Assessments and Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

1. Assessments and Accommodations for Students with Disabilities LDAU Conference Oct 10, 2014

2. Assessment and Students with Disabilities R277-700-7. Student Mastery and Assessment of Core Standards. E. Students with disabilities: (1) All students with disabilities served by special education programs shall demonstrate mastery of the Core Standards. (2) If a student's disabling condition precludes the successful demonstration of mastery, the student's IEP team, on a case-by-case basis, may provide accommodations for or modify the mastery demonstration to accommodate the student's disability. F. Students may demonstrate competency to satisfy course requirements consistent with R277-705-3. G. All Utah public school students shall participate in state-mandated assessments, as specified in R277-404.

3. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) • Children with disabilities are included in general state and district-wide assessment programs, with appropriate accommodations, where necessary [Sec. 612 (a) (16) (A)].

4. What is an adaptive test?

5. SAGE: Student Assessment of Growth and Excellence Utah’s summative, interim, and formative assessment system aligned to Utah’s Core Standards • Required end-of-year summative assessments for English language arts, math, and science (SAGE Summative Grades 3–11) • Optional interim grade-level assessments (SAGE Interim Grades 3–11) (Anticipated October 1, 2014) • Optional formative assessment system (SAGE Formative Grades K–12)

6. Content Development

7. Language Accessibility, Bias, and Sensitivity • Committee composed of special educators, variety of minority representatives, and content specialists • All test items are evaluated in light of: • Accessibility • Language Use • Stereotyping • Emotional Topics • Advice • Dangerous Activities • Population Diversity

8. Item Types/Response Mechanism • Technology Enhanced/Grid Items • Constructed Response (Natural Language) • Equation Response • Graphic Response • Hot Spot Response • Drag and Drop Response • Multiple Choice • Single Select • Multiple Select • Constructed Response • Selected Response • Drag and Drop • Create an Equation • Matching • Extended Writing

9. Educator RolesEffective Support of Processes for the Success of Students with Disabilities

10. Appropriate Instruction • Educators must plan instruction for students with disabilities based on the Utah Core Standards • To enhance student understanding of the Utah Core Standards, Depth of Knowledge, and application of the various item types, educators should differentiate instruction for individuals and groups of students by choosing • appropriate strategies, • accommodations, • resources, • materials, • sequencing, • technical tools, • and demonstrations of learning. Utah Educator Evaluation Framework (R277-531)

11. Students With Disabilities • Items are adjusted to best meet the assessment needs of ALL students while still maintaining alignment to the Utah Core Standards. • Consideration is given to what item types are best accessed by students with disabilities • Most items are created using functionality that is accessible for all students, including students with disabilities • ALL assessment items are written and reviewed for accessby all students

12. More Information SAGE Portal • www.sageportal.org USOE Assessment Website • http://schools.utah.gov/assessment/Adaptive-Assessment-System.aspx

13. Accommodations

14. Accessibility Features Accessibility Features are testing options that are available to ALL students and provides access for ALL students. Most Accessibility Features were formerly considered accommodations for students with IEPs/504. Universally Designed Accessibility Features include: • text to speech (where appropriate) • descriptive audio • highlighting • alternate color • magnification • large font • strike through • extended time • alternate location • more…see Accommodations Policy http://www.schools.utah.gov/assessment/Special-Needs.aspx

15. Accommodations Myths Myth: Accommodations are no longer available on the SAGE assessment. • This is a false statement. Accommodations are still available for students with IEPs/504. Most of what used to be accommodations are now Accessibility Features and are available to ALL students.

16. Accommodations There are seven allowed accommodations during the SAGE assessments. The IEP team determines which accommodation(s) will be most appropriate for the student to use during the assessment and then documents the selected accommodations in the student’s IEP or Section 504 plan. 1. Scribe 2. Sign Language (ASL) 3. Braille 4. Standard Print 5. Large Print 6. Handheld Calculation Device (6th Grade Math) 7. Visual Representation

17. Scribe • Students with disabilities who are not able to input their answers into the computer. • As necessary due to temporary injury prior to assessment as non-accommodation. • Scribe must be trainedto write down what a student dictates by an assistive communication device, speech, pointing, or sign language. • Speech-to-Text (i.e., JAWS) is not an available accommodation at this time. Students who generally use speech to text should have the Scribe accommodation as part of their IEP or 504 and be provided a trained scribe.

18. Sign Language—ASL • For students who are deaf or hard of hearing and use ASL as a mode of communication. • ASL allowed only when the text-to-speech option is available on the assessment question. • ASL certified interpreters may only sign the audio from the text-to-speech; nothing additional may be added. • ASL videos will be available Spring 2015 for the listening portions of the ELA assessment. When available, students must use the online interpreter for this portion of the assessment. • The use of Sign Language - ASL is determined by the IEP/504 team and documented in the student’s IEP or 504 plan.

19. Braille • For students who are blind or have low vision and are using braille. • Providing braille through an electronic system is progressive and continuing to evolve. • On-demand Braille as noted in the student’s IEP or 504 plan. • Braille text and tactile graphics are provided via a Tiger embosser in the student’s school, which can print text and/or graphics depending on student need. • Refreshable braille is generated by JAWS. • Technical specifications will be updated yearly and will be provided to the LEA assessment directors and technology specialists. • Braille on the SAGE is subject to a rigorous review process. • Thank you to all the teachers of the Blind and Visually Impaired who participated in the Spring 2014 assessment! • The data we received is very valuable moving forward.

20. Standard Print • The SAGE assessment is provided electronically and some students are not able to view the computer screen due to light or screen resolution. • Standard print can be provided, on-demand, at the student’s school as documented on their IEP or 504 plan.

21. Large Print • Students with visual impairments or other print disabilities may need assistance viewing content. • The SAGE assessment is provided electronically and for most students, computer screen magnification or larger monitors enable them to access the assessments. • For those who cannot access the assessment via the computer screen, large print can be provided, on-demand, at student’s school in a variety of font sizes on 8½-by-11-inch paper only as documented on their IEP or 504 plan

22. Handheld Calculator/Computation Device • If a 6th grade student is unable to access the online calculator due to their disability, they may use a handheld calculator during the calculator segment of the assessment as noted on the IEP or 504 plan. • Due to the Utah Core Standards for grades 3-5, students are being assessed on their ability to solve computation problems, therefore, calculators are NOT allowed in those grades. • Any student in grades 7-12 may use a handheld calculator during the calculator segment of the assessment. • Visual Representation can be used as an alternate option for the student. See next slide.

23. Visual Representation • Visual Representations are manipulatives such as, cubes, tiles, rods, blocks, models, etc. • May be used on all sections of the mathematics assessment as noted in the student’s IEP or 504.

24. Alternate Assessment based on Alternate Standards

25. Essential Elements

26. Definition The Essential Elements (EEs) are specific statements of the content and skills that are linked to the Utah Core Standards grade level-specific expectations for students with significant cognitive disabilities. www.dynamiclearningmaps.org

27. Essential Elements • Reduce depth, breadth, and complexity of core standards • Provide appropriate level of rigor and challenge • Focus on the skills (with multiple means of demonstration to target individual student’s learning styles) • Are a starting point for defining achievement standards • Are not functional or pre-K skills or instructional descriptions

28. Example for English Language Arts Utah Core Standard Essential Element • RL.6.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments. EE.RL.6.2 Determine the theme or central idea of a familiar story and identify details that relate to it.

29. Example for Mathematics Utah Core Standard Essential Element • 4.MD.5. Recognize angles as geometric shapes that are formed wherever two rays share a common endpoint, and understand concepts of angle measurement: • An angle is measured with reference to a circle with its center at the common endpoint of the rays, by considering the fraction of the circular arc between the points where the two rays intersect the circle. An angle that turns through 1/360 of a circle is called a “one-degree angle,” and can be used to measure angles. • An angle that turns through n one-degree angles is said to have an angle measure of n degrees. EE.4.MD.5. Recognize angles in geometric shapes

30. Dynamic Learning MapsDLM

31. Purpose of DLM • DLM is the alternate assessment (AA) for Math and ELA • Designed for students with significant cognitive disabilities • Guided by core belief that all students should have access to challenging grade-level content through “Essential Elements” (EEs) • DLM will map academic learning and progress of students with significant cognitive disabilities throughout the school year • The system will use items and tasks that are embedded in day-to-day instruction. • Testing happens as part of instruction, which informs teachers and benefits students

32. DLM Participation Criteria • Student has a significant cognitive disability that significantly impacts intellectual functioning andadaptive behavior; • Student is learning content linked to the Utah Core Standards through the EE; and • Student requires extensive, repeated, direct individualized instruction and substantial supports to achieve measurable gains in the grade-and-age-appropriate curriculum, and. • Determined by the IEP team.

33. The Learning Map

35. Item Types • Single-select multiple choice • Multi-select multiple choice • Technology enhanced: • Sorting • Matching • Teacher observation • Extended performance event

36. Assessment Delivery • Special user interface • Dynamic routing • Customization through Personal Needs and Preferences (PNP) profile and First Contact

37. Thank you! Paul Ashby Special Education - Assessment Specialist paul.ashby@school.utah.gov