STAAR 2012 Jamie Hicks and Christina Trotter Coordinators of Student Assessment Accommodations Training

Agenda Resources Optional Test Administration Procedures and Materials Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Documenting Accommodations 2

Accommodation Resources TEA – Student Assessment webpage TEA – Accommodations for Students with Disabilities taking STAAR, STAAR Spanish, STAAR Modified, STAAR L and TELPAS TEA Documents:  Critical Information about Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Taking STAAR, STAAR Spanish, STAAR Modified, STAAR L and TELPAS  Optional Test Administration Procedures and Materials  The Accommodation Triangle  The Accommodation Request Process for Type 3 Accommodations 3

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STAAR, STAAR SPANISH, STAAR MODIFIED, STAAR L, AND TELPAS Optional Test Administration Procedures and Materials 7

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 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 8

Optional Test Administration Procedures and Materials 9 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

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Texas Education Agency January 25, ▫ Available to all students but not intended for every student in a class or disability category. ▫ Some students may not need or want. ▫ Don’t distribute to every student on test day; make available in front of room or ask students if they need it

STAAR, STAAR SPANISH, STAAR MODIFIED, STAAR L, AND TELPAS Accommodations 12

Accommodations 13  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  Maybe appropriate for classroom use, but not allowed on state assessment  Routinely and effectively used  Individualized for each student  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  Are not necessary for every student  Should not be provided to a student without evidence of effectiveness

Planning for Accommodation Use Decision to use an accommodation must be made on an individual basis and take into consideration the needs of the student and whether the student routinely receives the accommodation during classroom instruction and testing. After determining the instructional accommodation(s) that are effective for a student, the educator should investigate whether those accommodations are allowed on a statewide assessment. Accommodations should be used Routinely, Effective and Independently (if applicable)  The student has used the accommodation often enough during classroom instruction and testing that he or she is able to use it independently during statewide assessment. Independent accommodation use is only applicable to some accommodations (calculator or word processor) and not to others (oral admin)  The accommodation has proven to be effective in meeting the student’s specific needs, as evidenced by student scores or teacher observations with and without accommodation use. This means that it is acceptable and appropriate to occasionally withhold an accommodation in order to confirm (or deny) its effectiveness. 14

What Accommodations are Available? 15 One Eligibility Criteria (REI ) Two or more Eligibility Criteria (REI and additional criteria based on student needs) Additional Eligibility Criteria and Accommodation Request Form sent to TEA for approval REI - Must be for students with a specific need and they must routinely, effectively and independently (when applicable) use the accommodation during classroom instruction and testing.

Specific Accommodation Information In order to access information about each accommodation, you need to click on the links on TEA’s website. A pdf document opens with the following information:  Description of Accommodation  Assessment the accommodation can be used on  Student Eligibility Criteria  Authority for Decision and Required Documentation  Examples/Types  Special Instructions/Considerations Click here to access Triangle 16

Individual or Small-Group Administration 17

Reminders to Stay on Task 18

Amplification Devices 19

Projection Devices Texas Education Agency January 25,

Manipulating Test Materials Texas Education Agency January 25, 2012

Oral/Signed Administration 22

Oral Administration (Continued) Texas Education Agency January 25,

Spelling Assistance Texas Education Agency January 25,

Spelling Assistance (Continued) Texas Education Agency January 25,

Math Manipulatives Texas Education Agency January 25,

Calculation Devices Texas Education Agency January 25,

Calulation Devices (Continued) Texas Education Agency January 25,

Basic Transcribing Texas Education Agency January 25,

Basic Transcribing (Continued) Texas Education Agency January 25, TEA stated that for students typing the written composition, 26 lines is equal to 1725 characters.

“Transcribing Griddable Questions – Student Document” Must be used when transcribing student responses to griddable questions. Also applies to LP tests. Allows the student to know the maximum number of spaces available for an answer to a griddable question. All student documents and a training document will be available in February at STAAR Modified Geometry is a field test this spring; this sheet is not available. Basic Transcribing 31 2

Supplemental Aids Texas Education Agency January 25,

Supplemental Aids (Continued) Texas Education Agency January 25, District Process for SA: Assessment/SpEd/Academics work together to approve SA Academics posts approved SA on District Common To have SA approved, work with ALTs and Curriculum Coordinators Supplemental Aids Should Be: High Quality Grade Appropriate Approved by Academics

Extra Time (Same Day) 34

Extra Time (Same Day) Continued 35

Large Print Texas Education Agency January 25,

Large Print (Continued) Texas Education Agency January 25,

Dictionary 38

Dictionary (Continued) Texas Education Agency January 25,

Braille Texas Education Agency January 25,

Complex Transcribing Texas Education Agency January 25,

Complex Transcribing Texas Education Agency January 25,

Extra Day Texas Education Agency January 25,

Photocopying 44

Photocopying (Continued) 45

Other Texas Education Agency January 25,

Accommodation Request Process for Type 3 Accommodations Online Accommodation Request Form will open by February 1, 2012 Districts must follow a specific process  More specific training provided in Feb. TETN Texas Education Agency January 25, Determination of Student Eligibility for a Type 3 Accommodation Completion and Submission of Online Accommodation Request Form TEA Review and Decision Required Communication within District

Accommodation Request Process for Type 3 Accommodations Remember… Only Type 3 Accommodations require the submission of an Accommodation Request Form 1. Complex Transcribing 2. Photocopy 3. Extra Day 4. Other - Always call TEA’s Accommodation Task Force if you think an accommodation is an Other Texas Education Agency January 25, Which accommodation is an Other? Blind, cerebral palsy, unable to learn braille – read the reading test? 3 rd grader, Special Education, learning disabled in math – calculator?

HOW DO WE VERIFY STUDENTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR ACCOMMODATIONS? HOW DO WE KNOW IF ACCOMMODATIONS ARE BEING ROUTINELY USED? HOW DO WE KNOW IF ACCOMMODATIONS ARE EFFECTIVE? Documentation 49

Texas Education Agency January 25, Teacher completes Accommodation Review Committee completes

Answers to Recent FAQs Texas Education Agency January 25,

In the eligibility criteria for Oral/Signed Administration, what would “evidence of reading difficulties” look like in the IEP or IAP? A student who meets the following criteria may receive an oral administration: “…Evidence of reading difficulties” is not intended to mean that the student must be identified as learning disabled in reading. Some students may have a disability, either cognitive or emotional for instance, that directly impacts their ability to decode text. Texas Education Agency January 25,

The Section 504/ARD committee needs to ensure that the IAP/IEP contains evidence that the student has reading difficulties and is receiving accommodations to support this need. Example Evidence: diagnostic test results, observational reports, class grades with and without reading support, goals/objectives Remember… just because a student has reading difficulties, doesn’t mean an oral administration is going to help. This accommodation should be used only for students who use it ROUTINELY and EFFECTIVELY in the class. A similar answer applies to the eligibility criteria for Calculation Devices that states, “The student has a disability that affects mathematics calculations.” Texas Education Agency January 25,

REMEMBER: “Evidence” = documentation in the IEP or IAP “Reading Difficulties” = a problem reading Don’t just focus on the disability or label a student has Focus on the accommodations the student is using in class to address his/her needs Texas Education Agency January 25,

Is an Oral Administration allowed for writing tests? No. An Oral/Signed Administration is not allowed on the grades 4 and 7 writing tests and the English I, II, and III writing tests. That is why writing is not included in the list of assessments for which Oral Administration applies to. However, refer to the Optional Test Administration Procedures and Materials document for information about reading aloud the writing prompts. Texas Education Agency January 25,

Can a student receiving an Oral Administration have Extra Time too? The student MAY have Extra Time if he/she meets the eligibility criteria for this accommodation. A student MAY NOT have Extra Time just because they are receiving an Oral Administration. Texas Education Agency January 25,

Is ADD or ADHD considered an emotional or behavioral disorder that can affect focus, allowing for Extra Time? This decision should be made by the appropriate team at the campus-level (e.g., ARD committee, Section 504 committee, RTI team, student assistance team) based on the eligibility criteria for Extra Time. Example: The campus-level team could determine a student with ADD/ADHD could have extra time if  he/she routinely used extra time to complete classroom assignments and assessments, AND  he/she had evidence that extra time was effective in meeting the student’s needs, AND  he/she had evidence that Optional Test Administration Procedures and Materials/Type 1 accommodations/Type 2 accommodations had been tried and did not alone (or at all) address the student’s needs, AND  the ADD manifested itself as a behavioral/emotional problem that affected attention/focus and required frequent/lengthy breaks For some students, the answer could be YES. For others, the answer would be NO. Texas Education Agency January 25,

Closing Questions/Answers Coordinators of Student Assessment: Jamie Hicks x8127 Christina Trotter x