The Impact of Using Calculators as an Accommodation on the Math Achievement of Students with Learning Disabilities

The impact of using the calculator as a standard accommodation during the instruction and assessment of students with learning disabilities has not been sufficiently investigated. The purpose of this study was to determine if the use of the calculator in grades 6, 7 and 8, as a standard accommodation during math instruction and assessment contributed to improved performance for students with learning disabilities. These students struggled with math and received special education services in this academic area before and during the use of the accommodation. The researcher also investigated whether the effect of this accommodation varied with the type of special education program awarded (inclusion, resource, self-contained). The theoretical foundation of the study was cognitive deficit theory that focused on working memory deficits. A quantitative, causal-comparative research design was conducted using archival data from a small school district to compare the performance of the students with learning disabilities on the grade level state standardized assessment before the implementation of the calculator as a standard accommodation and afterwards. The results of paired samples t tests and a two-way mixed ANOVA were statistically significant, showing that students who used the calculator performed at a higher level. The special education program did not influence the effect of using the calculator; all students with learning disabilities benefitted from using this accommodation. The implications of these findings suggest that calculators allow students with learning disabilities to learn key concepts by addressing the cognitive deficit challenges of retrieving basic math facts.