Choosing Accommodations for English Language Learners with Disabilities

1. Choosing Accommodations for English Language Learners with Disabilities Laurene Christensen, Ph.D., National Center on Educational Outcomes, University of Minnesota Brian Touchette, Assessment Resources, Delaware Department of Education Melissa Gholson, Office of Assessment and Accountability, West Virginia Department of Education Vitaliy Shyyan, Ph.D., National Center on Educational Outcomes, University of Minnesota National Conference on Student Assessment June 22, 2013

2. Accommodations Manual How to Select, Administer, and Evaluate Use of Accommodations for Instruction and Assessment of English Language Learners with Disabilities

4. Step 1: Expect ELLs with disabilities to achieve grade-level academic content standards

5. ELL/IEP or ELL/504 Plan Team • special education teachers or 504 Plan committee representatives • language educators and facilitators (ESL/bilingual teacher(s), another ESL/bilingual/migrant teacher or ELL administrator, language acquisition specialist, interpreter) • assessment officials (test administrator(s), guidance counselor, reading specialist) • general education teachers (classroom/content teacher(s)) • first/native language special education practitioners • school administrators (principal, school/district official(s)) • parents (parent(s)/guardian(s)) • students

6. Equal Access to Content Standards • every ELL/IEP or ELL/504 Plan Team member must be familiar with content standards and accountability systems at the state and district level • every ELL/IEP or ELL/504 Plan Team member must know where to locate standards and updates • all general, special, and language educators, as well as other educational stakeholders must collaborate for successful student access

7. Conditions for High Expectations • Instruction is provided by teachers who are qualified to teach in the content areas addressed by state standards and who know how to differentiate instruction for diverse learners. • Education plans for ELLs with disabilities are developed to ensure the provision of specialized instruction (e.g., specific reading skills, strategies for “learning how to learn”). • Appropriate accommodations are provided to help students access grade-level content.

8. Legal Basis • Participation of ELLs with disabilities in assessments is required by federal laws: • Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA) • Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 2007 (ESEA) • Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act • Lau v. Nichols (1974) • Castañeda v. Pickard (1981)

9. ESEA Focuses • how successful schools are including all students in standards-based education • how well students are achieving standards • what needs to be improved upon for specific groups of students

10. Including All ELLs with Disabilities in State Accountability Assessments • assurance of the provision of accommodations to facilitate student access to grade-level instruction and state assessments • use of alternate assessments to assess the achievement of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities • use of different assessment formats to assess the achievement of beginner ELLs

11. State Legislation* • CURRENT STATE WEBSITE FOR ALL CONTENT STANDARDS/COMMON CORE STANDARDS COULD BE INSERTED HERE. • CURRENT STATE-SPECIFIC POLICIES ABOUT THE PARTICIPATION OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN STATE ASSESSMENT COULD BE INSERTED HERE.

12. Discussion Point • How do I stay updated on current federal and state accommodation policies for ELLs with disabilities?

13. Step 2: Learn about accommodations for instruction and assessment

14. What Are Accommodations? • Procedures and materials that increase equitable access during instruction and assessments for ELLs with disabilities and generate valid assessment results that show what ELLs with disabilities know and can do • Provided to a student during state assessments AND during classroom instruction, classroom assessments, and district assessments

15. Technology Implications • In the age of technology-mediated educational practices, many computer-based accommodations facilitate instruction and assessment of ELLs with disabilities effectively if they are selected and used properly.

16. The Use of Accommodations Is Linked Through Each of These Areas Figure from ASES SCASS/CCSSO Accommodations Training Slides PowerPoint Content Standards/Common Core Standards

17. Who Is Involved in Decisions? • ELL/IEP or ELL/504 Plan Teams must make assessment and accommodation decisions for students based on individual needs in accordance with state and federal guidelines. • ELLs with IEPs and 504 Plans must be provided accommodations based on individual needs as long as the accommodations meet state accommodation guidelines and regulations and do not invalidate the assessment results. • Accommodations should be documented in IEPs and 504 Plans.

18. Accommodations and Universal Design • UD principles improve instruction and assessment for all students • UD in assessments may reduce the need for accommodations and alternate assessments • UD in assessments cannot eliminate the need for accommodations and alternate assessments • UD can provide more cost-effective assessments and valid inferences about them

19. Good Practices and Resources • Resources and strategies that should be allowable whenever possible for all students

20. Accommodations vs. Modifications Accommodations provide access without reducing learner expectations Modifications can increase the learner achievement gap by lowering expectations for what students are required to know or do

21. English Language- and Disability-related Needs

22. Student Profiles Think of specific students who represent the four areas of the figure. What are they like? What are the students’ needs and characteristics? What are the implications of accommodation decisions for each student?

23. Accommodations vs. Modifications vs. Best Practices – Dictionary

24. Activity: Accommodations vs. Modifications vs. Best Practices – Graphic Organizers

25. Activity:Read Aloud Text Accommodation Discussion Point: How would you read aloud the following test item? A thermometer is shown. What temperature is shown on the thermometer? • A 11°C • B 12°F • C 25°C • D 25°F

26. Step 3: Select accommodations for instruction and assessment for individual students

27. Document Accommodations • On a student’s IEP • On a student’s 504 Plan • On a student’s ELL individualized plan

28. IEP Areas to Address • Consideration of special factors • Supplementary aids and services • Participation in assessments

29. 504 Plan Examples of Conditions • allergies or asthma • attention difficulties • communicable diseases (e.g., hepatitis) • drug or alcoholic addictions, as long as they are not currently using illegal drugs • environmental illnesses • temporary disabilities from accidents who may need short term hospitalization or homebound recovery

30. Making Decisions for Accommodations

31. Student Characteristics

32. Student Characteristics: Questions to Ask • What are the student’s language learning strengths and areas of further improvement? • How do the student’s learning needs affect the achievement of grade-level content standards? • What specialized instruction (e.g., learning strategies, organizational skills, reading skills) does the student need to achieve grade-level content standards? • What accommodations will increase the student’s access to instruction and assessment by addressing the student’s learning needs and reducing the effect of the student’s language barrier? These may be new accommodations or accommodations the student is currently using.

33. Student Characteristics: Questions to Ask • What accommodations are regularly used by the student during instruction and assessments? • What are the results for assignments and assessments when accommodations are used and not used? • What is the student’s perception of how well an accommodation “worked”? • Are there effective combinations of accommodations?

34. Student Characteristics: Questions to Ask • What difficulties does the student experience when using accommodations? • What are the perceptions of parents, teachers, and other specialists about how the accommodation worked? • Should the student continue to use an accommodation, are changes needed, or should the use of the accommodation be discontinued?

35. Consider the Following… • 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 state assessments

36. Discussion Point • What would be helpful to ask students and parents about accommodation use?

37. Prior Accommodation Use • Accommodations should not be used for the first time on the state test • Plan time for student to learn new accommodations • In a technology-based setting, be sure that the student knows how to use the accommodation that is part of the platform • Plan for evaluation and improvement of accommodation use

38. Instruction vs. Assessment Accommodations • Sometimes, accommodations used in instruction may not be used on an assessment • Plan time for students to practice NOT using certain accommodations before the state assessment • Some instructional accommodations may alter what a test is designed to measure

39. Individual Test Characteristics: Questions to Ask • What are the characteristics of the test my student needs to take? Are the test tasks similar to classroom assessment tasks or does the student need to have the opportunity to practice similar tasks prior to testing? • Does the student use an accommodation for a classroom task that is allowed for similar tasks on the state or district tests? • Are there other barriers that could be removed by using an accommodation that is not already offered or used by the student?

40. Maintaining Validity: Questions to Ask • Does the state or district allow the identified accommodation for the test or portion of the test noted as a barrier? • If not, does the accommodation change the standard of the assessment? • Are there additional principles to help guide decision making?

41. Accommodation Policies and Maintaining Validity • Test validity is compromised if a student refuses to use an assigned accommodation • Long-term implications of accommodations should be considered • Plan ample time for students to become familiar with accommodations • Plan for ongoing evaluation and improvement of accommodation use

42. Step 4: Administer accommodations during instruction and assessment

43. Accommodations During Instruction • Students should be provided selected accommodations during instruction • An accommodation may not be used solely during assessments • Familiarize students with technological aspects of accommodations

44. Accommodations During Assessment • Take appropriate security precautions • Understand the procedures needed to administer the assessment • Administer standardized assessments according to prescribed procedures and conditions • Avoid any conditions that might invalidate results • Provide for and document all reasonable and allowable accommodations • Avoid unfair actions or conditions

45. Administering Assessments and Accommodations • Take appropriate security precautions before, during, and after the administration of the assessment • Understand the procedures needed to administer the assessment prior to administration • Administer standardized assessments according to prescribed procedures and conditions and notify appropriate persons if any nonstandard or delimiting conditions occur

46. Administering Assessments and Accommodations • Avoid any conditions in the conduct of the assessment that might invalidate the results • Provide for and document all reasonable and allowable accommodations for the administration of the assessment to persons with disabilities or special needs • Avoid actions or conditions that would permit or encourage individuals or groups to receive scores that misrepresent their actual levels of attainment

47. Ethical Testing Practices • Ethical testing practices must be maintained • Unethical testing practices are inappropriate interactions between test administrators and students taking the test

48. Standardization • Adherence to uniform administration procedures and conditions during an assessment • Is essential and necessary to produce comparable performance results • Must be followed strictly

49. Test Security • Maintaining the confidentiality of test questions and answers • Critical in ensuring the integrity and validity of test results • Tests are kept in secure locations or on password-protected computers • Students are guaranteed secure and equitable testing conditions

50. Step 5: Evaluate and improve accommodations use