Accommodations for Accommodations for Students with Special Students with Special

NeedsNeedsBy By

Robyn RubelRobyn Rubel

Diane KnightDiane Knight

Tracy Lemus SantosTracy Lemus Santos

Accommodations v. Accommodations v. ModificationsModifications

AccommodationAccommodationss

Supports or services Supports or services provided to help a student provided to help a student access the general access the general curriculum and validly curriculum and validly demonstrate learning.demonstrate learning.

Tools to help assess Tools to help assess abilities not disabilitiesabilities not disabilities

Provide equity not Provide equity not advantageadvantage

ModificationsModificationsAre any procedure Are any procedure intended to meet an intended to meet an educational situation educational situation with respect to with respect to individual differences individual differences in ability or purpose.in ability or purpose.

Directly alters or Directly alters or lowers the expectation lowers the expectation of the assessmentof the assessment

In Other Words…In Other Words…

Accommodations…Accommodations…

““Level” the playing fieldLevel” the playing field

While While

Modifications…Modifications…

““Change” the playing fieldChange” the playing field

Time For A Quiz…Time For A Quiz…

AccommodationAccommodation

OrOr

ModificationModification

Accommodations on Accommodations on a Daily Basisa Daily Basis

The Ins and Outs of Providing Services

DefinitionDefinition An accommodation typically is An accommodation typically is

defined as a service or support that defined as a service or support that is provided to help a student fully is provided to help a student fully access the general curriculum as access the general curriculum as well as demonstrate what he or she well as demonstrate what he or she knows of the content standards knows of the content standards being taught.being taught.

When should a student When should a student get accommodations?get accommodations?

IEP Team DecisionIEP Team Decision

Daily BasisDaily Basis

Achievement TestingAchievement Testing

Who should provide Who should provide accommodations?accommodations?

Special Education TeacherSpecial Education Teacher

General Education TeacherGeneral Education Teacher

Everyone that is in contact Everyone that is in contact with the studentwith the student

Areas in which Areas in which accommodations are accommodations are

typically providedtypically provided

EnvironmentalEnvironmental

Instructional DeliveryInstructional Delivery

Instructional MaterialsInstructional Materials

AssignmentsAssignments

BehaviorBehavior

Summing it up…Summing it up…

Accommodations are really Accommodations are really “whatever it takes” to make “whatever it takes” to make certain that a student with certain that a student with disabilities can participate as fully disabilities can participate as fully as possible in the academic as possible in the academic content standards.content standards.

Just a thought…Just a thought…

““If we wait until students are ready If we wait until students are ready to work on challenging standards to work on challenging standards by virtue of having mastered basic by virtue of having mastered basic skills, they will never work on skills, they will never work on challenging standards.”challenging standards.”

Nolet and McLaughlin, 2000Nolet and McLaughlin, 2000

Assessing Children with Assessing Children with Disabilities in Regular Disabilities in Regular Education ClassroomsEducation Classrooms

What do the Experts have to What do the Experts have to say? say?

The general education teacher, in The general education teacher, in collaboration with the special education collaboration with the special education teacher can expect to play a prominent role in teacher can expect to play a prominent role in the regular assessment of the child with a the regular assessment of the child with a disability’s progress. And, because the disability’s progress. And, because the progress of the children with disabilities can progress of the children with disabilities can often be hampered by behavioral, social, and often be hampered by behavioral, social, and attitudinal needs that result from the attitudinal needs that result from the disability, these too will have to be assessed disability, these too will have to be assessed regularly to determine whether they impeded regularly to determine whether they impeded progress in the general curriculum, whenever progress in the general curriculum, whenever called for in the IEP. called for in the IEP.

Idea-97 ensures the regular Idea-97 ensures the regular education teacher will play an education teacher will play an

expanded role in the assessment of expanded role in the assessment of the progress of children with the progress of children with

disabilities.disabilities.

General education teachers as long as General education teachers as long as they have appropriate expectations may they have appropriate expectations may assess student needs. One reason for assess student needs. One reason for

this is IDEA-97 requires the this is IDEA-97 requires the involvement. The other reason is they involvement. The other reason is they are the general curriculum experts. To are the general curriculum experts. To evaluate the students performance the evaluate the students performance the

data will be collected in the regular data will be collected in the regular education classroom.education classroom.

Teacher made test and Teacher made test and assessments are much easier to assessments are much easier to

make modifications to than make modifications to than standardized tests. standardized tests.

Standardized Tests and Assessments by Standardized Tests and Assessments by 2000, IDEA-97 requires alternative to 2000, IDEA-97 requires alternative to standardized test be in place for students standardized test be in place for students who are unable to participate in districtwide who are unable to participate in districtwide assessment programs. Each state or district assessment programs. Each state or district may be free to develop the own method of may be free to develop the own method of assessment. They are also required to report assessment. They are also required to report the results. This is an effort to increase the results. This is an effort to increase accountability for the education of students accountability for the education of students with disabilities.with disabilities.

There is controversy over by giving There is controversy over by giving modifications to standardized tests are we modifications to standardized tests are we affecting the reliability and validity of the test.affecting the reliability and validity of the test.

The general education teacher is to The general education teacher is to contribute information about the contribute information about the student, not diagnose the student, not diagnose the behavioral problems of a student. behavioral problems of a student. The teacher can provide data The teacher can provide data regarding behaviors and attitudes, regarding behaviors and attitudes, and how they affect progress in the and how they affect progress in the classroom.classroom.

Behaviors are things that we can Behaviors are things that we can see. see.

Attitudes are fairly consistent and Attitudes are fairly consistent and stable ways that people think and stable ways that people think and feel and are predisposed to think feel and are predisposed to think

and feel in the presence of various and feel in the presence of various stimuli.stimuli.

State-wide Testing State-wide Testing and Students with and Students with

Special NeedsSpecial Needs

What are allowable What are allowable accommodations?accommodations?

What does the Ohio What does the Ohio Statewide Testing Statewide Testing Rules Book Say?Rules Book Say?

Alternate Alternate AssessmentAssessment

What’s New?What’s New?

That’s Just Doesn’t That’s Just Doesn’t Seem Fair…Seem Fair…

Accommodations for students Accommodations for students with special needs…with special needs…

Students who need medication Students who need medication but aren’t taking it…but aren’t taking it…

That’s not my job…That’s not my job…

What if I don’t What if I don’t accommodate…accommodate…

Legal documentLegal document

Parent Advocate sitesParent Advocate sites

Things to avoid saying and doingThings to avoid saying and doing

Doe v. Withers, 1992Doe v. Withers, 1992

What Does This Mean For What Does This Mean For Teachers?Teachers?

How We Often Feel...How We Often Feel...

ActivityActivity

We’re All DifferentWe’re All Different

A thought to end A thought to end on…on…

““There is nothing as There is nothing as unequal as the equal unequal as the equal

treatment of treatment of unequalsunequals.”.”Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson

SourcesSources

Websites:Websites:http://www.itsacademictutoring.com/IEP.htm#2http://www.fapeonline.org/Fed%20Cases.htm#69http://www.dphilpotlaw.com/html/fed-law.htmlhttp://www.504idea.org/TEPSA.pdf

Something to Ponder...Something to Ponder...

““Children with special needs are Children with special needs are our gift.  They make us think our gift.  They make us think

outside the box and when we do, outside the box and when we do, we realize these same strategies we realize these same strategies work with many other children in work with many other children in

the classroom." the classroom."

Dayle TimmonsDayle Timmons

And Lastly...And Lastly...