Opportunity to Learn: A Key Access and Validity Issue of Academic Assessments for Students with Disabilities
This research brief from the National Center on Assessment and Accountability for Special Education (NCAASE) provides an overview of the construct of opportunity-to-learn (OTL) and how it is being measured in a NCAASE study on OTL and student growth. The NCAASE study was designed to describe OTL for students with and without disabilities and to examine the relationship between OTL and students’ within-year and end-of-year growth and achievement.
This research brief provides an overview of the Opportunity to Learn (OTL) construct and how this NCAASE study is being measured. It intends to provide information on one NCAASE study designed to (a) describe OTL for students with and without disabilities and (b) examine the relationship between OTL and students’ end-of-year achievement and within-year growth. While it is helpful in operationalizing the concept of OTL and reporting initial findings from the NCAASE study, its content is highly statistical and would not be easily comprehended by lay educators.