1 Test Accommodations for Students with Disabilities in Virginia’s Accountability Assessment System Virginia Department of Education Division of Assessment

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Test Accommodations for Students with Disabilities in Virginia’s Accountability Assessment System

Virginia Department of EducationDivision of Assessment and ReportingVATD November 3, 2006

ACCOMMODATIONS VIRGINIA STYLEACCOMMODATIONS VIRGINIA STYLE

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What are Test What are Test Accommodations?Accommodations?

Any variation in the assessment Any variation in the assessment environment or process in order to environment or process in order to provide the student with the opportunity provide the student with the opportunity to demonstrate what the student knows to demonstrate what the student knows on the assessment.on the assessment.

Practices and procedures in the areas of Practices and procedures in the areas of presentation, response, setting, and presentation, response, setting, and timing/scheduling that provide equitable timing/scheduling that provide equitable access during instruction and access during instruction and assessments for students with assessments for students with disabilities. disabilities.

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Purpose of Purpose of AccommodationsAccommodations

To offset or correct for To offset or correct for distortions in scores that may be distortions in scores that may be caused by a student’s disability caused by a student’s disability

To increase the validity of a test To increase the validity of a test score and make the score and make the measurement of a particular measurement of a particular construct comparable across construct comparable across examinees with and without examinees with and without disabilitiesdisabilities

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““Standard” Standard” AccommodationsAccommodations

do NOT: do NOT: change the content of a testchange the content of a test alter the comparability of test alter the comparability of test

scoresscores alter the validity of test score alter the validity of test score

interpretationinterpretation change the reliability and change the reliability and

validity of the assessment validity of the assessment

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““Non-Standard” Non-Standard” AccommodationsAccommodations

Modifications in the test or Modifications in the test or assessment conditions that assessment conditions that fundamentally change the test fundamentally change the test score interpretation and score interpretation and comparabilitycomparability

Change the nature of the Change the nature of the construct being measured for the construct being measured for the examineeexaminee

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Accommodations & Accommodations & NCLB NCLB

NCLB requires a valid score for NCLB requires a valid score for each participant included in AYP, each participant included in AYP, therefore students afforded non-therefore students afforded non-standard accommodations are to standard accommodations are to be considered non-participants.be considered non-participants.

States may review impact of States may review impact of existing accommodations on existing accommodations on assessments.assessments.

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ReadingReading** the Reading the Reading TestTest

Requirements for identifying eligible Requirements for identifying eligible students:students: visual impairment, including blindnessvisual impairment, including blindness specific disability that severely limits or specific disability that severely limits or

prevents decoding textprevents decoding text determined by a diagnostic tool(s) or determined by a diagnostic tool(s) or

instrument(s) instrument(s) administered by a qualified professional administered by a qualified professional

*Audiotape version*Audiotape version

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ReadingReading** the Reading the Reading TestTest

Testing Memo #587Testing Memo #587 Diagnostic Tools: Test of Phonological Diagnostic Tools: Test of Phonological

Awareness, Test of Word Reading Awareness, Test of Word Reading Efficiency, Phonological Awareness Efficiency, Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS), etc.Literacy Screening (PALS), etc.

Qualified Individual: LD teacher, Qualified Individual: LD teacher, speech language pathologist, reading speech language pathologist, reading specialist, school psychologist, etc.specialist, school psychologist, etc.

*Audiotape version *Audiotape version

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Power of the IEPPower of the IEP

DOE does not determine what is included DOE does not determine what is included in IEP. in IEP.

If a student is not eligible for the read-If a student is not eligible for the read-aloud accommodation according to aloud accommodation according to guidelines or a test is modified a “non-guidelines or a test is modified a “non-standard” administration results.standard” administration results.

E.g. Reading the reading test to facilitate E.g. Reading the reading test to facilitate comprehensioncomprehension

E.g. Inappropriate modificationsE.g. Inappropriate modifications Reducing the number of items/optionsReducing the number of items/options Examiner clarifying itemsExaminer clarifying items Examiner defining words/termsExaminer defining words/terms

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Read-AloudRead-Aloud** for 2006- for 2006-20072007

IEP Team reviews IEPIEP Team reviews IEP Eligible student = no changeEligible student = no change Ineligible student = Ineligible student =

Amend IEP to delete read-aloudAmend IEP to delete read-aloud Keep read aloud as “non-Keep read aloud as “non-standard” accommodationstandard” accommodation

Counted as non-participants and Counted as non-participants and failing in AYP calculations.failing in AYP calculations.


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Read-AloudRead-Aloud** for 2007- for 2007-2008+2008+

IEP Team reviews IEPIEP Team reviews IEP Eligible students = no changeEligible students = no change Ineligible students = read aloud Ineligible students = read aloud

is NOT available as an is NOT available as an accommodation after spring accommodation after spring 2007.2007.


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ACCOMMODATIONS ACCOMMODATIONS APPLICATIONSAPPLICATIONS

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

Classroominstruction

Classroom assessments

State & division assessments

Content standards

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Important Important ConsiderationsConsiderations

Expect students with disabilities to Expect students with disabilities to achieve grade level academic content achieve grade level academic content standardsstandards

Verify the need/use of the Verify the need/use of the accommodations during everyday accommodations during everyday instructioninstruction

Determine the consequences of Determine the consequences of assessment accommodation use assessment accommodation use

Administer accommodations during Administer accommodations during classroom assessmentclassroom assessment

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Important Important ConsiderationsConsiderations

Select accommodations for Select accommodations for individual studentsindividual students

Involve students in selecting, using, and Involve students in selecting, using, and evaluating accommodationsevaluating accommodations

Document accommodations on IEP/504 Document accommodations on IEP/504 PlanPlan

Evaluate and improve accommodation Evaluate and improve accommodation useuse

Arrange for accommodations well in Arrange for accommodations well in advanceadvance

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SOL Test SOL Test AccommodationsAccommodations

Available accommodations relate to:Available accommodations relate to: Timing/SchedulingTiming/Scheduling SettingSetting PresentationPresentation ResponseResponse

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TIMING/SCHEDULINGTIMING/SCHEDULING time of daytime of day breaks during testingbreaks during testing multiple test sessions multiple test sessions order of test order of test

administrationadministration

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SETTINGSETTINGpreferential seating preferential seating small group testingsmall group testing individual testing (one-on-individual testing (one-on-one)one)

special lightingspecial lighting

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SETTINGSETTINGadaptive or special furnitureadaptive or special furniture test administered in test administered in locations with minimal locations with minimal distractionsdistractions

noise buffersnoise buffershospital/home/non-school hospital/home/non-school settingsetting

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PRESENTATIONPRESENTATIONBraille Braille Large PrintLarge PrintPlain English versionPlain English versionenlarging the answer enlarging the answer documentdocument

reading directions to reading directions to studentsstudents

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PRESENTATIONPRESENTATION simplifying directionssimplifying directions interpreting/transliterating interpreting/transliterating

directions (e.g., sign language, directions (e.g., sign language, cued speech) cued speech)

written directions to written directions to accompany oral directionsaccompany oral directions

clarifying directionsclarifying directions reading of test items aloudreading of test items aloud

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PRESENTATIONPRESENTATION audiotape version of test items audiotape version of test items interpreting/transliterating (e.g., interpreting/transliterating (e.g.,

sign language, cued speech) test sign language, cued speech) test items items

magnifying glassmagnifying glass amplification equipment (hearing aid amplification equipment (hearing aid

or auditory trainer)or auditory trainer) templatestemplates masks or markers to maintain place masks or markers to maintain place

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SOL Test SOL Test Accommodations Accommodations

RESPONSERESPONSE student marks booklet and student marks booklet and

examiner/proctor transfers examiner/proctor transfers answers to answer document answers to answer document

student responds verbally, student responds verbally, points, or indicates an answer, points, or indicates an answer, and examiner/proctor marks and examiner/proctor marks answer document answer document

enlarging the answer documentenlarging the answer document

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SOL Test SOL Test Accommodations Accommodations

RESPONSERESPONSEabacusabacusarithmetic tables (only if arithmetic tables (only if test allows a calculator) test allows a calculator)

brailler brailler large diameter or special large diameter or special pencil grippencil grip

word processor word processor

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RESPONSERESPONSE typewritertypewriteraugmentative communication augmentative communication device device

spell check (including spell spell check (including spell checkers)checkers)

spelling dictionaryspelling dictionary tape recorder (only for pre-tape recorder (only for pre-writing activity to tape response writing activity to tape response for English writing test)for English writing test)

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RESPONSERESPONSE dictation to a scribe dictation to a scribe word prediction softwareword prediction software use of a calculator on the use of a calculator on the

computation section of a computation section of a mathematics test when mathematics test when calculators are not routinely calculators are not routinely supplied to all studentssupplied to all students

use of a calculator with use of a calculator with additional functions than those additional functions than those routinely supplied to all studentsroutinely supplied to all students

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Accommodations PitfallsAccommodations Pitfalls

Lowering student expectations.Lowering student expectations. Providing too many accommodations Providing too many accommodations

for the student to handle.for the student to handle. Using an accommodation on a test that Using an accommodation on a test that

the student has never used.the student has never used. Selecting every accommodation hoping Selecting every accommodation hoping

that something will work.that something will work. Providing accommodations based upon Providing accommodations based upon

a student’s classification or placement a student’s classification or placement (e.g. "all students with learning (e.g. "all students with learning disabilities receive extended time").disabilities receive extended time").

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InformationInformation

Virginia Department of Education Virginia Department of Education website website ((http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOEhttp://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/Assessment/home.shtml/Assessment/home.shtml))

Division Directors of TestingDivision Directors of Testing Division of Assessment and Division of Assessment and

Reporting, VDOE (804-225-2107)Reporting, VDOE (804-225-2107) Office of Special Education, VDOE Office of Special Education, VDOE

(804-225-2707)(804-225-2707)

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1 Test Accommodations for Students with Disabilities in Virginia’s Accountability Assessment System Virginia Department of Education Division of Assessment