1. Examining Differential Boost from Read Aloud on a Test of Reading Comprehension at Grades 4 and 8 Cara Cahalan-Laitusis Linda Cook Fred Cline Teresa King

2. Accommodation vs. Modification States are not in agreement on read aloud on reading tests Many students use read aloud even when not allowed by the state –In California nearly 4,000 fourth graders took the STAR English Language Arts assessment in 2004 with the test read aloud Schools are torn between complying with state policy to not allow read aloud and federal regulations to allow all accommodations used in the classroom

3. Differential Boost

4. Prior Research No Differential Boost –Kosciokek & Ysseldyke (2000). Small sample size (n=31) –Meloy, Deville, and Frisbie (2002) – Between subjects design (n=260, 76% non-disabled, random assigned to audio or standard) –McKevitt & Elliott (2003) Small sample size (n=39) Differential Boost –Crawford and Tindal (2004) (n=338, 78% non- disabled) –Fletcher, et. al (2006) Between subjects design (random assigned to audio or standard) and sample included 91 Dyslexic (poor decoder) and 91 average decoders

5. Differential Boost Design

6. Data Collected 2 Reading Comprehension Tests –Extra Time –Extra Time with Read Aloud via CD 2 Fluency Measures 2 Decoding Measures ( 4 th grade only ) Student Survey Teacher Survey

7. Sample 1170 4 th Graders –522 Students with RLD –648 Students without a disability 855 8 th Graders –394 Students with RLD –461 Students without a disability

8. Mean Scale Score and Boost RLDNon-LD Grade 4 Standard457497 Audio477502 Boost205 Grade 8 Standard511552 Audio521554 Boost102

10. Teacher Prediction

11. Student Prediction

12. Preliminary Findings Differential Boost at both 4 th and 8 th grades (i.e., students with LD had significantly greater score gains from read aloud than non-LD students) Differential Boost (at both grades) even after controlling for Reading Fluency

13. Additional Analyses Planned Examine if controlling for decoding and fluency result in differential boost Differential Item Functioning between groups Examine which variables (decoding, fluency, teacher ratings, student ratings) best predict boost from audio

14. Additional Analyses Planned Predictive Validity of test scores –Compute regression equation for non- RLD standard score to other measure of RC (e.g., teacher ratings, state test scores, and/or fluency measure –Examine over/under estimations of non-LD audio, RLD audio, and RLD standard