accommodations for instruction and assessment beth schiltz december 2014
TRANSCRIPT
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
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
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
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 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 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 – 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
• Accommodations must be clearly documented in the IEP– Instructional accommodations– Assessment 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
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
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