Chapter 9: Examining Validity and Accommodations for English Learners in Highstakes Content Area Standardized Tests

For future teachers and teacher educators it is important to know that students’ scores on standardized tests can impact decisions regarding school and district ratings, school closures, teacher compensations, and student graduation (Every Student Succeeds Act [ESSA], 2015; No Child Left Behind [NCLB], 2002). Because of the weight they carry for decision making, standardized tests are often called high-stakes tests. Starting with the No Child Behind Act (NCLB) and continuing with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the U.S. federal government has required all children be tested annually for reading and math skills and many states also require science testing. English Learners (ELs), or students who are in the process of learning English (approximately 20% of the U.S. public school population) are included in this testing accountability pool (National Center for Educational Statistics [NCES], 2017). States are also required to keep track of ELs and show how schools are intervening to help them make academic progress. ELs in U.S. schools are therefore exposed to many standardized tests in the form of content-area tests (i.e., reading, math, and science) and English language proficiency tests (i.e., to keep track of their English language proficiency progress). These tests include formal annual state assessments but can include standardized assessments created by districts or by test developers to track student progress throughout the school year.