Smarter Balanced Accommodations – Knowing and Using Allowed Resources Presenters: Donna Gearns Alicia Skelly 8/20/2014

Learning Targets for This Session O Differentiate between accommodations and modifications O Basic understanding of the Smarter Balanced Assessment – who gets tested O Awareness of the 3 key “features” – O Universal Tools O Designated Supports O Accommodations

What is the Smarter Balanced Assessment O Assessment aligned to the Common Core Standards O English language Arts (ELA)/literacy O Math O Grades 3-8 and 11 O All students are expected to participate O Exceptions are students with the most significant cognitive disabilities ( about 1% or fewer of student population)

Who takes which test?? O Elementary Grades 3-8 O Secondary O Info. From OPSI website

Elementary

Secondary

What are accommodations? O Tool and Procedures O Provide equal access to instruction and assessment for students with disabilities O “level the playing field” O Intended to lessen the effects of a student’s disability

Accommodations VS Modifications O Accommodations O Lessen the effects of a student’s disability O Provides multiple means for students to learn the standards O Very important – an accommodation does not change the content being taught or reduce learning or achievement expectations O Can be – O A device O A practice O A procedure

Accommodations vs Modifications O Modifications O Change the core content standard or performance expectation O Can be – O A device O A practice O An intervention

Test your knowledge O Should accommodations be used only for testing purposes?? O Who gets to decide what accommodations are used a. Parents b. Classroom teacher c. OT/PT or SLPs d. Special Ed teacher e. All of the above as long as they are part of the IEP/ 504 team

Selecting accommodations O Questions to consider – O What are the students learning strengths? O How do the student’s learning needs affect the achievement of the grade level content standards? O What specialized instruction does the student need to achieve the grade level standards?

Other questions to consider O What accommodations is the student regularly using in the classroom and on tests? O What is the student’s perception of how well the accommodation has worked? O Has the student been willing to use the accommodation? O What are the perceptions of parents, teachers and others about how the accommodations appear to have worked?

PAR Protocol for Accommodations in Reading O Dr. Denise DeCoste O Comparison of: O Student’s oral reading, O Adult reading and O Using a text reader O Free from Don Johnston website: donjohnston.com/download-par/ O Videos from PAR website discussion groups enter videos in the search field

PAR Results

Learning to use accommodations O Be sure to plan how and when the student will learn to use each accommodation O Be sure the student has time to learn to use the accommodation before using if for state and district wide assessments

Things to remember O Be sure student has plenty of practice opportunities to use accommodations O If the student is using AT (Assistive Technology) O Check it out ahead of time O Be sure it works with testing platform

Smarter Balanced Assessment Features O 3 Categories of Assessment Features O Universal Tools O Designated Supports O Accommodations

Universal Tools O Available to all students for computer administered Smarter Balanced Assessments O Features of the assessment provided digitally as part of the testing system or separate from it O Embedded Universal Tools O Non-embedded Universal Tools Pages 6-8 of Guide

Universal Tools Video online.com/p/ /DocumentViewRouter.ashx?Cust=77532&DocumentID=e2486dcc-d c-aa4a- 348cba44d48e&Popped=True&v=2&InitialPage=presentation.html

Designated Supports O Features available for use by any student O Need is indicated by an educator or team of educators O Process needs to be developed to make these decisions O Use of an Individual Students Assessment Accessibility Profile (ISAAP) O Need to be identified prior to assessment O Need to be entered into the Test Information Distributions Engine (TIDE)

Types of Designated Supports O Embedded Designated Supports O Examples – color contrast, masking, text- to - speech O Non-embedded Designated Supports O Examples – bilingual dictionary, color contrast, color overlays Pages 9-13 of Guide

ISAAP O Individual Student Assessment Accessibility Profile O Can be used to determine which designated supports should be available for an individual student O Needs to be completed in advance

Accommodations O What are they – O Changes in procedures or materials that allow students to show what they know O Who Decides What Accommodations are used – O IEP teams O 504 teams O Must be noted in the IEP or 504 plan O Must be entered into TIDE

2 Types of Accommodations O Embedded Accommodations O Examples – American Sign Language, Braille, Closed captioning, Text-to-Speech O Students grades 3-5, text-to-speech not available O Non-embedded Accommodations O Examples – abacus, Alternate response options, calculator Pages of the Guide

Accommodation Reminder O Accommodations are those features available for use by a student with a documentation of need in an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 accommodation plan. O Accommodations need to be identified and assigned in the Test Information Distribution Engine (TIDE) prior to assessment administration. O Students should be familiar with using the accommodations assigned to them.

Which tools are available for which students?

Summary of Tools, Supports and Accommodations O Review chart – Universal Tools, Designated Supports, Accommodations

Sample Test Items

ELA Sample Items What does Naomi learn about Grandma Ruth? Use details from the text to support your answer. Type your answer in the space provided.

Read the sentences from the passage. Then answer the question.

Select three sentences that show that Naomi is worried she has done something wrong. Click on two phrases from the paragraph that help you understand the meaning of scarred. Write an ending for the story by adding details to tell what happens next. Highlight the parts of the text that provide evidence to support the idea that the Tuskegee Airmen were historically important.

Why does the video compare being in space to lying in bed? Based on what you read in the text, do you think cell phones should be allowed in schools? Using the lists provided in the text, write a paragraph arguing why your position is more reasonable than the opposing position.

The following excerpt is from a writer’s first draft of a narrative essay. Read the excerpt. Then rewrite it, revising it to correct errors. Now rewrite the excerpt, revising it to correct errors. Type your answer in the space provided.

Using Specific Accommodations O Using a scribe O Need to practice before the test O General Guidelines O Content Specific Guidelines O Using Read Aloud, Test Reader O Test reader must be trained and qualified O General Guidelines O Need to know content specific guidelines O Completing the PAR early in the year can help determine effectiveness of using a reader

Considering Student Accessibility and Accommodation Needs O Resource 1

Resource # 1 Implementation Guide Student Needs

Do’s and Don’ts O Resource 2

Resource # 2 Implementation Guide

Designated Supports and Accommodations from the Student's Perspective O Resource 4

Resource # 4 Implementation Guide Student Perspective

Tools Descriptions and How to Incorporate Daily

Tools, Supports and Accommodations Chart O Working with the chart O Students you currently have O What tools would they need? O What supports do they need? O What accommodations would be beneficial? O How do you know?

Accommodation Planning

Resources O ns Smarter Balanced accommodation site: resources and guides for testing and implementation ns O online.com/p/ /DocumentViewRouter.as hx?Cust=77532&DocumentID=e2486dcc-d c-aa4a- 348cba44d48e&Popped=True&v=2&InitialPage=pre sentation.html Universal tools video (15 min.) online.com/p/ /DocumentViewRouter.as hx?Cust=77532&DocumentID=e2486dcc-d c-aa4a- 348cba44d48e&Popped=True&v=2&InitialPage=pre sentation.html O Student practice test for AT