Many seem to believe that researcher-made tests are unnecessary, if not inappropriate, for evaluating reading comprehension interventions. We suggest that this view reflects a zeitgeist in which researcher-made (proximal) tests that align with the researchers' interventions are closely scrutinized and often devalued, whereas commercially developed…

This article provides an overview of identification of appropriate testing accommodations for students with learning disabilities (LD). First it defines the concept of testing accommodations and review research on test accommodations commonly used with students with LD. Next it examines the validity and fairness in accommodations, as well as the…

Prior research indicates that language-handicapped children obtain higher test scores when tested by personally familiar examiners than when tested by personally unfamiliar examiners. The present investigation inquired whether this finding is due to examinees' actual differential performance across the two examiner conditions, or whether it is the…

The effects of examiner unfamiliarity on the test performance of language handicapped and nonhandicapped preschoolers and school-age children are explored. Results indicate that examiner unfamiliarity selectively depresses handicapped children's test performance, constituting a systemic source of error and threatening the validity of handicapped…

Videotape analysis of the test performance of 15 speech and/or language handicapped preschoolers revealed that Ss' stronger performance with familiar examiners was associated with a greater duration and frequency of silence. The pattern suggested that familiar testers used silence to communicate expectation. (CL)

A study employing a repeated measure crossover design found that 34 preschool handicapped students performed significantly better with familiar than unfamiliar examiners on tasks requiring a high level of symbolic mediation. No such differential performance was found on items demanding a low level of symbolic mediation. Differential performance in…

Microanalysis of test-related behaviors of six examiners and 15 preschool speech- and language-handicapped children revealed that the children spoke significantly more often with greater complexity when tested by familiar examiners. Differences between familiar and unfamiliar examiners included use of silence, eye contact, and language style and…

A study investigated whether examiners' personal familiarity and professional experience with examinees affects handicapped children's test performance. Professionally experienced and inexperienced examiners were used in test conditions that varied by degree of personal familiarity of examiners and children. Results are discussed. (Author/DF)

This study employed a multiple regression to predict examinees' differential performance when tested by familiar and unfamiliar examiners. Subjects were 32 preschool and school-age handicapped children, each of whom had been tested on the Clinical Evaluation of Language Functions, once by a familiar and once by an unfamiliar tester, within a…

Prior research demonstrates that examiner unfamiliarity negatively affects the optimal performance of handicapped preschoolers. The present investigation sought to determine whether examiner unfamiliarity also interferes with the optimal performance of handicapped school-age pupils and nonhandicapped children. Sixty-four subjects (16…

A language test and five psychosocial measures were used to evaluate the effect of examiners on 32 disabled preschool and school-age children who were moderately to profoundly speech impaired, or both. Results indicated that the children performed significantly better when tested by familiar examiners than by unfamiliar examiners. (Author/ABB)