Accommodations:Decide, Document, Monitor
Carrie PerkisNCDPI Division of Accountability Services
Conference on Exceptional ChildrenNovember 2010
Testing Students with Disabilities publication
(November 2009)
Testing Students with Disabilities Web Site:
www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/policies/tswd/
Testing Accommodations Web Site:
www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/policies/accom/
Look for revised document
coming December 2010
Information from this presentation is located in:
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Accommodations . . .
• Are changes in the way a student accesses instruction/assessment
• Do not change the construct of the assignment/ assessment
• Give student equal access to learning without “watering down” the content
• Are not to be provided for score enhancement
• Must be aligned or matched between classroom instruction, classroom assessments, district tests, and state tests
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Classroom Instruction
Classroom Assessment
State/District Assessment
Home, Work, Community,
Post-Secondary Education
Adapted from:Sandra J. Thompson, Ph.D., Research Associate, National Center on Educational Outcomes, University of Minnesota
The Linking of Student Accommodations
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Accommodations Differ from Modifications in that:
Modifications change the construct through altering language load, content complexity, and/or cognitive complexity.
Some examples of modifications:• Reduced assignments• Simplified reading passages• Reduced response choices
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Who is Eligible for Accommodations?
INSTRUCTIONAL• Any student
TESTING
Students with Disabilities• Students with a current Individualized Education
Program (IEP)
• Students with a current Section 504 Plan
as well as….
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TESTINGWhile not covered in this presentation:
• Students identified as Limited English Proficient:– http://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/ policie
s/slep/
• Students with current transitory impairment documentation
– Transitory impairment = impairment with actual or expected duration of six months or less
– Eligible for same accommodations as Section 504
Who is Eligible for Accommodations? (cont’d)
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Who Makes Accommodations Decisions?
For a student with disabilities:
• IEP Team
• Section 504 Committee
The collaborative team should include all relevant individuals involved in the student’s education.
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Considerations for Committee Decision-Making
• Base accommodations on individual student need• Refer to the list of state-approved testing accommodations• Understand purpose of the accommodation and make sure it
is relevant to the student’s need and the demands of the test• Take into account other identifications a student may have
(e.g., LEP), which may require specific accommodations based on area of need and/or content
• All relevant teachers should be informed of accommodations
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Considerations for Committee Decision-Making
Students should be using accommodations ROUTINELY during
instruction and similar classroom assessments – accommodations should
not be a surprise on test day!
Routine use = at least 30 days
prior to test date
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Documentation of Accommodations: Before Testing
• IEP Team/Section 504 Committee must document all required testing accommodations in the IEP or Section 504 Plan
• Document all specific details necessary for the provision of an accommodation (e.g., estimated amount of Scheduled Extended Time)
• Use language that is consistent and aligned with that of state-approved testing accommodations
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• For students with more than one identification…
Use the following hierarchy of
accommodations documentation:
A. IEP
B. Section 504 Plan
C. LEP Plan/Documentation
D. Transitory Impairment Documentation
Documentation of Accommodations: Before Testing
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• A student has an IEP as well as LEP documentation. What plan would house ALL of the student’s accommodations?
• Hierarchy:– IEP– Section 504 Plan– LEP Plan/Documentation– Transitory Impairment Documentation
Documentation Scenario – Which would you use?
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Documentation of Testing
Accommodations in the Section
504 Plan
Available at:http://www.ncpublicschools.org/
accountability/policies/accom
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Categories of Testing Accommodations
• Special Print Versions
• Assistive Technology (AT) Devices and Special Arrangements
• Special Test Environments
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Special Print Versions
• IEP Team/Section 504 Committee meets and determines accommodation
• Required accommodations data entered into NC WISE/CECAS/LEA-approved accommodations management system at least 30 days prior to testing date
(details to be discussed later in presentation!)
• Test orders based on data entered
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AT Devices and Special Arrangements
• AT Devices• Interpreter/Transliterator Signs/Cues Test• Student Marks Answers in Test Book• Student Reads Test Aloud to Self• Test Administrator Reads Test Aloud
(cont’d)
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• Other AT Devices and Special Arrangements– Braille Writer/Slate and Stylus (and Braille Paper)– Cranmer Abacus– Dictation to a Scribe– Keyboarding Devices– Magnification Devices
AT Devices and Special Arrangements (cont’d)
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Special Test Environments
• Hospital/Home Testing
• Multiple Testing Sessions
• Scheduled Extended Time
• Testing in a Separate Room
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Special NCDPI Approved Testing Accommodations
• Accommodation Notification Form– Submit form for any accommodation that is
not on state-approved list– NCDPI team will review information and
determine approval of requests
• Submit requests early in school year
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