Archived Projects
Enhanced Assessment Grant (EAG): Kentucky Investigation
Kentucky launched the nation’s first accessible online statewide general assessment for students with disabilities in spring of 2003, known as CATS (Commonwealth Accountability Testing System) Online. The Kentucky Investigation focused on analysis of this electronic system. Since its inception, taking the Kentucky state assessment online has been an option for students with disabilities who routinely use text to speech technology during instruction to access print based material. While other states have ventured into online administration of their state assessment, Kentucky was the first state to offer their full assessment online in an accessible digital format at all grades and content areas. This also included a mechanism for electronic student response. Although promising, a detailed and systematic analysis of the comparability and impact of this electronic accommodation on a large-scale basis is needed to guide other states in their design and delivery of accessible online assessment and its use by students with disabilities.
Key questions for this investigation include:
- Performance Study: Are there any differences in the performance of students who take the state assessment online using technology supports from that of students who take the test on paper with the accommodation of an adult reader?
- Learner Characteristics Profiles: Are the students that participate in CATS Online and their learning characteristics comparable to the students with disabilities being assessed on paper with adult assistance?
- Variances of Online Assessment System Design and Delivery: What is the comparability of delivery of the large-scale general assessment in accessible electronic format as compared to administration on paper with adult reader assistance?
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