Evaluating the Benefits of Dynamic Testing of Arithmetic Skills 3 for Developing Individualized Education Plans

Dynamic testing (DT) is a testing approach that allows tailoring instructions to students’ needs. Previous research on DT has been mostly limited to studying its predictive validity in general domains. This study aimed to provide insights into the benefits of DT for planning individualized educational support. To that end, we developed a dynamic test of arithmetic skills for third graders with low math achievement. Math teachers were assigned to three experimental conditions in which they administered DT, a standard test of arithmetic skills, or no test and were asked to write individualized education plans (IEPs) for their students afterwards. A total of 99 IEPs were analyzed to discern patterns and variations across the conditions. Findings showed only a limited benefit of DT.