Accommodations & Special Education Assessments Update TETN Event #10417 November 18, 2011 TEA...

Accommodations &

Special Education Assessments

Update

TETN Event #10417 November 18, 2011

TEA Student Assessment Division

Disclaimer Slide

•These slides have been prepared and approved by the Student Assessment Division of the Texas Education Agency.

•If any slide is amended or revised for use in local or regional trainings, please remove the TEA footer at the bottom of the slide.

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11/18/2011 TETN #10417TEA Student Assessment Division

Trickle-down Effect•It is the intent of TEA’s Student

Assessment Division that all resources created to clarify testing and accommodation policies be accessible to educators at the ESC, district, and campus levels, including classroom teachers.

•After this presentation is posted, please forward it to district and campus administrators.

•This may answer some of the many questions educators have about statewide testing.

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11/18/2011 TETN #10417 TEA Student Assessment

Division

Agenda

• Optional Test Administration Procedures & Materials

• Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

• Supplemental Aids Examples and Updates

• STAAR Modified Writing

• Frequently Asked Questions

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11/18/2011 TETN #10417 TEA Student Assessment Division

Optional Test Administration Procedures & Materials

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Optional Test Administration Procedures and Materials

• This document is Under Construction.

• Clarifications will be made to paragraph #2 ▫ Available to all students but

not intended for every student in a class or disability category.

▫ Some students may not need or want.

▫ Don’t distribute to every student on test day; make available in front of room or ask students if they need it

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11/18/2011 TETN #10417 11/18/2011 TETN #10417 T11EA Student Assessment Division TEA Student Assessment Division




Optional Test Administration Procedures and Materials•Paragraph#4 will be edited to address the

widespread concerns about authority for decision and documentation requirements.▫First two sentences will be deleted. ▫No documentation will be required beyond

what is necessary for planning on test day. However, a district could require documentation for certain students or for certain procedures/materials.

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Optional Test Administration Procedures and Materials•Individual or small-group administration

will move back to a Type 1 accommodation.

•Some procedures/materials will be added to this list as details about the 4-hour time limit for testing are finalized.

•This document will be reposted once all revisions are made.▫Accessed from webpages with test

administration materials as well as other webpages.

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Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

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Caution•The next several slides include only

highlights of the most recent accommodation policies.

•These slides should not be used as the sole source of accommodation training.

•Educators must access the actual accommodation policy pages from the Accommodation Triangle once they are posted.

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Individual or Small-Group Administration• Description

▫ allows for a specialized setting during statewide testing for a student who is not able to test in a standard classroom setting.

• Assessments▫ STAAR, STAAR Spanish, STAAR Modified, STAAR L, TELPAS

• Eligibility Criteria▫ routinely and effectively uses this accommodation during

classroom instruction and testing• Special Instructions/Considerations

▫ TEA does not define how many students constitute a small-group administration. It is recommended that a small group be ten or fewer students. However, groupings for this accommodation should be based on student need and, in all cases, should be smaller than the number of students in a standard classroom setting.

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Braille• Description

▫Provides brailled test materials to a student with a Visual Impairment who is unable to access printed test materials

• Assessments▫STAAR, STAAR Spanish, STAAR Modified

• Eligibility Criteria▫Special education; Visual Impairment (VI)▫Routinely uses braille materials during classroom

instruction and testing• Examples/Types

▫TEA provides contracted and uncontracted braille test materials

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Braille•Special Instructions/Considerations

▫Student responses must be transcribed onto an answer document; transcribing policies are being revised and will be posted later

▫“General Instructions for Administering Braille and Large-Print Statewide Assessments” being revised and will be posted later

▫Specific Braille Instructions must be reviewed prior to test day

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Spelling Assistance

•Description▫Provides various types of spelling assistance

for a student who is producing written work when he or she has a disability that affects spelling

•Assessments▫STAAR, STAAR Spanish, STAAR Modified

Written composition on writing tests Short-answer questions on English I, II, III

reading tests

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Spelling Assistance•Eligibility Criteria

▫Special education or Section 504▫Routinely, independently, and effectively uses this

accommodation during classroom instruction and testing

▫The student is capable of organizing and developing ideas and understands the basic function and use of written language conventions (e.g., sentence structures, parts of speech, irregular verbs, transitions) but has a disability that is so severe that he or she cannot apply basic spelling rules and/or word patterns (e.g., silent letters, base words with affixes, homophones) to written responses.

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• …I’m a beat you. His cousin said, “Ok.” Jamal practiced and practiced. It’s been 2 whole weeks. Jamal lost. But his cousin was proud of him. He could have won (?). He missed a lay up. The score was 20 to 10. Jamal knows not to treat people different.”

• This student can organize and develop ideas and can construct a sentence, but is not able to apply spelling rules and word patterns to written responses. Some words are spelled phonetically and can be read. Some words can only be read with context clues. And still other words are almost unrecognizable and the reader must guess at their meaning. This student is eligible for spelling assistance.


•Spelling assistance is not for students who exhibit reversals, careless mistakes, or random misspellings.

•This student can apply spelling rules and word patterns to written responses and actually spells more words right than wrong. This student is not eligible for spelling assistance.


• Spelling assistance is not intended for students who have bad handwriting.

• This student spells almost every word correctly. “Making a friend is good for playing outside of the house or

playing sports it may be cool but you can also have a party for fun I might be cool don’t worry anyone can make a friend anyone! This student is not eligible for spelling assistance.


Spelling Assistance•Examples/Types

▫This accommodation may include ONLY Frequently misspelled word list Spell-check function on a word processor Pocket spellchecker Dictionary (gr. 4 writing only; required for

other writing assessments; only dictionaries that STAAR allows)

Word-prediction software Text-to-speech software Speech-to-text software

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Spelling Assistance•Special Instructions/Considerations

▫In most cases, students who use Spelling Assistance accommodations are able to independently record their written responses onto the answer document. If student cannot record responses onto the answer document, refer to the Transcribing by TA accommodation when it is finalized and posted.

•Student Scenarios▫Spelling assistance does not include the test

administrator writing the student’s dictated response to the writing prompt.

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Photocopying Test Materials• Description

▫ Allows for photocopying test materials for a student whose disability prevents him or her from effectively using test materials provided by the state.

• Assessments▫ STAAR, STAAR Spanish, STAAR Modified, STAAR L▫ TELPAS grades 2-12 reading tests (TEA-authorized paper

administrations)• Eligibility Criteria

Submit an Accommodation Request Form to TEA if▫ Special education▫ Routinely receives this accommodation during classroom

instruction and testing▫ Cannot effectively use Optional Test Administration Procedures

and Materials or Type 1 or Type 2 accommodations to address student needs

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Photocopying Test Materials•Eligibility Criteria continued

▫Meets at least one of the following: The student has an impairment in vision and requires

printed materials in a size larger than the state-supplied large-print test materials.

The student has a physical disability that prevents him or her from effectively manipulating test materials printed on both sides of the paper and/or turning the pages in a test booklet.

The student has a disability that necessitates test materials be presented in a printed format other than a test booklet in order to prevent severe behavioral outbursts or other behaviors that could interfere with the student completing the test.

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Photocopying Test Materials•Authority for Decision

▫For a student receiving special education services, the decision is recommended by the ARD committee based on the eligibility criteria and is documented as “pending TEA approval” in the student’s IEP.

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Photocopying Test Materials3

Accommodation Request Form IS required.

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Photocopying Test Materials•Examples/Types

▫This accommodation may include ONLY Enlarging the printed test materials to a size

larger than the state-supplied, large-print test materials

Photocopying the double-sided test materials onto single-sided paper

Photocopying the test materials onto single sheets that can be presented in smaller portions

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Online Accommodation Request Process•A document outlining the process for

requesting Type 3 accommodations will be posted to the Accommodations for Students with Disabilities webpage in January 2012.

•Will include a link to the updated online ARF, which will open in mid-January.

•Faxing paper request forms is allowed only in rare situations and at the discretion of TEA’s Accommodations Task Force.

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Supplemental Aids Examples and UpdatesThe following slides are intended to assist districts in determining which supplemental aids are and are not allowed according to the Examples/Types listed in the Supplemental Aids policy document.

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Blank Graphic Organizers

Group 1

Group 21

&2


Blank Graphic Organizers•Number line with no numbers

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Blank Graphic Organizers

•Measurement graphics with no labels or titles

G

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Blank Graphic Organizers•Measurement graphics with no words or

titles

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Math Graphics and Pictorial Models

• Number lines are 1-dimensional geometric figures

• Angles are 2-dimensional geometric figures

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Science Graphics

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Science Formula Triangles• The triangles may

only include variables

• Symbols for mathematical operations (e.g., x, ÷) are NEVER allowed.

W

dF

Work

distance

force

X

÷

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STAAR Modified Writing

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2012 STAAR Modified Writing Tests • Grade 4

▫ Multiple choice revising questions and editing questions

▫ Written composition: Personal Narrative

• Grade 7▫ Multiple choice

revising questions and editing questions

▫ Written composition: Expository

• English I writing▫ Multiple choice revising

questions and editing questions

▫ Written composition: Literary

• English II writing▫ Multiple choice revising

questions and editing questions

▫ Written composition: Expository

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Administration Information•2 days, 4 hour time limit each day

•Embedded field test multiple-choice questions and writing prompt

•Extra time until the end of the school day and extra day accommodations will be available for eligible students but policy has not been posted yet

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General Info About STAAR Modified Scoring Rubrics

• Rubrics and sample scoring guides have not been posted for STAAR Modified writing tests since these assessments will not be administered until March 2012

Modified rubrics will be posted in January… at the earliest

▫ STAAR rubrics will be modified based on student responses from a written composition study and will take into account Modified expectations for spelling ability and range of

vocabulary Other… to be determined

▫ STAAR Modified rubrics will be based on 3 score points Score Point 1: Very limited writing performance Score Point 2: Basic writing performance Score Point 3: Satisfactory writing performance

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Lessons Learned from the STAAR Modified Written Composition Study• Study Design

▫ Took place in May 2011▫ Approximately 50 school districts around the state

participated▫ Included approximately 500 students (about 100-150

in each grade below)▫ Participating students were in

Grade 4 and took the TAKS-M grade 4 writing test Grade 7 and took the TAKS-M grade 7 writing test Grade 9 and took the TAKS-M grade 9 reading test Grade 10 and took the TAKS-M grade 10 ELA test

▫ Participating schools received materials, administered the prompts, and returned student responses to TEA for review

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Score Point 1 Looks Like…

• Wrong form (e.g., narrative responses that were not personal, personal narrative instead of an expository response)

• Missing a controlling idea/thesis• Insufficient development – too brief• Repetition of ideas such that it stalled any

meaningful development• Vague or superficial details (e.g., work hard,

respect people, be a good person)• Extraneous information -- included details that

didn’t add to the purpose of the paper, random thoughts

• Almost unreadable spelling, not phonetic• No evidence of correct sentence boundaries

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Score Point 2 Looks Like…

•Unclear controlling idea/thesis•List of surface level details•List of details that may have been specific

but not always explained or connected•Phonetic spelling with some evidence of

sentence boundaries

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Score Point 3 Looks Like…• Pretty clear controlling idea/thesis• Focused and specific• Logical organization• Details included at least a hint of thoughtfulness

(e.g., feelings, motivations, explanation, cause-effect)

• Details added/connected to the controlling idea/thesis for the most part

• Some specificity included to explain (e.g., work hard by…, respect people because…, be a good person so that…)

• Phonetic spelling, correct spelling, simple sentences, strong evidence of sentence boundaries and use of other punctuation

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Frequently Asked Questions

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FAQs: Accommodations

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1. What accommodations can a general education student receive on a STAAR test?

There are many accommodations for general education students. TEA uses the phrase “the student does not receive special education or Section 504 services” to describe general education students. If the eligibility criterion for an accommodation specifically states this, then the student COULD use the accommodation on the day of the test if he or she meets the eligibility criteria.



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2. Will districts be able to determine allowable supplemental aids for students taking STAAR Modified, like they did for TAKS–Modified?

No. As stated in the accommodation policy document for Supplemental Aids, students who meet the eligibility criteria may use the listed supplemental aids on STAAR, STAAR Spanish, STAAR Modified, or STAAR L. ONLY the supplemental aids included in the list are allowable.



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3. Is a listing of key terms (e.g., “all together means add” or “leftover means subtract”) that was allowed on TAKS-Modified also allowed on STAAR Modified?

No. This is no longer an allowable supplemental aid for STAAR and STAAR Modified. Only the supplemental aids included in the list are allowable.



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4. When a student meets the eligibility criteria to use a dictionary as an accommodation, may the dictionary be made by the teacher or student?

No. The dictionary must be commercially produced. Teacher-made or student-made dictionaries are not allowed.



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5. The calculator accommodation policy for grades 5 through 8 lists a third eligibility criterion for students who have a disability that affects mathematics calculations. Why isn’t this eligibility criterion listed for grades 3 and 4?

The decision not to include this eligibility criterion at grades 3 and 4 was made based on a review of the math TEKS and research of past accommodation requests. Students in grades 3 and 4 are still learning the algorithms for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. It is the expectation that these students be given the opportunity to learn and practice these skills without the use of technology.



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6. Can a student who does not receive special education or Section 504 services meet the eligibility criteria for Oral/Signed Administration?

Yes. As stated in the accommodation policy document for Oral/Signed Administration, students who do not receive special education or Section 504 services but are identified with dyslexia may receive this accommodation. Identification of dyslexia must follow the guidelines outlined in The Dyslexia Handbook which was updated in 2010. You can find this handbook at http://www.region10.org/dyslexia/Documents/DyslexiaHandbook11-10-2010.pdf.

http://www.region10.org/dyslexia/Documents/DyslexiaHandbook11-10-2010.pdf

http://www.region10.org/dyslexia/Documents/DyslexiaHandbook11-10-2010.pdf


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7. What are the Form 1 requirements when administering an Oral/Signed Administration of STAAR or STAAR Modified?

When giving an oral administration in which the test administrator reads ALL test questions and answer choices throughout the test, the test administrator must have a test booklet with the same form number as the students. Form 1 is the overage in all STAAR shipments, so this will most likely be the form that is used for oral administration groupings. For STAAR Modified, multiple forms of the test exist, but only one form of each assessment is sent to a campus. So there will only be one form of STAAR Modified to distribute. When giving an oral administration in which the test administrator reads parts of test questions and/or answer choices at student request, it is acceptable to read over the student’s shoulder. In these cases, the test administrator may or may not have a separate test booklet.



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8. I cannot locate the accommodation policies for Verbal, Visual, or Tactile Reminders to Stay on Task and Frequent/Multiple Breaks.

TEA is still discussing these guidelines and has not yet posted the policies. More information will be available as soon as decisions related to the new 4-hour time limit are finalized.



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9. Where is the accommodation policy for students who need to use a word processor?

The use of a word processor as an accommodation on statewide assessments will be included in the accommodation policies for Transcribing by the Test Administrator and Spelling Assistance. The eligibility criteria for each of these accommodations will need to be reviewed once these documents have been posted yet.



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10. When is it appropriate for a district to submit an Accommodation Request Form to TEA?

Accommodation Request Forms (ARFs) will only be accepted for Type 3 accommodations and certain “other” accommodations, as determined by TEA’s Accommodations Task Force. The eligibility criteria for many accommodations were revised based on analysis of the TEKS, research of past accommodation requests, and many months of discussion. TEA encourages district personnel to uphold the posted state policies regarding testing accommodations. However, if district personnel feel that TEA has failed to address a specific student need when developing the new policies, please call your Accommodation Task Force representative. He or she will provide guidance about whether TEA will accept an ARF.



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11.Where do I get the Accommodation Request Form? Where do I submit it for approval?

Accommodation Request Forms can only be submitted though TEA’s online system. The system will open in mid-January 2012. Faxing paper request forms is only allowed in rare situations and at the discretion of the Accommodations Task Force. More information will be posted on the Accommodations for Students with Disabilities webpage and presented at a later date.


FAQs: Optional Test Administration Procedures and Materials

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12.What kind of documentation is required for Optional Test Administration Procedures and Materials for students who do not receive special education or Section 504 services?

TEA does not require documentation for Optional Test Administration Procedures and Materials since any student may use these if they have a need. However, it may be a good idea to document this information in any campus-required documentation if it is information that may be needed to make future decisions regarding a student’s instructional needs.



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13.Must ARD committees reconvene and change the documentation if a 2010-2011 accommodation is now listed in the Optional Test Administration Materials and Procedures category?

No. TEA no longer requires documentation of optional test administration procedures and materials in the IEP or IAP since these are now considered test materials that any student may use if they need to. However, it may be a good idea to document this information in the IEP or IAP, since these documents contain instructional information that students with disabilities require in order to be successful.



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14.What are the guidelines about providing scratch paper to students with different needs (e.g., one sheet for Mike and three sheets for Ronnie; student used the two sheets of graph paper provided in the mathematics test booklet and needs more)?

TEA has provided some guidelines for the appropriate use of scratch paper in the Optional Test Administration Procedures and Materials document. The specifics about which kind of scratch paper and/or how many sheets to provide should be determined according to the needs of the student.


FAQs: STAAR Modified

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15.Must the ARD committee address the STAAR Modified Participation Requirements for all students?

No. The ARD committee should only address the STAAR Modified Participation Requirements for students for whom they are considering a modified assessment. It is not a requirement to rule out STAAR Modified or STAAR Alternate in order to determine that a student will take the general assessment, STAAR. However, it is a requirement to consider STAAR before reviewing the participation requirements for STAAR Modified or STAAR Alternate.



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16.Are districts required to use the new PEIMS codes for modified courses for high school students taking TAKS?

Yes. All questions regarding PEIMS codes should be directed to TEA’s Curriculum Division at 512.463.9581.



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17.Will all students in grades 3–9 who took TAKS (Accommodated) last year take STAAR Modified this year?

Not necessarily. In fact, if TAKS (Accommodated) was determined to be the most appropriate assessment for the student last year, the student should have been receiving instruction in the grade-level TEKS with or without accommodations. If that student is still receiving this type of instruction, then he or she would take STAAR. However, the ARD committee may review the STAAR Modified Participation Requirements if the student is now receiving modified instruction and this alternate assessment is being considered.



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18.Is the STAAR Modified science assessment appropriate for a student when the IEP only addresses reading skills, with no goals specific to science?

No. According to #2 on the STAAR Modified Participation Requirements, the ARD committee is required to confirm that the “student’s IEP contains standards-based (TEKS-based) goals indicating the modified content the student required in order to access the grade-level or course curriculum.”


Contact Information

Check the webpages for latest postings before calling.

E-mailTest.Accommodations@tea.state.tx.usAssessment.StudentsWithDisabilities@tea.state.tx.us

• Call if you need quick answers512.463.9536

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