Testing and Special Education

1. Testing and Special Education Working Together for Student Success

2. Planning with the End in Mind • What is the most appropriate format of assessment for this student in this content area? • SOL test – Online or paper? • VGLA – Science, History, Writing? • VSEP – EOC, Grade 3-8 Special Permission? • VMAST – Reading or Math? • VAAP – All subjects? • Other? * Refer to Procedures for Participation of Students with Disabilities in Virginia's Accountability System*

3. What’s New in Alternative and Alternate Assessments?

4. Available Supports for ALL Students • Adjust group size, as needed • Allow supervised breaks (i.e. bathroom, etc.) • Clarify directions, as needed

5. Testing Irregularities MOST Common Irregularities: #1 - Studentunable to complete test #2 - Accommodation not provided or inappropriate accommodation provided #3 - Test inappropriatelymarkedcomplete #4 - Inappropriatemanipulative

6. Testing Accommodations • What are testing accommodations? • Why give testing accommodations? • What effect should accommodations have?

7. Testing Accommodations • When used effectively, reduces or eliminates effect of disability WITHOUT reducing learning expectations. • Accommodations provided to students should be the same for classroom instruction, classroom assessment, and state assessment. • Accommodations should foster and facilitate independence for students.

8. Flexible Schedule (#1) • This is NOT the same as breaks. ALL students are allowed breaks during testing. • Allows test to be administered over more than one day (with exception of Writing). Allows for teacher-directed breaks for tests. • Care must be taken to ensure students are exposed to only test items in section they are currently attempting.

9. Visual Aids (#4) • Used for visually impaired students. • May also include graphic organizers for all students. Must be blank – no directions, words, numbers, text.

10. Allowed Graphic Organizers Examples

11. Graphic Organizers Not AllowedExamples

12. Read-Aloud • What’s the difference between read-aloud and audio? • When can you “read” the reading test? • What do you “read” from other tests? Refer to: Virginia Standards of Learning Assessments Guidelines for Administering the Read-Aloud Accommodation

13. Read-Aloud Accommodations (#10-12; 14-16) • Read-aloud accommodation: Special attention must be given to the IEP or 504 plan. For example, a student’s accommodation may require the entire test to be read orally or may require having words, questions, or sentences read orally only when requested by the student. (Note: Read-aloud accommodation for Reading must meet specific requirements and is considered non-standard/ non-participant.)

14. Reading Retests A student with a disability must meet all of the following criteria: • the student is retaking the EOC Reading test, having failed the previous attempt(s) without using the read-aloud or audio accommodation; and • the student’s IEP or 504 Management Plan lists the read-aloud or audio accommodation for other tests; and • the student receives the read-aloud or audio accommodation in the classroom.

15. Mark in Booklet (#18) • Mark in test booklet: The regular answer document and the marked test booklet must be verified by a second school official to ensure that no errors in transcription occurred. The same individual should transcribe the entire response. An alert will be triggered if a response appears with more than one individual’s handwriting. The marked test booklet must be retained on file and secure by the DDOT until scores are received and verified. Bundle transcribed documents separately.

16. Math Aids (#19) • A complete list of math aids allowed and those that are not allowed are located at: www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/participation/index.shtml

17. Word Processor (#21) • When students use the word processor accommodation, any word prediction, auto spell checking, grammar checking must be turned off, and a copy of the student work (paper/ CD/ memory stick) must be retained. The regular answer document and the student’s response must be verified by a second school personnel to ensure that no errors in transcription occurred. A document stating that the typed or printed response to the writing prompt is entirely the student’s work and that no “grammar checker” was used must be signed by the Test Examiner and Proctor and retained by the DDOT. The student’s response shall also be retained by the DDOT until scores are received and verified.

18. Word Prediction Software (#21) May be used on the Writing Short Paper • Allowed features • Selection of single words from student generated keystroke(s) • Dictionary appropriate to the student’s grade level • Not Allowed features • Prompting for spelling checking • Grammar checking • Prediction of phrases • Thesaurus

19. Spelling Aids (#23) • Lists of words in alphabetical order • No definitions or pronunciation guide • No words in sentences, parts of speech, grammar rules, spelling rules, etc. • Can be commercial product or student’s personal spelling dictionary

20. Dictation to scribe(#25) • The scribe may: • Spell words correctly • Write exactly what the student dictates • The scribe may not: • Capitalize or punctuate • Prompt in any way • If the student with a disability has the accommodation on his/her IEP/504 Plan the scribe may: • Use a word processor • Read the draft to the student. • Prompt in any way • Transcriber records responses in answer document.

21. What can we say for ALL students? • If a student asks a question about a test item during the test, the student should be told, “Read it carefully and choose the best answer.” If in doubt, it is better to say that you cannot respond to the student’s question rather than risk violating standard procedures. • You may answer students’ questions referring to the mechanics of testing, such as how to navigate to the next question for online testing or how to mark an answer on the answer document for paper/pencil tests.

22. Other - Prompting • Prompting may ONLY be used if the Special Assessment Accommodation Request for Students with Disabilities has been submitted IN ADVANCE and by TIMELINE set forth by the state. • Wording of prompts should be determined before the test. • Audio/video record the one-to-one test session.

23. Other – Prompting (with permission) • Types of prompts allowed: • “Take your time.” • “Relax and do your best.” • “Remember you may read the passage/question aloud.” • Tap on the student’s desk • Prompts not allowed: • Tap on the student’s test document • “Choose an answer.” • Verbal or non-verbal count

24. Other • What is our purpose in assessing students? • What is our purpose in providing accommodations? • When do we provide particular prompts?

25. How does all of this come together to yield “testing accommodations”?

26. Coming Soon . . . • The Modified Standard Diploma will NOT be an option for students with disabilities who enter the ninth grade for the first time AFTER 2012-2013. • Beginning with students entering ninth grade for the first time in 2013-2014, credit accommodations will be provided to allow students with disabilities who previously would have pursued a Modified Standard Diploma to earn a Standard Diploma. Guidelines for credit accommodations will be issued by the Board of Education.