How Do Students React to Simple-Structure Test Items?
In a study using released mathematics items for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessment, Abedi, Lord & Plummer (1997) modified the NAEP test items to reduce the level of unnecessary linguistic complexity. Two mathematics content experts independently compared the original versus revised items to ensure that the language related to the mathematics content was not changed. Minor issues were identified by the experts and were addressed. Two test booklets were then prepared, one containing the original mathematics items and the other containing the revised items. In an interview study, a group of 38 grade 8 students including both ELLs and non-ELLs were asked to compare the two sets of items and share their views with the interviewer on which set of items they would prefer to use. Over 80 percent of the respondents (both ELLs and non-ELLs) indicated that they would prefer the revised version of the items and expressed that they understood those items more clearly.
