In this unit we have learned about how sound can deepen student learning, and increase comprehension of text. Students with reading disabilities (RD) enjoy the right to classroom accommodations under IDEA, but are denied certain accommodations in state tests due to construct relevance. For example, the MCAS reading test does not allow audio versions of the reading passages even though some students use this accommodation in the classroom. Subsequently, many students are set-up to fail because they cannot access the content of the test and demonstrate their comprehension skills. The obvious conlfict, of course, is that the construct of reading is narrowly defined as processing written text (or braille) and listening to text interfers with that definition, thus, invalidating the test.
What would be a policy alternative to alleviate this problem?
Leave it as it is; reading is reading kids should know how to read text.
Use the alternative testing provisions in NCLB to create alternative tests that use audio support.
Change the construct of reading to inlcude listening and give it a new name like language comprehension, comprehensive literacy or communication processing and make available audio support for all students.
What do you think? Have I missed another viable option? What are the pros and cons to these options?
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