Consistency matters when measuring students’ learning

Headphones on and intently staring at his screen, Hayden sat at his table reading about ice cream. He was totally engrossed in the test’s content, his lips moving silently with the narrator’s voice.

Some of my 5th graders sat at single desks to better focus as they read, others wore unplugged headphones to block out noise, and still others like Hayden readied their text-to-speech (TTS) settings on their devices to begin their read-along sessions.

Each student had the tools and options they needed to be successful in this most important task: reading.

When I walked by to check on Hayden, he gave me a thumbs up as he began answering explicit and inferential questions, a tough skill for any 5th grader.

Students like Hayden with learning differences make up about 23% of all students in Arkansas. Once they’ve put in the work to learn how to use tools like TTS, the results are remarkable.

Texthelp tools like Read&Write and Equatio, which are provided by the Arkansas Department of Education’s Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, help bridge the learning and literacy gaps for students in grades 3-12.

Research shows that students with learning differences demonstrate increased comprehension scores when using text-to-speech technology on reading tests. This includes students with a range of learning differences, including dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism and vision impairment.

The Arkansas Teaching, Learning & Assessment System (ATLAS), which is administered each spring, was designed to assess students on state standards for math, science, reading, language, and writing.

Cohorts of teachers vetted the assessment prior to its adoption in the 2023-24 academic year to ensure its alignment with Arkansas standards and rigor in the question types. However, assistive technology that is part of daily instruction in a classroom like mine is not allowed on state testing for students on Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) like Hayden.

As of 2023, 30 states allow for text-to-speech access on state testing for students with documented disabilities who use such resources in their daily learning. Arkansas should join these states so every student has the opportunity to consistently use the same assistive technology across their daily tasks and the state test that measures what they know and can do.

Providing this crucial learning tool to Arkansas students on the ATLAS test would boost their reading confidence and reduce stress associated with high-stakes testing. For example, one of my students uses speech-to-text to capture his ideas on longer writing assignments, thereby overcoming the negative impacts of dysgraphia, a neurological condition in which someone has difficulty turning their thoughts into written language. He is able to bridge this neurological barrier and successfully express himself.

Students like Hayden find success in my classroom by leveraging the tools and resources available to them, which rewards their effort and fuels their desire to succeed. By removing the barrier for Hayden to decode words, I can evaluate what he comprehends in the writing he produces and adjust my instruction accordingly. I can also support Hayden in improving his decoding skills through individualized reading interventions, so that he eventually won’t need the text-to-speech tool.

Having consistency in students’ use of assistive technology also helps teachers like me, who rely on assessment data to adjust instruction and implement interventions and supports. I spend time using this data to understand the strengths and weaknesses of incoming students each fall.

If TTS is allowed on state testing, we can ensure our instructional shifts are effective and efficient from year to year.

With the support of TTS, Hayden is growing more and more confident and is able to answer complex questions at grade level. All students should have the opportunity to demonstrate their learning in a way that does not create feelings of inadequacy and failure.  Giving students access to these tools on state tests would empower them and help them reach their full potential.