Testing Accommodations North Carolina Testing Program

1. Testing AccommodationsNorth Carolina Testing Program NCDPI Division of Accountability Services Spring 2006

2. This presentation is the property of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and may be used for training and informational purposes only. It may not be used for personal or financial gain.

3. Information from this training is located in: Guidelines for Testing Students Identified as Limited English Proficient (Published September 2005) www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/policies/slep Testing Students with Disabilities (Published July 2005) www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/policies/tswd

4. Training Modules • Module I • Introduction to Accommodations • Scheduled Extended Time • Multiple Testing Sessions • Testing in a Separate Room • Module II • Test Administrator Reads Test Aloud • Module III • Student Marks Answers in Test Book • Student Reads Test Aloud to Self • Dictation to a Scribe

5. Testing AccommodationsModule I:Introduction to AccommodationsScheduled Extended Time Multiple Testing SessionsTesting in a Separate RoomAccommodations Trivia

6. Introduction to Accommodations

7. What are Testing Accommodations? • Changes in the administration of an assessment, such as setting, scheduling, timing, presentation format, response mode, or others • Valid accommodations do not change the construct intended to be measured by the assessment or the meaning of the resulting scores

8. What are Testing Accommodations? (cont’d) • Are used for equity, not advantage, and serve to level the playing field • Allow students to access the standard test administration • Must be identified in the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP), Section 504 plan, or Limited English Proficient (LEP) documentation • Must be used regularly during instruction and similar classroom assessments administered throughout year

9. Instructional vs. Testing Accommodations INSTRUCTIONAL Graphic Organizers TESTING Mark in Book Scaffolding Extended Time Peer Tutor Large Print Separate Setting Teacher Notes

10. Who is Eligible for Accommodations? A student with disabilities who has a current: • Individualized Education Program (IEP) or • Section 504 Plan • A student identified as LEP who has scored below Superior in reading on the most recent administration of the IPT • for writing assessment, student must have scored below Superior in writing on the IPT

11. Who Determines Accommodations? For a student with disabilities: • IEP Team • Section 504 Committee For a student identified as limited English proficient: • School-based team/committee

12. Where are the Accommodations Documented? For a student with disabilities: • IEP (some LEAs also use NCTP Tables) • Section 504 Plan For a student identified as limited English proficient: • LEP documentation (created by LEA)

13. Examples of Accommodations for Students with Disabilities and Students Identified as LEP STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES Assistive Technology Braille Edition Dictation to a Scribe Large Print Edition Sign Language Interpreter STUDENTS IDENTIFIED AS LEP Dictionary/ Electronic Translator Read Aloud (for tests other than reading tests) Multiple Test Sessions Extended Time Separate Setting Read Aloud to Self

14. Types of Accommodations • Modified Test Formats • Assistive Technology (AT) Devices and Special Arrangements • Special Test Environments

15. Modified Test Formats

16. AT Devices and Special Arrangements

17. Special Test Environments

18. Top 5 Most Used Accommodations on EOG 1. Scheduled Extended Time 2. Testing in a Separate Room 3. Test Administrator Reads Test Aloud (Math) 4. Student Marks Answers in Test Book 5. Multiple Testing Sessions Based on Green Book data from 2004-05

19. Most Frequently Used Accommodations - EOG Grades 3, 5, and 8 based on Green Book data from 2004-05. Grade 10 based on 2003-04 data.

20. Before Testing • Make sure school test coordinator is aware of what accommodations are actually documented to be used • Make sure student is aware of what accommodations will be used during test STUDENT SHOULD BE USING ACCOMMODATIONS ROUTINELY DURING INSTRUCTION AND SIMILAR CLASSROOM ASSESSMENTS - THEY SHOULD NOT BE A SURPRISE ON TEST DAY!

21. During Testing • Follow procedures in this training • Follow procedures in Test Administrator’s Manual, Testing Students with Disabilities, and Guidelines for Testing Students Identified as Limited English Proficient • Students must be provided the accommodation(s) listed in the documentation

22. After Testing • Each student’s answer sheet must be coded with exactly which accommodations were provided during testing PROVIDED ≠ USED • For example, a student has the accommodation of extended time. If he finishes early, he does not need to be kept for extra time just because he has extended time. He would have been able to have extended time if he needed it. Therefore, it was provided, but he didn’t use it.

23. After Testing • Make note of what the student actually used – keep in local records • Some examples • Finished in standard time (no extra time needed) • Followed along with read aloud administration • Went ahead and did not listen to read aloud • Had multiple testing sessions over 2 days, but finished in one • Used English/Native Language dictionary • This can aid future decisions regarding testing accommodations

24. Scheduled Extended Time SWD LEP BOTH

25. Scheduled Extended Time • The student’s IEP, Section 504 Plan, or appropriate LEP documentation should specify an estimated amount of extra time the student will require • Breaks occur at standard intervals specified in Test Administrator’s Manual unless student also has Multiple Testing Sessions • Student must be allowed bathroom and lunch breaks • If testing continues past lunch, student must not communicate with other students during lunch

26. Scheduled Extended Time • If student’s estimated time is over, but student is working diligently, let him/her continue • Must complete in one day if used without Multiple Testing Sessions • Testing must be complete prior to normal afternoon dismissal • Documentation may be written in terms of minutes (extra 30 minutes) or as multiple of test time (1.5 x)

27. Scheduled Extended Time • Students are not required by NCDPI to also have the Testing in a Separate Room accommodation in order to receive Scheduled Extended Time • If student does not also have Testing in a Separate Room as an accommodation, he/she would begin the test in his/her appropriate testing location • If test is not complete after standard test administration time, student should be moved to different location to complete test

28. Scheduled Extended Time • EXAMPLE 1: • Victor can complete a test in one day with breaks at the same intervals as his peers. However, he needs additional time to complete the test beyond that designated in the Test Administrator’s Manual. His LEP documentation states that he needs the following accommodations: • Scheduled Extended Time (1.5 x the test time) • Testing in a Separate Room (small group) • Test Administrator Reads Test Aloud (in English)

29. Scheduled Extended Time • Other documented accommodations: • Testing in a Separate Room (small group) • Test Administrator Reads Test Aloud (in English) EXAMPLE 1

30. Multiple Testing Sessions SWD LEP BOTH

31. Multiple Testing Sessions • How test administration is to be divided must be documented • More frequent breaks • Over multiple days • If student does not also have Scheduled Extended Time, total administration time should be limited to that in Test Administrator’s Manual

32. Multiple Testing Sessions • EXAMPLE 1: • John can complete a test in the standard administration time. However, he needs breaks more frequently than those designated in the Test Administrator’s Manual. His Section 504 Plan lists the following accommodations: • Multiple Testing Sessions (breaks every 20 minutes) • Testing in a Separate Room (small group)

33. Multiple Testing Sessions • Other documented accommodations: • Testing in a Separate Room (small group) EXAMPLE 1

34. Multiple Testing Sessions • EXAMPLE 2: • Sasha requires the test to be divided over two days. She can take breaks at the same intervals as her peers. She will, however, need additional time beyond that allowed in a standard test administration. Her IEP lists the following accommodations: • Multiple Testing Sessions (over 2 days) • Scheduled Extended Time (extra 30 minutes) • Testing in a Separate Room (small group)

35. Multiple Testing Sessions • Other documented accommodations: • Scheduled Extended Time (extra 30 minutes) • Testing in a Separate Room EXAMPLE 2A

36. Multiple Testing Sessions • Other documented accommodations: • Scheduled Extended Time (extra 30 minutes) • Testing in a Separate Room EXAMPLE 2B

37. Multiple Testing Sessions • Student is not allowed to look back over work done in previous session • Before ending each session, student must be told to review work and may not change any part of the responses in the following sessions • After a break, student is not permitted to complete unanswered questions from previous section • At the conclusion of each session, paper clips may be used to secure those pages already completed or planned for future session

38. Multiple Testing Sessions • If completing test in multiple days or with long breaks during the day, student may return to regular class if general testing has concluded • Student is not allowed to revisit any portion of the test already completed, even if some questions were left unanswered

39. Testing in a Separate Room SWD LEP BOTH

40. Testing in a Separate Room • One-on-one or Small Group • Must be designated on documentation • MUST be used if students receive one or more of the following accommodations: • Assistive Technology that reads test aloud (without use of headphones) • Student Reads Test Aloud to Self • Test Administrator Reads Test Aloud

41. Testing in a Separate Room:One-on-One • Really 2:1 • Test administrator and proctor for each student • Only one student per testing location • All standard testing procedures must be followed • MUST be used if student uses the following: • Assistive Technology that reads test aloud (without use of headphones) • Dictation to a Scribe • Student Reads Test Aloud to Self accommodation

42. Testing in a Separate Room:Small Group • IEP or Section 504 Plan may designate maximum group size • NCDPI does not mandate a maximum group size – HOWEVER, it is a “SMALL group” • Test administrator and proctor required • Test administrators and proctors must follow same guidelines/procedures as standard administration

43. Accommodations Trivia Game Over

44. What are two groups of students that are eligible to receive testing accommodations? Students with disabilities and students identified as limited English proficient (LEP) NextQuestion

45. Name an accommodation that requires the student to also have the Testing in a Separate Room accommodation. Test Administrator Reads Test Aloud Student Reads Test Aloud to Self Assistive Technology that reads the test aloud NextQuestion

46. If a student has the Scheduled Extended Time accommodation and is working diligently at the end of his estimated time, may I let him continue? YES If the student is still working after the conclusion of the estimated time written in the IEP/504 Plan/LEP documentation, he may continue. Testing must be concluded by end of that school day. NextQuestion

47. Can a student that has Scheduled Extended Time be tested in the regular classroom? YES If the student does not also have the Testing in a Separate Room accommodation and is still working after the conclusion of the standard test administration, he/she may then move to another designated location to complete the test. NextQuestion

48. Are all instructional accommodations also testing accommodations? NO Testing accommodations must also be used in instruction, but not all accommodations used in instruction are appropriate for testing. NextQuestion

49. Where do you document what accommodations were provided to the student during testing? On the student’s answer sheet NextQuestion

50. Are all Testing in a Separate Room accommodations small group? NO Some accommodations (such as Student Reads Test Aloud to Self) require the student to be in a one-on-one setting. Also, some students may need to be by themselves to focus. NextQuestion