Accommodations: Instruction and Assessment KSDE Fall Conference October 20 and 21, 2008

Accommodations Improve Achievement for Students with Disabilities In order to promote improved achievement of students with disabilities, schools need to provide: 1)high quality instruction on academic content 2)specialized instruction specific to each student’s disabilities 3)accommodations to support equitable access to instruction and assessment

Clarification of Terms Accommodation An accommodation is a small change in assessment procedure which does NOT change what is being measured. An accommodation allows a student to demonstrate ability rather than disability. Accommodations do not change the content or level of skill required. Accommodations provide the student with the opportunity to demonstrate what is known.

Some Clarification of Terms Modification A change in the procedure for assessment which will in some way change what is being measured. A program modification is any change in a general education program which will enable a student with a disability to participate. An example of a program modification is the use of a parallel curriculum—the same key ideas taught at a lower level of cognitive complexity.

Some Clarification of Terms Adaptation Any adjustments in the environment, instruction, or materials used for learning that enhances the student’s performance or allows at least partial participation in the activity An adaptation might be either an accommodation or a modification, depending on its effect.

What are the most common accommodations used nationally? 1)Reading aloud to students with reading difficulties 2)Taking dictation for students with writing difficulties 3)Calculators for students with math difficulties 4)Extra time or breaks

What are the most common accommodations used on Kansas Assessments? 1)a separate, quiet, or individual setting is provided, 2)individual read-aloud, 3)frequent breaks during assessment, and 4)read-aloud in a small group.

Information about the Read-Aloud Accommodation for State Assessments A computer voice will be available this year for the read-aloud. Districts will need to pay $7.95 for each computer on which the voice is installed. Districts may use their TIP (discretionary) federal dollars to purchase this software for students with disabilities, whose IEP indicates the need for this accommodation. Students without disabilities are permitted to use the computer where a computer voice has been installed for use by a student with a disability.

Information about the Read-Aloud Accommodation for State Assessments KSDE has arranged for the development of scripts for 40 forms of the assessment to be used for the read- aloud. The computer voice will match the script (necessary for standardization purposes). The voice and the scripts will follow the rules for the read-aloud procedure posted on the KSDE website (

Some state-wide questions/concerns:  How are buildings deciding who needs to receive an accommodation?  Are buildings making accommodation decisions that actually help students?  Are buildings making data-based decisions about accommodations?  Are students actually getting the accommodations they are supposed to receive?

Some state-wide questions/concerns:  Are some buildings providing accommodations to students who don’t really need them? Concerns about providing the read- aloud to students who don’t need it Concerns about providing Spanish translations to students who don’t really need it  Does giving students accommodations they don’t need hurt their state assessment scores?

Research shows that selecting effective accommodations is a complex task Students with disabilities are more likely to have positive effects from using an accommodation than are regular education students. Accommodations provided to students with disabilities are most likely to have a positive effect or no effect. Findings are much more mixed for regular education students, even those with low skills. Accommodations may result in positive, neutral, or negative effects for regular ed students.

Selecting effective accommodations is a complex task Providing inappropriate accommodations to any student can lower scores. Findings generally show that teachers do not select effective interventions for regular education students. Findings are split with regard to whether IEP teams select the best accommodations for students with disabilities. IEP teams were more likely to make errors of omission, whereas teachers were more apt to make errors of commission, in recommending accommodations.

Selecting effective accommodations is a complex task The best way to determine an effective accommodation for both regular education and special education students is to test (i.e., gather data about) the effectiveness of the accommodation in both classroom instruction and assessment. Provide the student a chance to practice the accommodation in class, then do testing both with and without the accommodation to see if it helps performance on tests.

Remember this finding! A minimum of one month of using the specific accommodation during instruction was needed before the student used the accommodation effectively during a state assessment. (Ysseldyke, et. al., 2001)

Accommodation Types Accommodations are tools and procedures in the areas of presentation, response, timing/scheduling, and setting that provide equitable access to instruction and assessment for students with disabilities.

Presentation Accommodations What are Presentation Accommodations? Presentation accommodations allow students to access instruction and assessments in ways that do not require them to visually read standard print.

Presentation Accommodations Who can Benefit from Presentation Accommodations? Students who benefit the most from presentation accommodations are those with print disabilities, defined as difficulty or inability to visually read standard print because of a physical, sensory, or cognitive disability.

Examples of Presentation Accommodations Visual Cues Notes, Outlines Large Print Signing Tactile Graphics Read Aloud Audio Tape/CD Synthetic Speech Screen Reader Closed Captioning

Response Accommodations What are Response Accommodations? Response accommodations allow students to complete assignments, assessments, and activities in different ways or to solve or organize problems using some type of assistive device or organizer.

Response Accommodations Who can Benefit from Response Accommodations? Response accommodations can benefit students with physical, sensory, or learning disabilities (including difficulties with memory, sequencing, directionality, alignment, and organization).

Examples of Response Accommodations Scribe Word Processor Speech to Text Tape Recorder Respond on Assessment Booklet Monitor Assessment Response Placement Calculator (not an accommodation for Kansas State Assessments) Spell Check Visual Organizer (highlighter, place marker, etc.) Graphic Organizer

Timing and Scheduling Accommodations What are Timing and Scheduling Accommodations? Timing and scheduling accommodations change the allowable length of time to complete assignments, assessments, and activities, and may also change the way the time is organized.

Timing and Scheduling Accommodations Who can Benefit from Timing and Scheduling Accommodations? Students who cannot concentrate continuously for an extended period or who become frustrated or stressed easily may need frequent or extended relaxation breaks.

Timing and Scheduling Accommodations Who can Benefit from Timing and Scheduling Accommodations? Students who need extra time to process written text (e.g., a student with a learning disability who processes information slowly), to write (e.g., a student with limited dexterity as a result of arthritis), or to use other accommodations or equipment (e.g., audio tape, scribe, assistive technology).

Examples of Timing and Scheduling Accommodations Extended Time (not an accommodation for Kansas State Assessments) Frequent Breaks Change schedule or order of activities Divide long assignments (Be careful about extended time. Some students do worse if they are given too much extra time.)

Setting Accommodations What are Setting Accommodations? Setting accommodations change the location in which a student receives instruction or participates in an assessment, or the conditions of an instructional or assessment setting.

Setting Accommodations Who can Benefit from Setting Accommodations? Students who are easily distracted in large group settings and who concentrate best in a small group or individual setting Students who receive accommodations (e.g. reader, scribe, frequent breaks) that might distract other students. Students with physical disabilities who need a more accessible location, specific room conditions, or special equipment.

Examples of Setting Accommodations  Reduce distractions to the student Away from windows, pencil sharpener Near teacher’s desk In a classroom with walls rather than open classroom Where there is more light Provide noise buffers (headphones, etc.)  Change location to use special equipment Computer access More work space Standing work station Wheelchair accessibility

Cautions about Setting Accommodations Some students can be very embarrassed about being moved to another setting Some students are less motivated to do well if they are moved away from their peers When moving students to another setting, make sure they still have access to all the classroom resources that they need Students moved to another setting need to be monitored by an adult

Planning for Accommodation Use Plan how and when the student will learn and practice each accommodation Accommodations used for assessment need to be accommodations used for daily instruction Plan for the ongoing evaluation and improvement of accommodations and their use Plan for how your building will make sure students who need accommodations actually receive them Don’t forget to code the accommodations used on the state assessments

Planning for Accommodation Use For students with disabilities, don’t forget to document needed accommodations on the IEP or 504 Plan If an accommodation is listed on the IEP or 504 Plan, you must offer it to the student, whether he/she chooses to use it or not. Remember that all students will need accommodations sometimes

Questions to Think About When Choosing Accommodations 1)What are the student’s strengths and needs? 2)How do the student’s needs affect the achievement of grade-level standards? 3)What specialized instruction (e.g., learning strategies, organizational skills, reading skills) does the student need ? 4)What accommodations will increase the student’s access to instruction and assessment? 5)What actually works? Not all accommodations work for all students. Test to make sure the selected accommodations are actually helpful.

Some good websites for more information about accommodations Kansas Accommodations Manual is available at

Contact Information Specific state assessment accommodation questions may be directed to State Assessment Coordinator, Dr. Cheryl Randall at (785) Specific special education questions may be directed to Deb Matthews at (785) or Joan Houghton at (785)

Deborah McVey Lawrence Public Schools Funded with Federal IDEA Part B Funds through KSDE Student Support Services