Project ETUDE

Welcome to Project ÉTUDE: Extended Time Use for Disability Equity. This research initiative uses data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)—also known as the Nation’s Report Card—to explore how students with disabilities engage with test-taking.

About 15% students in public schools in the United States are identified as having disabilities, with the most common disability categories including (a) specific learning disabilities, (b) speech/language impairments, (c) health impairments such as ADHD, (d) autism, and (e) emotional disturbances. Many students with disabilities are given testing accommodations; changes are made to the way in which their tests are administered, while keeping the test content the same. One of the most common accommodations is extending the time limits (extended testing time).

Extended time is relatively easy to administer, and it's inexpensive--it doesn't require specialized equipment and may not even require new personnel. But when it's given without a good reason, extended time can still have disadvantages. It can take educators' focus off of building students' academic skills to be fluent and automatic, and it can also make students feel as if they can't handle time pressure. There's also some research suggesting that extended time is more likely to be given to affluent students, raising equity concerns.

Our goal is to use research to help understand what students who get extended time actually do with it—whether they use their accommodations to take tests differently than their nondisabled peers do, and whether they can obtain specific benefits from using it. 

Find out more information about the project by visiting the project website.

Project ETUDE is supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant R324A240095 to Michigan State University. The opinions expressed are those of the investigators and do not represent views of the Institute or the U.S. Department of Education.

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Project ETUDE Introduction

Project ETUDE Research Questions & Objectives


Investigators

Dr. Sara Witmer

Dr. Witmer is Associate Professor of School Psychology in the College of Education at Michigan State University. She has taught many courses on assessment and intervention for future school psychologists and directed related federally-funded training grants. She has co-authored books on inclusive assessment and accommodations for students with disabilities, and published over 50 articles and chapters on test accommodations and academic assessment and intervention.

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Dr. Heather Buzick

Dr. Buzick is a Senior Research Scientist at ETS. With training in educational measurement, statistics, and evaluation, she conducts research using large-scale assessment databases in both K-12 and post-secondary contexts. Her work, including 30 publications, aims to improve measurement practices, often focusing on students with disabilities, and to inform education decision-making and has spanned various testing programs, including state accountability, admissions, NAEP, licensure, and international assessments.

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Dr. Ben Lovett

Dr. Lovett is Professor of Psychology and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. He teaches classes on psychological testing and legal and ethical issues in school psychology. In addition, he is a licensed psychologist and has served as a consultant to many schools and testing agencies. He has over 100 publications on such topics as the diagnosis of learnig and attention problems; testing accommodations for students with disabilities; and the nature and management of test anxiety.

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