Open AccessDynamic Assessment for Identifying Spanish-Speaking English Learners’ Risk for Mathematics Disabilities: Does Language of Administration Matter?
Author(s) -
Eunsoo Cho,
Lynn S. Fuchs,
Pamela M. Seethaler,
Donald L. Compton
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of learning disabilities
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.635
H-Index - 91
eISSN - 1538-4780
pISSN - 0022-2194
DOI - 10.1177/0022219419898887
Subject(s) - psychology , dominance (genetics) , english language , predictive validity , language assessment , dynamic assessment , predictive value , mathematics education , developmental psychology , biochemistry , chemistry , gene , medicine
We examined dynamic assessment's (DA's) added value over traditional assessments for identifying Spanish-speaking English learners' (ELs) risk for developing mathematics disabilities, as a function of the language of test administration (English vs. Spanish), type of math outcome, and EL's language dominance. At the start of first grade, ELs ( N = 368) were randomly assigned to English-DA or Spanish-DA conditions, were assessed on static mathematics measures and domain-general (language, reasoning) measures in English, and completed DA in their assigned language condition. At year's end, they were assessed on calculation and word-problem solving outcomes in English. Results from multigroup path models indicated that Spanish-DA mitigates the impact of ELs' language dominance on DA performance. Moreover, ELs' language dominance moderated DA's predictive validity differentially depending on DA language and type of outcome. Spanish-DA showed higher predictive validity in Spanish-dominant ELs than English-dominant ELs when predicting calculations but not word-problem solving. English-DA was predictive for both outcomes, regardless of ELs' language dominance.