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Researchers Piloting 'Accessible' Guidelines

Checklist of questions helps test creators avoid needless confusion for students with disabilities.

“Accessible” or “universally designed” tests strive to measure content area knowledge without throwing unneeded obstacles in the way of students with disabilities or students who are mastering English.

But at the same time, the tests can’t be so simple that general education students can skate through without having to demonstrate their competence.

Walking that line between accessibility and test validity is a challenge. But researchers at Vanderbilt hope to provide help through a checklist of questions they developed for test...