Factor Structure of Opportunity to Learn for Students with and without Disabilities - Journal Article

Oct 15, 2026

Opportunity to Learn (OTL) links the quality and intensity of classroom instruction to students’ academic success. For students with disabilities, OTL has become a national priority, yet assessing its impact remains complex. This study evaluates the factorial validity of OTL using 2005 4th grade NAEP indicators, applying confirmatory factor analyses to teacher preparation, professional development, classroom activities, and access to technology. Separate analyses were conducted for reading and mathematics datasets to test how OTL factors predict NAEP ability estimates for students with and without disabilities.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages30

Reading Time1 h 16 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Purpose and background

Method and OTL factors

Separate reading and mathematics analyses

Predictive findings

| education policy analysis archives
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epaa

aape | | --- | --- | | Arizona State University | | | Volume 20 Number 41 December 17th, 2012 ISSN 1068-2341 | | Factor Structure of Opportunity to Learn for Students with and without Disabilities Stephanie W. Cawthon, S. Natasha Beretvas, Alyssa D. Kaye, & L. Leland Lockhart The University of Texas at Austin USA Citation: Cawthon, S.W., Beretvas, S.N., Kaye, A.D., & Lockhart, L.L. (2012) . Factor structure of opportunity to learn for students with and without disabilties. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 20(41). Retrieved [date], from [http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/article/view/1043](http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/article/view/1043) Abstract: Opportunity to Learn (OTL) stems from the basic premise that there is an important relationship between the quality and intensity of classroom instruction and students’levels of academic success. For many students with disabilities, an emphasis on OTL has become national priority, yet measuring its impact is a complex challenge. The first purpose of this study was to explore the factorial validity of OTL using indicators found in the 2005 4th grade National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) . The study entailed confirmatory factor analyses for potential OTL factors including teacher preparation, professional development, classroom activities, and access to technology. Separate factor analyses were conducted using the reading and mathematics datasets. The authors then looked at the degree to which OTL factors influenced NAEP estimates of ability for both students with disabilities and their non-disabled peers. The following three OTL factors differentially predicted student scores: classroom activities (reading), student constructed projects (reading), and using calculators for instruction (mathematics) . For the remaining three reading factors and seven mathematics factors, there were no differences in the relationship between the factors and scores for students with and without disabilities. Keywords: Opportunity to Learn; NAEP; Assessment; Students with Disabilities Journal website: [http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/ ](http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/ Manuscript)[ Manuscript](http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/ Manuscript) received: 11/15/2011 Facebook: /EPAAA Revisions received: 6/19/2012 Twitter: @epaa_aape Accepted: 7/13/2012 Education Policy Analysis Archives Vol. 20 No. 41 2 Estructura de los factores de oportunidades de aprendizaje para estudiantes con y sindiscapacidades. Resumen: Oportunidad para Aprender (OPA) se deriva de la premisa básica de que existe una relación importante entre la calidad y la intensidad de la instrucción en el aula y los niveles de los estudiantes de éxito académico. Para muchos estudiantes con discapacidad, un énfasis en la comunicación cara a cara se ha convertido en prioridad nacional, sin embargo, la medición de su impacto es un desafío complejo. El primer objetivo de este estudio fue explorar la validez factorial de la comunicación cara a cara con los indicadores se encuentran en el 2005 4 º grado de la Evaluación Nacional del Progreso Educativo (NAEP) . El estudio implicó el análisis factorial confirmatorio para posibles factores de comunicación cara a cara, incluyendo la formación docente, desarrollo profesional, las actividades del aula, y el acceso a la tecnología. Análisis factorialesseparados se realizaron utilizando la lectura y las matemáticas conjuntos de datos. Los autores observaron luego el grado en que los factores de influencia cara a cara las estimaciones de la capacidad de NAEP para los estudiantes con discapacidades y sus compañeros no discapacitados. Los siguientes tres factores de comunicación cara a cara diferente predijo resultados de los estudiantes: actividades en el aula (lectura), proyectos estudiantiles construidas (lectura), y utilizando una calculadora para la enseña

FAQs

What is the main relationship examined by the study?

The study examines the relationship between the quality and intensity of classroom instruction and students’ academic success through the framework of Opportunity to Learn (OTL).

Which OTL factors predicted student scores differently for reading and mathematics?

Classroom activities (reading), student constructed projects (reading), and using calculators for instruction (mathematics) differentially predicted student scores; other reading and mathematics factors showed no differences by disability status.

Oct 15, 2026

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