Testing Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Critical Information What critical information is there about Accommodations for Students with Disabilities?

 Are changes to instructional materials, procedures, or techniques that are made on an individual basis and allow a student with a disability to participate in grade-level or course instruction and testing  Should be evaluated regularly to determine effectiveness and to help plan for accommodations the student will need each year  Are not changes to the content being assessed and should not replace the teaching of subject- specific knowledge and skills as outlined in the TEKS  Should not be provided to an entire group of students, such as those in the same class or disability What are Accommodations for Students with Disabilities?

Who are students with disabilities making them potentially eligible for accommodations? Applies to students taking STAAR, STAAR Spanish, STAAR Modified, STAAR L, and TELPAS For purposes of statewide assessments, a student needing accommodations due to a disability includes 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

Who has the authority for decision and documentation? Special education services: the ARD committee; IEP Section 504 services: the 504 placement committee; IAP No special education or Section 504 services: the appropriate team of people at the campus level; documentation determined at local level Response to Intervention (RTI) team and student assistance team are just examples This applies to a small group of students

Optional Test Administration Procedures & Materials What procedures and materials are available to ALL students? Includes some things that have been called testing accommodations in previous years Related to best practices for instruction Available to any student who needs them Not intended for every student in a class or disability category Not recorded on answer document Available on test administration materials web pages as well as accommodation resources

What procedures and materials are available to ALL students? Allowed for any student NOT every student; test administrators should not distribute these materials on test day; make them available in front of room or ask students if they need it No documentation required beyond what is necessary for planning on test day However, a district could require documentation for certain students or for certain procedures/materials Individual or small-group administration has moved back to a Type 1 accommodation

What procedures and materials are available to ALL students? Reading assistance on grade 3 mathematics Highlighters or colored pencils Procedures or materials to minimize distractions (e.g., stress ball, noise- reducing headphones) Reading test aloud to self (e.g., reading into a voice-feedback device or voice recorder) Signing or translating test administration directions Scratch paper or other workspace Colored overlays Magnifying devices Blank place markers Preferential seating

The Accommodation Triangle Type 1 Type 2 Type 3

What is the purpose of the Accommodation Triangle? Organizes accommodations for students with disabilities in accordance with The specificity of the eligibility criteria The need for TEA approval (Accommodation Request Form) before the accommodation can be used on a statewide assessment No longer categorized by Presentation, Response, Setting, or Timing/Scheduling

What is the purpose of the Accommodation Triangle? Organizes accommodations for students with disabilities in accordance with The specificity of the eligibility criteria The need for TEA approval (Accommodation Request Form) before the accommodation can be used on a statewide assessment No longer categorized by Presentation, Response, Setting, or Timing/Scheduling

What are Type 1 Accommodations? For students with a specific need One eligibility criterion: Student must routinely, independently (when applicable), and effectively use the accommodation during classroom instruction and testing 1

What does Routinely, Independently, and Effectively mean? Routinely Used often enough that student is familiar and comfortable using accommodation on a statewide assessment Not necessarily used every day Independently Only applicable to some accommodations (e.g., applies to use of a calculator but not to an oral administration) Effectively Accommodation meets student needs as evidenced by scores and observations with or without accommodation use

What are Type 2 Accommodations? 2 Two or more eligibility criteria, including: Student must routinely, independently (when applicable), and effectively use the accommodation during classroom instruction and testing Additional criteria based on specific student needs

What are Type 3 Accommodations? 3 For a very small number of students Student must meet all eligibility criteria listed Appropriate team of people at campus level determines eligibility for listed accommodations or “other” accommodations not listed in the triangle AND submits an ARF to TEA

What are Type 3 Accommodations? 3  Requires an approved ARF because Type 3 accommodations involve a test administrator handling or manipulating secure test materials or student responses in ways that could compromise test security, confidentiality, and/or student results.  TEA provides specific guidelines with an approved ARF in order to ensure that Type 3 accommodations are carried out in a standardized manner.

This type of PDF document opens when the link to an accommodation in the triangle is clicked.

This section provides a general description of the accommodation and who may need it. The statewide assessments that the accommodation may be used on are listed in this section. This section lists the specific criteria that a student must meet in order to use the accommodation.  The checkboxes are provided for possible documentation.

This section lists the campus personnel and the required documentation necessary for making accommodation decisions. This section also explains what to record on the student answer document. This section states if an Accommodation Request Form is/is not required. This section lists examples and types of the accommodation that may be used on a statewide assessment.

This section provides detailed information that is integral to the appropriate use of each accommodation. For instance, the section may include test administration instructions, security precautions, and training requirements. The intent of this section is to assist districts in making accommodation decisions. It will be updated as needed based on educator feedback. This section will not be included on all accommodations.

What Accommodations are Available?

nt/accommodations/ Texas Assessment Conference Texas Education Agency Click this link to see all resources for accommodations for students with disabilities

What resources are available to help with Accommodations for Students with Disabilities? Available Resources ccommodations/staar-telpas/#triangle

Recording Accommodations on the Answer Document What do we need to do to document Accommodations?

“Guidelines for Recording Accommodation Use on the Student's Answer Document” will be posted to the Accommodations for Students with Disabilities webpage soon P, S, R, T not on STAAR answer documents Mark Type 1, Type 2, and/or Type 3 accommodations in the blank bubbles for each subject

What do we need to do to document Accommodations? Specifically mark these accommodations under Type 2 Braille (BR) Large Print (LP) Oral Administration (OA) Extra Time (XT) Specifically mark Extra Day (XD) under Type 3 The LA column is for Linguistic Accommodations

Accommodation Request Process What do we need to do to request Type 3 Accommodations? “Accommodation Request Process” document outlining the process for requesting Type 3 accommodations will be posted to the Accommodations for Students with Disabilities webpage in January Will include a link to the updated online ARF, which will open in mid-January. Districts must indicate that a student has met each of the listed eligibility criteria PLUS provide specific objective evidence of student need.

What do we need to do to request Type 3 Accommodations? “Other” accommodations cannot be entered into the online ARF. They must be requested through your ATF member by phone. Be prepared with the details prior to calling. Faxing paper request forms is allowed only in rare situations and at the discretion of TEA’s Accommodations Task Force.