Large-Scale Assessments and English Language Learners with Disabilities: A Case Study of Participation, Performance, and Perceptions--'Walking the Talk!' ELLs with Disabilities Report 15

This study was designed, in part, to clarify some of the issues that surround including English language learners in states' large-scale assessment programs. More specifically, the authors gathered practical information at the local school level to understand these students' large-scale assessment experiences from a variety of perspectives, to describe the characteristics of English language learners with disabilities as well as the characteristics of their schools, and to make known the level of awareness that students and their families have about large-scale assessments. Two broad research questions were addressed in this study: (1) What perceptions do educators, parents, and students have about the experiences of English language learners with disabilities who participate in large-scale assessments? and (2) What are the characteristics of schools that test English language learners with disabilities in large-scale assessments? The case study research design, in which one school is defined as a case, used a mixed method approach to collect quantitative and qualitative data from four sources of data. Data were collected on site in three schools and one alternative school program in a large urban school district located in a large western state. The findings from the document review, written survey, and face-to-face interviews are each presented in different formats, allowing the researchers to highlight the most interesting and useful findings from each data collection activity. To discern the useful information that emerged from the findings, the authors compared school level and sample subgroup results for a discussion that concludes this report. While the findings cannot be directly generalized to other school sites due to the nature of the case study research design for this project, they do indicate noticeable school characteristics, policies, and procedures that are important considerations for policymakers, administrators, and practitioners who strive to better include English language learners with disabilities in states' large-scale assessment and accountability programs. Seven such important considerations are identified and explored herein. The following are appended: (1) research instruments; and (2) Tabled Results by Written Survey Item. (Contains 10 tables and 37 figures.)