodation of English language learners. In C. Rivera and E. Collum (Eds.), State assessment policy and practices for English language learners.  Mahwah, NJ:  Lawrence Earlbaum Associates, Inc., p. 1-174.

Stansfield, C. and Bowles, M. (2006).  Study 2:  Test translation and state assessment policies for English language learners.  In C. Rivera and E. Collum (Eds.), State assessment policy and practices for English language learners.  Mahwah, NJ:  Lawrence Earlbaum Associates, Inc., p. 175-314.

Abedi, J., Courtney, M., & Leon, S. (2003). Research-supported accommodation for English language learners in NAEP (CSE Tech. Rep. No. 586). Los Angeles: University of California, National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing.

Abedi, J., Leon, S., & Mirocha, J. (2003). Impact of student language background on content-based performance: Analyses of extant data (CSE Tech. Rep. No. 603). Los Angeles: University of California, National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing.

Sireci, S. G., Li, S. & Scarpati, S. (2003). The effects of test accommodation on test performance. A review of the literature (Center for Educational Assessment Research Rep. No. 485).  Amherst: University of Massachusetts.

Abedi, J., Courtney, M., Mirocha, J., Leon, S., & Goldberg, J. (2001). Language accommodation for large-scale assessments in science. Los Angeles: University of California, National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing.

Abedi, J., Lord, C., Kim, C., & Miyoshi, J. (2000). The effects of accommodations on the assessment of LEP students in NAEP (CSE Tech. Rep. No. 537). Los Angeles: University of California, National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing.

Castellon-Wellington, M.  (2000). The impact of preference for accommodations:  The performance of English language learners on large-scale academic achievement tests.  (CSE Technical Report 524). Los Angeles: University of California, National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing.

Kiplinger, V., Haug, C., and Abedi, J. (2000).  Measuring math—not reading—on a math assessment:  A language accommodations study of English language learners and other special populations.  Eric document  441813.

Brown, P. B. (1999). Findings of the 1999 Plain Language Field Test (Publication T-99-013.1). Newark, DE: Delaware Education Research and Development Center, Inclusive Comprehensive Assessment Systems Project.

Rivera, C., & Stansfield, C. (1998). Leveling the playing field for English language learners: Increasing participation in state and local assessments through accommodations. In R. Brandt (Ed.), Assessing student learning: New rules, new realities. Arlington, VA: Educational Research Service.

Abedi, J., Lord, C., & Hofstetter, C. (1998). Impact of selected background variables on students' NAEP math performance (CSE Tech. Rep. No. 478). Los Angeles: University of California, National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing.

Abedi, J., Lord, C., & Plummer, J. (1997). Language background as a variable in NAEP mathematics performance: NAEP TRP Task 3D: Language background study (CSE Tech. Rep. No. 429). Los Angeles: University of California, National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing.

Butler, F. A., & Stevens, R. (1997). Accommodation strategies for English language Learners on large-scale assessments: Student characteristics and other considerations (CSE Tech. Rep. No. 448). Los Angeles: University of California, National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing.

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