Accommodations for School Administrators 2012 – 2013 Colorado Department of Education Assessment Unit Mira Monroe

3 x 5 card List 3 things you do well 1.Be a mom 2.Problem solve 3.Teacher List 1 thing you struggle with 1.Grammar

Find out about accommodations

Where does the manual need to be?

WHY? Measuring our progress is not only required legally, but…. Implementing the use of accommodations with fidelity is Best Practice, which will lead to…

WHY? Measuring our progress is not only required legally…. Implementing the use of accommodations with fidelity is Best Practice, which will lead to… Compliance & School Improvement SchoolVIEW

WHY? Measuring our progress is not only required legally…. Implementing the use of accommodations with fidelity is Best Practice, which will lead to… Improved Educator Effectiveness

WHY? Measuring our progress is not only required legally…. Implementing the use of accommodations with fidelity is Best Practice, which will lead to… Improved Student Performance

Instructional accommodations: Impact of conventional vs. social constructivist view of disability Sarah M. Ginsburg and Karen Schulte Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Vol. 8, No. 2 May p

What difference does it make? Conventional View This view of disabilities and special needs focuses on the disability labels assigned to students The impairment resides within the individual Deficits need remediation Social Constructivist View A learning disability is not a reflection of the learner’s malfunction, rather learning activities and environment, including teaching do not sufficiently support the learner in a way to support successful learning

Who are your teachers? Conventional View “ I don’t have that knowledge of how to teach kids with special needs.” I’ve never had training in the needs of special education students, so unless the student tells me there’s some kind of additional thing that I need to be doing in class or there's is something I could be doing differently, then I just basically have to assume that everything is going o.k.” Social Constructivist View “What matters to me is the mastery of the materials, not how long it takes for them to communicate that.” “This isn’t an accommodation, it’s just good teaching.” “There aren’t any magic wands.” “I’ll do whatever the person needs.”

Instructional Adaptations Any student ≠ Every student Universal Design for Learning

any student Section 504 ELL ILP Any student with a documented need, including students with a disability Formal educational plan Instructional Adaptations

any student Section 504 Any student with a documented need, including students with a disability IEP Any student with a documented disability and educational need, but no significant cognitive disability – works on grade-level academic achievement standard and takes grade- level assessment Instructional Adaptations any student Formal educational plan IEP Section 504 ELL ILP

Instructional Adaptations any student Section 504 Any student with a documented need, including students with a disability IEP Any student with a documented disability – grade-level academic achievement standard Any student with a significant cognitive disability – alternate standards Formal educational plan

Who can have accommodations on state assessments? Any student may have standard accommodations on the TCAP or CoAlt assessments as long as it is documented in a formal educational plan. Only students with an IEP or 504 plan may have accommodations on ACCESS for ELLs ®.

Formal Educational Plan for assessment accommodations Based on student need Written down somewhere other than teacher planning book Educational team Revisited annually Parent signature

Formal Educational Plan for assessment accommodations Based on student need Written down somewhere other than teacher planning book Educational team Revisited annually Parent signature

Formal Educational Plan for assessment accommodations Based on student need Written down somewhere other than teacher planning book Educational team Revisited annually Parent signature

Formal Educational Plan for assessment accommodations Based on student need Written down somewhere other than teacher planning book Educational team Revisited annually Parent signature

Formal Educational Plan for assessment accommodations Based on student need Written down somewhere other than teacher planning book Educational team Revisited annually Parent signature

Individual Education Plan 504 Plan Advanced Learning Plan Health Care Plan Response to Intervention Plan Individual Literacy Plan English Language Acquisition plan District Accommodations Plan

Documenting Accommodations

Select and document accommodations based on the learning needs of an individual student

Section V: Accommodations for TCAP

Instructional Accommodations Classroom and District Assessment Accommodations State Assessment Accommodations

Accommodations do not ensure that all students achieve the same level of proficiency. Accommodations provide access to the assessment. TCAP without Accommodations with Accommodations

Assessment accommodations can not change what is being assessed Scenario: Jason has difficulty reading…he needs the test read to him. Math, Writing and Science can be read to this student. Reading of the Reading Test is not allowed because that would assess oral comprehension.

Description of Accommodation Categories Presentation Response Setting / Environmental Timing / Scheduling

Policies pertaining to accommodations for statewide assessments are set by the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) based on current research and assessment practices. Per Code of Federal Regulations The State's (or, in the case of a district-wide assessment, the LEA's) guidelines must--(i) Identify only those accommodations for each assessment that do not invalidate the score; and (ii) Instruct IEP Teams to select, for each assessment, only those accommodations that do not invalidate the score (34 CFR d (b)(2). Therefore, accommodations listed for use on statewide assessments on a student’s IEP should follow the policies included in this manual. Use of accommodations that do not follow these policies will result in a misadministration.

Unforeseeable Circumstances Accidents happen. In these instances a student may be provided an accommodation without a formal educational plan. Document why Available

Presentation Accommodations

Response Accommodations

Setting Accommodations Small Group ≤ 15 students

Accommodations for TCAP

Every Accommodation Has Instructions

Review the Accommodation(s) on your table – share what is critical with the whole group.

Go back to the 3 x 5 card – use of accommodations Conventional View “Extra time to take the exam.” Lecture notes in advance Extra time for work “supplemental instruction” “It’s best when they already have adaptations.” It is not “faculty responsibility” Social Constructivist View Paraphrase readings to teacher to check understanding Break content down into “smaller pieces” “Cafeteria exams” giving students choices of variety of question styles Peer support facilitated by instructor

Where to start

Extended Time This accommodation is about processing speed. Generally Time and half –How does this look in the classroom? –How do you know?

Extended Time Instructions

About how many students in the state of Colorado used Extra Time on TCAP in 2012?

Teacher Read Directions Available in Math, Science, Writing and Reading. –How does this look in the classroom? –How do you know?

Teacher Read Directions Available in Math, Science, Writing and Reading. –How does this look in the classroom? –How do you know?

Oral Script (Reading the test) Available in Math, Science and Writing. –How does this look in the classroom? –How do you know?

“Teacher Read Directions”“Oral Scripts”

What students might use teacher read directions? What students might use oral scripts?

Data based decision making “I think Jason would do better” is not data. Teachers should have a body of evidence that the accommodation is needed for the student to provide access to content in instruction and on assessments.

Extended Time Read Directions Read AllDictionary Huck Finn Ch 1 – 3 9/5 Audio Book HF guided questions 9/6 x 10 x Huck Finn Ch 4 – 6 9/7 x Jason

Accommodations needs change over time.

Deadlines 90 Days – Accommodations must be used in instruction and on classroom and district assessments for at least 90 days before they are allowed for use on the state assessment December 15 – Nonstandard Accommodation requests due to the state

Nonstandard Accommodations Unique accommodations that must be applied for and approved annually by CDE Office of Standards and Assessments prior to use on statewide assessments. Nonstandard Accommodations Restricted Accommodations Standard Accommodations

Nonstandard Accommodations 326 Requests in 2012 –Scribe (85) –Special Paper (62) –Stop-the-clock (53) –Redirection (39)

Request must: Be specific Be individualized Include documentation of need – (IEP or 504) Have SASID (10-digit) Two signatures All the questions answered

Request must: Be specific Be individualized Include documentation of need – (IEP or 504) Have SASID (10-digit) Two signatures

Request must: Be specific Be individualized Include documentation of need – (IEP or 504) –Classroom data / samples Have SASID (10-digit) Two signatures

Request must: Be specific Be individualized Include documentation of need – (IEP or 504) Have SASID (10-digit) Two signatures

Request must: Be specific Be individualized Include documentation of need – (IEP or 504) Have SASID (10-digit) Two signatures

Submission Deadline DECEMBER 15 New to district after December 1 Newly identified after December 1

Scribe

AT vs. Scribe A scribe is for students who physically unable to write or use AT illegible handwriting it is easier behavior concerns does not like to write can not fully express his/her ideas lack of instruction using assistive technology

Accommodations for CoAlt

Designed specifically students with a significant cognitive disability, being instructed on alternate standards (Expanded Benchmarks/EEOs) Learner Centered FlexibleInteractive

Accommodations for CoAlt Expanded Accommodations  Don’t Read the Reading Test  Don’t Write the Writing Test  Don’t decrease the number of answer choices.

ACCESS for ELLs ®

Accommodations for ACCESS for ELLs ® Accommodations for this assessment are only available to students with disabilities, and the testing accommodation should be stated in the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) or 504 plan.

Accommodations for ACCESS for ELLs ® It is important to remember that accommodations for this assessment follow the guidelines established by the WIDA Consortia. These guidelines were set by the 29 governing members of WIDA. Accommodations allowed on this assessment may not be available to Colorado specific statewide assessments. Conversely, accommodations available on Colorado specific statewide assessments may not be available on ACCESS for ELLs.

Scheduling with accommodated sessions. Misadministration happen every year because of accommodated sessions were not scheduled appropriately. Students on different testing schedules may not mix Extended Time Schedule Math 1 8:25 – 10:00 Lunch 10:00 – 10:30 Math 2 10:30 – 12:05 Testing scheduleMath 1 8:00 – 9:05 Math 2 9:20 – 10:25 Lunch 10:25 – 10:55 Class

Accommodations Monitoring School Level During Instruction: Know who should be receiving accommodations. Observe Provide time to document During testing: Ensure accommodations are being used appropriately. After testing: Document accommodation use and share with educational team. When you bring data into the conversation, you take the emotion out.

Mr. Sirakavit Jason Heather Large Print Copies of Notes Peer Reader Extra Time Joyce Seating XX X X

Accommodations Monitoring District Level Prior to testing: Collect information regarding students who will be using assessment accommodations, including using accommodations with fidelity during instruction. Ensure training for accommodated sessions. During testing: Ensure accommodations are being used appropriately. After testing: Document accommodation use and share with educational team. Errors using inadequate data are much less than those using no data at all.

Accommodations Monitoring State Level CDE Selection: Districts are selected for onsite monitoring based on the state Title I visitation schedules and other factors Prior to the visit: Materials are provided to CDE showing participation rates, training materials, sample schedules, etc. Onsite visits: Include interviews and documentation review

What does your school do to monitor accommodations ?

Sometimes the pathway is straight….

…but often there’s more than one way to make a journey and arrive at your destination.