Accommodations for Statewide Assessments: Oral Administration, Transcribing, and Supplemental Aids

1. Accommodations for Statewide Assessments: Oral Administration, Transcribing, and Supplemental Aids 2012 Texas Assessment Conference Kim Brannan, Charity Riley-Rose, Lynn Franzen

2. Agenda General Information about Accommodations Oral Administration Transcribing Supplemental Aids Questions? TEA November 2012

3. General Information about Accommodations TEA November 2012

4. Accommodations… • Arechanges to instructional materials, procedures, or techniques that allow a student with a disability to participate meaningfully in grade-level or course instruction • Are not changes to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) • Should be effective in allowing a student access to the TEKS • Should not be provided to a student without evidence of effectiveness, because student need is likely to change from year to year • Must be individualized for each student • Should not be provided to an entire group of students (e.g., all students in a classroom, all students within the same disability category)

5. Any accommodation may be appropriate for classroom use. BUT some accommodations may not be appropriate or allowed for use on a statewide assessment. TEA November 2012

6. Students needing accommodations due to a disability include… A student with an identified disability who receives special education services and meets established eligibility criteria for certain accommodations A student with an identified disability who receives Section 504 services and meets established eligibility criteria for certain accommodations A student with a disabling condition who does not receive special education or Section 504 services but meets established eligibility criteria for certain accommodations (i.e., general education) TEA November 2012

7. Accommodations Triangle TEA November 2012

8. Type 1 Accommodations Specific need Routinely, independently, effectively • Available for students who have a specific need and who routinely, independently, and effectively use the accommodation during classroom instruction and testing. • Local decision (e.g., ARD committee, Section 504 committee, RTI committee) based on specific eligibility criteria • Do NOT submit an Accommodation Request Form TEA November 2012

9. Type 2 Accommodations • Includes the requirements of Type 1, along with additional specific eligibility criteria. • Local decision (e.g., ARD committee, Section 504 committee, RTI committee) based on specific eligibility criteria • Do NOT submit an Accommodation Request Form Specific need Routinely, independently, effectively Specific eligibility criteria TEA November 2012

10. Type 3 Accommodations • If it is locally determined that the student meets all of the specific eligibility criteria, an Accommodation Request Form must be submitted. • Request must be approved by TEA before student can use accommodation on a statewide assessment • Should be documented in student’s paperwork as “pending TEA approval” • In the event that a request is denied, the campus should be prepared to meet the student’s needs with allowable accommodations. Specific need IF the student meets these specific eligibility criteria, THEN submit an Accommodation Request Form TEA November 2012

11. Type 3 Accommodations: Evidence of Need Specific questions are now included on the online system to help districts complete the rationale section for Type 3 Accommodations. This information must be provided in the rationale section of the online Accommodation Request Form. TEA November 2012 Describe the disability that prevents the student from completing the test within four hours. Be specific about the characteristics of the condition, symptoms, and level of severity the student experiences. Phrases like “severe fatigue” and “shuts down” are not sufficient. The description should be specific and individualized. Explain how the provision of an Extra Day accommodation has proven effective. Does the student require frequent breaks? How long are the student’s breaks? How often are the student’s breaks? How much work does the student accomplish during periods of productivity? Does the student have an alternate school schedule or location (e.g., attends school only two hours a day, is hospitalized, is homebound, has academic work in the A.M. and social skills in the P.M.)? What Type 1 or Type 2 accommodations have been tried and what is the student’s level of success with these? Why are they not effective? What Optional Test Administration Procedures and Materials have been tried and what is the student’s level of success with these? Why are they not effective?

12. Accommodations in Unexpected or Emergency Situations • Unexpected or emergency situations may occur just prior to or on the day of the statewide assessment, and necessitate the use of a testing accommodation. • Procedures for testing coordinators to follow in these cases • First review Optional Test Administration Procedures and Materials to see if anything can meet student’s needs  if so, use it… no need to contact TEA • Then review Accommodation Triangle to see if a Type 1 or 2 accommodation can meet student’s needs  if so, use it… no need to contact TEA • Finally, review Type 3 accommodations  if one of these will be effective, immediately contact TEA’s Accommodations Task Force for permission and additional instructions

13. Accommodations in Unexpected or Emergency Situations • Encouraging student independence should be a priority • Example Scenarios • Student arrives at school without prescribed eyeglasses  try a Projection Device or Large Print before an Oral Administration • Student arrives at school with dominant arm broken see if student can write math computations on a white board with non-dominant hand (“scratch paper or another workspace” in Optional document) and dictate responses for the test administrator to transcribe (Basic Transcribing) before requesting Type 3 accommodation-Mathematics Scribe TEA November 2012

14. Recording Accommodation Use on the Answer Document TEA November 2012 After statewide testing, the accommodation type must be recorded in the ACCOMMODATIONS field on the student’s answer document or in the Assessment Management System for online administrations, if applicable. The accommodation type is indicated in the triangle at the top of each accommodation policy document. Mark the accommodation type for each accommodation that is documented and made available to a student, even if the student did not use the accommodation during testing.

15. Oral Administration TEA November 2012

16. Oral Administration: Eligibility Student meets this criteria AND ONE of these TEA November 2012

17. Oral Administration: Eligibility TEA November 2012 What does “evidence of reading difficulties” mean?

18. Oral Administration: Eligibility • Evidence of reading difficulty = a problem with reading • The problem could be caused by a learning disability in reading • The problem could be caused by other conditions, for example • ADHD • Emotional or behavioral disability • Processing or memory issue • The ARD or Section 504 committee decides if the student exhibits evidence of a reading difficulty. TEA November 2012

19. Oral Administration: Levels of Support • Two levels of reading support are available • Read questions and answer choices at student request • Read all questions and answer choices Remember to document the level of reading support. TEA November 2012

20. Oral Administration: Grouping Students • Consider • Level of reading support • Pace at which students work • Number of students one test administrator can handle • Plan for mixtures of support level and pace • Know what level of support each student receives • Remember the four-hour time limit • Move around room and read aloud to students individually or to small groups of students working at a similar pace TEA November 2012

21. What may be read aloud during an Oral Administration? TEA November 2012

22. How are test questions read aloud? TEA November 2012

23. Items Containing Boxed Information (Mathematics, Science, Social Studies) All parts of the question and answer choice may be read aloud. TEA November 2012

24. Items Containing Passage Excerpts (Reading) All parts of the question and answer choice may be read aloud. TEA November 2012

25. Items Containing Graphics Read aloud the text. Do not interpret the graphics. TEA November 2012

26. Items Containing Content-specific Terms and Symbols Read aloud the terms and symbols the way the students hear them in class. TEA November 2012

27. Required Reference Materials • Test administrators may read, but not interpret or help apply, the reference material. • Reference Material Example: Dictionary • The student must independently locate the dictionary entry. • The test administrator may then read aloud the entry the student indicates. • The test administrator may not help the student find a word in the dictionary. TEA November 2012

28. Allowable Supplemental Aids • Test administrators may read, but not interpret or help apply, the supplemental aid. • Supplemental Aid Example: List of grammar rules or Math Chart • The student must point to the information (i.e., rule or formula) and request that it be read aloud. • The test administrator may then read aloud the information the student indicates. • The test administrator may not tell students which rule/formula is needed to answer the question. TEA November 2012

29. Transcribing Basic Transcribing: Local Decision Complex Transcribing: Accommodation Request Form TEA November 2012

30. Basic Transcribing: Examples/Types

31. Basic Transcribing: Eligibility Student meets this criteria AND ONE of these TEA November 2012

32. Basic Transcribing: Eligibility What are some examples of students who MAY or MAY NOT meet this criterion? TEA November 2012

33. Basic Transcribing Student Eligibility Criteria Student Scenario #1 • Student is not receiving Section 504 or special education services, but loses his place easily when reading or writing in small spaces • Student records his own answers, but uses a place marker to ensure accuracy • Teacher wants the student to mark his answers in the test booklet for her to record on the answer document to ensure accuracy. • “The student has a disabling condition… • that prevents him or her from independently and effectively recording responses on the lined pages of the answer document… • despite multiple unsuccessful attempts to indicate responses on a format similar to an answer document.” NO TEA November 2012

34. Basic Transcribing Student Eligibility Criteria Student Scenario #2 • Student is identified with an emotional disturbance • Student can physically write for short assignments, but types on a computer for longer writing assignments. Observational data shows that when given a long writing assignment to handwrite, student becomes loud and agitated, crumbles paper, and refuses to write. • “The student has a disabling condition… • that prevents him or her from… effectively recording responses… on the lined pages of the answer document despite multiple unsuccessful attempts to indicate responses on a format similar to an answer document.” YES TEA November 2012

35. Complex Transcribing • This accommodation applies ONLY to the test administrator scribing an eligible student’s dictated or signed response to the writing prompts (including any prewriting or drafts). • Grade 4 and 7 writing tests – written composition • English I, II, and III writing tests – written composition TEA November 2012

36. Complex Transcribing: Eligibility Student meets this criteria AND this criteria AND ONE of these TEA November 2012

37. Remember… IF the local decision is that the student meets all of the Student Eligibility Criteria for Complex Transcribing, THEN an Accommodation Request Form must be submitted to TEA for a determination. TEA November 2012

38. Complex Transcribing: Denial Example #1 • Rationale: A doctor has diagnosed this student with a developmental coordination and anxiety disorder. The developmental coordination disorder affects handwriting. The student has trouble properly forming letters and is slower at writing. The student uses a laptop daily in the classroom to produce written work. The student has high levels of anxiety when rushed with handwriting. Handwriting is very difficult to read. When asked to handwrite assignments, the student gets frustrated and slows down. The student reports hand hurting and/or getting tired if writing for extended amounts of time.

39. Complex Transcribing: Denial Example #1 • Denied because every word in the student’s response can be identified. In addition, the student uses a laptop (Basic Transcribing) routinely, so the school should review the eligibility criteria for Basic Transcribing.

40. Complex Transcribing: Denial Example #2 Rationale: The student was recently evaluated by an occupational therapist and was found to have major deficits in fine motor skills and visual perceptual skills that severely impact the student's writing abilities. According to the -- Test of Motor Proficiency, this student has a 2 year 4 month delay in fine motor skills. On the -- Visual Perception Test, this student has a delay of 4 years 9 months. This affects letter/word formation, spacing, and writing in confined spaces. Basic Transcribing was used several times throughout the year, but with no success.

41. Complex Transcribing: Denial Example #2 Denied because individual letters are recognizable for the most part. Although the student produces strings of letters, the student can physically write. Complex Transcribing is not intended to address spelling deficits. Deficits in “spacing and writing in confined spaces” can be addressed by using the Optional Test Administration Material-scratch paper (i.e., large-lined paper) .

42. Complex Transcribing: Denial Example #3 Rationale: This student has significant developmental delays in gross motor, fine motor, and visual motor skills, and sensory processing. The student has been diagnosed with dysgraphia, autism, and speech impairment. The student has low tone overall with diminished hand strength bilaterally. Pencil grasp is weak and student tends to fatigue easily. The student demonstrates poor eye tracking skills and can localize on a target for approximately three seconds. Loss of target, blinking, and eye rubbing was present and remains present when attempting to write. Ability to type with text-to-speech and word prediction has helped somewhat. This student has significant difficulty with attention span and attention to detail. The student becomes easily frustrated and will avoid both typing and writing. However, when asked to give verbal responses, the student is much more productive and accurate. TEA November 2012

43. Complex Transcribing: Denial Example #3 Denied because every letter/word in the student’s response can be identified. In addition, the rationale shows that Basic Transcribing (typing) is successful. If the student works slower when typing because of fatigue due to a physical disability, then the school should review eligibility criteria for Extra Time. TEA November 2012

44. Complex Transcribing: Approval Example #1 This student has Muscular Dystrophy which severely limits his fine motor ability. The student has lost the use of all major muscle groups. His arms rest on his motorized wheelchair and he is only slightly able to move his fingers to manipulate the joy stick. This student is not able to hold a pencil or type and must dictate his responses to an adult on a daily basis. Without this accommodation this student is unable to complete any type of written assignment. The district has not tried any type of Basic Transcribing, since it is inappropriate. TEA November 2012

45. Complex Transcribing: Approval Example #2 Student has a degenerative arthritic condition in bones and joints that is escalating. Doctor’s report indicates the student must “avoid repetitive and prolonged activities that involve use of her hands, wrists, fingers, elbows, and knees,” as bone deterioration has been detected and the arthritis is already spreading. Keyboarding is just as stressful to hands, etc. as handwriting. The student has not had sufficient practice in expressing her thoughts orally into any technical device (e.g., speech-to-text). Handwriting is limited to a few minutes at a time, during which the student must have breaks and may have to stop. The school’s attempts at using Optionals, Type I, and Type 2 accommodations have been unsuccessful due to the student’s degenerative condition. TEA November 2012

46. Complex Transcribing: “Emergency” Approval Example #3 This 4th grade student has broken right arm and is unable to grasp pencil. The student is not proficient at typing yet and writing with the non-dominant hand was found ineffective. The student attempted to write with the left hand on large butcher paper and then a large white board, but the student’s left arm tired from raising it for the length of time it took to complete responses to the writing prompts. The student also tried to write on smaller surfaces, but this became too unwieldy due to the length of the required responses (up to 26 lines for each). TEA November 2012

47. Special Instructions/Considerations for Transcribing • Special features that should be disabled when transcribing for a student using technology-based methods (e.g., word processor, software) • Disable internet access • For example, an eligible student may use a tablet (i.e., iPad) to type responses, but the Wi-Fi/3G/4G internet access must be disabled and the student must be closely monitored to ensure that the internet cannot be accessed or the camera feature is not used. The student may need to complete the test in a separate setting to ensure the confidentiality of the test. • Disable spell check, word predictor, and all other special features (unless the student also meets the eligibility criteria for Spelling Assistance) • When transcribing a student’s responses to griddable questions, don’t forget that the test administrator MUST use the “Transcribing Griddable Questions” document so that the student is aware of the maximum number of boxes available for each answer. TEA November 2012

48. Special Instructions/Considerations for Transcribing • When transcribing a student’s responses to the writing prompts and/or the short-answer reading questions, the test administrator must indicate to the student the space allowed. • 26 lines for each written composition • 10 lines for each short-answer reading question • What are some ways the test administrator can indicate to the student the space allowed? • The test administrator or student can use a piece of scratch paper with the correct number of lines or a sample lined page from the answer document (on TEA website) prior to having the response copied to the answer document. • Twenty-six lines of handwritten text is approximately 1,725 typed characters. Ten lines of handwritten text is approximately 675 typed characters. These numbers are based on average-sized handwriting. TEA November 2012

49. Special Instructions/Considerations for Transcribing • The student must be given the full time allotted to complete the test. All of the student’s responses must be initially recorded (e.g., onto scratch paper, the student’s test booklet, typed) by the end of the 4-hour time limit. • If necessary, the test administrator may transfer the student’s final responses onto the answer document after the testing period has ended. • It is recommended that the test administrator ensure that the student is recording the responses clearly and completely. This must be done before the student leaves the testing room. Any interaction with the student regarding the intended responses is prohibited after the testing period has ended. TEA November 2012

50. Supplemental Aids TEA November 2012