Text-to-speech technology as a designated support on statewide reading assessment

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of access to text-to-speech (TTS) technology on a statewide assessment of reading comprehension at the item level. The Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) serves as the yearly test of student achievement for the state of Iowa, fulfilling the federal requirement that each state administer such an assessment for the purpose of accountability. The ISASP is a computer-based test, and various tools are built into the assessment platform. One such tool, the TTS tool, is allowed beginning in grade 6 as a designated feature, meaning that school districts make the decision to grant access to each of their students. By examining the impact of access to this tool at the item level, this study addressed concerns about a threat to construct validity that may arise from the use of such a tool on a reading comprehension assessment.