How to Choose and Use Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Professional Development for...

How to Choose and Use How to Choose and Use Accommodations for Students Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Professional with Disabilities: Professional Development for IEP TeamsDevelopment for IEP Teams

Dan Farley PED – Special Education Bureau

Transition Specialist CADREApril 22, 2005

NMPED Special Education BureauAccommodations Training

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Introduction Introduction Find out what we know about

accommodationsLearn five easy steps to

implementing accommodationsTraining package brought to you by:


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5 Important Steps…5 Important Steps… Expect students to meet grade level

academic content standards Learn about accommodations for

instruction and assessment Choose accommodations with students Administer assessment accommodations Evaluate and improve accommodations

use


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Step OneStep One

Expect students to meet grade level academic content standards – New Mexico Content Standards and Benchmarks & Extended Performance Standards


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Student Participation in Student Participation in AssessmentsAssessments

Participation of students with disabilities is required by the following federal and state laws:

No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

(IDEA)NMAC 22-2C-4 (D)


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Assessments for AccountabilityAssessments for Accountability

Assessments for accountability help to measure:

How successful schools are in including all students in standards-based education

How well students are achieving standardsWhat needs to be improved for specific

groups of students


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Include All Students in AssessmentsInclude All Students in Assessments

To include all students in standards-based assessments:

Provide accommodations to increase access

Use alternate assessments for students with significant cognitive disabilities

Follow state guidelines for decisions about the provision of alternate assessments


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3 Conditions for High Expectations3 Conditions for High Expectations

Teachers certified in content areas and trained to differentiate instruction for diverse learners

IEPs that provide specialized instruction, such as reading strategies, study skills, etc.

Accommodations designed to increase access to instruction and assessment


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Equal Access to Grade Level ContentEqual Access to Grade Level ContentThink about ways to provide access to NM

Content Standards and Expanded Performance Standards as the goal

Every IEP member must be familiar with NM content standards

IEP team members must know how to tie instructional goals to the NM content standards

Collaboration between general and special educators is key


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Benefits of CollaborationBenefits of CollaborationDefinition: General and special education

teachers as a team for the benefit of students with disabilities

Promotes understanding of general and special education teacher roles and responsibilities

Provides opportunities to gain new skills, such as knowledge of the NM content standards and instructional differentiation

Serves as a support-building process that fosters the creation of a collaborative school culture


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Step TwoStep Two

Learn about accommodations


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Definition of AccommodationsDefinition of Accommodations

Accommodations are procedures in the areas of setting, scheduling, presentation, and response that provide equitable instructional and assessment access for students with disabilities.

Accommodations mediate the effects of a student’s disability and do not reduce learning expectations.


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Accommodations ApplicationsAccommodations Applications

The use of accommodations is linked through each of these areas:

Home, School, & Community

ClassroomInstruction

ClassroomAssessments

State/District Assessments


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Accommodations CategoriesAccommodations Categories Timing – Change the allowable length of test or

assignment and may change the way the time is organized. (No longer applicable to NMSBA system)

Presentation – Allow students to access information in ways that do not require them to visually read standard print (visual, tactile, auditory).

Response – Allow students to complete assignments, tests, and activities in different ways.

Setting – Change the location in which a test or assignment is given or the conditions of the assessment setting. (Allowable for all students)


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ModificationsModifications Changing, lowering, or reducing learning or

assessment expectations

May result in implications that may adversely affect a student throughout his or her educational career

Examples include:

– Requiring a student to learn less material– Revising assignments or tests to make them

easier


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Modifications to the New Mexico Modifications to the New Mexico Statewide Assessment ProgramStatewide Assessment Program

Modifications to any subtest invalidate the results of the subtest, student is reported as “not proficient”

If a student is provided with modifications they will not count toward participation rates for AYP

IEP teams have been instructed not to choose modifications, but have the right to do so…


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Step ThreeStep Three

Choose accommodations


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What Doesn’t Work…What Doesn’t Work…

Checking every accommodation available on the IEP form, hoping something will work

What else doesn’t work?


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Questions to ConsiderQuestions to ConsiderWhat are the student’s strengths and needs?How do the student’s needs affect the

achievement of grade level content standards?

What specialized instruction does the student need to achieve state standards?

What accommodations will increase the student’s access to instruction and assessment?


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Review Current AccommodationsReview Current Accommodations

Accommodations currently used by the student in the classroom and on tests

Test and assignment results when accommodations were used and not used

Effective combinations of accommodations Difficulties of accommodations use Student’s perception of how well

accommodations “worked” Perceptions of parents, teachers and specialists

about how well accommodations “worked”


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Based on the Review…Based on the Review…

Decide whether the student should:Continue using an accommodation “as is”Use an accommodation with changesDiscontinue an accommodation


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Considerations for New Considerations for New AccommodationsAccommodationsA list of the student’s access needs and

possible accommodations to tryOf the accommodations that match the

student’s needs, consider:– The student’s willingness to learn to use

the accommodation– Opportunities to learn how to use the

accommodation in classroom settings– Conditions for use on assessment


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Planning New Planning New AccommodationsAccommodationsPlan how a student will learn to use each

new accommodationBe sure that at least three months for a

student to learn to use an assessment accommodation are provided before test day

Plan for the ongoing evaluation and improvement of accommodations use


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Involve Student in Choice-MakingInvolve Student in Choice-Making

Involve students in the process of choosing and using accommodations

The more say students have in choosing their accommodations, the more likely the accommodations will be used

Students should see accommodations as adding value to their daily life – not only in school – but for postsecondary, career, and community life goals as well


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Documenting AccommodationsDocumenting Accommodations

Accommodations can be documented in 3areas of the IEP:Consideration of Special Factors –

assistive technology devices and servicesSupplementary Aids and Services – aids,

services, and other supportsParticipation in Assessments – how a

student will participate in state and district-wide assessments


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Step FourStep Four

Plan for the administrationof assessmentaccommodations


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Coordinating the Logistics…Coordinating the Logistics…

Logistics of providing the actual accommodations must be mapped out

Teachers and other IEP team members are often given the responsibility for arranging, coordinating, and providing assessment accommodations

Prepare for the implementation of accommodations at least three months prior to test day, on test day, and after test day


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Following Through on Test Day…Following Through on Test Day… A key logistical aspect for providing assessment

accommodations is following through on test day Accommodation request forms and databases can

be used to monitor the implementation of accommodations on test day

Test administrators must understand the importance of:– Ethical testing practices

– Standardization

– Test security


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Ensuring Ethical Testing PracticesEnsuring Ethical Testing PracticesEthical testing practices : Interactions

between test administrators and students taking the test

Unethical practices include:– “coaching” students during testing– editing student work– giving clues in any way– allowing a student to answer fewer questions– reducing the number of responses required– changing the content by paraphrasing or

offering additional information


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Ensuring StandardizationEnsuring StandardizationStandardization: The adherence of uniform

administration procedures and conditionsStrict adherence to guidelines detailing

instructions and procedures for the administration of accommodations is necessary to ensure that test results reflect actual student learning

The objective of providing assessment accommodations is to make fair comparisons with other students taking the tests


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Test Security with Special Test Test Security with Special Test FormatsFormatsTest security: Ensuring the confidentiality

of test questions and answersVital in maintaining test integrity and

validityCan become an issue when accessible test

formats are used or when someone other than the student is allowed to see the test

To ensure test security and confidentiality:– Keep all test content confidential– Keep testing materials in a secure place– Return all materials as instructed


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Step FiveStep Five

Evaluate and improveaccommodations use


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Using Formative EvaluationUsing Formative Evaluation

Use formative evaluation to “turn over useful information quickly to make improvements”

Useful information can be obtained from members of the IEP planning team – evaluation is a team effort.

Formative evaluation is based on the premise of using information for continuous improvement


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Why Evaluate Accommodations Why Evaluate Accommodations UseUseTo ensure the meaningful participation of

all students in state and district-wide assessments

To reveal questionable patterns of accommodations use

To identify IEP/504 team members, test administrators, or others in need of additional training and support


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Questions to Guide Evaluation at Questions to Guide Evaluation at the School or District Levelthe School or District LevelHow many students with IEPs or Section 504

are receiving accommodations?What types of accommodations are being

provided – are some being used more than others?

Are students receiving accommodations as documented in their IEP/504 plans?

Are there procedures in place to ensure that test administrators adhere to directions for the implementation of accommodations?


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Questions to Guide Evaluation at Questions to Guide Evaluation at the School or District Level (cont)the School or District Level (cont)Are there policies in place to ensure that

test administration procedures are not compromised with the provision of accommodations?

Are there policies to prevent the disclosure of test answers to unauthorized persons?

Are there policies to ensure that ethical testing and security practices followed before, during, and after the day of the test?


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Questions to Guide Evaluation at Questions to Guide Evaluation at the Student Levelthe Student Level What accommodations are used by the student in

the classroom and on tests? What are the results of classroom assignments

and tests when accommodations are not used? What is the student 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”?


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Where to Get More InformationWhere to Get More Information

Other training sessions – Tri-Annual Meetings School district assessment coordinators Online resources:

– http://www.cast.org/ncac/

– http://education.umn.edu/NCEO/

– http://www.studentprogress.org/ NMPED websites:http://www.ped.state.nm.us/seo/index.htmhttp://www.ped.state.nm.us/seo/assessment/index.htm


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SummarySummary

Found out what we know about accommodations

Learned how accommodations are used for instruction, assessment, and life after school

Used 5 steps to choosing and using accommodations for students with disabilities


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Feedback??Feedback??

Any remaining questions? What future needs do you anticipate? How was today’s training helpful? How could it have been improved?

Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions or concerns

(505) [email protected]

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How to Choose and Use Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Professional Development for...

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