Accessible Test Design Michael Russell

Principles of Universal Design Universal design is the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. — Ron Mace

Access - Two Perspectives Examinee Access to the Test Test Accessing the Construct

Accessing the Construct

What is a Test? Indirect measure of a construct or set of closely related constructs Constructs are unobservable A test provides a sample of observable behaviors believed to be the product the intended construct Observable behaviors used to make an inference about the construct

How an Item Functions Present Information Stimulate Construct Interact with Content Apply Construct Produce Response Visible Product of Construct Quantitative Score Measure of Construct Inference Statement About Construct

Barriers to Access Present Information Stimulate Construct Interact with Content Apply Construct Produce Response Visible Product of Construct Quantitative Score Measure of Construct Inference Statement About Construct Inaccurate “intake” of item content Interference from non-targeted construct Inaccurate transference of response

Test Accommodations Test accommodations are changes in format, administration, response, setting, timing or scheduling that do not alter in any significant way what the test measures or the comparability of results. When used properly, appropriate test accommodations remove barriers to participation in the assessment and provide students with diverse learning needs an equal opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge or skills. NECAP Partner States: NH, VT and RI 2009

Universal Design “Universal Design does not imply ‘one sizes fits all’ but rather acknowledges the need for alternatives to suit many different people’s needs.” “…the essence of UDL is flexibility and the inclusion of alternatives to adapt to the myriad variations in learner needs, styles, and preferences.” -Rose & Meyer, 2000, p. 4

Universal Design for Assessment Flexibly adjust to enable students to: –Access test content –Interact with content –Respond to content

Keys to Universal Design Anticipate variety of needs during development Provide multiple, layered options Avoid special actions to meet needs

Overcoming Barriers to Access Adapted Presentation –Display of content –Representational form of content Adapted Interaction Adapted Response Mode

Imagine… Ability to concentrate on the problem is one of the constituent parts of the successful mental work

Imagine… We all see things the same way. We see words in groups or phrases. The print is more dominant than the background. The print shows no movement. The printed letters are evenly black. Black print on white paper gives the best contrast for everyone. White background looks white.

Adapted Presentation Examples Magnification High Contrast Color Filters White Space

Alternate Representation: WATER W-A-T-E-R

Alternate Representation: RELATIONSHIPS

Most Common Forms of Alternate Representation Braille American Sign Language Foreign languages Scientific notation Narrative descriptions of images Images for narratives Oral descriptions of table & graphs

Supporting Interaction Needs Masking Auditory Calming Prompts Flags Keyword Highlighting Scaffolds Breaks Increased Time Chunking Item placement Reduced answer options

Supporting Response Needs Mouse input Keyboard input Touchscreen input Intellikeys input Tab-Enter navigation/input ) Speech-to-text

NimbleTools Demonstration

Accessible Test Design

Accessible Portable Item Profile (APIP) Standards Universally Designed CB Interfaces Accessible Test Delivery x =

APIP Test Model

Item Information Model Default Content Information Companion Material Information Accessibility Information Inclusion Order Default Item Information Default Item Alternate Content Information Companion Material Information Accessibility Information Inclusion Order Alternate Version

APIP Provides Structure to Item Development Specifies Behaviors for Test Delivery Requires Specifications of Student Needs Comprehensive Integrated Solution for Accessible Test Design