Manual available online only on the

1. 2010-2011 Accommodations Manual Training presented at Special Education Assessments TETN #7928August 18, 2010 Manual available online only on the Accommodations Resources page at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/resources/accommodations (Copy as needed for educational purposes)

2. Disclaimer • These slides have been prepared and approved by the Student Assessment Division of the Texas Education Agency. • If any slide is amended or revised for use in local or regional trainings, please remove the TEA footer at the bottom of the slide. 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

3. Agenda • Purpose of Training • Key Changes • Federal and State Requirements • General Accommodation Information • Accommodations by Category Chart • TELPAS • TAKS-ALT • LAT • Accommodation Request Process • Providing Accommodations During Instruction and Assessment • Appendices • Frequently Asked Questions • Miscellaneous 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

4. Purpose of Training • To provide information applicable to ALL students about the use of accommodations on TAKS, TAKS (Accommodated), TAKS-M, TAKS-ALT, TELPAS, and LAT • To provide information about how to request accommodations that are not listed in this manual or that require an Accommodation Request Form This training should not replace reading the manual. 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

5. Key Changes 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

6. An icon has been used throughout the manual to direct the reader to additional materials that may assist educators when making accommodation decisions. • “Selecting Accommodations for Assessment” has been revised to clarify the purpose of accommodation use on state assessments. • Procedural information for transcribing that was located under “Other Methods of Response” has been relocated to the District and Campus Coordinator Manual, test administrator manuals, and test administration directions. 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

7. A new section titled “Accommodations for TAKS-ALT” has been included in the manual. • The section titled “Linguistic Accommodations for English Language Learners” now includes information about special provisions for unschooled ELL asylees and refugees. • The list of supplemental aids allowed for TAKS (Accommodated) and TAKS-M in Appendix D has been revised. • The accommodation of “Blank Graphic Organizer” that was located in the Accommodations by Category Chart has been moved to Appendix D as an allowable supplemental aid. 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

8. Federal and State Requirements 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

9. Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA)-also known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB) • Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA) • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 • Section 39.023 of the Texas Education Code (TEC) 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

10. General Accommodation Information 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

11. What are Accommodations? • Accommodations are changes to materials or procedures that provide effective and equitable access to grade-level curriculum during instruction and testing. • Accommodations • do not substantially alter the content or performance criteria of assignments and assessments. • should not replace the teaching of subject-specific knowledge and skills. • are intended to enable students with special needs, disabilities, or who are learning English to participate meaningfully in grade-level instruction. • are not intended to provide a student with an advantage over other students. 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

12. Who are Accommodations For? • General education students with special needs • Students receiving services through Section 504 • Students receiving special education services • English language learners 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

13. Remember… • Accommodation decisions should be based on the needs of individual students, not an entire group of students. • The use of accommodations should be a routine part of a student’s classroom instruction and testing. • Some accommodations may be appropriate for instructional use, but not appropriate or allowed for use on a state assessment. • Students should be involved in selecting accommodations when appropriate. 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

14. Documentation: Required Paperwork • When documenting accommodation use, consider the services a student is receiving. • Special education: all accommodations must be documented in the student’s IEP • Section 504: all accommodations must be documented in the student’s IAP • Eligible ELLs: in addition to the above requirements, the LPAC must document assessment accommodations for ELLs and keep in the student’s permanent record file • Other: districts should document use of accommodations according to local policies (questions regarding local policies should be answered at the district level) • Accommodations that require submission of an Accommodation Request Form should be documented as “pending TEA approval.” 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

15. Documentation: Scorable Test Booklet or Answer Document • State assessment accommodations must be recorded on the scorable document. • Accommodations are categorized in four ways: • Presentation (P) • Response (R) • Setting (S) • Timing and scheduling (T) • Exceptions • Braille (BR) • Large-print (LP) • Oral administration (OA) • Dyslexia Bundled Accommodation (DB) • Linguistic accommodations 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

16. Documentation: Scorable Test Booklet or Answer Document • For details on recording accommodations on scorable documents, see the District and Campus Coordinator Manual or LAT Test Administrator Manual. 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

17. Accommodations by Category Chart 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

18. Reading the Accommodations by Category Chart • This chart describes accommodations for TAKS, TAKS (Accommodated), TAKS-M, and TELPAS. • Except as specified in the chart, accommodations listed for TAKS, TAKS (Accommodated), and TAKS–M are available for eligible students who participate in LAT administrations of these assessments. • Conditions for use are listed below each accommodation. 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

19. Reading the Accommodations by Category Chart • Checkmarks indicate whether an accommodation may be considered for use on a specific assessment by a student who meets certain conditions. • An asterisk (*) indicates that accommodation is applicable only for paper administrations of TELPAS grades 2-12 reading tests, which are only available through a special request process.

20. Reading the Accommodations by Category Chart • Italicized text denotes that an Accommodation Request Form is required.

21. Reading the Accommodations by Category Chart • Appendix A denotes that no Accommodation Request Form is required. Accommodation use is determined locally by eligibility criteria for oral/signed administrations and dyslexia bundled accommodations.

22. Reading the Accommodations by Category Chart • Accommodation use is determined locally based on conditions listed below some accommodations. No Accommodation Request Form is required in these cases.

23. Reading the Accommodations by Category Chart • When there are no conditions listed, accommodation use is determined locally based on student need and whether student routinely receives the accommodation. No Accommodation Request Form is required in these cases.

24. Changes to the Accommodations by Category Chart • Procedural information for transcribing that was located under “Other Methods of Response” last year has been relocated to the District and Campus Coordinator Manual, test administrator manuals, and test administration directions manuals. • The accommodation of “Blank Graphic Organizer” that was located in the Accommodations by Category Chart last year has been moved to Appendix D as an allowable supplemental aid. 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

25. Reminders about the Accommodations by Category Chart • The appendices must be used in conjunction with this chart because they contain specific information about certain accommodations. • Information about accommodations for TELPAS not covered in this chart can be found on page 29. • TAKS–ALT presentation supports/materials are found on pages 30–49. • Information about linguistic accommodations are found on pages 50-59. 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

26. TELPAS 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

27. Additional Information on TELPAS Testing Accommodations • TELPAS reading tests in grades 2-12 are administered online. • Students should be familiar with reading on computers during instruction. • Now is a great time to be thinking about getting students accustomed to reading online and using accommodations online (if appropriate). • Tutorials are available to help students learn to use TELPAS reading test software and practice taking the test online. Released online tests are also available. 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

28. Special Requests for Paper Administration of TELPAS Reading Tests • For extenuating circumstances only • Consider using an accommodation online before requesting a paper booklet. • In rare instances in which it is not feasible or appropriate to use an accommodation online, a paper test booklet (including large-print) can be requested by submitting an Accommodation Request Form (ARF). • ARF must include information explaining why a comparable accommodation in online test is not appropriate. 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

29. Paper Administrations of TELPAS Reading Tests • Requests must be received at least two weeks before testing to allow time to process request and ship materials. • If request is approved, TEA will notify district testing coordinator and order the test booklet. 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

30. Keep in mind that… • paper tests will be approved only in rare instances • paper tests will not be approved on the basis that a student • knows very little English • has limited exposure to computers (except for rare instances involving special needs, such as certain health conditions) 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

31. TELPAS Holistically Rated Assessments, Grades K-12 • Assessments based on student classwork and observation during daily instruction • Most accommodations used during regular classroom instruction are appropriate • Exceptions: Any accommodation that would interfere with ability of assessment to give clear picture of student’s English language proficiency (Example: submitting writing samples for which a student relied heavily on a dictionary) 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

32. TAKS-ALTERNATE 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

33. TAKS-ALTERNATE (TAKS-ALT) • Presentation Supports and Materials for TAKS-ALT have been added to the manual on pp 30-49. • TAKS-Alt will be addressed in TETN #7929 scheduled for September 1, 2010. • No accommodation form is necessary for TAKS-Alt accommodations. • Teachers record the preplanned supports, materials, and response modes used during the observation on the first page of the state-required documentation form. 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

34. LAT 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

35. Linguistically Accommodated Testing (LAT) • LAT is used to meet federal testing requirements for math, science, and reading/ELA tests administered in grades 3–8 and 10. • The Texas English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) require all teachers to provide appropriate linguistic accommodations during the instruction of ELLs in all subjects. • LAT is administered only to students who meet the eligibility criteria. 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

36. Allowable Accommodations for LAT Math and Science *Not available for LAT administrations of TAKS–M

37. Allowable Accommodations for LAT Reading/ELA • NOTE: There are exceptions for LAT administrations of the WRITING sections of grade 10 ELA, as explained in the manual. 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

38. LAT Remember that— • in addition to linguistic accommodations, a student taking LAT may be eligible to receive accommodations related to other types of special needs • the ARD in conjunction with the LPAC must determine and document linguistic accommodations and other special needs accommodations for students taking LAT who receive special education services 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

39. Other Accommodations for LAT Participants • Consult the Accommodations by Category chart for information on accommodations for LAT participants who have other special needs. • Available special needs accommodations depend on which test the student is taking—LAT administration of TAKS, TAKS (Accommodated), or TAKS-M 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

40. LAT & Accommodations By Category Chart When choosing these types of accommodations for a student taking LAT, first consider what academic skills test the student is eligible to take.  A student taking a LAT administration of TAKS test would not be eligible to use a supplemental aid because supplemental aids are not allowed on TAKS.  Students served by special education who take a LAT administration of TAKS (Accommodated) or TAKS-M may be permitted to use of this accommodation, if the supplemental aid conforms to the guidelines in Appendix D of the manual. 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

41. LAT – Accommodations That Do Not Require Documentation • The following accommodations from the Accommodations by Category Chart are part of the LAT test administration procedures: • Translating test directions • Individual and small group administrations • Testing over 2 days for LAT administrations of reading and ELA • Frequent breaks 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

42. Note that… Accommodation Request Forms are NOT required for the linguistic accommodations used during LAT administrations. 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

43. Unschooled Asylees and Refugees • House Bill (HB) 3 extended the time for making special assessment allowancesfor ELLs who are unschooled asylees and refugees • Details on the special allowances and available linguistic accommodations for these students may be found in the LPAC Decision-Making Process for the Texas Assessment Program 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

44. Linguistic Accommodations for Eligible ELL Asylees and Refugees • In LAT grades and subjects, eligible students may be provided allowable linguistic accommodations. • In non-LAT grades and subjects, eligible students may be provided allowable linguistic accommodations, but an Accommodation Request Form must be submitted. • LAT Grades and Subjects • 3-8 and 10 mathematics • 3-8 and 10 reading/ELA • 5, 8, and 10 science • Non-LAT Grades and Subjects • 4 and 7 writing • 8 and 10 social studies • 9 reading and mathematics • Exit level – all subjects

45. Requesting Linguistic Accommodations for Non-LAT Grades and Subjects • Accommodation request should: • specify that the student qualifies for special provisions as an unschooled asylee/refugee • include information explaining why the accommodation is needed • Districts should follow accommodation request process outlined in the 2010-2011 Accommodations Manual • LPAC should document approved accommodations in student’s permanent record file 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

46. Accommodation Request Process 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

47. Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5

48. Step 1: Determine Whether Request is Necessary • MUST consult Accommodations by Category Chart to determine if Accommodation Request Form is necessary • Requests should not be submitted for accommodations that are locally determined • Additional information about accommodations for TELPAS on page 29 • Contact campus or district testing coordinator when questions arise 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

49. Step 2: Complete the Accommodation Request Form • Follow district policy regarding which staff members may complete Accommodation Request Forms • NEVER include confidential student information (first and last name, social security number, IEP) • One request form for each student needing an accommodation, even if it lists multiple testing programs, multiple accommodations, and/or multiple administrations • Name and/or description of accommodation must be provided 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division

50. Step 2: Complete the Accommodation Request Form What is effective objective evidence? • Explanation of disability and how it relates to accommodation • Observational narrative describing how student performs with and without accommodation • Test scores with and without use of accommodation What is ineffective objective evidence? • Vague descriptions that do not clearly indicate student need • Information that shows the student is not successful even with an accommodation • Evidence of student success when not using the accommodation 8/18/2010 TETN #7928 TEA Student Assessment Division