Test Accommodations for Students with Disabilities in Virginia’s Accountability Assessment System Virginia Department of

1. ACCOMMODATIONS VIRGINIA STYLE Test Accommodationsfor Students with Disabilities in Virginia’s Accountability Assessment System Virginia Department of Education Division of Assessment and Reporting VATD November 3, 2006

2. What are Test Accommodations? • Any variation in the assessment environment or process in order to provide the student with the opportunity to demonstrate what the student knows on the assessment. • Practices and procedures in the areas of presentation, response, setting, and timing/scheduling that provide equitable access during instruction and assessments for students with disabilities.

3. Purpose of Accommodations • To offset or correct for distortions in scores that may be caused by a student’s disability • To increase the validity of a test score and make the measurement of a particular construct comparable across examinees with and without disabilities

4. “Standard” Accommodations do NOT: • change the content of a test • alter the comparability of test scores • alter the validity of test score interpretation • change the reliability and validity of the assessment

5. “Non-Standard” Accommodations • Modifications in the test or assessment conditions that fundamentally change the test score interpretation and comparability • Change the nature of the construct being measured for the examinee

6. Accommodations & NCLB • NCLB requires a valid score for each participant included in AYP, therefore students afforded non-standard accommodations are to be considered non-participants. • States may review impact of existing accommodations on assessments.

7. Reading* the Reading Test Requirements for identifying eligible students: • visual impairment, including blindness • specific disability that severely limits or prevents decoding text • determined by a diagnostic tool(s) or instrument(s) • administered by a qualified professional *Audiotape version

8. Reading* the Reading Test Testing Memo #587 • Diagnostic Tools: Test of Phonological Awareness, Test of Word Reading Efficiency, Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS), etc. • Qualified Individual: LD teacher, speech language pathologist, reading specialist, school psychologist, etc. *Audiotape version

9. Power of the IEP • DOE does not determine what is included in IEP. • If a student is not eligible for the read-aloud accommodation according to guidelines or a test is modified a “non-standard” administration results. • E.g. Reading the reading test to facilitate comprehension • E.g. Inappropriate modifications • Reducing the number of items/options • Examiner clarifying items • Examiner defining words/terms

10. Read-Aloud* for 2006-2007 IEP Team reviews IEP • Eligible student = no change • Ineligible student = • Amend IEP to delete read-aloud • Keep read aloud as “non-standard” accommodation • Counted as non-participants and failing in AYP calculations. *Audiotape version

11. Read-Aloud* for 2007-2008+ IEP Team reviews IEP • Eligible students = no change • Ineligible students = read aloud is NOT available as an accommodation after spring 2007. *Audiotape version

12. Classroom instruction Classroom assessments State & division assessments Content standards ACCOMMODATIONS APPLICATIONS The use of accommodations is linked through each of these areas:

13. Important Considerations • Expect students with disabilities to achieve grade level academic content standards • Verify the need/use of the accommodations during everyday instruction • Determine the consequences of assessment accommodation use • Administer accommodations during classroom assessment

14. Important Considerations • Select accommodations for individual students • Involve students in selecting, using, and evaluating accommodations • Document accommodations on IEP/504 Plan • Evaluate and improve accommodation use • Arrange for accommodations well in advance

15. SOL Test Accommodations Available accommodations relate to: • Timing/Scheduling • Setting • Presentation • Response

16. SOL Test Accommodations TIMING/SCHEDULING • time of day • breaks during testing • multiple test sessions • order of test administration

17. SOL Test Accommodations SETTING • preferential seating • small group testing • individual testing (one-on-one) • special lighting

18. SOL Test Accommodations SETTING • adaptive or special furniture • test administered in locations with minimal distractions • noise buffers • hospital/home/non-school setting

19. SOL Test Accommodations PRESENTATION • Braille • Large Print • Plain English version • enlarging the answer document • reading directions to students

20. SOL Test Accommodations PRESENTATION • simplifying directions • interpreting/transliterating directions (e.g., sign language, cued speech) • written directions to accompany oral directions • clarifying directions • reading of test items aloud

21. SOL Test Accommodations PRESENTATION • audiotape version of test items • interpreting/transliterating (e.g., sign language, cued speech) test items • magnifying glass • amplification equipment (hearing aid or auditory trainer) • templates • masks or markers to maintain place

22. SOL Test Accommodations RESPONSE • student marks booklet and examiner/proctor transfers answers to answer document • student responds verbally, points, or indicates an answer, and examiner/proctor marks answer document • enlarging the answer document

23. SOL Test Accommodations RESPONSE • abacus • arithmetic tables (only if test allows a calculator) • brailler • large diameter or special pencil grip • word processor

24. SOL Test Accommodations RESPONSE • typewriter • augmentative communication device • spell check (including spell checkers) • spelling dictionary • tape recorder (only for pre-writing activity to tape response for English writing test)

25. SOL Test Accommodations RESPONSE • dictation to a scribe • word prediction software • use of a calculator on the computation section of a mathematics test when calculators are not routinely supplied to all students • use of a calculator with additional functions than those routinely supplied to all students

26. Accommodations Pitfalls • Lowering student expectations. • Providing too many accommodations for the student to handle. • Using an accommodation on a test that the student has never used. • Selecting every accommodation hoping that something will work. • Providing accommodations based upon a student’s classification or placement (e.g. "all students with learning disabilities receive extended time").

27. Information • Virginia Department of Education website (http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/Assessment/home.shtml) • Division Directors of Testing • Division of Assessment and Reporting, VDOE (804-225-2107) • Office of Special Education, VDOE (804-225-2707)

28. Questions