urban students with disabilities’ perspectives on their inclusion in a high-stakes test ncresst...

Urban Students with Disabilities’ Perspectives on

their Inclusion in a High-Stakes Test

NCRESStFebruary 16, 2006

Lauren Katzman, Ed.D.Boston [email protected]

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Converging Policies

• Federal Laws– IDEA

• LRE• Access• Standards and Accountability

– Inclusion in large-scale assessments

– NCLB• Standards and Accountability

– Holds schools accountable for student scores

• State Policies• Standards and Accountability

– Twenty-three states hold students accountable

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Research Question

How do students with disabilities in two urban high schools understand and experience the 10th grade Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS)?– Dropout– Motivation– Preparedness

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Literature

• Dropout – “The causal connections are unclear, [but] much of the

existing research shows that the use of high stakes tests is associated with higher dropout rates.” (NRC, 1999, p. 174)

• Motivation – “Contrary to claims that external examinations inspire

greater students’ effort, such testing not only fails to energize students but may precipitate harmful outcomes including higher dropout rates.” (Kellaghan, Madaus, & Raczek, 1996)

– Stereotype Threat

• Preparedness– Access to the general education curriculum– Testing accommodations

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Participants

• Students with disabilities (24; SLD/SED)• Students without disabilities (12)• Tremont and Huntington high schools• Grades (9-11)• Ages (16-19)• Race (African Am 22, Latino 12, White 2)• SES (74% free/reduced lunch)• MCAS (2001)

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10th gr. MCAS 2002 - ELA

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21

63

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All Students 2002 Students withDisabilities 2002

StudentParticipantsSpring 2002

(StudentParticipantsSpring 2003)

Passin

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ELA

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10th gr. MCAS 2002 - Math

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38

21

58

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All Students 2002 Students withDisabilities 2002

Student ParticipantsSpring 2002

(Student ParticipantsSpring 2003)

Passin

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Math

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Participants

I mean, I’ve been dying for this opportunity just to tell someone, so someone would know, so the governor will know, so the mayor would know, so the superintendent of Boston Public Schools will know, cause, you know, I can’t – cause the superintendent has been up here like around five times this year. I can’t just pop into a class and be vulgar about it, because I know I have so much emotion and I have so much feelings about this MCAS that I would just act unrationally, you know? And I do not want that side of me to put forth. I just want my good put forward, you know? (James)

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Research Design

• Embedded Case Study Design

• Sample – Students with disabilities (24)– Students without disabilities (12)– Students attended two high schools

• Data– Interviews

• 1st interview Sept/Oct 2002• 2nd interview May/June 2003

– Documents • MCAS scores• School records• IEPs

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Findings

• Dropout – Students with disabilities reported that they did/would

think about dropping out of school if they failed the MCAS.

• Motivation – Students with disabilities reported that the MCAS

motivated them to work harder in school, although their motivation was diminished by the pressures of the test.

• Preparedness– Students with disabilities reported feeling unprepared to

pass the MCAS.

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School Dropout

I have seen numerous dropouts since the non-passing of the MCAS. I have seen emotional health gone to an all time low…. they are afraid of them, they are afraid out of their mind that they might not pass. (James)

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School Dropout

I mean, what are people gonna do? There is nothing else for them to do. It's like they can't pass it, so they're gonna drop out. (Anthony)

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School Dropout: Peer Pressure

Yeah, like some of my friends that go to this school, they didn’t pass the MCAS the first time and the second time or the third time, so they was like, what’s the sense staying in school, and if you don’t pass the MCAS you’re not gonna graduate, so I’m gonna drop out. So they already dropped out. About how many friends? Like twenty. You know twenty people who’ve dropped out? Yeah. (Kia)

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School Dropout: Peer Pressure

Cause in a way we feel like peer pressure... Peer pressure to do what? I mean, to drop out. (Rashad)

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School Dropout: Best Option?

I don't want to drop out, but if I have to go to Job Corps or whatever, I'll just go, get my GED. Because I mean, I probably have no other choice but to now… Because honestly, I don't think I'm gonna pass the MCAS. (Anthony)

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School Dropout: Best Option?

What I’m going to do is like I’m going to have to get out of school so I could get at least a GED diploma so I could have something… I could get a job, I could at least get something. (Eric)

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Motivation: Increased

Like in the beginning of the year, I didn’t think the MCAS was so important, you know. Then one day I went for after school help and the teacher was telling me how important it is for your graduation and all that. So that’s when I started working harder and harder. (Jesus)

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If I failed it, I would stay because I want to pass it. I want to get it all, just because it will give me more... How should I say it... more of a... I don’t know how to say this word… Animo… Like more energy to get into it… More energy to put myself into it. To work harder so I can get it done because I don’t really like to fail.

Okay, last year I wanted to skip out on the MCAS. I

wanted not to come those days so I wouldn’t have to take it. But then I strived myself to work harder so that I can get it done and get it over with. (Carlos)

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I was scared to take it, cause I know if I wasn’t gonna take it I was gonna go to Job Corps, and I was like, I’d rather go to get – I’d rather get my high-school diploma than go to Job Corps, know what I’m saying? And that’s for me – that’s what motivated me to do my work more, cause I had to pass the MCAS too, and I know if I was – if I didn’t pass the MCAS and I just did my work, I wasn’t gonna get my high-school diploma, I was just gonna get a certificate after all the work I done did. So what I did was I took the – I did the MCAS first, and passed the MCAS, then after that, know what I’m saying, I got my high-school diploma. I don’t gotta go to Job Corps no more. I was gonna go. I was scared. I didn’t think I could pass it, but I did. (Craig)

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It makes me feel smarter, that's, that's how I feel. Not saying that they're dumb or whatever, I'm just saying. I'm ain't trying to say I'm smarter than everybody, you know what I'm saying? I'm just saying that makes me feel I'm smart. (Rashad)

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Motivation: Decreased

Like it does, it motivate, it motivates us, but then it motivates us too much to the point that we just like oh, we just like, we can't keep up with it no more. (Luisa)

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The only thing that's really stressing me and hold me back is the MCAS. And it's like, it's really a big stress in my life. And I don't know. It's like… I don't have health problems, but you know how you be stressing, and like, like your body tingles and all of that? I don't know if I'm gonna have a stroke? I don't know, I'm afraid I'm gonna have a stroke or a heart attack. I don't know. Sometimes my body like freezes up on me. Like I can't move some time or whatever. I don't know, but it's like I do get stressed a lot about it. (Anthony)

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It made me more afraid because it gave me a ultimatum. You know, it gave me pass this or else you’re not gonna pass. Pass this or else you’re not gonna have a high-school diploma. Pass this or else you’re not gonna get into a good college. Pass this or else you’re not gonna succeed in the world. Pass this or else. That’s what it gave me… Ultimatums…. That doesn’t flatter me. That doesn’t help me go on. (James)

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Motivation: Stereotype Threat?

The reading and English are not hard, but the math is kind of too hard. Especially if the kids are in special ed.

They’re not good at the same things that regular ed. kids are. Like, that’s why they’re in special ed… I don't know, I think special eds. shouldn’t take the MCAS… they’ll probably never pass it…. And you know, they don’t understand nothing in it. (Ricky)

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Motivation: Stereotype Threat?

They said on the news that special needs, they should just let them graduate because… we’re special-needs students and we need more help than anybody.

I think – yeah, I agree, because it’s just because we have a hard time understanding the work that they give us… they have to repeat it … And it’s like we have to see it, hear it, and then it’s just like – we’re like slow learners. (Shaniqua)

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Preparedness

Yeah, like, because as my MCAS was done, I went to my math teacher, and I was like Mister, you didn’t teach me all this stuff that was on the MCAS. He was like yes, I know they just want to know, do you know it. I’m like, how do I know it if the teachers didn’t teach that. I’m in Algebra. How they going to give me Geometry questions? And he was just like, I don’t know, that’s the MCAS. And I was just like I don’t know either. (Serena)

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Preparedness

• Access to the general education curriculum (math course enrollment)

– Students with disabilities reported that they were not receiving access to courses associated with tested curriculum.

• Access/Use of testing accommodations– Students with disabilities reported that

they did not know their testing accommodations.

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Preparedness: Access to the Curriculum

If you been in special ed. since you was in ninth through twelfth grade and you took the test, I doubt you be having a clue what you had on there…. Because in special ed. they teach you like more of a easier- level like stuff… but like by the time you get up to pace with everybody you’re still gonna be far back on the things that you missed. (Angelina)

It took me to mostly now to get back to the place that I was supposed. (James)

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Like they do prepare – the school, they do prepare you… for MCAS, … but when you look, it's not on the MCAS. It's like totally different math, and English and stuff that's on the MCAS. (Kia)

The teachers never taught it to us. That’s what I feel. Cause I do pay attention to math. (Mike)

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The Boston Public Schools … now they supposed to be preparing us for the MCAS. They need to give us questions that are on the MCAS so we can be prepared for it…

… not the specific questions… the same subject matter. (Mike)

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It feel like when you get to a certain level in the MCAS it get kind a hard and… you got some stuff that you ain’t done yet in high school… and you don’t know what it is because you might be on algebra or geometry still… I’m on geometry now. (Kenneth)

Students who took a standard progression of courses – Math

Math Students w/D (12 of 24; 50%)

Students w/oD (9 of 12; 75%)

Algebra (9th) Algebra/Geometry (10th)

12 3

Algebra (9th) Geometry (10th) 0 6

Students who took a non-standard progression of courses – Math

Math Students w/D (12 of 24; 50%)

Students w/oD (3 of 12; 25%)

Consumer/Applied Math (9th) Algebra (10th)

6 0

Algebra (9th) Algebra (10th) 6 3

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Math Students w/D 14 (of 24)

Students w/oD 9 (of 12)

Standard 71% (10) 89% (8)

Non- Standard 29% (4) 11% (1)

Students who passed the math MCAS – Standard/non-standard courses

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Preparedness: Testing Accommodations

Column A: Testing accommodations listed on students’ IEPs

Column B: Percentage of testing accommodations

on students’ IEP

Column C: Testing accommodations

verbalized

Column D: Testing accommodations

recognized from list

Small group 79% <1% 57%

Read directions 38% 0% 57%

Calculator 25% 10% 57%

Extra time 17% 14% 76%

Test in portions 17% 0% 14%

Frequent breaks 17% 0% 14%

Scribe 4% 0% 10%

Clarify directions 4% 0% 29%

Unlimited time 4% 0% 10%

Pos. reinforcement 4% 0% 57%

None 0% 24% 10%

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Recommendations

• Act proactively to support students who fail a high-stakes test to graduate rather than to drop out of school.

• Support students to engage more with the challenging academics and less with the challenging consequences of the test.

• Assess students only for material they have covered.

• Use the provision in IDEA that allows for students with disabilities to remain in school until they are 21 to meet students’ needs and to allow students to demonstrate achievement.

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Recommendations

• Ensure that students know about and use their testing accommodations.

• Keep high academic standards in place for all students.

• Examine further through both qualitative and quantitative research dropout, motivation and student preparedness in relation to high-stakes testing.

• “Think hard about it.”