Are Testing Accommodations Helping or Not? A Review of English Learner (EL) Accommodations on Standardized Tests

This paper examines and critiques English Learner (EL) testing accommodation policies. They have been ineffective at increasing test scores and accessibility. The policies have mandated that EL students participate in high-stakes assessments with accommodations, and sometimes without them. The purpose of the accommodation is to create an even playing field for all test-takers, so that no subgroup is put at a disadvantage, which would compromise their scores and lead to misclassification of students. Laws and Acts such as the Bilingual Education Act of 1968, No Child Left Behind, and the Every Student Succeeds Act have updated and mandated a more equitable testing environment for EL students, yet they continue to yield poor test scores and inaccessible exams even with testing accommodations. Reviewing the testing accommodation policies and highlighting their inadequacies could lead to more effective policymaking in the future. EL students deserve a testing environment that mandates policies with proven results, so they can be properly evaluated for their content knowledge without their language proficiency hindering their educational output.