ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0383-4556

Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Psychology (Psy.D.)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Samuel O Ortiz

Second Advisor

Mark D Terjesen

Third Advisor

Marlene Sotelo-Dynega

Abstract

As the population of schools increases in diversity, school psychologists are challenged to provide equitable assessments for English Language Learners. However, due to lack of training in non-discriminatory assessment, inconsistent administration practices, and lack of knowledge of language development, in some districts, ELLs are overrepresented in Special Education, including Speech Language Impairment. For fair and a valid assessment, it is imperative that practitioners understand the cultural and linguistic development factors that affect ELL test performance. The Culture-Language Test Classifications, and Culture-Language Interpretive Matrix provide practitioners with information on the degree of cultural loading and linguistic demand required on a test, and provide a tool for interpretation of validity of results to determine the likely presence of disability. Prior research on test performance of ELLs has yielded patterns of expected test performance based on the categories set by the C-LIM based on the expected attenuation of performance due to the degree cultural and linguistic demand. The purpose of this study is to compare the performance of ELLs determined eligible for Speech and Language Impairment to the expected performance to determine whether the obtained test performance is consistent to the predictions of the C-LIM classifications. Results indicate that ELL performance on tests that make up speech-language evaluations, decrease as a function of increasing cultural and linguistic development required in English. When compared to the normative mean, ELLs perform significantly lower across all levels, and effect sizes increase as the C-LIM levels increase which account for the combined effect of culture and language. When compared to the expected performance of ELLs eligible for SLI with a moderate difference in language development and acculturative experiences there is a lack of significant differences, and the effect sizes don’t follow a decreasing, suggesting test performance is as expected by the C-LIM. Additionally, a subtest was identified to have higher language demand than previously classified, and recommendations were made for re-classification to a higher level on the C-LTC and C-LIM. Results from this study highlight the need for complete comprehensive assessment of cultural and linguistic factors to adequately categorize degree of language difference for appropriate test interpretation.

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