Test Accommodations and Equating Invariance on a Fifth-Grade Science Exam

The purpose of this study is to utilize Score Equity Assessment (SEA) to examine measurement comparability and equity in reported scores on a statewide fifth-grade science assessment with respect to groups of students defined by disability status, English Language Learner status and use of test accommodations. Benefits of SEA include a focus on equity in reported scores, the connection of SEA to equal construct assessment, and no a priori assumptions about how accommodations should affect the mean test scores of subpopulations. The findings of this study indicate that students with disabilities and English language learners who utilized accommodations on this assessment displayed a slightly higher degree of measurement comparability to the overall population of test takers than did students with disabilities and students who are English Language Learners who did not utilize accommodations. This study supports the use of SEA to assess equity in reported scores and the validity of inferences based on accommodated test scores.