AccommodationsFor Instruction and Assessment

Beth Schiltz

December 2014

Objectives

• Overview of – SD Accommodations Manual – The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium

(SBAC): Usability, Accessibility and Accommodations Guidelines document

– Documentation of Accommodations– Resources available

SD Accommodations Manual

• http://doe.sd.gov/oats/dakSTEP.aspx• Updated this summer (in draft form)

SD Accommodations Manual

Five Important Steps1. Expect students with disabilities to achieve grade

level academic content standards2. Learn about accommodations for instruction and

assessment3. Select accommodations 4. Administer accommodations during instruction

and assessment5. Evaluate and improve accommodation use

Step 1

Expect students with disabilities to achieve grade level academic content standards (equal access)

–Know content standards and accountability systems–Know where the standards are located and any updates to the standards–Collaborate between general and special educators–Provided instruction by highly qualified teachers in the content area and who know how to differentiate instruction–Developed IEPs to provide specialized instructions when necessary–Provide appropriate accommodations to help students access grade-level content

Step 2

Learn about accommodations for instruction and assessment–Needs to be provided in the classroom–Used outside of the school environment–Consider the following when leveling the playing field

• Student characteristics• Instructional tasks• Consistency with IEP for classroom instruction and

assessment

Accommodations

• Reduce or eliminate the effects of a student’s disability– do not reduce learning expectations

• Help students demonstrate what they know without being hindered by their disability

• Must be related to student’s area of disability and used for instruction

Accommodations vs. Modifications

• Accommodations and modifications are not the same. – Accommodations reduce or lessen the effects of a

disability; not learning expectations.– Modifications lower, change, or reduce learning

expectations. • Consistent use of modifications can increase the

achievement gap.• Modifications include:

– Learning less material (shorter assignments, fewer problems)– Providing easier assignments or tests

Step 3

• Select accommodations for instruction and assessment

Decision Making

• Effective decision-making begins with making good instructional decisions– facilitated by gathering and reviewing

information about:• Student’s disability• Present level of performance in relation to

standards

Decision Making

• IEP teams to make decisions regarding accommodations based on:– Student’s abilities

• Present level of performance (strengths and needs)

• Evaluation results– Data collected in the classroom– Psychoeducational tests

– Student characteristics– Educational goals

Decision Making

• Areas needing accommodations– Currently being used?

• Available accommodations– For accessing the general curriculum– For assessments

• Review accommodation use– Helped with assignments and assessments?– Student’s perception of accommodations– Parent’s, and teachers’ perception– Continue to use accommodation or stop using?– Change accommodation?

• Allowed on state and district assessment

Tools 4 (Student Perspective) & 5 (Parent Input)

Student Characteristics

• Blind, Low Vision, Partial Sight• Communication Disorder• Deaf, Hard of Hearing• Weak Manual Dexterity• Reading Disability – Decoding• Writing Disability – Spelling• Mathematics Disability• Easily Distracted• Physical Disability

What Might Work:Reading Disability – Difficulty Decoding

• Accommodations to Consider for Instruction– Read aloud– Audiotape or CD– Screen reader– Videotape

• Accommodations to Consider for Assessments– Read aloud except reading passages– Screen reader or text-to-speech except reading

passages

What Might Work: Mathematics Disability

• Accommodations to Consider for Instruction – Calculation devices– Visual organizers– Graphic organizers– Math tables and formula sheets

• Accommodations to Consider for Assessments– Multiplication table– Graph paper– Talking Calculator

What Might Work: Easily Distracted, Short Attention Span

– Use books on tape or recorded books to help focus on text

– Give short and simple directions with examples

– Use materials or devices used to solve or organize responses

– Divide long-term assignments– Cue student to begin working and stay on

task– Limit reading periods– Use visual organizers– Use graphic organizers– Highlight key words in directions– Have student repeat and explain directions

to check for understanding– Use template

– Use graph paper to keep number in proper columns

– Monitor placement of student responses on answer sheet

– Sit in front of room– Change location to reduce distractions– Use short segment test booklets (when

available)– Allow for multiple or frequent breaks– Schedule tests in the morning– Change testing schedule or order of

subtests– Schedule activities requiring more seat time

in the morning and more hands-on and physical activities in the afternoon

Accommodations to Consider for Instruction

What Might Work: Easily Distracted, Short Attention Span

Accommodations to Consider for Assessment

– Have student repeat and explain directions to check for understanding

– Use graph paper to keep numbers in proper columns

– Change location to reduce distractions

– Use short segment test booklets (when available)

– Allow for multiple or frequent breaks

– Schedule tests in the morning

– Cue student to begin working and stay on task

– Change testing schedule or order of subtests

– Sit in front of room

What Might Work: Writing Disability – Difficulty with Spelling

Accommodations to Consider for Instruction– Express response to a scribe through speech– Type on or speak to word processor or tape recorder– Use spelling and grammar assistive devices (e.g., electronic

spelling device, spell check on computer)– Use written notes, outlines, and instructions

Accommodations to Consider for Assessments – Express response to a scribe through speech– Use word processor with grammar & spell check disabled– Use speech-to-text– Speak into tape recorder

Planning Use of New Accommodations

• Consider:– Willingness to learn to use the accommodation – Opportunities to learn how to use the accommodation – Conditions for use on state assessments– How will a student learn to use new accommodation– Is there sufficient time to learn how to use

accommodations before test day– Is there ongoing evaluation and improvement of

accommodations use– Who will be responsible for accommodations and do

they need training

Involve the Student

• In selecting, using, and evaluating accommodations

• The more input - the more likely the accommodations will be used

• Should see as adding value to their daily life—not only in school—but for postsecondary, career, and community life

Tool 4 – Student’s Perspective

Tool 3• Updated to include information for the major

state assessments (those that are mandated and those that are optional)

• Still in draft form

Step 4

Administer accommodations during instruction and assessment–Read aloud not only for Reading/ELA but for all content areas–Make sure the accommodation is allowed for assessments–Maintain ethical practice when providing accommodations for assessments

STEP 5

Evaluate and improve accommodations use

Questions To Guide Evaluation at the Student Level

• What accommodations are used by the student during instruction and on assessments?

• What are the results of classroom assignments and assessments when accommodations are/are not used?

Questions to Guide Evaluation at the Student Level

• If students are not demonstrating expected level of performance:– Did students have access to instruction in

assessed content?– Are accommodations used during instruction and

assessments? – Was the accommodation effective?

Questions to Guide Evaluation at the Student Level

• What is the student’s perception of how well the accommodation “worked”?

• What seem to be effective “combinations” of accommodations?

• What are the difficulties encountered in the use of accommodations for a student?

• What are the perceptions of teachers and others about how the accommodation appears to be “working”?

Tools 6 & 7

Potential Problems in Decision Making

• Offering more (or fewer) accommodations than might be needed

• Mismatch between instruction and assessment accommodations

• Lack of documentation about decisions made• Lack of knowledge about accommodation vs.

modification • Assessment implications

Tool 1 – Do’s and Don’t When Selecting Accommodations

What Doesn’t Work

• Checking off every accommodation available on the IEP, hoping “something” will work

• Failing to keep data on what accommodations do and do not work

Questions

SBAC Accommodations

Smarter Balanced:Usability, Accessibility and Accommodations

• Guidance document found at– http://www.smarterbalanced.org/wordpres

s/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/SmarterBalanced_Guidelines.pdf

• Guidelines apply to all students

• Three levels of support

• Not just for Special Education staff, but for all staff including classroom teachers

SBAC Accommodations

Three levels of support both embedded and non-embedded

•Level 1 – Universal Tools– For ALL students

•Level 2 – Designated Supports

– For SOME students

•Level 3 – Documented Accommodations

– For a FEW students

Taken from the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium: Usability, Accessibility, and Accommodations Guidelines document

Level 1 – Universal ToolsFor ALL students

Level 1 – Universal ToolsPages 6-8

• Provided for all students• Provided digitally or separately• Based on student preference and

selection• Can be turned off if tool is viewed as a

distraction• Should be using these tools in other

digital environments so students are familiar with them

Level 1 – Universal ToolsProvided for ALL students

– Breaks– Calculator– Digital Notepad– English Dictionary (for

ELA performance task full write)

– English Glossary– Expandable Passages– Global Notes (for ELA

performance tasks

– Highlighter– Keyboard Navigation– Mark for Review– Math Tools– Spell Check (for ELA items)

– Strikethrough– Writing Tools– Zoom

Embedded Tools

Level 1 – Universal ToolsProvided for ALL students

Non-Embedded Tools

– Breaks– English Dictionary (for ELA performance task full writes)

– Scratch Paper– Thesaurus (for ELA performance task full writes)

Level 2 – Designated SupportsFor SOME students

Level 2 – Designated SupportsPages 9-13

• For any student for which a need has been indicated– by an educator or – a team of educators with parent/guardian and/or

student– ISAAP (Individual Student Assessment Accessibility

Profile) or a similar process

• Currently being used for instruction and/or other assessment

• Identified prior to the assessment• Activated prior to testing in the TIDE (Test

Information Distribution Engine)

Level 2 – Designated SupportsProvided for SOME Students

Embedded Supports

– Color Contrast– Masking– Text-to-speech– Translated test directions– Translations (glossaries for math items)

– Translations (stacked for math items)

– Turn off universal tools

Level 2 – Designated SupportsProvided for SOME Students

Non-Embedded Supports

– Bilingual dictionary (for ELA performance task full writes)

– Color contrasts– Color overlays– Magnification– Noise Buffers– Read aloud (math items and ELA items – not reading passages)

– Scribe (for ELA non-writing items and math items)

– Separate setting– Translations (glossaries for math items)

Level 3 – DocumentedAccommodations

For FEW students

Level 3 – Documented AccommodationsPages 14-19

• Documented need for the support such as an IEP or a 504 plan– Decisions made by a team– Information must be entered in the TIDE so they can

be activated

• Exception may be a student who has a physical injury such as a broken hand or arm and can’t use the computer– May use the speech-to-text and/or– Scribe– If they have experience using these supports

Level 3 – Documented AccommodationsFor FEW students

Embedded Accommodations

– American Sign Language (for ELA listening items and math items)

– Braille– Closed Captioning (for ELA listening items)

– Text-to-speech (for ELA reading passages grades 6-8, 11)

Practice/Training tests:

Level 3 – Documented AccommodationsFor FEW students

Non-embedded Accommodations

– Abacus– Alternate response options– Calculator (for calculator items only)

– Multiplication Table (grade 4 and above for math items – single digit 1-9)

– Print on demand– Read aloud (for ELA passages grades 6-8, 11 who do not have

Braille skills)– Scribe– Speech to text

Practice/Training tests:

DOCUMENTING ACCOMMODATIONS

Documenting Accommodations

• Accommodations must be clearly documented in the IEP– Instructional accommodations– Assessment accommodations

Documenting Accommodations

Consideration of Special Factors Page

Documenting AccommodationsAccommodations/Modifications/Supplementary Aids and Services

Documenting Accommodations

Campus IEP

• Campus Admin can add instructional accommodations

• Glitch in system – So if it isn’t printing correctly, make sure to

cross off any incorrect information and include information that is needed

Documenting Accommodationson Campus IEP

Documenting Accommodationson Campus IEP

RESOURCES

ISAAP Tool(Individual Student Assessment Accessibility Profile)

ISAAP Tool(Individual Student Assessment Accessibility Profile)

• Excel spreadsheet tool used to help document decisions on supports and accommodations needed

• Can provide information to person designated to input TIDE information

Common Language

• D-STEP Science

• Smarter Balanced

• Other State Assessments (not mandated)

Crosswalk

• Between SBAC, D-Step, and other assessment

• Close match

One Page Overview

• Show comparison between SBAC, D-Step, and NSCS (Alt Assessment)

State Assessment and Accommodation Worksheet

• Tool used to inform use of Supports and Accommodations for state assessment– Contains both SBAC

and D-Step information

– Modeled after TIDE format

SD’s SBAC website:

http://doe.sd.gov/octe/SMARTERbalanced.aspx

Be watching for •practice and training tests•Training modules

– Accommodations– Test administration

Next Steps

• Share Usability, Accessibility, and Accommodations Guidelines document

• Include SBAC accommodation language in IEP where appropriate

• Start conversations for students who make need extra supports – ISAAP tool may help with these conversations

• Incorporating technology within instructional environment – use the SBAC practice and training tests– Assessment Portal

• Provide a list of students with the supports and accommodations to the person entering data into TIDE

Questions

Contact Information

Beth Schiltz605-773-4257

Beth.Schiltz@state.sd.us